Stripers are very susceptible to stress from handling. In water warmer than 72 degrees it is not likely that a trophy fish would survive and be able to return to the preferred depth. The very best thing we can do as anglers interested in growing more trophy fish is to harvest enough small stripers from each school so that the competition for forage within a striper school is reduced.
Both concepts fall a bit short of the goal of producing more trophies. The nature of the lake allows amazing reproduction each year. Surprisingly the only thing that can really impact striper numbers may be quagga mussels. They have the opportunity to eliminate striped bass altogether. So far that has not happened downstream so Lake Powell still has many years before this concept will be seen or discarded.
Both concepts fall a bit short of the goal of producing more trophies. The nature of the lake allows amazing reproduction each year. Surprisingly the only thing that can really impact striper numbers may be quagga mussels. They have the opportunity to eliminate striped bass altogether. So far that has not happened downstream so Lake Powell still has many years before this concept will be seen or discarded.