9368

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9368
• Author: Gustaveson, W. A.
• Title: Cyclical Population Dynamics of Self-sustaining Striped Bass in Lake Powell, Utah-Arizona, 1974-1998.
• USFW Year: 1999.
• USFW - Doc Type: Salt Lake City.
• Copyright Material: NO

Cessation of spawning causes a renewed interest in food as
striped bass become more vulnerable to anglers. Increasing
surface temperatures gradually force adult fish deeper toward the
preferred temperature zone of 64-68 F. Cooling temperatures in
fall allow all sizes of striped bass and shad populations to
commingle once again and results in some of the best fishing of
the year. The catch rate of striped bass is often highest in the
late summer and fall (Figure 7).

MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Forage Introduction
With the discovery of natural reproduction in 1979, plans
were made to circumvent potential striped bass over-population.
stocking was immediately curtailed. Creel limits were increased.
Unfortunately, striped bass responded more quickly to lack of
food than rules could be changed to deal with the problem.
Elimination of shad from the open water in the 1980's and
subsequent decline in striped bass condition led to a proposal to
increase forage by adding another schooling pelagic forage
species (Gustaveson et ale 1990). It was proposed that
introducing rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) would provide a deep
water forage fish. The smelt introduction was never made due to
objections from other state and federal agencies against any new
fish introduction into the Colorado River system. The imperiled
nature of remnant populations of endangered Colorado River fishes
precluded the smelt introduction because the unknown risk of new
species interactions on the remnant fish populations was
unacceptable.

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