# Scofield 4/29



## REPETER (Oct 3, 2007)

Well the ice is coming off and won't last more than another warm day or two. Many places the ice has receded far enough away to not be able to cast to. Fished on the north side of the dam arm by the state park. Started off by catching mostly dink planter tigers. Moved to some rockier area and caught a couple nicer tigers and a decent bow. Fished about 3 hrs in the afternoon and caught around 10. Used LC pointer 65, silver Jake's, and black maribou, also caught 1 tiger on a worm which was a first for me-the worm didn't get hit until I was reeling in slowly, otherwise my bait pole just sat there (tried worm, minnow and a little salmon roe) while I threw lures. Many others were catching as well, but only talked with one other guy who was using a orangish woolly bugger on his fly rod and a pointer minnow on the casting rod, he did ok for the dinks with both rods-but said that he hadn't been able to find anything bigger. I personally can't wait for another couple of years with the slot in place...those dinks are going to become monsters!


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## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

Thanks for the report..
Not to rain on your parade though, i don't see the fish in scofield getting that big with the slot in place. The fish at strawberry are getting slot sized and over but look at the size of the resevoir. Scofield is 1/4 the size and gets almost the same amount of pressure on it as strawberry does. I agree though, if they did break that slot that would be a great time. Bottom line, I just think there are too many people now days to see the type of fish like we hope and pray for. If you want big fish you either have to be lucky or no the right secret spots.. just my opinion though..


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

americanforkdude said:


> Thanks for the report..
> Not to rain on your parade though, i don't see the fish in scofield getting that big with the slot in place. The fish at strawberry are getting slot sized and over but look at the size of the resevoir. Scofield is 1/4 the size and gets almost the same amount of pressure on it as strawberry does. I agree though, if they did break that slot that would be a great time. Bottom line, I just think there are too many people now days to see the type of fish like we hope and pray for. If you want big fish you either have to be lucky or no the right secret spots.. just my opinion though..


I absolutely agree with this. I was HIGHLY pissed that they put that reg in place. Expecially after raising the limit to 8 fish a short while back. Look kids need a place to go fish and BRING SOMETHING HOME. THAT is what "hooks" them on fishing. I quit fishing strawberry with my kid because he couldnt understand why he had to throw HIS fish back. Scofield was a kids paradise where they could catch fish bring something home.

People think strawberry is a huge success and that fish will all end up huge over the slot monsters, but look at what people do catch. They are scrawny eel like things. I really believe the slot cuts are underfed. Look at the netting survey a couple years back, the lack of bow's surviving, the underweight cutts and lower numbers of "over slot" cutts observed than they expected.

Several studies showed a death rate of released fish at around 10%. I'm sure people here are more careful of releasing their fish but can you say that for all the other morons out there fishing? Heck even before the slot limits at scofield I was SHOCKED at the number of "floater" fish feeding the pelicans, released from trollers that handled them too roughly.

Screw slot restrictions. Go back to lower fish limits with no size restrictions.

-DallanC


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

Congrats on a good trip repeter. Glad you got them on a LC, thats saying something this time of year when the fish like a slow moving presentation. 

Discussing the slot advantages or disadvantages is not really important on this thread. But, I think the slot will be a good thing. The fish in strawberry went from all being 17.5 inches to an average of around 20 from what I have seen. I think its important to teach our kids the the concept of catch and release. "Hey bud, if we let this fish go now, we can come back and catch him in a year and he will be THIS BIG!!" It worked for me. I am grateful for my uncle teaching me this when I was young. I am also grateful to the people who released fish that I have been able to catch later that were 5..6...7 pounds. If the kids want to keep fish, take them to a put and take (community water, trial, mirror, smith and morehouse, vivian). Thats my .02 cents, some feel different and that is your right. 

Once again, great job up there Repeter. I am excited to fish it with you later in the spring if we dont get side tracked by places like Fish Lake, The Berry, Utah Lake and Willard.


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## Size Matters (Dec 22, 2007)

It sounds like you had a great time I agree we should catch and release but those fillets sure are tasty. :mrgreen:


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## REPETER (Oct 3, 2007)

Dont' get me wrong, I love to take home some fish...in fact that bow tonight was sure tasty. But-the regs are in place and we get to live with the outcome that they produce-which we will have to wait and see-but I think it'll create some monsters. Right now there is a ton of food for them, and I've already pulled out one 20+" tiger out of there that battled like no other and had a very pretty orange tint to it, and a couple that were getting close-all very healthy. IMO if you want bows, throw out some PB or a worm on your kid's hook and you'll stay away from most of the tigers. Or like has been mentioned visit a put and take fishery like a community pond-after all if you are taking the kids it should be all about them anyway-community ponds offer fine fishing, dinner, and a place for the kids to play after they get bored. :wink: Yes, my girls are always asking if we get to keep their fish, but they are also learning that sometimes the answer is no. The truth is, no matter how much I wish they would go fishing with me more often, unless we have the incentive of the park and not too long of a ride they would usually rather stay home and play with their friends.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

My dad hit it last night with very few bites, but one nice one. 
As to arguing against the slot limit.............the only purpose of the slot has not been mentioned; that of the chub. What other ways do you propose to control the chubs? I think it is a reasonable proposition that appears to be working quite well at the Berry. Make a quite small sacrifice now for the future of the res. 
Speaking of which, I found something very curious today. In reading the proc I now see that it is illegal to fillet, remove head or fin from any fish (or was it only trout) caught at the Berry, Scofield or Panguitch. I can see the reason for it, but....how else can they regulate the species I guess. I will guess that they will be getting rid of the cleaning stations at those lakes?


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## Flyfishn247 (Oct 2, 2007)

Slot limits are there for more than creating bigger fish. They put slots on the Predatory fish (cutts & Tigers) with the idea they will help control the booming chub population. It would be a real shame if they ended up having to treat the resevoir because catch and cook folks protested the slot limits. There will still be plenty of put and take Bows in there for kids and Keepers. Hell, everytime I go there my wife asks that I keep one good sized Bow for the BBQ. Can't wait to get up there, from all the previous ice reports, it sounds like very few fish were pulled through the ice making it a possible great year for spring soft water.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Glad you had some fun, REPETER.

I haven't yet visit Scofield with the new regs, but Mother's Day weekend will be the day. Although I may not like the fact that I'll most likely have to release the cutts and tigers I catch (unless I get lucky, of course), but at least the rainbows are still fair game.

Most people on this site know that I'm not an exclusive C&R person, but without practicing _some_ C&R on every trip, I'd have to leave after catching 4 fish. Hardly worth the drive for me.


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

I once overheard a disturbing conversation at Strawberry.
I was fishing from my pontoon and was close enough to a boat to hear their conversation.
An older man was very upset with the slot regs that were on Strawberry.
They were anchored and fishing power bait on the bottom of the reservoir.
They caught at least 5 fish while I was within hearing distance of them.
Each time that they brought a fish into the boat, the older man got angry and complained that they had just caught another Cutthroat within the slot.
These fish were taking the treble hooks deep, so it was difficult to remove the hooks without harming the fish.
The older man would say,"well they have made us kill another nice fish" as he yanked the treble hooks out of the bleeding fish and tossed the fish into the water.

Why didn't he just change the way he was fishing?
He could have used a different hook or he could have cut the line and left the hook in the fish that he put back.
Because he didn't like the regs and was mad about not being able to keep the fish, he chose to kill the fish and put the blame on the DWR.
He could have also just fished some other place where the regs don't include a slot limit.

Some people will never get it!


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## Pez Gallo (Dec 27, 2007)

It's interesting how everyone knows more about how to manage fisheries than the dwr biologists. 

I guess there is a big conspiracy by the dwr to ruin popular fisheries in the state. :roll:


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## Levy (Oct 2, 2007)

It is interesting how many people are naive to the DNR never making a bad decision. They really hurt Scofield with the eight fish limit and not protecting the cutts. They managed Scofield for the masses not for the fish. I will give them credit that the new regs are a move in the right direction, but only time will tell.


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## Pez Gallo (Dec 27, 2007)

Levy said:


> It is interesting how many people are naive to the DNR never making a bad decision. They really hurt Scofield with the eight fish limit and not protecting the cutts. They managed Scofield for the masses not for the fish. I will give them credit that the new regs are a move in the right direction, but only time will tell.


And we always see with 20/20 vision in hindsight.


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## mack1950 (Sep 11, 2007)

the boys and i made out first schofield run friday and it wasnt a bad trip landed a few bow cutts and tigers all went back except for 4 which we keep for dinner. the bows were all spawned out and in recovery and looked very healty. nothing big enough to brag about but all were in the 12 to 18 inch bracket. all in all a great time was had by all


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## Levy (Oct 2, 2007)

> And we always see with 20/20 vision in hindsight.


8 fish limits and the 2nd busiest water in the state............I wonder if that will affect fish populations and quality? Who would have had the foresight to see that coming??????"BLIND PEOPLE."


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## Pez Gallo (Dec 27, 2007)

Levy said:


> > And we always see with 20/20 vision in hindsight.
> 
> 
> 8 fish limits and the 2nd busiest water in the state............I wonder if that will affect fish populations and quality? Who would have had the foresight to see that coming??????"BLIND PEOPLE."


I am quite sure the DWR had their reasons for doing what they did with the fish limits at Schofield. Did you ever bother to find out what those reasons were for before instantly accusing the DWR of neglegance and thinking you have a better way to manage that fishery? Maybe there was a lot more going on that you aren't aware of, but I guess the DWR just didn't like schofield and wanted to ruin it.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

I read on the DWR's website back in late '07, when the new '08 procs were released, that the new 8 fish limit was to boost Scofield's popularity with families. I even read the words "forgotten gem" in the report, describing the fishery (I don't know why anyone would think Scofield was forgotten by anglers of Utah).

The site also stated that a heavy stocking regimen was in place to accommodate the higher bag limits and fishing pressure.

So it seems as if they really were trying to direct more traffic toward Scofield. With the new regs of '09 coming out of the woodwork, immediately after this PR push of '08, the public is left to speculate and it really does look like the DWR was caught off guard by the chubs. Hence the quick change in regulations and added slot limit.

Of course, as the public, we really don't know what's going on behind the scenes. The information that I've read on the DWR website in the past vs the current regulations, seem to conflict in agenda.

I'm not one to badmouth the DWR, so don't take it as an attack on them. I'm just providing my input as to why anyone would take issue with such a dramatic change of rules over a short time period.

If there's a chub problem and their answer is to protect predators of a certain size, that's fine with me. I'll just sit back a watch how it plays out over time.


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## Levy (Oct 2, 2007)

> I am quite sure the DWR had their reasons for doing what they did with the fish limits at Schofield. Did you ever bother to find out what those reasons were for before instantly accusing the DWR of neglegance and thinking you have a better way to manage that fishery? Maybe there was a lot more going on that you aren't aware of, but I guess the DWR just didn't like schofield and wanted to ruin it.


Who else put the regulations in place?!!! I am very informed when it comes to Scofield(not so much Schofield). The reasons were to appease the catch and clean crowd and make it a stock/family lake. The problem with this is the cutts that were the predominate chub eater became freezer logs along with the bigger Tiger trout(10 inch planters won't control the chubs, pretty sure the expert biologists knew that). As loah said it was a quick change because the lake was headed in the wrong direction. Bad decision by the DWR on all fronts. Of course I don't think they did this with the intention of ruining Scofield. They did it to sell licenses and in turn hurt the fishery. I am hopeful for the new regulations. I am of the opinion that you don't take everything from the DWR as the only and best answer. I fully support them and sometimes do this by disagreeing.


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