[tal0362]

I originally posted this on Trout Fishing Bear's topic. I just wanted people to read the article-maybe you have already, anyway it pretty much explains what is happening to many of our lakes in detail. So I'm putting it out again.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/aquatic/cold/index.asp

It basiclly says protecting lakers with the slot limit (80's and early 90's) at Granby brought down the Kokanee and Rainbow fishery (which was the target fish for bulk of the fisherman) and that decline caused the stunting of the Lake Trout themselves because they lost their food base. Big lakers at Ganby are now skinny. It says that Lake trout in Blue Mesa consume as many Rainbows and Kokanee as are harvested by fisherman. They (the DOW) are worried they could loose BM the same way they lost Granby, a lake they are trying to rebuild. They imply with a big loss at BM they will loose most of Colorado's hatchery produced Kokanee.


Terre

 

[Guest]

DOW propaganda.  The real reason Grandby crashed is because the DOW introduced mysis shrimp into grandby, guess what mysis shrimp eat, zooplankton, the long and short of it is that the kokonee crashed in Grandby because the zooplanton crashed, the lake trout were the next link in the food chain, no kokes no big fat Macs. You will not read about this in the DOW press releases but ask knowledgable people about Grandby and this is what happened.......btw they don't need to worry about blue mesa lakers ,that lake if ruined already by thier 8 laker limits and kill all lakers program!

 

[tal0362]

I wonder if those clouds of we see on our fish finders near the bottom at 70-100 feet are mysis shrimp???

 

[IceInTheVeins]

You guys are all right. Big macks still exist, particularly in Blue Mesa. But even that is nothing like it used to be.
They allow and encourage 8 macks of any size to be kept so they can keep the "balance". BM was already in balance. Kokes were abundant, and when they declined some, it was because they allow snagging to begin too early which harrasses the spawners and removes them before they can finish spawning.
Plus, 11 - mile had a disease in the kokanee, and it was the brood stock for the state. They couldn't augment blue's kokes, yet another reason for the decline. But they blamed the lakers. Now when people are screaming at them about no more big macks, they will blame the perch.
Mysis shrimp are huge reason the big macks are lesser in Granby, Ruedi, and Turquiose. They destroy the forage base for the kokanee. Therefor the kokanee are gone.
Lake Dillon used to have so many 10 pound plus rainbows and browns it made Antero, The Colorado River, and Spinney look like trash. The huge trout feasted on kokes and grew huge. Then to help fly fishing below the dam, the CDOW placed mysis in the lake. This destroyed the plankton base. One level of food chain gone. Then the kokanee had nothing to feed on. Level two destroyed. Then the trout starved out. Fishery destroyed. Now dillon is mostly put and take with a very rare big one.
However lake trout did get too numerous in Granby, Turquiose, and Ruedi. I have hooked monsters in Ruedi, so I know besides blue it has the best fishing for big macks. But I say allow 8 lakers to be harvested in those lakes, with only one over 22" allowed.
Blue mesa must go to a four laker limit and a 22- 36" slot limit. And only one fish over 36" can be harvested.
We must demand this. The CDOW is destroying our lakers.
Blue still has some big ones, as do taylor, ruedi, and twin to lesser extents. PLease do your part and RELEASE BIG ONES. In the other lakes, keep a limit of little ones.
We need some forage. I suggested introducing Bonneville Cisco, which is what Flaming Gorge lakers feed on the grow 50 plus pounds.

 

[Guest]

The CDOW is destroying our lakers.
Blue still has some big ones, as do taylor, ruedi, and twin to lesser extents. PLease do your part and RELEASE BIG ONES. In the other lakes, keep a limit of little ones.
We need some forage. I suggested introducing Bonneville Cisco, which is what Flaming Gorge lakers feed on the grow 50 plus pounds.

I agree wholeheartedly with the notion of releasing the big fish so we have some trophy lakers to target for the sheer thrill of catching them!

As for forage, I don't have enough background to have an informed opinion as to what might work in Colorado's high lakes.

I have learned enough about Flaming Gorge to know those big fish feed primarily on kokanee, stocker rainbows and small lake trout. Actually I don't think there is a viable population of Bonneville cisco in the Gorge, although that iks a major food source for them in Bear Lake.

So catch 'em, kiss 'em and release 'em and let's convince the DOW to manage a few places as trophy lake trout fisheries.

 

[tal0362]

Ice, what feeds on mysis shrimp? If they could find something to eat the shrimp, then plankton could grow, maybe the lakers would like whatever is eating the shrimp, then the Kokanee would be happy too.

Terre

 

[epic]

Ice, what feeds on mysis shrimp? If they could find something to eat the shrimp, then plankton could grow, maybe the lakers would like whatever is eating the shrimp, then the Kokanee would be happy too.

Terre

Trout

 

[tal0362]

Besides trout!

I did a search on the DOW web site. Mysis Shrimp are apparently not fancied by either trout or kokanee. They are hard for them to catch, the shrimp stay deep during the day and come to surface to feed at night when most of the fish are tucked in bed. It says the DOW considers Mysis Shrimp a total disaster.

 

[Guest]

the trout below the dams with mysis shrimp do extreme growth, taylor is an example. the lake trout do eat the shrimp until they get to be meat eating size. taylor is loaded with lakers that are below that 20" meat eater size, these fish eat mysis and that is why the DOW keeps the 3 fish limit on taylor, they are scarded to death that the mysis will come down river to Blue Mesa.....

 

[TroutFishingBear]

the trout below the dams with mysis shrimp do extreme growth, taylor is an example. the lake trout do eat the shrimp until they get to be meat eating size. taylor is loaded with lakers that are below that 20" meat eater size, these fish eat mysis and that is why the DOW keeps the 3 fish limit on taylor, they are scarded to death that the mysis will come down river to Blue Mesa.....

Taylor is the only fishery that is managed somewhat well in my mind. (for lakers I mean) I love taylor and will be leaving tomorrow morning for an all weekend trip to catch pike (which are soon to be destroyed in there, tourney next week, no bag limit crap, etc.), rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout. Lakers if it fancies me.
This winter one day at taylor I caught like 12 macks 16-24", 1 brown 11 or 12", 5 bows 4 12" 1 16", and 1 13 or 14" cutt. The lakers were all very fat. It doesn't have as many big macks as old times but that is because anglers are greedy. a slot would be better for it but the current limit restriction (only 1 above 26" I believe, 3 fish total) is at least a start.

 

[TroutFishingBear]

I'm NEVER going to catch a big laker by the way they are managing, I've been trying since 98 and caught my biggest this winter a 24" 6.5 lb laker at ruedi. Pitiful. Why is it I catch so many rainbow, cuttbows, and browns bigger than lakers? I think I'm cursed. I've spent thousands of hours on the water, and from what I am reading and hearing lately it has all been useless for a chance at a biggin'. Oh well, I almost want to stop lake trout fishing all together, the fish I have caught are small (and I've caught hundreds upon hundreds) and from what it looks like blue mesa is getting worse and worse and I have almost zilch of a chance at a biggin. Although I have only spent maybe ~200 hours at blue. I am jealous to all of you who have got large lakers! Trade ya for a brown in the midteens! Later.

 

[tal0362]

Bobco,

I thinkwhat your saying is true, and on inspection it fits in with what the DOW is saying. They add other factors, but in the end it might just be the shrimp. Is there an answer? I wondered why they didn't fill Granby right away, this year with all the snow we got,,,, now after I re-read the article it said low lake levels allow the plankton a chance to get going before the shrimp get a chance to dominate. Maybe they plan to fill the lake after the plankton get going.

Thank you for the insight. Do you think the big balls of stuff we see deep on the bottom on our fish finders, are shrimp?

Terre

 

[TroutFishingBear]

Thank you for the insight. Do you think the big balls of stuff we see deep on the bottom on our fish finders, are shrimp?

Terre

I know you weren't asking me but that is as good of a guess as any.