# The chubs have invaded Panguitch



## ns450f (Aug 28, 2018)

Well this sucks....

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local...-introduced-fish-at-2-places-in-southern-utah

It was bad enough that Kolob got ruined by introduced perch and the state's treatment. Now with all the idiots from Cali, and Vegas over running Kolob and the new glamping development going in up there I doubt it will ever be as good as it was 4 years ago.

On top of that now it sounds like they have chubs in Panguitch lake now. Poor sweet beautiful Panguitch lake. I have also noticed a large increase in out of state ding bats at Panguitch lake over the last 10 years. I am afraid it is also going to go down the drain......Literally, this sucks


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## TOgden (Sep 10, 2007)

That is a sad thing to hear about Panguitch. Some people will go to any extreme just to catch a fish. Real Sportsmen

Don't just blame out of state folks, we have some of our own home grown idiots too.

Hopefully the tigers and cutthroats in the slot will be enough to keep the chubs from getting out of control.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

[email protected]*n Nevadans.................

I wonder if the chubs survived the previous poisoning or if they represent a new bucket biology event. With the slot in place, this will be a good test for slot regs. I think Panguitch will be OK.


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

I was wondering the same thing, Catheder, but not sure how likely it is for the chubs to survive for 14 years undetected. I know Panguitch has had problems with them over the years but it's seemed fine now since the last treatment. Even if they weren't found in surveys I'd assume they would have been reported given how many people fish there.

Hope it was a recent addition and the predatory fish earn their paycheck. If the chubs did survive after 2006 I hope they are under control as it doesn't bode well for sustaining the fishery. Fingers crossed, it would suck to see chub populations like existed before the last treatment.


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## one4fishing (Jul 2, 2015)

The DWR is saying this is bucket biology. I’m not really convinced. They’ve acknowledged at other reservoirs that totally eradicating chubs wasn’t really possible. 
I’m optimistic that the slot limit will do its job. It works at Strawberry with the chubs.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

The key to watch for in the gillnet surveys is what size of chubs are being caught. If there are only big, old ones then the predators are doing their job. If there are multiple age classes, with lots of small ones, then it might be time to worry. 

IDK if the picture shown on the link were Panguitch chubs, but they appeared to be bigger ones. 

Maybe the Hepps will have some inside info to share with us.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

Cat - Back - One:

Yes, introduced. How do we know this? Because of two things:

A. multiple poisonings to ensure a complete kill
B. 14 years of 0 findings



You don't go 14 years of looking for chubs and just not find them.

Here are my thoughts:
Panguitch has been pumping out some very large tiger trout the last couple years.
The proximity of Panguitch to Duck Creek and Navajo Lake provide an easy opportunity for someone to catch chubs, toss them in a bucket, and run over to Panguitch. That scenario would be very easy to carry out. And it doesn't take a genius to come up with the idea...




This is unfortunate. Hopefully we can get a handle on this quickly.

One option that has proven itself a very capable tool over the last number of years is wipers. I would suspect that we'll see some wipers stocked in Panguitch next year.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

If Chubs are so bad(and they are other than they make pretty good bait) why, I say WHY in the world is the DWR still planting them in some waters in Utah?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

BPturkeys said:


> If Chubs are so bad(and they are other than they make pretty good bait) why, I say WHY in the world is the DWR still planting them in some waters in Utah?


I just looked at the stocking report and there are 3 waters where they stock chubs in.

Lake Powell, I would imagine that the strippers need something to eat along with the Colorado Pikeminnow that lives in the Green River and possibly in the Price and San Rafael Rivers.

Price and San Rafael Rivers, my guess is that they were native to these waters with both of them flowing into the Green River and then into Lake Powell. Along with these waters being too warm for trout, presuming that on the Price River they planted them from Helper downstream and the San Rafael beyond the confluence of Cottonwood, Huntington, and Ferron creeks.

There are no large water reservoirs on any of these rivers from where I mentioned down stream, except for Lake Powell.

This is just my opinion for what it is worth.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

PBH said:


> Cat - Back - One:
> 
> Yes, introduced. How do we know this? Because of two things:
> 
> ...


Good to know. Now, how about the next question I raised, what is the population profile on the chubs? Are they catching multiple sizes and age classes? If so, don't we have sufficient predators in BL cutts and tigers to keep them in check?


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

Critter said:


> Price and San Rafael Rivers, my guess is that they were native to these waters with both of them flowing into the Green River and then into Lake Powell. Along with these waters being too warm for trout, presuming that on the Price River they planted them from Helper downstream and the San Rafael beyond the confluence of Cottonwood, Huntington, and Ferron creeks.


Keep in mind that the DWR and USFWS regularly stock endangered *Humpback* chubs in several waters in the lower Green river system. I'm fairly sure this is what is referred to in the stocking reports you cited. They also may stock some *Least* chubs in small ponds to expand their population and for mosquito control.

These are different species than the Utah chub, which is generally a pest in most fisheries it inhabits.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

The slot limit at Strawberry saved the fishery. It has shown to be effective, but it takes time.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Catherder said:


> Keep in mind that the DWR and USFWS regularly stock endangered *Humpback* chubs in several waters in the lower Green river system. I'm fairly sure this is what is referred to in the stocking reports you cited. They also may stock some *Least* chubs in small ponds to expand their population and for mosquito control.
> 
> These are different species than the Utah chub, which is generally a pest in most fisheries it inhabits.


Ok, that makes sense. I guess I just assumed they were planting Utah Chubs.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

BP -- they aen't stocking Utah chubs. Only endangered chubs in very specific waters.


Cat -- I think they found a total of 2 chubs in Panguitch. That may not sound like many, but it is evidence that they are there. I'm sure they will be looking for more going forward to get a better understanding of what they are now dealing with.



Vanilla -- the slot has worked at Strawberry, and is exactly why Panguitch has similar regulations. That's the idea. But it would be even better if there were no chubs at all.


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## one4fishing (Jul 2, 2015)

PBH, thanks for the input. Didn’t realize it had been that long and that they’re monitoring the lake. 
The first time I caught a chub at Strawberry, I was appalled. The CO I told scoffed and said something like “ You really think we could have got them all?”


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