Not Lake Powell, but a good prognosis for LMB in Western Colorado!

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broski

broski

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As the article states, the pike decimated the lake...changed it entirely. As a young kid, I could catch trout, perch, and catfish from shore all day, every day, and did so with reckless abandon! You could catch them on worms, nightcrawlers, salmon eggs, powerbait, golf balls, license plates, cigar butts, tin foil, old knobs from 8-tracks and VCRs, pretty much anything!

When we moved back 9 years ago, it was hard to catch ANYTHING other than pike, the very occasional (stocked) trout, and the rare perch or crappy here and there.

While I'm not sure the goals for "LUNKER" LMB are possible in a lake at 7000' elevation that gets drained down 30' every summer and freezes 3' thick for 3-4 months a year are truly achievable, I do know the claims of 4-6# LMB so far are valid. I haven't caught one myself, but I've been on the lake in the ski channel and witnessed several pulled in that large. Only to immediately wish I could just set my wife and daughter adrift on the stupid tube for a couple hours, and take Ballast Boy to try our luck at a few of them in the shallows.

There is some seriously primo spring/summer habitat to be sure!

Stay tuned!

http://www.gjsentinel.com/outdoors/articles/lunker-lake
 
I have a boat and live in Grand Junction and have never fished Crawford... I will definitely go give it a try... I'm guessing it's busy on weekends? But weekdays should be good?
 
Bro, thanks for the update. That is the kind of info. I wanted. I know what the pike did to the Gunnison river back in the 80's as I used to fish from the forks at the Pleasure Park, up to the Smith Fork and down to Austin courtesy of Leroy's shuttle service. Sq
 
Cpw propaganda stuff, Crawford biomass a few years ago was like 90% carp, really cannot blaim that on pike, no doubt was a different lake before pike got in, stunted perch lake, 5-7 " perch. Absoultly no structure in lake muddy bowel, water user won't allow man made structure added. Not exactly lmb habitat. I hope the perch return but won't hold my breath, they promised us walleyes a few years ago, never happened. I guess I don't like the cpw koolaid, got a real bitter taste to it
 
bobco said:
Cpw propaganda stuff, Crawford biomass a few years ago was like 90% carp, really cannot blaim that on pike, no doubt was a different lake before pike got in, stunted perch lake, 5-7 " perch. Absoultly no structure in lake muddy bowel, water user won't allow man made structure added. Not exactly lmb habitat. I hope the perch return but won't hold my breath, they promised us walleyes a few years ago, never happened. I guess I don't like the cpw koolaid, got a real bitter taste to it
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I'd like to know your sources for the "Crawford Bio-Mass", because at least on their public page, they don't post updates very often. I agree that CPW sucks something horrible at managing ANYTHING other than spending money on good gear, better boats, and MIS-managing anything and everything that has to do with hunting licenses in any given unit, but they HAVE managed to stave off mussels thus far at ALL CPW managed bodies of water.

That said to say this.... I haven't SEEN a carp anywhere in Crawford in at LEAST the last five years. I'm not saying they don't exist, I'm just saying I haven' seen one. I'm 8 minutes (pulling the boat) drive time, and it's our go-to lake for quick afternoon trips, so we're there a lot in the summer.
 
That's from cpw personnel , my data is a little old but round table meeting with bio for lake that left a couple of years ago. Doubt that it changed much, mechanical removal, netting, about only hope to get rid of them. About only time you will see them is early spring when spawning
 
I hate the CPW's war on pike. They seem to blame those fish (or lakers) every time there is a down turn in a fishery. IMO, the best fishing lakes in the state have found a balance. You will find trophy pike and trout in places like Taylor, Stagecoach, Spinney, and 11 mile, just to name a few.

I haven't mastered pike fishing, but I don't know why anyone would want to kill a self-sustaining, trophy species. I'd much rather catch a large pike than a bunch of stocked trout......
 
broski said:
I'd like to know your sources for the "Crawford Bio-Mass", because at least on their public page, they don't post updates very often. I agree that CPW sucks something horrible at managing ANYTHING other than spending money on good gear, better boats, and MIS-managing anything and everything that has to do with hunting licenses in any given unit, but they HAVE managed to stave off mussels thus far at ALL CPW managed bodies of water.

That said to say this.... I haven't SEEN a carp anywhere in Crawford in at LEAST the last five years. I'm not saying they don't exist, I'm just saying I haven' seen one. I'm 8 minutes (pulling the boat) drive time, and it's our go-to lake for quick afternoon trips, so we're there a lot in the summer.
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There are tons of carp in Crawford, I see them every time I fish there and I've been fishing it for over 20 years
 
Ryan said:
I hate the CPW's war on pike. They seem to blame those fish (or lakers) every time there is a down turn in a fishery. IMO, the best fishing lakes in the state have found a balance. You will find trophy pike and trout in places like Taylor, Stagecoach, Spinney, and 11 mile, just to name a few.

I haven't mastered pike fishing, but I don't know why anyone would want to kill a self-sustaining, trophy species. I'd much rather catch a large pike than a bunch of stocked trout......
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There is also really good fishing in Rifle Gap and Harvey Gap. both have pike
 
I need to try fishing Rifle, Harvey, and Crawford... so whenever someone is heading out give me a call... I'll pull my boat from Grand Junction... would just be nice to learn some new water..
 
linnell said:
There is also really good fishing in Rifle Gap and Harvey Gap. both have pike
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no more boats on Harvey. They couldn't fund inspections, and the private water owner wouldn't help. Likely a lost lake for boat fishing except small hand launch stuff...
 
broski said:
no more boats on Harvey. They couldn't fund inspections, and the private water owner wouldn't help. Likely a lost lake for boat fishing except small hand launch stuff...
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Making lemonade..... might improve ice fishing!
 
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