This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Anglers at Utah Lake never know what they are going to catch.
Each cast could bring in a largemouth bass, a walleye, a black crappie or a white bass. Maybe a bullhead catfish or channel catfish will decide your bait is worth the risk.
It is also possible one of the plentiful carp found in Utah Lake or an endangered June sucker could end up on the end of a fishing line.
But there's also a new species, illegally introduced by bucket biologists, that wildlife officials want dead and reported — pike.
"If anglers will help us," Utah Division of Wildlife Resources regional aquatic manager Mike Slater said, "we might be able to get on top of the problem before it gets out of hand."
Someone — probably an angler who thought it would be cool to catch nonnative pike a little closer to the Wasatch Front — illegally released the toothy predator at the Utah County fishery in recent years.
Anglers have been reporting sporadic catches of pike for several years. And if anglers are catching them, there are likely many more.
With so many fish mouths to feed at Utah Lake, none are as big as the pike. The state record pike was caught at Yuba Reservoir in 2013 and was 45 1/2 inches long and weighed 26 pounds, 1 ounce.
If the pike population is left unchecked, the predators could put a damper on other species. Wildlife managers are most concerned that the pike could develop a taste for the endangered June sucker.
Pike don't seem to mind the taste of anything.
June suckers are only found in Utah Lake and the arrival of pike is a major concern for protecting the endangered species.
"The illegal introduction of northern pike could negate much of the work that has been done to recover the June sucker," Slater said. "Work to help June suckers has also helped sport fish in the lake. Whoever put northern pike in the lake did a very selfish and thoughtless thing."
All pike caught at Utah Lake must be killed. Anglers releasing the fish alive are breaking the law.
With the help of Utah State University, the wildlife agency is studying where the pike are spawning and what they eat.
Officials ask that anglers record the date and location of their catch — with GPS coordinates when possible. Anglers also are asked to deliver the fish to the office at Utah Lake State Park where they will be stored in a freezer.
Fish also can be dropped off at the DWR Central Region office at 1115 N. Main St. in Springville during business hours.
If dropping the fish off is not possible, anglers can call 435-491-5678 and arrangements will be made for someone to pick the fish up.
Researchers will use the data to determine spawning locations for possible pike eradication efforts.
The fish also will be studied to determine what other species the pike are eating and how many they are consuming.
At least 500 pike are needed for the research.
Twitter: @BrettPrettyman