ASK THE WYOMING GAME AND FISH

[Nhurley]

Just getting started on the site but I got an opionion to share. Been reading a few of the comments and theres alot of negetivity about the guys keeping large walleyes out of Keyhole. I've seen seen guys leave that lake with a limit of 6 over 5 pounds each. That hurts a fishery. I say fine keep one sometime. If people beleive it's so wrong maybe we need to discuss this with the G & F. Not sure why a guy has to wait until a pike hits 30" just to keep one but we are able to take 6 walleyes any size a day off of most Wyoming lake. If a pike is such a great game fish to the G & F maybe they should start stocking them everywhere instead of just Keyhole. Most of our lakes here in Wyoming are smaller than the Dakotas, but theres no reason why we couldn't enjoy some of the world class fishing that is offered, if the creel limits were lower and a 1 fish a day over a set size was implaimented.

Actually this is a common misconception. According to a study by the Ohio Division of Wildlife it is true that as female walleye increase in age and size they tend to produce a larger number of eggs. However as age and size increase the percentage of eggs which are viable (capable of being fertilized, and end up as fry) decreases. " The younger females, ages 4-7 and lengths of 18-24 inches (these are averages, and can vary), will produce the most 'viable' eggs." This is from the Ohio Sea Grant Web site which has some good info. I thought the same thing forever until a fisheries professor at UW proved me wrong. Here is a great paper on the subject. http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/Quarterly/Features/feature_amj92.pdf

[wyruffneck]

i was woundering if someone had a wyoming fishing lic. can you fish the utah side of flaming gorge and vice versa  without geting a non resed. lic.  for utah

[er-e-is]

You have to get a Reciprocal stamp to fish the Utah side

Flaming Gorge Reservoir
To fish across state lines at Flaming Gorge, you
must have a valid fishing license from one state
and a reciprocal fishing permit from the other
state. For example, if you buy a Utah resident or
nonresident fishing license, you can fish the Utah
portion of Flaming Gorge. After buying your Utah
license, if you decide you also want to fish the
Wyoming portion of the reservoir, you must buy a
Wyoming reciprocal fishing permit.
For more information on obtaining a Wyoming
reciprocal fishing permit, call the Wyoming
Game and Fish Department at 307-777-4600.
Utah reciprocal fishing permits are available
at wildlife.utah.gov and from Utah Division of
Wildlife Resources offices and license agents that
sell Utah fishing licenses.
A Wyoming second-pole permit is not valid
in Utah, even with a reciprocal fishing permit.
A Utah second-pole permit must be purchased
if you’d like to fish in Utah with two poles at the
same time.

[mulebarnmax]

Here's a question my buddy and I are wondering. Asking this for open water as well as ice time. Can a person hook a fish and then pass the rod/line to another person, such as a kid or older person, for them to land the fish. We all know sometimes it takes experience to learn to feel those subtle bites and if you are trying to mentor someone it is nice to help/show them what to do.  And of course to keep their interest it's nice if they get to land a fish or two

[benwyo]

You have to get a Reciprocal stamp to fish the Utah side

Flaming Gorge Reservoir
To fish across state lines at Flaming Gorge, you
must have a valid fishing license from one state
and a reciprocal fishing permit from the other
state. For example, if you buy a Utah resident or
nonresident fishing license, you can fish the Utah
portion of Flaming Gorge. After buying your Utah
license, if you decide you also want to fish the
Wyoming portion of the reservoir, you must buy a
Wyoming reciprocal fishing permit.
For more information on obtaining a Wyoming
reciprocal fishing permit, call the Wyoming
Game and Fish Department at 307-777-4600.
Utah reciprocal fishing permits are available
at wildlife.utah.gov and from Utah Division of
Wildlife Resources offices and license agents that
sell Utah fishing licenses.
A Wyoming second-pole permit is not valid
in Utah, even with a reciprocal fishing permit.
A Utah second-pole permit must be purchased
if you’d like to fish in Utah with two poles at the
same time.

What is a Wyoming second-pole permit? I never have heard of this before, is it something special for fishing The Flaming Gorge?
Thanks Benwyo.....

[WGFDFishBioLaramie]

Good to be back on Ice Shanty, looking forward to answering your questions regarding Laramie Region waters.

Update on Meeboer, Gelatt, Alsop, Twin Buttes:

Meeboer Lake
We reconfigured the aeration system this October at Meeboer to hopefully carry Meeboer through this winter.  All of the diffusers (or bubblers) are in one deep hole in the southwest portion of the lake.  We also set a gill net for 3 hours at Meeboer Lake this October to check the status of fish stocked in April.  Fish stocked in April were already 16 inches, but the good news is that we caught two rainbow trout over 5 pounds and one was almost 7 pounds, meaning the lake did not have a complete winterkill last winter.  On December 8, we checked the oxygen level at Meeboer Lake and the level is currently good.  Visability was around 6 feet.  Ice was about 4-6 inches and there is open water near the aeration system.

Gelatt Lake
We checked the oxygen level at Gelatt Lake on December 8 and the level is currently good.  The ice was about 4-6 inches and there is a small spot of open water near the aeration system.  Visability was around 4-5 feet.

Alsop Lake
I actually ice fished Alsop Lake on December 6, we did not catch any fish, but did mark 15 or more fish.  We checked the oxygen level at Alsop Lake on December 8 and level was very good.  Visability was around 3-4 feet.  Fish stocked this April should be around 16 inches, we like to hear from someone about their size if anyone catches a fish at Alsop.     

Twin Buttes
10,000 5 inch rainbow trout were stocked in Twin Buttes in April, while it might not be as productive as Meeboer, we still expect these fish to be between 14-16 inches.  There were also 2,500 brood cull rainbow trout (about 14 inches) stocked in Dec. 2010 and this fish should be between 18-20 inches. Not sure of the current ice conditions at Twin Buttes.

[Iceman77]

Is it true that minnows are aloud on Desmit and Healy this year?  If so where can you buy them for those water ways?

[Matt R.]

Hey, welcome back WGFDFishBioLaramie!! Thanks for taking the time man!

[Dilli]

I apologize if this is a repeat. Is Wheatland 3 back as a fishery yet? Will it ever be?  Same for Diamond.  I was thumbing thru a fly fishing the Western Lakes book at Sportsmans last year and this author listed Diamond as #6 on his top 10 Lakes in the West!  I had to chuckle as the last time I was there in my float tube, I was literally covered in skuds, but there was not 1 fish in the lake.  Found that out after I checked in at the Fly store.  In the mid 80's it was awesome!

[lowrygofish]

Wheatland 3 is back as a good fishery.  However, diamond lake is not back.  The Laramie Biologists are working on that.

[kiddro2003]

At what point does a piece of game taken no longer count toward your possession limit? IE ground processed elk, jerky?

[olefish]

Wild game IE deer, elk, antilope, moose, big horn sheep and goat relate to the licence you held during the season.  So if in 2012 you still have elk stakes left from 2011 elk tag no problem. Again it relates to licence and seasons.   Fish is only what the daily limits list.  So if you have 6 walleyes, that is all you can have in possession at any one time per licence.  Also all other game  fish follow the same rule. 

[WGFFishBio]

Is it true that minnows are aloud on Desmit and Healy this year?  If so where can you buy them for those water ways?

Yes it is true. Starting January 1st, 2012, the use of STATEWIDE CERTIFIED minnows will be allowed for use on DeSmet and Healy. DeSmet has the Special Winter Ice Fishing Provision (the use of 6 rods or tip-ups (in any combination)), while Healy does not (max two rods or tip-ups). Locally, we are still not 100% sure who will carry the Statewide Certified minnows. We have heard that the Lake Stop Marina, Sports Lure, and BCNU Bait (Main St, Sheridan) may carry the minnows. In Gillette, Ace Hardware carries the certified minnows.

[ratfink1]

I would like too now if it is true that the Game and fish put Lake trout in Granite and Crystal ?And if so Y

[ICErm]

I fished the Upper Sunshine lake last year just after they drained a few feet out to the Lower Sunshine, does G&F work with the town regarding the timing of that transfer or is it solely up to the town?  Does the transfer happen about the same time every year or is it just dependant upon consumption and the level of the lower lake.

[wyofly99]

Why not put Perch, Bass and Crappie in Alcova and Pathfinder? Sure would be nice to have a assortment...

[jopes]

this one is about the perch in Alcova.

http://trib.com/lifestyles/recreation/article_0d082638-3c4c-54a0-9499-d6fe3f991493.html


this one is about the lmb towards the bottom of the article.

http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_cd21aa79-97a3-5e88-9ce2-723fa427fab7.html

[auhunter]

Just a point of intrest has any one seen the new regulations for 2012, are they out, if not does any one know when they will be out.

[WGFDFishBioLander]

The new regulations for 2012 are now available on the Game and Fish website and if license selling agents do not already have copies, they should have them within a few days.

[auhunter]

Thanks to the WGFDFishBioLander

[jopes]

Some people have been hearing we will lose public access to Toltec starting 2012, Is this true?

[Big Al 1]

Jopes two years ago I had the pleasure to talk to Lee McDonald who is a fish biologist from Laramie. I asked him the same question about toltec. I from what I can recall there is a 100 year lease for public access to toltec and that the lease would not expire for a while. That question has been lingering around for a while now. All we can do as sportsmen is to respect the surrounding property and not abuse our privileges.

[WGFFishBio]

   What I think is really stupid is reducing the limit to 3 stream trout.

Make sure to review the exception pages for each specific drainage/region. There are several examples where the new statewide creel limit does not apply e.g. Buffalo Bill Reservoir and Flaming Gorge. When it came to the stream regulation the rationale for that was to help protect and conserve native cutthroat fisheries on the western half of the state. If you look closely at the exceptions, all of the Bighorn Mountains (except of the couple exceptions) have been excluded from the statewide limit, so you can still keep six trout (plus the brook trout). The rationale for getting rid of the 1 over 20" in lakes and reservoirs is that most of these lakes and reservoirs are stocked for people to catch and spawning opportunities are limited or nonexistent. So rather than potentially waste a nice fish, the decision was made to eliminate this regulation. 

[er-e-is]

Why is the lake trout limit 2 fish on Half Moon Lake and Middle Piney Lake, while it is 6 fish on lakes like Fremont, Boulder, etc? Half Moon is full of those 16'' - 20'' fish. It seems like they need thinned out a little.

[mark d.]

i did not go through the whole post so i'm sorry if this has already been asked.
 
i fish the gorge and.i have my name on my tip ups and rods. the thing is i ask out allot of people to go with me just to get more folks into the outdoors.and i let them use my gear i have plenty for them and me.do i have to take my name off my gear and put theres on when we  are using more than three rods and or tip ups. any help on this well be very appreciated

[minnowguy]

i did not go through the whole post so i'm sorry if this has already been asked.
 
i fish the gorge and.i have my name on my tip ups and rods. the thing is i ask out allot of people to go with me just to get more folks into the outdoors.and i let them use my gear i have plenty for them and me.do i have to take my name off my gear and put theres on when we  are using more than three rods and or tip ups. any help on this well be very appreciated

I carry a role of duck tape with me and a black marker pen and have whoever is with me put their names on witch ever they are using then your good to go. Everyone has to have there names on their poles that they are using. M.G.

[WYOiceman]

I know as biologists you guys spend quite a lot of time on the water collecting data. Netting, shocking,water sampling, creel surveys, and more I am sure I missed.

My question concerns creel surveys.  I spend quite a bit of time fishing year round, and can only remember being surveyed once in the last 3 years. I realize that the people doing creel work can not be all places at all times.

I wondered what % of the data collected is supplied by creel surveys , or what weight is given to creel survey data ?
Has there ever been any thought given to anglers being given a survey form(similar to a big game survey) at the time they purchase their license to kind of keep a log of fishing activity, or an online survey ?
Would this kind of information be usefull ?
Or would it be unreliable ? cost prohibitive ? lacking in enough participation to make it usefull ?

[307_bows]

I am wondering about the possibility of lake trout in Walker Jenkins. From what I have read, the lake is very deep, and the water is fairly cold year round. Seems like it would be a perfect place for them. Also, I think I read years ago that there were kokes in it, are there still any?
Thanks,
307_BOWS

[fishsqueezer]

Why is the lake trout limit 2 fish on Half Moon Lake and Middle Piney Lake, while it is 6 fish on lakes like Fremont, Boulder, etc? Half Moon is full of those 16'' - 20'' fish. It seems like they need thinned out a little.

I got on here to reply to some messages and it had been so long they removed my handle... Anyway, I'm back. 

Those regulations on 1/2 Moon and Middle Piney are relics from long ago when there was concern that the fish were being exploited, the rational being that they were smaller lakes, had smaller lake trout populations, and supported higher use.  You might have noticed that I did remove that regulation on Lower Green River Lake 2 years ago as a kind of "test" scenario to see how the population responds... we have been intensively monitoring it to evaluate any changes. 
I wouldn't expect any changes on 1/2 Moon anytime soon though, as we do like to maintain some diverstity so that all of the lakes don't offer the same opportunity as the other.  That is, by maintaining higher lake trout numbers, it does promote smaller size, but it also promotes higher catch rates, which makes 1/2 moon somewhat unique from say Fremont and offers people a different opportunity in and around Pinedale.
Hope that helps answer some of your questions. 

[fishsqueezer]

I carry a role of duck tape with me and a black marker pen and have whoever is with me put their names on witch ever they are using then your good to go. Everyone has to have there names on their poles that they are using. M.G.

That is the answer I would suggest, as each person's gear needs to be properly marked.