LAKE GEORGE, Colo. (KOAA) — Anglers will get a chance to participate in the best catch out at Spinner Mountain Reservoir at Spinney Mountain State Park this year as Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) works to curb Northern Pike populations.
Tournaments will begin monthly starting on June 1 and will run through September 30. CPW says in recent years, their office has observed an increase in the number of predatory Pike in the reservoir, and it is beginning to affect the trout population.
The hope is that putting on these tournaments with Tightline Outdoors and Colorado Trout Unlimited will help curb the Pike population in the reservoir.
CPW says that only Northern Pike caught from Spinney will be eligible for the tournament prizes.
“Spinney Mountain Reservoir is a destination trout fishery, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s primary management goal is to provide trophy trout for anglers,” said CPW Northeast Region Senior Aquatic Biologist Kyle Battige in a news release. “However, our recent sampling efforts have shown more Northern Pike and fewer trout. Anglers can help achieve a better balance at Spinney by participating in these tournaments. We are not looking to eradicate Northern Pike. We are hoping to remove smaller Pike to reduce the overall population and, therefore, improve the trout fishery while maintaining quality opportunities for Pike.”
The goal is to maintain the large Northern Pike already present and curb the smaller fish population.
In order to participate in the tournament, anglers must upload their photos to the Fishing Chaos app, and GPS or location service settings must be enabled for catch verification.
If you do not have a smartphone, you will be able to upload photos on a tablet located at the Aquatic Nuisance Species station at Spinney Reservoir.
There will be three prizes awarded each month, Most Points, Youth Angler, and finally, a Mystery Prize. The point system for the Most Points category and prizes is as follows:
Point System
- Northern Pike 32 inches and under are three points
- Northern Pikes 32 inches and longer are worth one point
Prizes
- First Place Adult Angler: $500
- Second Place Adult Angler: $250
- Third Place Adult Angler: $150
For those not wanting to harvest their catches, CPW will have a donation freezer at the ANS Spinney Station. Also, if you do catch anything, we would love to see it! Send us a photo.
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