I totally agree with you but it wont happen the derbies bring in the money to the locals, the only thing bigger is bike week, also if your paying big money like they charge for a charter you would not go with these limits so its a catch 22, also theres not enough f&g boys on the lake to enforce the rules the Marine Patrol have no power when it comes to fishing all they can due is enforce the boating laws, maybe its time to bring the two together like in MA. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all and God Bless the Salmon!!!
Leave the laws alone and fish for more lake trout and that will help the salmon fishery as all f&g stock right now is laker bait.polebreaker
The 2010 Salmon are on track as we speak for more normal stocking size, keep our fingers crossed that they continue. The last 2 years they were 20 to 24 a pound, they are 12/lb right now, hopefully they can get down to at least 10/lb before stocking, 8 to 9 is normal and would be better of course.
There were some problems that could not be avoided the last two years, some goverment restraints beyond their control, looks like they have found a way around it.
I doubt they will listen to any of our sugestions now, we had an oppertunity to speak out and fell short (see original thread on this subject) I would say now they will do what they themselves feel will help. We are in good hands, they will do what is right.
But Hook Wounding is still a major cause of stunted growth.
Here we go again...target the native fish, lake trout, to prevent the decline of salmon (a non-native species)...as stated earlier we need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves can the resource take the pressure of double digit days?...are there enough salmon to go around to support the guides, the Derby and the recreational fishing pressure?
I target lakers as much as I target salmon.I just don't like it when someone wag's a finger in my face and says You,You,you are the reason why there are no fish!!!!!!!! when the problem was first started by stocking fish so small that catching any first year fish is an automatic hook wounded fish that must be thrown back in the lake...I try to practice as much care to not damage them as anyone.Personally I prefer to eat lakers they are much sweeter tasting,but prefer the fight of salmon and rainbow's.Besides aren't we already regulated to death????polebreaker
That is true when your number is up its on to a new life but in the meantime we should be trying to preserve the fishery for the next generation not wipe them out by fishing till the days end by thinking catch and release the fish that survive its my guess at least half these fish die and become food for whatever and the way the Lake is being fished in the last 5 years its sad. The new gadgets helping people to get into the fish are to blame the fisherman with the coin and know how are responsible for the problem
We self regulate ourselfs...we do not put legal size fish back into the lake that are hook wounded or bleeders.I cannot speak for others on this and once and awhile we get our limit and we stop fishing because we don't want to hook wound a fish we can't keep.It is just the little guys that you have to put back...it is those little ones the ones that are hook wounded enough to live and not grow normal that I believe is the root of the problem.I hope the stockers this year that Big John has posted about will be large enough to survive a lure that the last couple of years was larger than the salmon trying to eat it.polebreaker
