Why would you want to take the bass slot off Ririe when it takes 6 to 7 years for them to get to 12'' why not make it no fish between 12"-16'' and 5 fish limit to create a larger big fish population

Answer: 
Bass in Ririe Reservoir generally do not live much past age 6.  Based on the data we have, a 3 year old bass is about 6 inches in length, a 4 year old is about 8 inches, and a 5 year old bass is about 10 inches.  A small percentage of fish will live past 6, but they are the exception, and not the rule.  Similarly, some fish will grow faster than what I have outlined above, and will turn into 16” or bigger bass.  Currently, harvest is not keeping bass from achieving larger sizes.  In our 2010 creel survey, we estimated that anglers harvested less than 200 bass during the year.  As such, the current regulation acts much like a no-harvest regulation.  As a result, the bass population that you see now is about what you would expect under a no harvest rule.  The short growing season and high elevation of Ririe Reservoir limits the potential for bass to reach more desirable size.  As such, allowing harvest on smaller bass would not alter the number of bigger fish in the population, and could possibly help increase the growth rates of the bass that remain in the reservoir.  
Answered on: 
Friday, June 21, 2013 - 9:56 AM MDT