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Re: Salmon Guides

easy there JR...I don't think I would consider past reports by the guides as "bragging". They were reporting how they did just as everyone else on the board does. Furthermore there is also a factor of promoting their business. This is their livelihood so if they are good at it (and they are), shouldn't they advertise that expertise?

That said, I think their reluctance to post is very classy on their part. They could use this board as a "bully pulpit" but I think they realize they are not objective and have their personal incomes to consider and as such are allowing "the board" to run it's course.

Re: Salmon Guides

Excellent post Mike. Well said.
Richard

Re: Salmon Guides

Thanks for your post Mike.

In addition:

I feel like everyone is doing their part, may it be big or little. Maybe we don't speak up here on the board very much with the issue, but I know most of us have spoken with F&G on multiple occasions and will continue to.

I am about to (and I am sure others have or will) send a letter to the commissioner. (thanks for the info Mr. Sampson)

Last week I volunteered with F&G to work on smelt surveys on the rivers. I am also going with Mr. Sampson, other guides and fellow anglers, to help with the fin clipping at the hatchery.

I know Travis and other guides are working with the NHSA and I will be too, as soon as school finishes up this spring.

We all read the site and keep up with what is being talked about. We know how much the salmon issue effects us. I assure you that every one of us is doing our part, big or small, to help with the issues.

Thanks.

Cody Dodds
kool-aid charters
603-667-1651

Re: Salmon Guides

Good Morning JR,

The Guides who often post to this website are members of the New Hampshire Guides Association and that organization assigned a board to review potential ideas to help the NH Salmon Fishery move forward in 2011. Members of that board were guides like Peter Grasso, Rick Forge, Jason Parent, Harry Mehos and Rick Estes. We met with Fish and Game to find out what they were looking to do with the Salmon Fishery going forward and then we met as a group and came up with a list of ideas which we discused with other guides who attended the board of directors meeting in February. Some of those guides were Travis William Glen lethers, Dennis Whitcher, Dave Pool and others whom I can not recall. We purposed our ideas and reached an agreement on potetial changes. We then forwarded our ideas in a very well orgainzed document to Steve Perry and the Director of Fish and Game. Our ideas were used by fish and game to develope some of the recent purposals you see know coming out. In other words we have been working on this very hard since a word of a problem arose. Please do not believe for one second that we are not as concerned as everyone else who loves this fishery. It has been stated several times that our post from 2005-2008 are in deed a major factor in the demise of the Salmon Fishery. All our post did not only provide numbers of fish caught but lure type, color, depth, speed and location. Guides and other members of this board believed that we were assisting others, maybe such as yourself to become better fishermen and have more fun. Travis and Myself have done seminars around the state to try and help fisherman become more effective. I take some blame in that but someone helped me also, and someone help you JR.. That is what we do.... I hope that we can all come together these next few years and work on building this fishery back up to its glory of the early 2000s and that everyone including guides can still enjoy the friendships we have developed over the years.

Thanks Jason Parent
Salmon Patrol Charters

ACTIVE member in protecting NH Salmon Fishing

Re: Salmon Guides

Great response Jason to a very uneducated and opinion oriented post. Post's such as this from people that have called and E-Mailed me and use my site on a regular basis to learn really don't sit well with me. I would like to go on but will stop here!

Cool Water

Re: Salmon Guides

Most of us who learn here and post here are levelheaded and responsible. Biting the hand the feeds you has never been a sucessfull overly intelligent thing to do.

As for myself, I can only thank Travis, Adrien, Cody, Glen and you Jason for the wonderful info you have provided over my time in visiting this site. To hold the NHGA responsible for the problems with our fishery is truly ludicrous. The problem at hand is all of ours, no one group or groups could possibly have been the root cause. And no single individual or group will be able to resolve our problems. And as long as others take the route of trying to assign blame, they are wasting energy and time that could better be used in jumping on board in order to try and fix our problem, to the degree we can affect/resolve it.

Re: Salmon Guides

Hi Trav/Jason,
As I came to your defense above, I would also like you (the NHGA) to consider the effects of your recommendations to F&G on "the little guy".

Your primary goal is and should be the health of the salmon population in that it has a direct impact on your business. No one should blame you for that motivation and should applaud your actions. You really have no obligation to anyone but your own families and businesses so if a proposal has a negative impact on non-clients this should not be a major motivator for you.

However, in reading Mr Perrys responses above, it seems F&G puts a lot of weight in your (NHGA) opinions and those opinions may outweigh those of the average guy. Here is how I see it:

1 rod per angler will have little to know impact on Winni Guides. A guided trip with 4 clients will put out 5 rods and the guides will probably platoon and ask other guides to come along as mates if they are free so you will have 6 rods out (a reasonable number for any boat). Where does that leave "the little guy"? Well, when I fish alone, I get one rod...period so my days of fishing the big lake are all but over. Even for me to bring a parter and put out 2 rods....partners will be harder to come by and again my trolling days are numbered.

I guess the bottom line is that by NHGA recommending rod limits, you've risked the sport for many "little guys" like myself. I think many other recommendations should have been considered before drifting this one out there given the wieght you carry. When F&G enacts your proposal, they are going to love to through you under the bus and say "it wasn't OUR plan...it was the recommendation of a group of respected NH guides"...that's how politics work. Mr Perry has already laid the ground work for this...it wasn't his proposal - it was yours I think was the jist of his rebuttal.

I don't fault you for your efforts (and stand by my defense of you) but at the same time just wanted to make you aware that the NHGA will probably end up being "the bad guy" in the eyes of many anglers who will most likely leave the sport if the proposal is accepted. I don't and won't think if your group as such but many less informed will only have that assumption to go by.

Please don't blast me....I felt I had to drop the other shoe on this one.

Re: Salmon Guides

Steve Perry, Travis or Russ Johnson

In any of your metteings or discusions w/ the F&G, NHSA or NHGA has any mention of new ice fishing regulations or proposals come up? I find it odd that there is no mention of it in any of the posts. To propose instituting new laws and or regulations and not mention the rotary ice derby or ice fishing in general as part of the solution is puzziling.

Re: Salmon Guides

Travis
The proposal that was voted on and approved by NHSA was 2 rods for the first angler, and one additional rod for each additional angler. Therefore, 1 angler = 2 rods. 2 anglers = 3 rods etc.
Respectfully submitted
Bill Finn - AKA Throbbin Rods

Re: Salmon Guides

This man MikeF-NH makes good posts keeping in mind the 'Lil Man'.He has alot of good ideas that I agree with.Along with the rubber net that I already have been using I'm going to start using single hooks on my lures.No guarantee I'll stay with it but last year I caught more shorts than ever and that just brings tears to my eyes giving them a beating with a treble.Once my 'legit' fish are caught I bring them home for the smoker.I don't keep on fishing,but that usually takes a few hours.Do you guys catch multiples all the time? Fishlessman,400 last year?Is the fishing that good in Meredith?

Re: Salmon Guides

Numbers are not a problem for us,the number of 20+ inch fish are,this goes for lakers to.It is going to be hard to convince me that the underlying problem of stocking wicked small salmon and what I feel is a decline in the baitfish.It is what I feel a large part of what is going on here.If in fact f&g is stocking larger salmon this year I can't help but wonder what upward tick that will have in the 2011 fall netting results.I personally do not sopport any rod per angler change.If hookwounds are the issue try something less damaging to the angler like barbless hooks and creel limit chage.I HATE RAM AND CRAM LEGISLATION.We pay the bills and we should have some say in this.polebreaker

Re: Salmon Guides

MikeF-NH I believe you hit the nail on the head. The little guy or the guys that fish alone are the ones that would take the impact if there is a change to a single rods. Those people are usally locals who help support the area. Even thou Lena and I work the evening shift we will attend some of the meetings. Some of the proposals have rattle my cage enough. Throbbin Rods and Big John let us know when. Roland

Re: Salmon Guides

Roland give me shout 603-455-0268

Re: Salmon Guides

Travis thanks for the forum to express our thoughts and a thanks to the other guides for looking out for the resource.

I agree with MikeF-NH that this proposal will hurt the little guy....could the hook wounding percentage be squewed because of the last two years of undersized fish stocking?

I am not convinced that there needs to be anything done with respect to line restrictions only stocking larger fish that can survive, and better management of the hook wounded fish by the sportsman.

Since I have been back into this salmon fishing after a 30 year absence I have enjoyed the knowledge inparted by all the great fisherman on the site and have been blessed to have met such wonderful sportsman such as John Salmon-son ;).

Thanks,

Roger-

Re: Salmon Guides

Roger, flattery will get you a ticket on The Barge.

Big John