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Re: thoughjts to save the fishery

What about kokanee? Pros and cons? Expensive to raise,cheap to raise,they rave about them out west. Fin to. Arch? What food do they eat? Can they held and reproduce in different type water than salmon water????

Re: thoughjts to save the fishery

Barry,
I may be wrong but I think Browns may reproduce in Ossippee. For the most part, I think we'd have to rely on stocking them to get the type of fishery that most people would want. I say take some of the money from stocking 8-10" trout in rivers/streams that can't sustain them by July. Put this money in Browns, and stock them in our larger lakes.

Thanks,
Chris

Re: thoughts to save the fishery

Tourism! While I don't think trout/Salmon fishing is the main reason folks come to our state it is a nice added attraction that sees big bucks spent. As you all know especially in this day and age you cater to those folks to get those dollars and that is what nfg does, it's business. It's no coincedence that big fish and records are coming from other waters with much less pressure than our largest lake that gets pounded. There in lies the anwser but how do you get there? Quick search shows me Winni holds 4 current state records Cusk 2007, white fish 1974, white perch 1986 and fall fish 1991. How does Winni with so much potential not have a salmanoid species on the list? Is it the lake? The management? The people? pollution?
Choices to be made... keep it numbers or go big? My opinion is go big. There are many other options if you feel the need to reel fish after fish in and not just salmon in many other lakes. BIG LAKE should be BIG FISH! I truly think the option of browns has to be looked at though as a much more sustainable fish with more potential given what we have to work with in Winni. What to do?

Re: thoughts to save the fishery

There are lakes in N.H managed for Browns.A lot that I know are smaller lakes. Like Webster, Bow Lake. But a couple bigger ones come to mind. Massabesic and Lake Francis.I have never really heard of any large Brown"sCaught in these lake. But you can catch plenty in the 15" range. I know Massabic used to be loaded with shiners. And should be the best bet to catch a large brown.Don"t know if a trophy Brown lake would be possible.But it would be great to have a few.

Re: thoughjts to save the fishery

Forry,

Thanks for starting a great thread.

You are right on the apples to apples comparison. But you forgot to mention among all of the other regulations the PITA requirement of have to have your boat disinfected for the Q at an additional cost of $30. ;-)

There doesn't appear to be an easy solution to your original question. But there are many good viewpoints / thoughts expressed here.

Expounding on a couple of those ideas...

Setting up a trophy brown trout fishery possibly in lakes other than Winni would help ease the pressure on the big lake. But F&G has to provide decent access to fishermen. For example Cobbetts pond in Windham has a decent population of large browns fed by alewives but is only accessible to ice fisherman. But homeowners locked it down from non-landowner boats.

Another example comes to mind is Pleasant Lake in New London from what I am told that has a very healthy population of trophy LL salmon but again no public access.

Maybe spending some of those F&G dollars to purchase land for public access (a nice state beach & campground brings in more $$$) will help create better fishing for the whole state.

It doesn't make sense to me for the state to stock a body of water without providing public access.

Again just my .02

Re: thoughjts to save the fishery

I could not agree with you more about the state stocking lakes and ponds that do not supply public access. That is all I'm going to say on that,because I don't want to get kicked off this site so I will just leave it at that.

Re: thoughjts to save the fishery

Forry
I could not agree with you more about the state stocking lakes and ponds that do not supply public access. That is all I'm going to say on that,because I don't want to get kicked off this site so I will just leave it at that.


You guys are not alone with that opinion, NO lakes without GOOD (or any) PUBLIC ACCESS should recieve ANY fish paid for with our license fees. It's only common sense and good business, after all we are the customers.

Big John

Re: thoughjts to save the fishery

I thought there was a law stating a water body over X size had to have public access? Actually ossipee lake gives up some nice browns now and then even though it's not managed for them. I'm still in shock and 8lb laker came from there and I have spent the last 10yrs on that lake!