GREEN RIVER – Just when anglers thought that fishing in the Flaming Gorge Reservoir alone was tempting enough, the Buckboard Marina is again holding the ‘Pup’ulation Control Contest for lake trout.
Anglers can now take part in this competition until mid-June 2021. Registered participants will receive prizes and instant cash rewards for catching a tagged lake trout.
One hundred lake trout under 25 inches have been marked with a light green external label in Wyoming, and these fish are worth $ 100. Additionally, there are still more than 80 lake trout with orange external markings from last year’s $ 50 competition. The aim of the competition is to make anglers aware of the abundance of small lake trout (<25 inches) in the Flaming Gorge Reservoir and to promote the harvest of these fish.
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Only registered people qualify for cash and prizes. Visit Buckboardmarina.net for more information about the competition including the rules.
“Flaming Gorge Reservoir is experiencing its highest density of small lake trout, less than 28 inches in total length, and that surge is mostly in Wyoming,” said John Walrath, wildlife and fish biologist on the Green River. “We also know that lake trout are growing more slowly now than they were in the 1980s and early 1990s.
“A decline in growth is usually associated with competition for food resources and there are too many mouths to feed the resources available. The main prey for lake trout in the gorge is the Kokanee salmon, which is a valued sport fish for many anglers, ”continued Walrath. “To sustain our other sport fisheries, we need to catch small lake trout, especially those under 25 inches, to rebalance their populations with the available prey base.”
The Buckboard “Pup” ulation Control Contest encourages anglers to target small lake trout in hopes of catching a tagged fish by 2019 or 2020. Registered anglers who catch a “tagged” lake trout receive $ 50 or $ 100 when the day is given to a buckboard Marina employee.
Those who submit a “green” label will be entered into a raffle and have the chance to win one of five main prizes: a 17-foot boat with a 150-horsepower engine, a guided Kokanee trip for four and Cash rewards of 50%, 30% and 20% of the registration fees charged.
Orange tags are not eligible for grand prize drawings. When young anglers catch a lake trout, they can participate in a raffle for the best photo. Check out the rules on Buckboardmarina.net for detailed information. All anglers who register for the competition will be entered into a prize draw.
Anglers can learn more about the effects of an abundance of small lake trout and find tips on catching these fish on the Flaming Gorge link on the Department’s Green River website.
Anglers can purchase a copy of the Wyoming Fishing Regulations 2020 from any Game and Fish regional office, from most license vendors, or at wgfd.wyo.gov. For questions and more information, call the Game and Fish Green River regional office at 307-875-3223.
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