# Scofield Management Progress



## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

I was going to post this in the other thread, but that was about historical fish in Strawberry and didn't want to turn it completely into a Scofield debate, so I wanted to start a new thread. 

Here is my question: Has there been any positive progress on Scofield? Have we seen any benefit from the tiger muskie and wipers so far? 

I'm okay being patient, but if we haven't seen any progress, what is the point of "waiting it out" any longer? I haven't fished Scofield in a couple years, so maybe they don't care what I think. But the reason I stopped fishing it was because its quality took a dive bomb. So, for those up there a lot, what is the prognosis?


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

I quit fishing Scofield when the slot limit went into effect.


-DallanC


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

"K" factor. Get those numbers. That should help tell a story that anglers can't. K factor doesn't lie, or exaggerate. It just states what the current health factor of a fish is. Let's see what those numbers are, and what direction they are trending.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

How long ago were the wipers and muskie added to Scofield? My memory is wanting to say only 2 years?


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

PBH said:


> "K" factor. Get those numbers. That should help tell a story that anglers can't. K factor doesn't lie, or exaggerate. It just states what the current health factor of a fish is. Let's see what those numbers are, and what direction they are trending.


oh K, let's see it! (see what I did there???)

How do we get that? You seem like you should be able to tell me that. I'll patiently wait for your report.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

gotta go request them from the biologists managing that lake. I don't even know if they have them or not....although I would guess they do...


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

PBH said:


> gotta go request them from the biologists managing that lake. I don't even know if they have them or not....although I would guess they do...


Well, you have your errand. Get on it!

#metallica
#gocowboys


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

#RGGSENM


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## Brookie (Oct 26, 2008)

k Factor usually has something to do with selection on the species from the environment with respect to the carry capacity. So is there more trout growing and surviving at a bigger size and age.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

k factor is simply a "condition" factor. If their condition is at, or near a 1 and improving, then I would say things are "OK". If they are below a 1 and declining.....ROTENONE!


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

You might as well be speaking Chinese right now to me, but for some weird and unknown reason, I trust you on this one. 

You got that k factor data on Scofield yet? C'mon PBH! It's been like an hour.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

Not that I know what the "K" value is at Scofield or have any other insider knowledge, but this is what I've seen. 


1. The local managers are showing some skill at "spinning" the situation to show progress. For instance, they stocked quite a few rainbows last year after a hiatus of a couple of years, then announced that there were more bows in the gillnets than there had been in several years. The last Facebook offering covering the netting survey highlighted wipers and Tiger muskies and was light on trout for some reason. This is probably smart PR, in light of how polarizing the subject is, but it doesn't tell us a lot about how things are really doing there. 

2. The wipers appear to have survived at least a year. (at least some of them) This is encouraging that some results may eventually be seen. The tiger muskies are doing fine, but I don't think anyone doubted that would be a problem. Whether they would eat enough chubs to matter is another question. 

3. The last time I fished there, I just caught a bunch of skinny cutts and 2 skinny bows. My anecdotal impression was not favorable. 

4. Every time this comes up on an internet forum, there is a crowd of anglers that strongly favor the current plan and bash anyone who has the temerity to question the lack of progress. They then comment that rotenone is "the definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and expecting a different result". They then dislocate their shoulders patting themselves on their back for being so clever. Likewise, there are a group of anglers that have become disgusted with the Scofield situation and vocally argue back. I fully expect this thread will do the same thing too. Makes for a rather polarizing situation. 

5. I'm betting PBH will struggle to get that "K" value. 

6. We will keep waiting a few more years to see what happens at Scofield and in the meantime I will keep fishing Strawberry, where rotenone and proper management afterwards has worked great.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

My observation from fishing it the last three Saturdays is that it is slightly improved, not catching any chubs FWIW


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

PBH said:


> #RGGSENM


Right now, the Jazz look so dismal that we need to change this to #RGSUVAS.
(RudyGobertSouthUtahValleyAnimalShelter.)

Tonight's game was a joke.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

Vanilla said:


> You might as well be speaking Chinese right now to me, but for some weird and unknown reason, I trust you on this one.


This will explain everything you need to know about K factor and why I think it would tell us whether or not the current plan at Scofield is working, or not:
http://bamboorods.ca/Trout condition factor.pdf

If we know the K factor when the fish are stocked, then compare the K factor during annual spring / fall sampling, you could determine if the condition of fish is trending up, or down. Then we know if things are in "good shape" or not.

As pointed out by Catherder -- anglers catching fish and stating that they are "healthy looking" doesn't tell the whole story. Neither do Facebook posts from the UDWR showing that gill net numbers are up after stocking more fish. We aren't seeing the whole picture. Why is that?


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

#RGSUVAS

#WeMissDerrickFavors
and
#WeShouldHaveKeptTrickyRicky


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## Jedidiah (Oct 10, 2014)

Three years ago I had two trips where I caught nothing but chubs, both times. This year I've been to Scofield one time and caught nothing but cutthroat trout either just under or just over the slot limit. It may have had something to do with the fact that I was night fishing.

Maybe the somewhat sudden change is concerning? I'm also tending to correlate the fishing at Scofield with Joes Valley, where people say the tiger muskie have ruined a great trout fishery. My own experience has shown a sharp decline in large trout there, and other anglers' experience seems to be the same. I have also read that the tiger muskie seem to be growing faster than estimated where they have been planted in the last few years, which makes you think something is happening that wasn't predicted by biologists.

Less chubs and more fish in general is good though, and I'm not going to get all up in arms about one body of water when there's so much great water to fish in this state.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

Jedidiah said:


> I'm not going to get all up in arms about one body of water when there's so much great water to fish in this state.


This is ultimately true for my fishing choices and at the end of the day, there is still lots of good fishing to be had. However, I do accept the argument from the plan critics that a floundering Scofield represents an opportunity loss for the state and region. When Scofield was a thriving trout fishery, it was one of the top 2-3 lakes in the state for usage. 
Now? Plenty of solitude and no crowds.

#RGSUVAS
#noD
#Time2tank
#WeMissDerekFavors


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## bossloader (Sep 11, 2007)

*trout*

last year my wife and i caught and released over 100 trout NO CHUBS 3 days of fishing late may.


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## CrayDad (Feb 20, 2020)

Went last July for a couple hours in the morning. Amazing drive out there.


Couple trout but not much crawfish at that water temp.


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