Forry, couple of things...

If you want to know from Fish and Game why they do what they do... try emailing them your questions at this address fish@wildlife.state.nh.us I have found that they are very helpful in their responses. It may take a few days, but they DO answer questions. This address goes direct to "Inland Fisheries".

Second... you mentioned how you feel you should get access to more fish and more locations for your license fee. Myself, I think we're getting a heck of a good deal on our licenses. For an hours pay, I get the privelege of fishing/catching for a whole year. If I went to the grocery store and bought the fish I catch in state waters, I'd be paying WAY more per pound.
Understandably, that is before figuring in the tons of money I spent on my boat and gear. BUT, that was my choice. I didn't have to have a big boat or 30 rods of all colors and sizes. I could catch a bunch of fish (as I have in the past) without trolling the big lake. I don't even know how many pounds of brook trout and rainbows I've eaten over the years, just by tossing a worm on ultralight gear into a brook. Almost all those fish were stocked. It cost the state lots of money to raise, truck and stock those fish. Thirty bucks out of my pocket is no biggie for that kind of action... at least in my mind.
When I first learned to fish from my grandfather it was in a 12' aluminum v-hull... no motor... but we always trolled. We just used oars. My brother and I would have to take turns rowing the boat as my grandfather told us where to go. We'd throw out a weighted keel with small Dave Davies spinners on a 6 1/2' ugly stick rod and mitchell spinning reel followed by a night crawler on a size 6 single hook. Never had a problem catching fish. It was CHEAP and it was FUN.
So, when you say trolling for salmon is a "rich man's" sport... its only because we individually make it that way. It IS possible to catch salmon all spring/summer with no motor... no fish finder... no down riggers... I know, because I've done it. And in all honesty some of my greatest memories come from those days.

As far as ice fishing for salmon... I personally have never caught one through the ice. However, from stories I've heard... there's a few techniques to target them that are quite effective. Too effective even. So yes, I believe ice fishing for salmon could be detrimental.

First of all great thread.
We all don't need to agree 100% of the time it is important to hear eveyone's view.
I agree that the salmon are vunerable to the ice fishing pressure and where I differ a bit is that I don't like that so many people and in part due to the derby target rainbows. I feel the tatics to catch the bows is similar to that of salmon and has the largest impact on the number caught. As you can tell by the name on my post I target white perch and there are some good fish out there and make great table fare. This is time of year I keep a few for the table as we catch and release all others. I hooked into only one salmon thru the ice last year and that was while letting my bait down to the bottom and a salmon hit it on way down. (we fish a couple feet off bottom).
On the other hand fishing during the derby when alot of guys are trying for the big prize that is brought by catching a rainbow I have seen many more salmon hooked.
So as unpopular as it may be I would like to not have people chasing bows on salmon lakes thru the ice.
For the fun of it , we should all track how many salmon we hook this winter and what tatic we were using when it occurs...ie just under ice, depth of bait and fish you were targeting.
Willing to share some of our white perch hot spots for those wanting to give it try....lots of fun and great action when you take the kids!
Just my opinion.

Very good point Still Fishin. I do not ice fish but with similar tactics for Bows and Salmon you can see how the salmon get caught. Then factor in the uneducated group that is out there for the derby just for the party and drop a couple tilts in for fun not knowing or caring what they are doing.....

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think it is illegal to take a salmon out of the hole. I think the recommend it only.

I've read all these posts. I have a few comments. I have ice fished for over 25 years and have fished the ice derby just about every year since it started. Sometimes we would have 20 tip-ups.One time only, we caught 8 or 10 salmon in one day. I find it hard to believe anyone could get 20+ salmon in a day.On the other hand, I have either been alone or with one other guy and have had many days during ice out where we caught 10-15 fish. I wouldn't have put my two cents in about this but I'm not basing my info on a few trips.
As far as the bows go, their primary diet are insects. They eat smelt, but not like the salmon. Mr Viar told me they put them in to take the pressure off the lakers.There are a ton more lakers around since 1990. Is this because of the bow stocking? Maybe. Probably a combination of Viar's efforts with the smelt population surveys and the fact that people can sit on shore and fish for the bows instead of freezing their butts off venturing out to laker territory.
Leave everything the way it is. The lake is is top form from what I can see. The bows are fat, the salmon are very healthy and you're not getting racer lakers like you do in other lakes.There is one thing that I would like to change. I see no valid reason for not being able to ice fish a laker/salmon lake before the 1st of January. I go up xmas vacation and I can't set a couple of tip-ups? I think it's ridiculous. Many people are off that week and you can usually get out onto a few inches of ice in some of the coves.I spend money every time I'm up there. I would spend more if I could fish.I would like to see how everyone feels about this.Last year I was on a mission to get the 2-trap limit changed. After all the responses it made me re-think my reasoning and I backed off.
I am going to try and move forward on this, but would like to hear any valid reasoning for not opening the season to perhaps Dec 26 through March 31. Please comment. Thanks in advance. One more thing. I ran into a warden last week and asked him of this situation. He said, and I quote, "I think it's ridiculous that you can't ice fish before the 1st.JoeG

I agree with you Joe...if the ice is safe..lets us fish.Just have a license for the right year(:
That law has only been in effect for a few years and should be changed back.
You can still fish on ponds etc,, but it should be no different on the lakes with salmon as they are off limits anyway.

JoeG
I agree with you on changing the season date. why not let us fish as long as ther is safe ice and go have the proper license. now as far as taking salmon thru the ice hole, the only thing I found in the law book is if you were to catch that salmon or any other type of fish other than a cusk on a cusk line then you can't remove the fish, you must cut your line and immediately release it. there might be something in the big book of laws since the don't give you all the laws in the digest. GOOD Question maybe somebody will give us the answer according to the LAW
good fishing
Forry

This has been fun reading the responses...the opinions... a couple of points:

1. I've jigged up salmon while jigging for lake trout on the bottom in 80+ft of water while ice fishing. On etime I was jigging on the bottom in basin @ Shep Brown's and I hooked a salmon that literally jumped out of the hole onto the ice, what a mess it made of the jigging line, yes I promtly got the fish back in the water before I untangled the line.

2. My dad and his buddies fished just below the ice for lake trout and they caught a lot of lakers.

3. About salmon being fragile,lets not forget about the stress that occurs when we play the fish for a long time on light tackle when the water is warm, from what I've the salmon swim away okay but can go into shook due to lactic acid buidlup in their system. We may feel good about releasing the salmon but it may just end on dead on the bottom of the lake. I have seen this occur on a number of occasions when I've caught salmon fly fishing in rivers during the warmer months.

4. Take a look and the fin clip & netting data both here and ME. You find very few LL salmon reach old age, very few reach (5)lbs.

5. Catch and release of LL salmon, well let's just say I see alot of fish on stringers or dead fish pictures during the open water season. IMO I don't think it matters whether the fish was caught and killed in Jan or caught and killed in June. It is still a dead fish.

Finally: The current personal @ NH F&G have done a tremendous job managing Lake Winni for LL salmon and have sucessfully brought the lake trout back.