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Show Outdoors SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS Anglers encouraged to keep small mouth bass caught at Lake Powell Your year old than previous surveys. Catch, Report He Lake says the relative weight of Gustaveson said. Here any and Anglers might be catching big- y ger smallmouth bass at Powell in the future if theyll keep the bass they catch at the lake now. The Division of Wildlife Resources says 83 percent of the smallmouth bass caught at Lake Powell are released back into the water and this practice could be hurting the population. The size and weight of smallmouth bass in the lake has declined over the past few years but, with the help of anglers, we might be able to reverse this trend, said Wayne Gustaveson, Lake Powell project leader for the Division of Wildlife Resources. Were encouraging anglers to keep the smallmouth bass they catch, up to their six fish limit, Gustaveson said. Its especially important to keep the nine to 11-inc- h fish. Gustaveson says it used to take three years for smallmouth bass in the lake to reach 13.7 inches in length, which is considered a quality length. It now takes the lakes smallmouths five years to reach that length. One reason for this might be too many fish competing for limited food. High reproduction doesnt appear to be a factor. Excessively high reproduction does not appear to be driv- smallmouth bass in the lake also has declined. One possible problem is the largemouth bass tapeworm which infects most of the population and has since small- all fish caught can be recorded by length and weight and species. I am specifically interested in lengths of smallmouth bass. If weights are also recorded, were mouth introduced, thats a bonus. Gustaveson said. While the Please participate in this acvisnot is tion only if you are willing to outwardly parasite ible, and does not effect eating record lengths and weights acin the field. quality, it may have a negative curately effect on reproduction and Gustaveson said. You must growth. Its felt that the para- write down lengths and weights site has a compounding effect of all bass at the time of capture. during periods of slow growth Its just as important to record and intense competition. Para- the as it is the site effect is worse when food is bass. Do not try to remember scarce. and then guess at the end of the The obvious response to the day or week. Fdr more information call the problem is that there are too not with smallmouth bass of Wildlife Resources Division many 2 enough food, Gustaveson said. Lake Powell office at (520) With striped bass in similar or visit conditions, we have recom- www.wayneswords.com on the mended maximum angler har- Internet. vest to bring predator numbers in balance with forage supplies. That may be exactly what is needed to meet this challenge 15-in- size ch 645-239- t9 ir til COiitry- " I SI W W - w w .LcsF and fly Shop, has Squired 03 S p f & 6 M , 4 6 llsliingtJiep'rti:I tlxeV Vix 4 3 4 1 'tr vtjr 1 4 v VU.'W :hisle;;;01i&jwellerB Xddje3 Raidas asa " J."& A &&. pa llj Li,wwikW.- shop- pcy and will move S'CI3Xt3 llV 0 miles sonnet and will clcorb thdIO Wesilof its: current locatl on hnlhuxrent Iodo es Highway 89A cn June 1. Purchase price cf the motel, restauranlodge, 30-ac- re 21-roo- t-bar, Fein'Ahg!ers'providfis': with covered, Lcried (in win- ter) jet beats; and jet boat rentand store station , als in addition to a gas m full-servi- ce was in excess of $i million. , We will now be able to Cliff Dwellers Lodge has handle guide services, fishing long been a stop-ovfor inand lodging accommodations dividuals and groups rafting with one phone caH. In addition the Colorado River through to the 21 motel rooms, we can the Grand Canyon, hikers, also offer families and groups rock climbers, photograof anglers a separate adjacent phers and bird watchers. house. The lodge is the closest fafully This is how a lodge owned by cility for viewing California condors. catering to The new Lees Ferry Angkrs said Lees Ferry Anglers and Cliff Dwellers Lodge is spokesman Terry Gunn, Lees Ferry Anglers was es- some eight miles from the Colotablished in 1989 by Terry and rado River bridge at Milepost Wendy Gunn and Bussell 547, No. Highway 89A, Marble er air-conditio- fly-fisbe- rs, fly-fish-er- a," Sullivan, Jeff English was, Canyon, AZ 86036. named a partner later. They For information and reservafish the Colorado Biver in the tions, phone 800-962-975- 5, 15.5 miles between Lake after June ore-mai- l: Powell and the upper end of fax Grand Canyon. The retail fly-- anglersleesferry.com (800-433-25- 43 I); 520-355-22- 71 the lakes smallmouth bass population by providing the Division information about the bass they catch. They can do this by visiting the Lake Powell down, A weekly statewide fishing Anglers, hunters and wildlife ' watchers may obtain Utahs lat- report. est wildlife information by callUpdated information about of the Wildlife Division ing big game, small game and wae Resources telephone terfowl hunting in Utah. hotline. Fishing-relate- d information, The hotline number is (877) including tips for preventing the spread of whirling disease. Assessing the results It is even though its Dates and sites of upcoming of your pesticide an 877 number, said Suzette public Regional Advisory CounBy Kyle Brunner Fowlks, the Division informa- cil and Utah Wildlife Board After applying pesticide, tion specialist who manages the meetings, and topics to be diswatch the plant closely to see if line. All of the 800 and 888 cussed at them. the problem is controlled. In numbers have been used, so we Hunter education class dates some cases, you may need to were assigned an 877 e and sites. reapply the treatment at regu- number. Hunting license information. lar intervals. If the plant does Wildlife enthusiasts may obInformation about the not respond to your efforts, try tain a wide variety of updated Divisions Wildlife Heritage Ceranother solution listed, in the information by calling the line, tificate program, a program debook. If a second solution fails, Fowlks said. signed to generate funding for consider replacing the plant with Information found on the line wildlife viewing and other a resistant species or variety. includes: nonconsumptive wildlife activities. A birdline that provides bird watchers with locations and inThe Kanab 10K formation about the latest bird is coming sightings in Utah. toll-fre- Plant Time 592-516- 9. toll-fre- e, toll-fre- Buyer for new home , ir eI Wildlife information available through toll-fre- e telephone line bass. In addition to keeping the bass they catch, anglers can also help 1- ir i w-- with the lakes smallmouth web site Gustaveson said. Recent mea- (www.wayneswords.com) and surement of annual production entering the length, weight and by electrofishing collection has species of fish caught. found fewer fish less than In the left index you will find ing average 14 WEDNESDAY APRIL 18, 2001 w c Redrock Homes has savings like never before. Call for details... BEDROCK HOMES or 644-322- 5 Across from the Holiday Inn On Hwy 89, East of Kanab Mother's Day weekend May 12, 2001 Runners and walkers - ifs time to get into race shape! 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