Utah fishing reports, news and fishing techniques updated weekly.

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Utah Fishing Guide Revised 05-08-08 Utah Fishing News and Announcements: Fish Jumping into the Boat Night fishing with a light has the fish in this video literally jumping into the boat. Here, a fishing pole would only get in the way. Fire Restrictions in Effect Statewide Because of Utah's extreme fire danger, statewide fire restrictions have been put in place. Open fires are not allowed unless they are in concrete fire rings in improved campgrounds. Fireworks have been banned. And smoking is only allowed inside vehicles and trailers. The good news is that the Jungle fire in the Ferron drainage is completely out. Roads and campgrounds have been reopened. If you have a valid fishing license, you qualify for reduced entrance fees to state parks from Tuesday through Thursday until the end of the year. Remember that 12 and 13 year-olds now need a $5 fishing license. Japan to Limit Bluefin Tuna Catches Japan, the largest consumer of tuna in the world, announced that it will limit the amount of tuna caught in its own water to help protect bluefin tuna from extinction. The final plan should be ready by the end of the year. This is the first time Japan has put any restrictions on catching bluefin. "If we continue catching young bluefin tuna, resources will be depleted and we may cut our own throat in the end," an agency official was quoted as saying. Although the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna approved a plan to reduce Mediterranean and the east Atlantic by 20 percent by 2010, many believe it is still not enough to preserve the species. 200,000 Trout Stocked for Holidays To kick off the Memorial Day weekend, the Utah DWR has stocked more than 200,000 trout in lakes and reservoirs around the state. The popularity of fishing is growing. There was an increase of more than 30,000 licenses sold last year. It is estimated that half of Utah's angler are kids under ager 14 who don't need a license. That is a substantial increase. Community ponds are being added to the state's resources. On Saturday, the most recent, Cove Pond, will have it's grand opening in Herriman. DWR Director Jim Karpowitz credits these fishing ponds for helping build a renewed interest in fishing. Those 44 ponds have received 22,000 trout and 10,000 catfish. Sushi Threatens Tuna Population The popularity of sushi is threatening blue fin tuna stocks. Despite cuts in quotas, blue fin tuna populations continue its decline. Most prized is the southern blue fin found in the Mediterranean. They are caught during the spawning season because of their high fat reserves. They make the best sushi of all. And they command the highest prices of all. Prime blue fin tuna can fetch upward of $40,000 each. At those prices, it is easy to understand why there is so much illegal fishing. Many countries will register ships in other countries such as Libya so catches will not be included in their quota. Another problem is that some tuna is caught live and held in pens for up to a year to fatten them up. This makes it difficult to control the number of fish caught. Although quotas call for a limit of 32,000 tons a year in the Mediterranean, real harvests of 50,000 tons are suspected. Blue fin don't reach reproductive age until 8 years. Harvesting younger and younger tuna during the spawning season is a recipe for disaster. Although attempts are being made to raise tuna in warehouses, it is uncertain whether these farm-raised fish will find acceptance. Some say wild fish have a better quality and tastes sweeter. If things continue the way they are, they may not have much choice. Deadly Fish Virus Becomes Epidemic in Great Lakes According to Paul Bowser, Cornell professor of aquatic animal medicine, a lethal fish virus in the Great Lakes and neighboring waterways is approaching epidemic proportions. The viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), which causes anemia and hemorrhaging in fish, has now been identified in 19 species and poses a potential threat to New York's $1.2 billion sport-fishing industry. "We have detected VHSV in channel catfish in our surveillance efforts," said Bowser. "The ability of the virus to go beyond a carrier state and cause disease in this important aquaculture species is a major research question we plan to investigate this year." The spread of the virus could have a devastating impact on aquaculture and particularly the channel catfish trade, which constitutes about 80 percent of aquaculture business in the United States, said Bowser. Catfish is a very popular food fish in the Deep South. Go here for full story New Update to Utah Fish Finder (Mar 30) With so many reports on our pages, it has been difficult in the past to see when individual lakes have been updated. We are now using cookies to see the date of your last visit so we can mark any fishing reports that have been updated since your last visit. You will see whenever those updates have been made. Let us know what you think. And let us know if you have any problems. 32½ Pound Striper Caught (Feb 14) A 32½ pound striper was caught at Lake Powell by Sherm Mcdonnell. The giant fish was caught in Knowles Canyon using a chartreuse plastic bass grub on a lead head jig. Padre Bay, Rock Creek and the San Juan were where the last three large stripers have been caught. This catch shows there are trophy-sized fish in the northern part of the lake as well. All Waters Open to Two Fishing Poles (Jan 11) It was something of a controversial move for the DWR to open all lakes to the use of a second fishing pole. But this year anglers can fish with two poles simultaneously using a second pole permit. The cost is $15 for 365 days from the date of purchase. You must remain in visual contact with the second pole and not more than 100 feet from it. You do not get to keep any more fish. The limits remain the same. Fish advisory issued for carp in Utah Lake A fish consumption advisory has been issued for carp found in Utah Lake after state officials found elevated levels of PCBs in the fish. The PCBs were found in samples taken from the lake as part of an effort by the Utah Department of Natural Resources and the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program to restore the native June Sucker. Fish consumption advisory signs will be posted at access points to Utah Lake stating that: Adults should limit their consumption of carp taken from Utah Lake to no more than one 8-ounce servings per month; Women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children should not eat carp from Utah Lake. Eating more than these amounts over a long period of time could result in an intake of PCBs that exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency health recommendations. Any health risks associated with eating carp from Utah Lake are based on long-term consumption and are not tied to eating fish occasionally. There are no health risks associated with PCBs for other uses of the lake, such as swimming, boating, and waterskiing. Fish were collected from Utah Lake as part of the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program's effort to reduce and control the carp population, and determine whether they are fit for human consumption, for use as animal feed, or are safe for other uses. Of all the potential chemical contaminants analyzed, including mercury, only total PCBs were found to be elevated. PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are mixtures of up to 209 individual chlorinated compounds. PCBs are oily liquids or solids consisting of man-made chemicals that are not naturally found in the environment. PCBs can be attached to sediments, with no effect to water quality. Because PCBs accumulate in fat, exposure to PCBs from fish can be significantly reduced by removing the skin and fat from fish filets. Information about how to prepare fish is available at: www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/30cwafish.pdf — (PDF format). Information about the advisory and the health effects of PCBs is available at: health.utah.gov/enviroepi. Because elevated levels of PCBs were found in carp, other fish species will be collected and analyzed this summer. Fish advisories will be issued or updated, as needed, based on additional information. An environmental investigation will be initiated as an effort to track down and clean up the source of PCBs, if possible. Chubs Illegally Introduced into Scofield In the early 1990's, chubs over-ran Scofield Reservoir and ruined the fishing. The lake was poisoned and the Utah DWR was able to start over. Now chubs have been re-introduced into the reservoir by anglers fishing with live bait (which is illegal). This spring, chubs showed up in the DWR gill net surveys and the DWR knew they had a big problem. This is catastrophic news for anglers. Chubs could over-run the lake like they have at Joe's Valley and devastate the fishing. Poisoning is probably no longer an option. It would take $1 million to poison the lake again. However, environmental issues would take years to settle before that could be done so fishing would be ruined for many years to come. The DWR believes they have an answer to the chub situation. They have planted 80,000 fingerling tiger trout (approximately 3 inches in length) in Scofield. These fish are created by fertilizing brook trout eggs with brown trout milt. Because the resulting fish are sterile, they put all their energy into growth rather than reproduction. Tiger trout can grow as much as 12 inches in a year, twice the growth rate of rainbow trout. By next fall, the tiger trout planted in September should be 9 or 10 inches in length. Rainbow trout do not compete well with chubs. As trout grow large enough to eat chubs, they move to deeper, cooler water. Chubs prefer shallow water so they avoid their main predator. They are also extremely prolific and make it difficult for small rainbows to compete for food. It doesn't take long before it is difficult to catch anything but chubs. Tiger trout, on the other hand, are very aggressive fish eaters and are willing to hunt for food in shallower water. The DWR is hoping the tiger trout will keep the chubs in check. And because the tiger trout are sterile, they can also regulate their numbers. If your club or organization would like to place an announcement here about Utah fishing, please email us at News at UtahFishFinder.com. News Archives