[wiperhunter]

Attention anglers: Wiper fishing in Colorado has been in a steep decline for the last 10 years due to a whole host of reasons including drought and the supply of clean wiper fry from Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Conditions have to be perfect when the fry do arrive in Colorado which we all know can be challenge in its self. We are not Biologist just extreme wiper fishermen with a passion for this species. It has come to our attention that there are a few high ranking employees at Colorado Parks and Wildlife that don't believe there is much a demand for Wipers and that less than 5% of Anglers show an interest in Wiper fishing. Say What? So what we as Anglers need to do is light up the Fishing forums with your own opinions and thoughts on this issue. Do you want to see the Wiper program come back stronger than ever or are Trout and Walleye enough to keep you happy. Because we have lost such a huge amount of our eastern lakes that once held huge populations of Wipers, Walleye and Crappie. let’s ask the CPW to jump start our front range lakes and Reservoirs not only with fry but fingerlings too. This will better insure survivability. It time to speak up anglers!!!

 

[slayerfish]

Whatever-

 

[74starcraft]

I have been fishing Pueblo for 17 years and that’s where my first contact for wipers and continues. Those early years there were boils in June, July, and August then they became few a far between. In 2009 I caught one 6lb wiper and have not caught one until last year while fishing for Walleye in June 2014 5.5lbs. It has come to my attention from the DOW that they have been stocking pueblo with 800,000 fry every year but are not setting aside the resources to raise them to fingerlings in the hatchery below. They have designated other ponds for other species but not the wiper. We need some public outcry to get them to raise them to fingerling status. My thoughts are if we can email the DOW within the next couple of weeks so we can get this done. They are negotiating right now with Texas, Oklahoma & Kansas to trade for the fry.
I believe that we can build Pueblo into a great wiper fishery again. I would prefer to catch wipers every year instead of every 5 to 6. Tightlines

 

[mrwigglestheworm]

Whatever-

I think what he's trying to say is, no one hears the voice of the voiceless...

 

[slayerfish]

A big problem in this country is Ignorance and Apathy!

Well , I dont know and I dont care-

 

[pistoldog]

Shouldn't you be fishing a certain lake that opens on May 1st Slayer??

 

[mycaye]

Wiper: The hardest hitting fresh water fish I've ever caught. The meat is also great!

 

[fishforall]

A big problem in this country is Ignorance and Apathy!


Hear, Hear!!

This is what happened to our Tiger Muskie fishery some years ago. The need to direct funding into other areas, mainly trout rearing and stocking, lack of interest either by the public or biologist, lack of need for a predatory fish to control other species, lack of waters that are available ie; SE waters, Bonny Res, etc., and the biggest joke, IMO, is the merger of the DOW and State Parks. Our missed managed State Park system will drain the funds from the Division side faster than a Wiper eats a Shad.:bolt:

 

[hobiecat]

I miss the good old days when wiper roamed the eastern plains like the long lost herds of buffalo. I'd love to see tighter restrictions and more wipers stocked. I agree that fewer fishermen target them now in Colorado...but, I think that has more to do with declining numbers than it has to do with the species itself. When there were a lot of wiper available ...a lot of people fished for wipers.

 

[ghostman]

"I miss the good old days when wiper roamed the eastern plains like the long lost herds of buffalo. I'd love to see tighter restrictions and more wipers stocked. I agree that fewer fishermen target them now in Colorado...but, I think that has more to do with declining numbers than it has to do with the species itself. When there were a lot of wiper available ...a lot of people fished for wipers."

^^^^This^^^^... I heard tell of the possibility of the Pueblo rearing facility may be under consideration as a wiper rearing operation instead of one of the many slimer facilities in the state.
Sounds great to me to give this hard fighting fish at least one facility compared to the many that exist to rear trout. Pueblo needs more wiper to help get the ridiculous shad population in check.

 

[kirbydog]

I really liked catching wiper at Pueblo back when they were there in numbers. The last 3 years I think I've caught 1 or 2 each year. I have a friend who targets wiper and he said most of our stock comes from OK and there was a year or two when they had no fry to send to us. So theres a big hole in the year classes. The last two years we (again according to him) have gotten our allotment of fry so hopefully things are going to be a lot better going forward.

 

[blowfish]

and the biggest joke, IMO, is the merger of the DOW and State Parks. Our missed managed State Park system will drain the funds from the Division side faster than a Wiper eats a Shad.:bolt:

^^^^^^^^
Amen to that!

 

[Risso]

I spoke to a gentleman at Drift Fly Shop in Pueblo today about the Wiper conditions at the reservoir, and he also mentioned that fact that the numbers of Wipers are paltry, they come from out of state, and that Colorado was still working on figuring out a way to effectively produce and raise them within our borders. I would love to contribute towards refocusing efforts to bring the species back strong not just in Pueblo, but statewide.

 

[shutupandfish]

I'd love to see more wipers here, but from what I can tell, cpw doesn't care what we want.

 

[lvrider]

all hail the mighty dinktrout stockers!!! who cares about catching something that puts up a fight or could drag you around in a kayak. where is the fun in that????? dont shad grow bigger than dinktrout stockers? i agree itd be nice to have some fish put shad in check.

whatd happen if we put real stripers in plo??? could they breed so we wouldnt have to worry about raising fish?

 

[Risso]

whatd happen if we put real stripers in plo??? could they breed so we wouldnt have to worry about raising fish?

I've often wondered that too. Apparently wipers fare better in the extreme temps.

 

[hobiecat]

whatd happen if we put real stripers in plo??? could they breed so we wouldnt have to worry about raising fish?

Putting stripers in Pueblo could jeopardize the walleye fishery, if they took off.

 

[Bionic Man]

Stripers and walleye coexsist in Powell. Are there other examples?

 

[hobiecat]

Stripers and walleye coexsist in Powell. Are there other examples?

For years, stripers have almost eaten every thing in Powell..skinny fish with no limits..and powell's a heck of a lot bigger than Pueblo. Big Mac used to have a great striper fishery...but, now they stock wipers.

 

[bobys]

Like hobie said mac used to have them coexisting with the eyes. You would think there has to be some left in there? I remember reading an article about them successfully spawning in the north platte