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Re: You want to read this one!!!!

Wow...what a great response on this thread. So much that I couldn't absorb and respond to all the great feed back but there are a few that I have opinions on:
1.) Why not also charge bass fishermen? Simple...In NH, salmon is a managed fishery. That is a lot of resources spent on breeding and releasing and constant studies. Bass is entirely unmanaged...why should bass fisherman foot the bill for managing salmonid fisheries more so than they already do with their fishing licenses? I fish both species so this is just my observation...
2.) Rather than eliminating the Spring Derby, how about shortening it to one or two days and swapping prizes so the big prizes go lakers and the laker prizes go to salmon. Include with that a higher minimum length for weigh in to be 23 or 24 inches.
3.) 4 lines per boat is not a bad number...it's all I like to put out but only effects those will really nice boats spreading on planerboards with huge spreads. While it would limit SOME of the harvest and level the playing field for the derby, it would cripple the guides and thus seem to unfairly target a very small portion of fishermen.

Barbless hooks, rubber nets, 4 line limit, slot limits, changing derby length and prizes could all effect the fishery BUT everything I have read is that the fishery health is a direct mirror of the health of the smelt population. I think it just might be that any legislation should target this species NOT salmon.

Re: You want to read this one!!!!

MikeF-NH
Wow...what a great response on this thread. So much that I couldn't absorb and respond to all the great feed back but there are a few that I have opinions on:
1.) Why not also charge bass fishermen? Simple...In NH, salmon is a managed fishery. That is a lot of resources spent on breeding and releasing and constant studies. Bass is entirely unmanaged...why should bass fisherman foot the bill for managing salmonid fisheries more so than they already do with their fishing licenses? I fish both species so this is just my observation...
2.) Rather than eliminating the Spring Derby, how about shortening it to one or two days and swapping prizes so the big prizes go lakers and the laker prizes go to salmon. Include with that a higher minimum length for weigh in to be 23 or 24 inches.
3.) 4 lines per boat is not a bad number...it's all I like to put out but only effects those will really nice boats spreading on planerboards with huge spreads. While it would limit SOME of the harvest and level the playing field for the derby, it would cripple the guides and thus seem to unfairly target a very small portion of fishermen.

Barbless hooks, rubber nets, 4 line limit, slot limits, changing derby length and prizes could all effect the fishery BUT everything I have read is that the fishery health is a direct mirror of the health of the smelt population. I think it just might be that any legislation should target this species NOT salmon.


The Smelt count was excellent on all the Lakes this summer except Winnisquam, Winni was much better than expected, best in years.. Hook wounding is the problem, fish are being hooked again and again. Salmon are not that hardy compared to Bsss and most other fish, when they get hook wounded it knocks the hell out of them and takes allot to recover, weakens them and stunts growth, etc. Just clipping the fins at the hatchery takes weeks to recover from. For a super fighting fish, they are very fragile.

I agree 100% on Bass fisherman being exempt from ant Salmon fee.

Big John

Re: You want to read this one!!!!

BLA BLA .................
Cause , effect then resolution. Don't make the job easy, make them step up !! The rules are in place don't let them (F&G and the softies) take away.... step up ! We need back bone......Put in kick ass fish to catch and charge me plenty for it !! If they take away you never ever get it back !! The salmon population is......... up to the license seller..... Yup I try to be the games men but bottom line its buisness. If you sell more fish than you make..! you make more !!! BE REALISTIC this is nothing more than put and take fishing.... has been since the 60's... get the program. I have been to Quebec, Newbrunswick and NY in the heart of salomon fishing..... BOTTOM LINE.... if they don't put them(and make sure they get big enough ) you don't catch them. Merry New year !! Any thing your kidding your self.

Re: You want to read this one!!!!

Just in case I studdered... I'm Tired of the bleeding heart hook wounding saga 2009. I want to run 6 to ten rods with trebble hooks BARBED and catch all that will bite. I bring extra kids just to have the rods in the water. I have dragged for hours and stuck nothing for as many hours as I have had success. BULL Ticky !!! get the fishery up to the preasure..... don't try to bring the preasure to the fishery and then sell me a license. Just like hunting, I did not buy and carry a 30/06 to catch and release the deer.

Re: You want to read this one!!!!

I didn't know they sold barbless 30.06 deer rounds(lol)merry christmas.polebreaker

Re: You want to read this one!!!!

I agree 1 million percent with fishn24/7. Aren't fish stocked in waters to get hooked? F&G needs to do a better job stocking and stop wasting the majority of our money stocking trout in streams and ponds that after June can't sustain these fish. If they're worried about money, then what I mentioned above could definitely bring in tons of money, all without a license increase. While I'm on this topic, they should take some of this wasted money and start stocking warmwater fish that could actually reproduce and grow to large sizes in our waters. Pike, Musky, and Walleye come to mind. Don't just put them in one lake and hope they take after they've been hammered by the fishermen. This gives them no chance at taking and gives F&G an excuse that they tried and were not successful. F&G is totally missing the boat on this one. What they don't do for the warmwater fishery in this state is neglectful and very close minded. Their philosophy seems to be stock fish that don't have a chance to grow large and reproduce in our NH waters vs. fully committing to one's that could. I'm very confused by this; this makes no sense!!!! We can have it both ways, they just need to spend their money more wisely. I'd pay $200 for a license if we had a fishery that was well diversified and not so one sided, the Finger Lakes keep popping into my mind of what I envision we could have in this state. The whole thing makes me sick just thinking about what could be. One last point, why not make Winni a trophy brown trout lake? With all the bait and crayfish in the lake, I think they would stand the best chance of reaching trophy sizes (over 7 lbs). They're also a lot harder to catch and more hardy. Would this ever be considered? I already know the answer. The young browns look too much like salmon to clueless people who might then keep them while ice fishing.(I've been told this by F&G directly). What would you rather catch 2 lb salmon or 6-8 lb browns? I know my preference. Does anybody else out there agree or am I a wacko in the way I think? I'm not saying terminate the salmon fishery, but to not have one of our larger lakes dedicated to a trophy brown fishery is a downright shame. Sorry to rant and rave but every time I come back from NY I find myself green with envy. I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday and new year!

Chris

Merry Christmas to all

Not sure If I posted this or parts of it before senior moment.

The small Salmon that we all complaning about which are part of the problem should be thing of the past.

As most of you know Salmon are stocked by the pound, ideal is 8 or 9 to a pound, the past two years they have been more like 20+ to a pound, bite size.

The problem had something to do with water temperture at the hatchery. The Salmon grow better with slightly warmer water, however some state agency had a problem with water temperature at the hatchery discharge being too warm. Not sure which agency it is, but they are in the same building as Fish and Game I'm told. At any rate F and G found a way to have the water temperature more ideal for raising Salmon and have it at the proper discharge temp. I think they are using a pool or pools furthest away from the discharge.

So we should ave more normal stock size this year and future years if all goes well.

Actualy I have asked the question to F & G before why they don't raise the Salmon bigger before stocking, they said that it is cost prohibitive and that the Salmon actualy do better in the lakes eating a more natural protien and grow faster than they would at the hatchery.

The reason I seem to be more informed than some of you is I e mail Fish and Game on a regular basis and "ASK QUESTIONS". Everything they do is a matter public record and they welcome and will answer any questions any of you have.

Lots of good ideas in this thread, F and G are reading them and I'm sure a few changes are being planned, what exactly is anyones guess.

The open meetings are only held every odd year,. so if we don't like what we have this coming year and next, go to the next meeting in 2011 and be heard.

Maybe they will have a special open meeting to address this problem now that we showed most of us do care.

Big John

Re: Merry Christmas to all

John I believe they may be getting colder water now because I thought they were suppose to extend the intake pipe out deeper into Merrymeeting Lake.
Cal

Re: Merry Christmas to all

White Cap
John I believe they may be getting colder water now because I thought they were suppose to extend the intake pipe out deeper into Merrymeeting Lake.
Cal


Well, that's not good news, warmer water is the key as I'm told ?

Big John

Re: Merry Christmas to all

Season's Greetings Big John.

I am going to buy myself a Xmas gift soon, another Big Jon rigger with auto-stop feature.

F & G in N.H. is very professional and email/call me back.. I like you ask alot of questions...