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Show Big Striped Bass Plant Completed at Lake Powell ' Lake Powell is home for approximately 95.000 more striped bass after a plant in late July by Division of Wildlife Resource biologists. The fingerling stripers were raised in Division ponds near the Wahweap portion of Lake Powell this summer after being brought to Utah when four days old from California. This year's plant compares to 50,000 stripers that were planted last year. Biologist in charge of the project. Dale Hepworth. notes this year's improved success in raising and planting the bass was due to know ledge gained in culture techniques and planting methods me-thods from last year's work. The ponds w ere built three years ago with federal aid monies provided by the Dingell-Johnson Act to research re-search methods for rearing striped bass. Fish remaining after the experimentation are stocked in Lake Powell as the first efforts in the Division's program of providing a striped bass fishery in the lake. When suitable techniques are developed, devel-oped, it is anticipated larger introductions will be provided from the Wahweap facility. Part of the experimentation with the fish dealt with stocking rates in the ponds. Two ponds were planted at '--rate of 20.000 fish per act-foot; act-foot; one pond at the rate t ' 25,000 fish per acre foot; an' tw o ponds at the rate of 50,00 fish per acre foot. "It appear that 20.000 fish per acre fot-i is adequate in terms c ' production and survival rates." rat-es." said Hepwonh. "Th lower rate was also bette-economv-wise." ; If this year's plant does a-w a-w ell as the one made last yeai ; the 2'i inchers will be aroun-13 aroun-13 inches long next year at thd time. Hepwonh reports threr nets were placed in the lai the first week in August; an ! five stripers were nabbed averaging 13 inches, with th largest 14 inches long. "Such a good samplin -: indicates the fish are staving near the plant site Wahwea; a:;J Warm Creek Bays an-'.hat an-'.hat the survival is good." sail Hepwonh. "Nine striper w ere picked up in nets in Juae-and Juae-and fishermen report catchin; them even.- week." j The fish grew from two to 1, inches between July ani October of last year. Nc growth was seen between January and May: but sine the beginning of June, the; have grown two inches an should continue to grov through the fall. |