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Re: Derby entries

Not fishing the Derby

Re: Derby entries

Finaddiction will not be fishing. Will take the fly rod and go after brookies.

Re: Derby entries

I am out of the derby forever Had many years of fun fishing in the derby but I belive the derby does hurt the fishery and will do my part and stay home47H6

Re: Derby entries

I will not be fishing the derby nor will my normal crew. I too feel it hurts the fishery.

Re: Derby entries

Great question John!! Neither I nor the other folks I usually fish the derby will be this year. I too believe that the derby has hurt the salmon population despite there not being any scientific information to support this. However if it walks like a duck, flies like a duck, has feathers and quacks like a duck, it is probably a duck....

Good luck all, be careful with releasing shorts......

Re: Derby entries

The crew from Rhode Island will not be participating this year (4 Total)! Not seeing the fish like we have over the years and agree that the fishery needs to re-cooperate for a few more years! We'll be spending our time (and money) between Quabbin and Maine over the next several weekends.

Re: Derby entries

I'll be there. Big weekend for me and the boy. Besides, the salmon have nothing to fear from me.

Re: Derby entries

I wonder why there isn't this much pressure on the winter derby???
BARRY

Re: Derby entries

Three more not fishing. More fun working. NOT?

Re: Derby entries

All those with the concern of how much the derby hurts the fishery might want to weigh out taking a weekend off in the late summer. I feel 100 dialed in experienced fishermen who can whack out double digit #'s a day, pulling up salmon out of 45' of water at 55 degrees to the surface into 75 degree water does a heck of a lot more harm than a bunch of weekend warriors catching 2 or 3 scattered healthy salmon in the spring. Just my thoughts but makes a lot more sense to me.

I'll be there

Re: Derby entries

I want to thank all of you guys that aren't going to the derby. Now that all you are not entering to save the salmon I have a great idea for you. Since you will be saving on all the enry fees and lodging money why don't you fellas step up to the plate and make a monatary donation to the NH fish and game so they can
Put more salmon in so us heartless uncaring people can fish a fishing derby sanctioned by the fish and game dept. If you sense a little sarcasm your mistaken, there is a lot of it. " If it walks like a duck" PLEASE?

Re: Derby entries

I totally agree with Ilcas. I have talked to Maine, Vermont and NH bioligists about the effect of spring derbies on fish. They all seem to agree the most damaging on the fish is when the water is above 65 degrees. I would love to see F&G shut down all trolling during mid July to end of August. I will be doing the derby this year along with others and not feeling guilty. After, I will be spending much more time on Sqaum, I've heard of guys with multiple Salmon caught each trip. Remember, one of the reasons we have Salmon around here is because of the efforts of Rick Davis and his team many years ago. I think is time to lay-off slamming the derby and go fishing. Roland gone fishing. Good luck where ever you may fish.

Re: Derby entries

Well it seems a few don't know how to read the suggestion or do and don't care, but it is a free country so the saying goes..

I asked for only those "not fishing" the Derby as a general count only, to put their name on the list. I specifically suggested that "no reasons" need be given so that we would not start a controversy.

I only wanted a general consensus, not opinions, sorry if the pot got stirred unnecessarily, was far from my intent. Sorry if I riled a few up.

I hope you all enjoy the weekend, no matter where you fish and for what ever reason, I'm fishing Squam, cause I like it there.

Big John

Re: Derby entries

Well said Roland, now lets go Fishing!

Re: Derby entries

WDNWTR Roland
I totally agree with Ilcas. I have talked to Maine, Vermont and NH bioligists about the effect of spring derbies on fish. They all seem to agree the most damaging on the fish is when the water is above 65 degrees. I would love to see F&G shut down all trolling during mid July to end of August. I will be doing the derby this year along with others and not feeling guilty. After, I will be spending much more time on Sqaum, I've heard of guys with multiple Salmon caught each trip. Remember, one of the reasons we have Salmon around here is because of the efforts of Rick Davis and his team many years ago. I think is time to lay-off slamming the derby and go fishing. Roland gone fishing. Good luck where ever you may fish.


Ha-ha, not sure what prompted the Squam comment Roland, but nobody is catching multiple Salmon on each trips Squam that I know. A few 2 yr olds (like 4 in as many trips, 3 in one day) one older Salmon in 5 trips to date. Unquestionable MUCH better 2 yr old quality than Winni, no noticeable hook wounds in my eyes, maybe less pressure and plenty of food. I doubt many would last long on Squam, slow to no action, you've fished it, some things don't change.

How did this turn into a ******* contest ??????????

Big John

Re: Derby entries

I will not be fishing the derby along with 1 other boat I fish beside.

C.C.

Re: Derby entries

Well said Ilucas and Forry. I couldn't have said it better myself!

Re: Derby entries

First time poster to the board, although I have "lurked" on it for several years, and have met many of you on the water, at various docks, and at local fishing shows or NHFG events.

I will not be fishing the derby this year, and I know of at least two other friends who are also not putting their boats in for the derby. Removes three boats and 8 people from the equation. Good luck to all, whatever you choose to do this weekend!

Re: Derby entries and donations

Forry I do make a donation every year. I buy a fishing license. And i would be happy to donate the money for boat launching. If Winni had some decent free state launch sites on winni. Ones not restricted to residents.

Re: Derby entries and donations

I am out of the derby this year .

Re: Derby entries and donations

You make a donation to the state launches each time you register your boat

Re: Derby entries and donations

Not true any more the money for the Sunape launch. Went into the general fund to balance Lynch"s Budget. We don"t always get what we are paying for. Sorry Im not sticking to the subject. But I feel we are all paying our fair share.To fish.

Re: Derby entries and donations

triple D
Not true any more the money for the Sunape launch. Went into the general fund to balance Lynch"s Budget. We don"t always get what we are paying for. Sorry Im not sticking to the subject. But I feel we are all paying our fair share.To fish.



That is a serious problem with the state, probably never get fixed, people buy licenses and if the money aint used someone scoffs it up. That is maybe more Fish and Game fault than the state house. Every state and federal agency has a budget as do many business,etc. Most are smart enough to spend every dime because if they don't someone else will take it and reduce their budgets the following year. Instead of giving them an atta-boy for coming in under budget, they reduce their budget and take the left over.

Only way around it is spend every dime in your budget and ask for more the following year.

A shame, but that the way the world turns I'm afraid.



BiG John

Re: Derby entries

I am not fishing the derby this year.

Re: Derby entries

I sat this one out and will continue to until things change. Ilucas and Roland two well respected fisherman and good guys bring up a great point. The Derby has been around for years and fishing has been good and bad with the derby on. I think we can all agree that there is without a doubt more sustained pressure on the fishery throughout the summer months and again catching Salmon in 55 degree water and then releasing them in 70 degree water does stress out the fish. The problem is simple with the sustained pressure and the Derby the lake simply does not have time to recoup and as such we see the problems that we have today. Remember everyone who catches a quality fish during the Derby kills it takes it out of the lake and who can blame them after all they are trying to win a boat. How many quality Salmon do you think are harvested during the three day Derby? I know that when I fished the Derby I fished longer and harder than I ever do running as many lines as possible again because I’m trying to win a boat. We have had several Derby weekends with well into Double digits days as do many.

If there was ever to be a study done on whether or not the Derby hurts the fishery well that has been done for us last year. With NO Derby last season the fishery turned around FAST the Salmon are bigger and healthier and the fishing has vastly improved. I have spoke to some anglers whe felt as though there was less pressure on the lake last year I disagree last year during the derby dates there were a pile of boats on the lake I suspect because many had the dates off and booked lodging. The difference was they did not kill all the healthy fish they caught. Rick Davis said it himself in the paper. From the Laconia Daily Sun:
“Winni Salmon Derby returns this weekend after year off to give fishery a breather
By Adam Drapcho
May 13, 2011 12:00 am
LACONIA — After a year off, the Winni (Salmon) Derby has returned this weekend and Executive Director Rick Davis said yesterday that the hiatus has proven to be a good thing. This derby, now operated by the Laconia Rotary Club, will be the 29th time the contest has been held. Last ye...
LACONIA — After a year off, the Winni (Salmon) Derby has returned this weekend and Executive Director Rick Davis said yesterday that the hiatus has proven to be a good thing. This derby, now operated by the Laconia Rotary Club, will be the 29th time the contest has been held.
Last year, Davis attended the salmon netting operations held by the state's Fish and Game Department, in which they extract eggs from pregnant fish for spawning in state fisheries. He didn't like what he saw. There were fewer fish and of those he saw, "About 30-percent of what I saw had hook wounds, were quite skinny, they weren't going to make it." Hook wounds are caused by careless or inexperienced fishermen who roughly remove a hook from a fish's jaw, causing permanent damage that limits the fish's ability to eat.
The land-locked salmon fishery is under pressure from anglers like never before, said Davis, due to more numerous fishermen and the increasingly sophisticated technology they're employing. After seeing the state of the lake's salmon, Davis called off the 2010 derby.
A year later, he was glad he did. Observing the same netting process, he said the fish "were in great shape." The three-day derby begins today and will continue through Sunday. Two Princecraft boats and cash awards are among the $50,000 worth of prizes. Anglers can register as late as today, and may do so by visiting www.winniderby.com or at A.J.'s Bait & Tackle on Main Street in Meredith.
The canceling of last year's derby was only one response to the state of salmon population in the state's largest lake. Fish & Game has enacted new rules, such as one which prohibits the live storage of salmon – anglers either immediately release a salmon or keep it for good. Several other rules pertain to types of lures and techniques fishermen may use.”

Another major problem that I have with the Derby is comments made like this one:
We also understand that the amount of fishing pressure is way up and it stays that way all season long," Davis wrote in his press release. "No one seems to know how many charter boats are fishing the lake and, in some cases, two charters per day. Reports of 20 to 40 fish a day being caught are not uncommon."

I know we have beat this like a dead horse but it still gets under my skin. The derby is a for profit event that is a business for all involved and much like any business if it does not make money than it does not make sense.

Unfortunately you will never be able to shut a put grow and take fishery down for 40% of its season dates. What you can do is NOT fish the Derby. I commend everyone who has chosen not to fish in the Derby and do not look down on anyone who chose to its and individual decision and I understand for many it’s a huge event and was for me and my family for years. I will miss fishing the Derby until something gives and hope one day I will be able to enjoy the event again.


Travis Williams
Cool Water

Re: Derby entries

all i can say in response to this is travis its time to get a real job and stop making money off our state stocked salmon program,this derby is for young and old alike iv been fishing this derby since its begining,i supported rick davis,s decision last year because i felt as an angler to do our part to help bring this back,six year,s ago is when this problem started and its because of the number of charters on this lake plan and simple,do away with charter fishing on lake winni and watch what happens,best of luck,rick simula

Re: Derby entries

by the numbers just one charter boat fishing lets say fishing from may to sept 22 weeks taking a couple days off a week would be 110 days 4 people per charter taking their 8 fish a day because they pay alot for their trip would be 880 fish per charter season travis and you are conserned about 200 or 250 fish caught or entered 2 win a boat when most fish are released if not 20 inches unlike most charters not sure how many charters on lake but thats a lot of fish taken by charters now stop slamming the derby and further more rick davis and the nh fish and game have done more than you will ever do for the fishery on winni its all about the money right please save some fish for us little guys and the derby fish n finn jr

Re: Derby entries

fish n finn jr
by the numbers just one charter boat fishing lets say fishing from may to sept 22 weeks taking a couple days off a week would be 110 days 4 people per charter taking their 8 fish a day because they pay alot for their trip would be 880 fish per charter season travis and you are concerned about 200 or 250 fish caught or entered 2 win a boat when most fish are released if not 20 inches unlike most charters not sure how many charters on lake but thats a lot of fish taken by charters now stop slamming the derby and further more rick davis and the nh fish and game have done more than you will ever do for the fishery on winni its all about the money right please save some fish for us little guys and the derby fish n finn jr


Wow!!!
Those are pretty crazy figures you have there. I have been out w/ a couple of the guides, seen and talked to them a lot too out there. As far as 4 fishermen, 8 fish a day, 110 days a year is not the reality.

They encourage you to release the fish but it is yours if you want them, as far as 4 people on the boat, 8 kept fish a day, 110 days a year!!!!! Thats just not true.

For people to just throw out #'s to make an argument is not right These guides have taught a lot of us how to do this type of fishing whether we hired them for a charter or whether you just asked them a ? on this site or just lurked and picked up some info. To blame them is wrong, and to continue to bash them or derby is wrong. They have been the biggest advocates for rubber nets, careful handling in releasing the fish, etc... To put them in the light that some are trying to put them in is disingenuous and not right.

There are hundreds of better fishermen out there now, we catch more fish. If you are reading or contributing to this site thats part of it. Whether we release them or keep them there are more hook wounds because of it. It is not on a handfull of guides or the derby. I think it is more and better fishermen.

Like Mark T said "it is a put and take lake".

Re: Derby entries

the original laker taker---my cousin and i will always fish this derby as long as they have it for the next number of years,we fish winni 3 days a year and catch and release 10 to 15 salmon,thats it for the year and thats the average for most sport fisherman on winni,the charter boats are the problem here for the drastic reduction in healthy salmon,over the last 6 years charter fishing has doubled and tripled on winni,the state needs to step in and make it two lines per boat,all salmon off spring are bought with our license money ,charter boats are making money off the fish we and the state provide for sport fishing not for profit on a DAILY basis ,thanks the original laker taker

Re: Derby entries

Rick,

Thanks for your interest in the board and taking the time to respond to my post. I can see that it struck a nerve with you. Unfortunately it is difficult for me to respond to you as your comments although I’m sure passionate simply have no fact or data to invite a conversation.

Thanks again for posting

Cool Water
Travis Williams

Re: Derby entries

I know this discussion has been beaten to death but I can't help myself but to respond with a thought:

We have two general groups of anglers (BOTH are responsbile sportsman groups) with their opinions on the derby matter. One is a group of guides and retirees or lake dwellers who can hit the lake 5 days a week from April-Sept. The second is a group of "less dedicated" salmon anglers who may only hit the lake 3-5 times in the spring then move on to stripers or warm water species. Each group contributes to the state of the fishery but I'm seeing that each group wants the other group to take the entire hit and I don't think that is necessary and their could be compromise. Without compromise, eventually we will all have to take a side against the "other group".

I don't think it's fair for the guides/retirees who can experience the beauty of the lake and it's salmon all year long to target the Derby as the villain here. I also don't think its fair for derby-goers to expect guides to give up their means of living or lose customers because they drop to 2 lines and thus only catch a few fish a day OR to ask retirees to back off and only fish one or two days a week. Yet we can all agree that any of these actions will have a significant and measurable effect on the fishery.

If it's bigger fish you want then why hasn't anyone recommended a slot limit? If more numbers, why not reduce the daily limit to 1 fish? Why does each group have to say "it's not me, it's THOSE guys?". Isn't there solutions that don't involve taking everything from one group?

I don't want to hurt anyones feelings (especially the guides from this site that have taught me everything I know to have the success I had this weekend) but I do feel target as a member of the "other group". When guides and respected members of this site "boycott" the derby as encourage others to do the same, it has a felt effect on the derby. Many who attend the derby are also loyal followers of this site and dont think for a minute that the drop from 0ver 3000 participants in years past to a mear 1200 this year is only because of the economy...many stayed away because of recommendations from this site to do so. I don't think the derby can be sustained with 1200 participants and will close down as sponsors jump ship. The net effect is that boycotting from this site WILL be the end of the Derby so lets not sugar coat it. Once it's gone, it can not come back.

So yes, I feel targeted as a derby-goer by guides and "daily anglers" on this site (even if I'm not singled out or the language is civil). Just as those groups would feel targeted if I recommended that guides should be boycotted or there should be lines per boat limits or limits on days per week targeting salmon. Rather I feel we should look for compromise solutions where each group gives up a LITTLE but each can still enjoy the sport in the manner they choose (one weekend blast or every day over the entire season). In the end we are all in this together.

Finally, I did recommend to Rick that a "real time board" should be posted so that all those "board fish" that will never win a prize can be released rather than brought to the weigh in because the anglers didn't know they woudld't get a prize. It wouldn't stop all the undersized fish being brought to scale because many don't weigh their fish until later in the day but at least anglers can check througout the day on an online and "authoritative" site as to what fish would actually score a prize. I think they misinterpretted my request and only posted top 3 (where bottom 3 prize winners is more important to keep smaller fish from being kept). I will resubmit that request next year with more clarification. I want to do my part to reduce derby impact...we also released several board fish from my group because we didn't think they would score a prize.

Back to my original thought...this is a sore topic for many but it is a testament to the quality of this site that people with different opinions on an emotional topic can debate how to deal with it and keep it all civil.

Re: Derby entries

Mike F; I don,t remember ever seeing any post by anyone not fishing the derby trying to discourage anyone else from fishing it. And real time online derby results? Do you think everyone has a computer with them all the time? Get over it.

Re: Derby entries

This is a put and take fishery.....
The only goal for this lake is that the Salmon reach 18" @ 2 years old....
They reach that goal every year.... If you want a Trophy fishery than manage it for a Trophy Lake.... But until then settle for the occasional 6 pound Salmon....

Re: Derby entries

Hi YN,
I have probably struck a nerve but yes a boycott is done to discourage others from attending or participating in something so yes the boycott is encouraging people not to attend even when it's handled with the class that Trav handled it.

As for PCs, not everyone will bring a PC with air card or iPad onto the lake but almost everyone carries some sort of smart phone with internet access.

So yes, derby goers do feel targeted as you can tell by some of the responses on this site. Again, you seem somewhat angered that I mention that guides, retired persons or locals who have constant access to the lake would feel the same if actions were taken to limit their access to the resource how they want to pursue it which I guess proves my point.

PS: the "get over it" comment only stirs emotions like if I said "I'm going to park my trailer on the ramp and go fishing...you don't like it? Get over it". No need to escalate how people feel about this topic.

Re: Derby entries

Whoa there, MikeF! I never heard of an "air card". Of course, I've heard of an "IPad" but don't have a clue what it is or what it does?? I must be in the minority, because I don't even have a "smart phone with internet access". Even if I did, I don't have a place on my boat to "plug in" for the interweb.
All true, but LMAO :)
Let's all try to lighten up. Laying blame and throwing daggers did serious damage to this great board, not that long ago!
Richard

Re: Derby entries

i fished the derby had a fairly good time we landed our share of fish all but one was let go to swim again one thing i did see that the single hooks on my hardware landed fish as good as my trebles and with little to no damage to the fish ill be changing all my hardware to single hooks all the fish we caught were in great shape lost a good one at the boat but thats fishing

Re: Derby entries

rick simula
the original laker taker---my cousin and i will always fish this derby as long as they have it for the next number of years,we fish winni 3 days a year and catch and release 10 to 15 salmon,thats it for the year and thats the average for most sport fisherman on winni,the charter boats are the problem here for the drastic reduction in healthy salmon,over the last 6 years charter fishing has doubled and tripled on winni,the state needs to step in and make it two lines per boat,all salmon off spring are bought with our license money ,charter boats are making money off the fish we and the state provide for sport fishing not for profit on a DAILY basis ,thanks the original laker taker


Rick your comment:
"all salmon off spring are bought with our license money" shows how much you know about everything you say about guides, etc. with implied authority.

The NH Salmon come from NH Salmon, they are the cheapest fish that Fish and Game raise (statement direct from F and G biologist) for the states stocking program. All the eggs are taken from NH lakes and hatched in NH hatcheries where they live for approximately one year before being put into the lake. In the past they have maybe bought eggs but not in recent years.

I might add no eggs (or very, very few) were taken from Winni in 2009 (not positive on the year, but I have it and can look it up) due to poor condition of the Salmon, but were taken from other NH Salmon lakes instead.

So NH Salmon are a product if NH, the cost of raising them comes from license fees, but they doint buy them.

See, ya can learn something new everyday.

Big John

Re: Derby entries

i agree with you john but nothing is free the state employee,s who raise these salmon im sure get paid and where does that money come from,the nh fish and game budget losing the derby is a good thing for the charters boats,iv fished this derby long before there were any charters on this lake and this problem has only been a problem for the last 6 years or so,this lack of salmon is not being caused by the weekend angler ,its cause is the daily charter,china and japan almost cleaned out our tuna population thats why we have a 200 mile limit,charters are fine but give them more regulations to follow,thay are not anglers they are commercial fisherman of a sort,what upsets me is cool water charters rallying around people who have chose to boycott or to put it nicely not fish the derby ,good luck ,rick

Re: Derby entries

rick simula
i agree with you john but nothing is free the state employee,s who raise these salmon im sure get paid and where does that money come from,the nh fish and game budget losing the derby is a good thing for the charters boats,iv fished this derby long before there were any charters on this lake and this problem has only been a problem for the last 6 years or so,this lack of salmon is not being caused by the weekend angler ,its cause is the daily charter,china and japan almost cleaned out our tuna population thats why we have a 200 mile limit,charters are fine but give them more regulations to follow,thay are not anglers they are commercial fisherman of a sort,what upsets me is cool water charters rallying around people who have chose to boycott or to put it nicely not fish the derby ,good luck ,rick


Thanks for not jumping all over me, I just wanted to let it be known that the Salmon are the only fish the state don't buy and yes of course there are expenses to raise them.

I don't know what the answer is, but I doubt NH will be the only state in the union to "shut down in summer months", talk a bite in the economy and the F and G budget, pure suicide.

Plain and simple it's fishing pressure on Winni, no matter what time of year, thank god people leave for the salt, Ontario and Champlain, by design Winni is a numbers lake, again "by design", it's a business for the state, not a hobby.

Big John

Re: Derby entries

WOW, to some this is a touchy subject. These are just a few numbers that are facts. There are 83 licensed fishing guides listed in the state. Not all charter on Winni. Last year 51 signed a petition to pass a one rod per angler rule. In the last 7 years, the guides on Lake Winni have increased over 40%. The number of trips chartered has esculated. Some charters have run over 100 trips a season. The number of fish caught per trip has been posted on this board, numbers of 30, 40 or more were reality.
IF 10,000 fish were caught in May and 10,000 were caught in August which month would have the highest mortality rate? I do support the derby and like the challenge. I also would support season regulation mid-July and August restrictions. I also agree the commercial fishing on inland waters needs to be reduced drastically. A big thanks to the guides that have recognized the problem and backed off the fishing pressure. Good luck fishing, Roland

Re: Derby entries

Alright here is my 2 cents since we are all fired up here. We can all sit at our computers and fire off blame towards others, but how many of us have actually done anything to change the way that we ourselves fish? Last season I took a long hard look at the way I fished winni and I decided to change that. I had been, in the past, out on the water for 6 hours in the morning and 4 in the evenings when I could get out there. This past season I changed that. Now I will only fish a few hours in the morning and I will pack it in if I start hammering them or get into the smaller fish. I have cut out my evening trips all together for salmon, now I fly fish for bass with poppers, and if you haven't tried that yet please do it is a frigging blast. I read the salmon pledge and I get it and I changed the way I target salmon.
Why hasn't anyone blamed Cannon, Big Jon or Scotty yet? Years ago there were no downriggers and most of us do not enjoy bringing in a 2 pound salmon on 8 colors of lead. Salmon used to be a spring only thing with our fly rods and tandem streamers and when the water warmed we all turned to other species. So do we blame all the technology too or ourselves for not using it responsibly? I have been out with a guide and it was an extremely valuable trip because not only did I learn more about how to catch salmon and lakers, more importantly, I also learned conservation. Pointing fingers at the guides and blaming them for supposedly depleting the fishery is akin to blaming a farmer for growing crops. Why the hell would either want to destroy what there lively hood is based on? Not to mention they were the ones on this very board leading the charge for better fish handling and selective harvesting. Should we blame the bait shops for selling us such wonderful lures that catch fish? Do we blame our coffee makers for fueling us with the caffeine needed to fish at 430 in the morning? Blaming the derby and those who fish it is also a waste of time. The money that both bring in do wonderful things for the community and the fishery. I have this strange feeling that F&G is watching both derbies closely and would get rid of them if they were or turn out to be the problem. But, yes some of us chose not to fish the derby this year for a multitude of reasons. Yes some of us do think that the derby has an impact on the fishery just as some think that fishing in August has an impact. Here is a novel idea, whichever hypothesis you subscribe to adhere to that idea and stick to it. Do not fish in August if you think that is where the harm is being done. Don't book a charter if you think that is the problem but for crying out loud do not begrudge someone for standing by their beliefs who don't fish the derby or won't book a charter or fish in August. Blaming this website is silly at best. Everyone of us has benefitted and become better fishermen(women) from the posts on this site, but it is up to us, individually, what we do with that information. Do we go out and catch 35 2 year olds in a day or do we pack it in after only a couple? I only ever see the same handful of people posting on here day in and day out and yet there will be 150 or so at the gathering so there are a ton of lurkers on here who just take the info and run with it. But, if people pay attention around here, you may have noticed the tone of this board has changed over the last 2 years from how many did we catch, what were we using, how deep and where. Now most of us and especially the guides are stressing better conservation, better management and better handling of the fish. You all may have noticed that some of us have stopped sharing completely. Is this what we really want? Finger pointing and blame or do we want to actually become better anglers?
In Hal Lyon's book he brings up a point that I think many of us are missing, I know I certainly was in my earlier fishing days. What Hal Lyon's book says is, "In every activity where strength is required, sensitivity also is required. Without it the strength will remain in its raw state as brute force. Sensitivity and spirituality are much more important in angling than brute force. This is one reason why in their twilight years many fishermen become anglers and gravitate toward catch and release and fly-fishing".
So take a look at yourself and ask if you are a fisherman who wants to rack up numbers to brag about or are you an angler who just has a spiritual connection with the act of fishing itself. I know what I used to be and I know what I am now and I will say that I catch a heck of a lot less fish but I truly enjoy it a whole hell of a lot more now.
So enough already with blaming everyone but yourself. We can all change the way we treat Lake Winnipesaukee and if you really take a look around you will see that most of us have begun that journey.
Well I guess that was more than my 2 cents.
Tight Lines,
Link

Re: Derby entries

Leave it to the Boards gifted writer to set us all straight! Well said Link Well Said!!!!

Cool Water

Re: Derby entries

well said Roland,thank you,we all need to work together to keep this derby alive and maintain a salmon balance to satifiy weekend fisher man and charters alike,rick

Re: Derby entries

The NH Salmon come from NH Salmon, they are the cheapest fish that Fish and Game raise (statement direct from F and G biologist) for the states stocking program. All the eggs are taken from NH lakes and hatched in NH hatcheries where they live for approximately one year before being put into the lake. In the past they have maybe bought eggs but not in recent years.

I might add no eggs (or very, very few) were taken from Winni in 2009 (not positive on the year, but I have it and can look it up) due to poor condition of the Salmon, but were taken from other NH Salmon lakes instead.

So NH Salmon are a product if NH, the cost of raising them comes from license fees, but they doint buy them.

I checked my data from F and G, in 2009 "no eggs" at all were taken from Winni, "all eggs" came from Squam and a few from Sunapee. Winni age 2's average length was 17.4", they did not reach F and G desired goal of 18" by fall in their second year in the lake.

This probably had allot of influence on no Derby in 2009 decision by the organizers, I'm sure F and G inputs influenced the decision, but it was not F and G call. Continued Derby entry drop off and in turn revenue, I'm sure had allot to do with it too.

Now if we can stop throwing daggers, let's fish. 2011 stocking will be going in this week, be gentle and move if you get into them, stay away from Ames Farm and other known stocking areas too, they tend to hang around where they are put in.. The most serious hook wounding happens at this "tender age", as they get older the damage effects hook wounding are lessened somewhat.

Yearling Salmon survive on pretty much a bug diet rich in proteins, they will take small shiny spoons over streamers, which maybe more resemble smelt. So if you want to help the hook wounding problem, use less spoons and more streamers (tandems even better)

Studies show they don't get on Smelt as long as there are plenty of bugs are available. Their first fall, the tail end of bug hatches and over the winter, get them more on Smelt.. An extra side benefit of tandem streamers and live bait use is "bigger fish".

Looks like great weekend weather coming in, get out and fish.

Big John

Re: Derby entries

Well said Link!

I just wanted to add that I do guide on Winni and some other places around the state. I am part time as I also work some other jobs and am a full time student. I really just guide to be able to afford my habit! Maybe I'll make something off it someday, but probably not...

For the 2010 season I made a pact to promote catch and release to my clients. If the salmon was hook wounded it was harvested. I pulled 4 salmon from the lake last year that were not wounded and 21 that were. Fish and Game wants us to harvest those fish that are hook wounded. Like I said in a recent post. This past weekend my boat harvested 3 fish which is a lot more than usual. We boated 2 five year old hook wounded salmon and one 4 year old that couldn't release her eggs...

I explain to every trip about the issues that we have had recently and the proper fish handling techniques as well as how to identify hook wounds and that harvesting a hook wounded fish is better, whether you did it or not.

I think it has helped. A lot of fisherman book trips with me and have no idea how to identify hook wounds, properly handle fish, or thought that we needed to strictly perform catch and release to allow the lake to get back up to par. I do my best to inform them with the information they kneed to help sustain our wonderful fishery.


Thanks

Cody Dodds
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