Anyone made a trip this year?

[Flyfisher for men]

Just curious how it was, what's going on at the park, and so on.

 

I like Bennett Spring a lot, but won't likely be able to go there this year. 

[fishinwrench]

Not much going on there last week.   The most recent high-dollar hatchery building has weeds as high as your armpits around it, and the windows haven't been hosed off in 6-8 months, but if you spit on one and wipe off a spot to peek into you'll see empty tanks and dusty floors. 4 of the 14 raceways have about 3 loads of 12 inchers apiece in them.   The head broodstock raceway has maybe 30 big fat momma's.    I couldn't find any raceway with fingerlings in it.....so that leads me to believe they have been getting fish from Shepherd instead of raising them there. Lots of nice equipment... just sitting there 🙄 

The stream isn't full of fish by any means but there are some fish scattered about in there. Of course that can change overnite if they decide to dump in a load or two.   I seldom see anyone with a stringer keeping fish, so I'm confused about where they all go.  

[tjm]

Coons? mink? herons?

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, tjm said:

Coons? mink? herons?

200-500 trout per day?   I kinda doubt it.

[Flyfisher for men]

8 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Not much going on there last week.   The most recent high-dollar hatchery building has weeds as high as your armpits around it, and the windows haven't been hosed off in 6-8 months, but if you spit on one and wipe off a spot to peek into you'll see empty tanks and dusty floors. 4 of the 14 raceways have about 3 loads of 12 inchers apiece in them.   The head broodstock raceway has maybe 30 big fat momma's.    I couldn't find any raceway with fingerlings in it.....so that leads me to believe they have been getting fish from Shepherd instead of raising them there. Lots of nice equipment... just sitting there 🙄 

The stream isn't full of fish by any means but there are some fish scattered about in there. Of course that can change overnite if they decide to dump in a load or two.   I seldom see anyone with a stringer keeping fish, so I'm confused about where they all go.  

Now, that was an answer I did not expect. I would have thought they'd be going all out.

I wonder if it's a funding thing.  Maybe revenues reduced from the Covid lockdowns?

  

[fishinwrench]

2 hours ago, Flyfisher for men said:

 Maybe revenues reduced from the Covid lockdowns

Nah, this has been going on, to a degree, before anyone ever even heard of Covid. Nobody was laid off at the hatchery during the "pandemic", and record crowds visited BS during the whole fiasco. 

They built a high dollar expanded hatchery operation, raised the fees for Trout Stamps and Daily Tags......then went on vacation.....is what it looks like to me.

[snagged in outlet 3]

8 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

Nah, this has been going on, to a degree, before anyone ever even heard of Covid. Nobody was laid off at the hatchery during the "pandemic", and record crowds visited BS during the whole fiasco. 

They built a high dollar expanded hatchery operation, raised the fees for Trout Stamps and Daily Tags......then went on vacation.....is what it looks like to me.

Been that way since they put that new pipe in below the main bridge.  It’s a dog park now.  

[oneshot 1]

Years ago they did bunch of Stocking now it seems like nothing.

I like fishing the river but if Trout are not there bring worms and fish for Goggle Eye and Suckers.

oneshot

[tjm]

20 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

200-500 trout per day?   I kinda doubt it.

Why do you think that many are disappearing (other than on stringers)?

 

[fishinwrench]

20 minutes ago, tjm said:

Why do you think that many are disappearing (other than on stringers)?

 

Just from hanging around there and observing.  

I mean, the water is clear (usually) so you can see how many fish are there, and they supposedly dump 2.5 fish per estimated tag sold EVERY DAY during the regular season.  And I only see a couple folks toting a stringer on any given day.     

You can see the stocking truck, it sits there in plain sight.  So if there isn't a big wet spot under it.....guess what?   It hasn't been used that day.  

A quick assessment of the overall stream population can be made at anytime just by looking to see how many fish are crowded around the outlets.   When there are only a couple of fish chilling near the outlets you can safely assume that the overall numbers are low.