A few weeks ago there was a letter to the editor in the Sky Hi Daily News concerning our local reservoirs and lakes and the fishing habitat surrounding them.
Lake Trout Mafia stands behind the conservation of Lake Trout where our mission is the conservation of trophy lake trout fisheries, through management, biology, education and selective harvest.
There are some people in our community who are unaware and are turning the heads on the issue, rather than trying to come up with a plan to preserve our fishing habitats. Knowing that this debate is going on in our community we wanted to see what your thoughts are.
In the letter a concerned local angler made some points about the lack of preserving our fish. For example Grand Lake has very poor water conditions for fish to grown in. It’s very deep and cold, which is the perfect place for the Mysis Shrimp to live. These shrimp have infested the water and have removed the basic nutrients needs for our Lake Trouts to live and grown in.
Lake Granby has also seen a huge decrease in large fish. 15 years ago the Parks and Wildlife Authorities in the area removed the slot limit, allowing anglers to keep four Lake Trout any size.
In our area, especially Lake Granby our Lake Trout have a growth rate of approximately 1 inch a year. Which means when you catch a 36” Trout it could be 36 years old or older, just to put it in perspective. Even though there still is no slot limit when it comes to Lake Trout, we encourage everyone to release fish that are over 19”. Also the meat from a large fish like this is tough, so the fish under the 19” are more tender and better eating. Lake Granby also is seeing lower Rainbows due to budget cuts for restocking.
Our area of fishing is so unique and offers a large variety to all anglers. However, it is also our duty as being outdoor enthusiasts to protect our fishing area and to promote health and safe fishing practices. We love being able to have new people come to our areas, but without educating them on how to preserve our Lake Trout and other native fish, we will not be able to pass on our love for Lake Trout fishing to our young generations.
Please visit our Lake Trout Mafia Facebook page and let us know what your thoughts are about this debate going on in our community. We welcome any commits or ideas that will help protect and support our Lake Trout Mafia Mission. Thanks for your fishing love and hope to see you with us this summer!
If you are interested in supporting Lake Trout Mafia, we have hats, sweatshirts and stickers for sale. Send us an email and you too can be part of the Lake Trout Mafia!
