GREEN RIVER – Hone your Mac fishing skills and see how you hold off against other anglers during the new Mac Attack Fishing Derby of lake trout less than 25 inches in length.
Prizes will be awarded for most of the pounds of lake trout submitted during the two-day derby from April 27th to 28th. The Mac Attack is open to both boat and bank anglers.
In spring, lake trout forage near the bank, which makes bank anglers competitive in this derby.
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Find trout patterns
For some time now, fishery managers have been tracking a growing population of small lake trout, less than 25 inches in size, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
While all of these small lake trout offer excellent fishing and great table food, is this possibly a problem?
According to Robert Keith, Regional Fisheries Supervisor for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the answer is yes. “Our trend netting data documents the increasing numbers of small lake trout and a study completed in 2016 shows that their growth rates have slowed dramatically since the 1990s.”
“In 1992, an eight-year-old lake trout was 31 inches and over 10 pounds. In 2016, an eight-year-old lake trout was only 22 inches and about 3 pounds, ”added Keith.
Smaller lake trout are also known to eat other prized species in the canyon such as Kokanee salmon and trout when given the opportunity.
Anglers make the difference
Reducing the number of small lake trout in the reservoir increases the number of kokanee and trout available to anglers and allows the remaining lake trout to grow faster.
And this is where anglers can make a difference. “Angler fishing can be a powerful tool for fisheries management,” said John Walrath, regional fisheries biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. “The Mac Attack Derby will help reduce the small lake trout population and provide a platform for educating the public about this growing concern.”
So the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has teamed up with the Flaming Gorge Chamber of Commerce and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to create the Mac Attack, which is scheduled to take place April 27-28, 2019.
“We are excited to use the Mac Attack Derby as a vehicle to raise public awareness of how anglers can support the Flaming Gorge fishery by catching small lake trout,” said Walrath.
Derby format
Teams of two can compete for cash prizes by reporting up to 12 lake trout (less than 25 inches) per angler per day. The winners are the teams that submit the most weight. All teams that check in fish but are not placed in the category with the highest weight will be entered into a prize draw for a cash prize.
For more information, please visit the WGFD Green River Region website: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Regional-Offices/Green-River-Region/Flaming-Gorge-Management-(1) Flaming Gorge Chamber of Commerce website: www.visitflaminggorge.com or Facebook: visitflaminggorge
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