# Strawberry was good to us



## elk_horn (Aug 6, 2008)

Fished Strawberry Friday the 15th and Saturday the 16th ... caught alot of cuts at 20" and did manage 2 at 22 3/4" Kept a few bows to eat! Fished Haws point in a boat drifting a wooley bugger! Black and Red ... Sometimes an Olive color.


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## flydaddy834 (Sep 11, 2007)

i was out that evening after the wind died down. trolling by the marina in a toon through lots of tubes with shiners didnt get a one. caught one on a wobbler in the coves they were in there after the sun went down. had a lot of fun. the mexican place in heber is pretty good also don pedros. i will eat there again. wish i caught a keeper i wanted fish for sure. i didnt see but 2 boats that whole evening. couple people in toons but not many. where was everyone?


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Hit it saturday as well with great results.

I've been mixing up my own bait and rig... trying to get something that works on rainbows only. So far its been VERY promising. Saturday, in just over an hour we limited out on 12 nice big fat 'bows. Didnt pick up a single cutt so I think I'm on the right track LOL! :wink: 

I hate catch and release as I know even if you are careful there is a chance some die... i'd just rather not catch them to begin with. Last time up there we caught 25 rainbows straight in 3 hours! Now if i could just figure out how to avoid the hellacious line tangles I seem to be getting...

-DallanC


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## Levy (Oct 2, 2007)

You hate catch and release? Because you might actually renew the resource? If you keep a fish it has a mortality rate of 100%. If you release a fish correctly it has a mortality rate 35%(It is a 1-5% mortality rate when fishing with artificial lures). As heavily pressured as Strawberry is, they ask that you to not feel compelled to harvest a fish everytime you go. There is a reason for that, look at Scofield. As far as catching only rainbows, I was up there Sat. and I guess I have invented a fly that only catches rainbows as I landed 20. I think it has more to do with where you are fishing on the reservoir than what you are using. There are more rainbows being caught that carried over from last fall due to an increase in the size of rainbows that were stocked.


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

The fact that more rainbow trout were stocked in Strawberry, in the past 12 months than have been stocked for several years may also have something to do with why you are catching them.
Good on the DWR for the heavy stocking of rainbows at Strawberry!


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## BerryNut (Dec 29, 2008)

I am not one to tell anyone to not keep fish, but with that being said, with the increase in the numbers of rainbows being caught, and the amount of people that fish there, if everyone were to keep thier limit, how soon would we all be complaining about the amount of slot cutts we were catching. I have fished strawberry my entire life. I'm one who loves the taste of fresh fish, but I dont see how not releasing fish after they're caught because they are going to die can justify keeping an entire limit every trip? Even if it does not live, it will be food source for other fish, birds otters, whatever. I just love catching fat football bows out of the berry again after years of just catching one or two every year. I think catching and keeping a couple for dinner every other trip, and letting the rest go and get bigger so we can post about catch 5 pounders in a couple more years. Just my 2 cents.


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## UintaMan (Sep 16, 2007)

BerryNut said:


> *I am not one to tell anyone to not keep fish*, but with that being said, with the increase in the numbers of rainbows being caught, and the amount of people that fish there, if everyone were to keep thier limit, how soon would we all be complaining about the amount of slot cutts we were catching. I have fished strawberry my entire life. I'm one who loves the taste of fresh fish, but I dont see how not releasing fish after they're caught because they are going to die can justify keeping an entire limit every trip? Even if it does not live, it will be food source for other fish, birds otters, whatever. I just love catching fat football bows out of the berry again after years of just catching one or two every year. I think catching and keeping a couple for dinner every other trip, and letting the rest go and get bigger so we can post about catch 5 pounders in a couple more years. Just my 2 cents.


I think that is exactly what you are saying! Who are you or anyone else for that matter to tell someone who has every right in the World to keep their limit of fish every single trip they got out, that they can't? Glad to see your trying to dictate that some people should be OK to keep a couple for dinner every other trip. If you do that than good on you, and for the people that feel the need to keep their limit every time they go out well now that is their right isn't it! With all this said, I practive catch and release 90% of the time but have NO problem with what anyone else does as long as they stay within the law / rules and regulations! Strawberry is not going to run out of fish and there is plenty up there to go around. With all the fish that are taken from the Berry every day, I've never seemed to have a problem finding the monster bows and that was before the DWR finally decided to try and get the Bow numbers up this last year or so. Should be another great year up at the Berry for all to enjoy!


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## Levy (Oct 2, 2007)

> Who are you or anyone else for that matter to tell someone who has every right in the World to keep their limit of fish every single trip they got out, that they can't?


Who are you to put words in his mouth? He just stated his opinion and didn't attack anyone. Do you honestly think that keeping the "family" limit of fish every single trip out is good conservation? 


> Strawberry is not going to run out of fish and there is plenty up there to go around. With all the fish that are taken from the Berry every day, I've never seemed to have a problem finding the monster bows and that was before the DWR finally decided to try and get the Bow numbers up this last year or so


Strawberry may not run out of fish, but the budget that is used to keep that reservoir full of fish will increase(it is huge already)and funds that could be used on other waters or projects will not be available. It is extremely expensive to stock 10-12inch fish. With that being said I have no problem with keeping a fish or two. I also feel as the DWR does that you shouldn't feel compelled to harvest fish every time you go out and a lot of that is determined on how often you fish. If you want different age classes of fish you have to put some back that is a fact.


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

Happy medium folks! I personally keep fish every now and again, nothing wrong with it, isn't that the original purpose of fishing, eating the fish? Not everyone is out to catch trophy fish, but at the same time not everyone is out to catch a meal. I think the slot limits/limits are set to take into account that many people are going to take their limit nearly every time they go out and there is nothing wrong with that if they are going to eat them.


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## BROWN BAGGER (Sep 13, 2007)

My 2 cent's, I have no problem with keeping limits. Though ask yourself if I release a fish that has a high rate of survival, how much fun will it be to catch it later and much bigger. Down the road as you gather years of fishing under your belt, don't you start to desire that big fish. Doesn't watching you kid reel in a fish of a life time give you great joy and bragging rights. We need both type's of fishery's, and if you get caught taking more than the limit, I think you should have you license revoked for a year plus a fine. I almost see it as kids and cold cereal, they will eat the box if you let them.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Oh my... I really didnt intend to start an arguement. I need to clear a couple things up because a few people got kindof upset. 

I'm not anti-catch and release. But statistically a certain percentage of fish C&R'd will die. Its been documented too many times. I've seen way way too many dead cutts at the berry from people releasing them. I've seen people that post & brag about C&Ring 50-60 cutts in a day there... how many of those died? 

I firmly believe LESS fish would be killed in a year there if the lake would remove the slot limit, and introduce a 1 fish catch limit. Sure you will still have the guys that show up, fish all day C&R'ing, and unfortunately causing a small percentage of mortality in the population, but there would be alot of familys that would catch their few fish and leave. 

Now I'm sure people will get their hackles raised up with that statement... so I want to clearly state I think posters here are more knowledgable and are much more careful when C&R'ing than the average joe fishing up there with his power bait. But I doubt anyone here will say they never saw someone manhandle a fish when trying to release it, or saw dead ones floating from unsuccessful C&R. 

I've never caught a cutt at the berry that was over the slot to keep. That means every cutt I have caught I had to release. I try to be as careful as I can but still I have to wonder did any die? I feel guilty about that... so if I can catch other species and not worry about C&R as much, I opt for that. 


-DallanC


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

DallanC said:


> Oh my... I really didnt intend to start an arguement. I need to clear a couple things up because a few people got kindof upset.
> 
> I'm not anti-catch and release. But statistically a certain percentage of fish C&R'd will die. Its been documented too many times. I've seen way way too many dead cutts at the berry from people releasing them. I've seen people that post & brag about C&Ring 50-60 cutts in a day there... how many of those died?
> 
> ...


Nice post.


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## UintaMan (Sep 16, 2007)

BROWN BAGGER said:


> My 2 cent's, I have no problem with keeping limits. Though ask yourself if I release a fish that has a high rate of survival, how much fun will it be to catch it later and much bigger. Down the road as you gather years of fishing under your belt, don't you start to desire that big fish. Doesn't watching you kid reel in a fish of a life time give you great joy and bragging rights. We need both type's of fishery's, *and if you get caught taking more than the limit, I think you should have you license revoked for a year plus a fine.* I almost see it as kids and cold cereal, they will eat the box if you let them.


Agree with you 100% on that!


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## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

I fully believe in keeping fish. Because I eat them. BUT, I don't necessarily think that a full limit is required. Once I feel like I have enough fish for a family meal, then I am done keeping them. If that is 2 good sized ones that I think will feed my family of 3, then that is how many I keep, if they are smaller, then I adjust accordingly. Rarely does it take 12 fish to feed the three of us, and if the fish I am catching are so small that it would, I probably am not going to keep them anyway, because they are more work to process than they are worth to me.
I have fish in the freezer from last year, and probably from the year before that. This makes me unhappy and I am not putting any more there until and unless I eat the ones that are already there. That being said, if I go fishing tomorrow, I will keep enough fish for a meal because fresh is always better than frozen.
The ones that are in my freezer are actually ones that we didn't get eaten when they were fresh. :roll:


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## 357bob (Sep 30, 2007)

Anyone else have dejavu?


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## flyguy7 (Sep 16, 2007)

I would personally rather see the Cutthroat kept and the Rainbows released both in Scofield and in Strawberry. I like to catch fish that fight and most Cutts come in belly up with nothing more than a headshake or two. Inch for inch the rainbows are much fatter for there weight. This is exactly why I rarely fish Strawberry anymore. Catching soggy fish that give up doesn't interest me and now that the rainbows are being stocked again, I have a renewed interest in strawberry. I know many of you are big tiger trout fans and tigers do fight much harder than a Cutthroat, but not harder than a big healthy Rainbow.


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## BrookTroutKid (Oct 10, 2007)

Is it really nessasary for people on this site to start arguing at the drop of a hat! HOLY CRAP im in high school and there isn't this much drama. Who cares if the some dude who didnt even make the initial report prefers to keep his full limit and you want to release them. Why not when answering to a post just hey man good report Quit Bickering!!!!! Some of us actually like to read reports that are not five page blowups over something trivial. 

On another note Good job on the berry treating you well in many ways I think panguitch down here is starting to turn into a mini strawberry.

Thanks for listening 
BTK


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

BrookTroutKid said:


> Is it really nessasary for people on this site to start arguing at the drop of a hat! HOLY CRAP im in high school and there isn't this much drama. Who cares if the some dude who didnt even make the initial report prefers to keep his full limit and you want to release them. Why not when answering to a post just hey man good report Quit Bickering!!!!! Some of us actually like to read reports that are not five page blowups over something trivial.
> 
> On another note Good job on the berry treating you well in many ways I think panguitch down here is starting to turn into a mini strawberry.
> 
> ...


Why don't you just get to math class, sluffer! :mrgreen: :lol: :wink:


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## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

BrookTroutKid said:


> Is it really nessasary for people on this site to start arguing at the drop of a hat! HOLY CRAP im in high school and there isn't this much drama. Who cares if the some dude who didnt even make the initial report prefers to keep his full limit and you want to release them. Why not when answering to a post just hey man good report Quit Bickering!!!!! Some of us actually like to read reports that are not five page blowups over something trivial.
> 
> On another note Good job on the berry treating you well in many ways I think panguitch down here is starting to turn into a mini strawberry.
> 
> ...


He has a point. lol _(O)_


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## fixed blade XC-3 (Sep 11, 2007)

BrookTroutKid said:


> Is it really nessasary for people on this site to start arguing at the drop of a hat! HOLY CRAP im in high school and there isn't this much drama. Who cares if the some dude who didnt even make the initial report prefers to keep his full limit and you want to release them. Why not when answering to a post just hey man good report Quit Bickering!!!!! Some of us actually like to read reports that are not five page blowups over something trivial.
> 
> On another note Good job on the berry treating you well in many ways I think panguitch down here is starting to turn into a mini strawberry.
> 
> ...


Good post little buddy. I've noticed that a lot of men in the fishing section have an unusual hi amount of estrogen!!! I'd go as far to say even more than our women forum goers.


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## FishMogul (Sep 8, 2007)

flyguy7 said:


> I would personally rather see the Cutthroat kept and the Rainbows released both in Scofield and in Strawberry. I like to catch fish that fight and most Cutts come in belly up with nothing more than a headshake or two. Inch for inch the rainbows are much fatter for there weight. This is exactly why I rarely fish Strawberry anymore. *Catching soggy fish that give up doesn't interest me* and now that the rainbows are being stocked again, I have a renewed interest in strawberry. * I know many of you are big tiger trout fans and tigers do fight much harder than a Cutthroat, but not harder than a big healthy Rainbow*.


+1 ( all though pound for pound I think bluegill fight the best..IMO but that's another thread)..happy to see the Berry gave you some lovin' great post


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