HB2

From what I gather , the DEC is under pressure to provide the best fishery under current lake conditions . Just because there was somewhat of an increase in bait fish In the lake that led to increase stocking doesn't mean size will increase significantly. I fished out of Sandy for the LOC I think 5 days . I saw very little bait . There were fish there because of good green water . I'm sur there is some bait but not west end bait The west end has way more bait early season . Which may be why almost all the leader board kingss came from up there . If the kings migrate up that way mid winter and stuff themselves for the entire time they are there , common sense says they will be bigger . I think we are in the new normal, for size wise . Maybe it's time to lower expectations. A 20# king is not a 35# king , but it's still a nice fish . That being said in the first ESLOs , the winning kings were smaller fish . Probably because we don't know how to catch them and our rod and reel combos couldn't handle them . If in fact those 12 to 18# kings are 3 year olds then it most likely is bait . Otherwise it has to be genetics of some sort .

So those 12 to 18 # fish have to be 3 years old . Why are they so small ( that's retorical) ? When I inquired about this to DEC last fall, they told me lack of bait . Can't have big fish without an ample supply of bait fish . I kind of have to believe them .

I guess the answer to the question I have is , what was the avg size of a returning 3 year old king salmon say the last few years ?

And furthermore , we use to use CB radios , and VHF radios to communicate and everyone could hear . Inevitably , someone would get on and say he was getting into them on such an such a lure . Not hooking up , I would put one out . Then another guy would say I'm getting them on something different . It really wouldn't help and just add to the frustration . Point being , take advice for what it is and a grain of salt . Run your own program . Think about what you are doing . And build on that .

I think when you decide to go out , you need a starting game plan and a starting spot . From Oak to Bald Eagle ,to Sandy, I have about 6 . These are inshore areas that have some sort of structure or drop offs that more than anything else ,affect the current . There always ( as long as there is good water ) some fish on or around them . I fish that spot and gradually move out till I hopefully find fish . I team up with a few guys on here when they go and we text back and forth to eliminate water . Sometimes I'm on my own but I have confidence in my ability to find and catch fish . Finding fish is 90% of it . I really don't change lures a lot till I see some sort of activity down there . If you have proven lures down in the strike zone , you will probably hookup if they are active . Once you venture off shore it's a crap shoot . If you find fish it can be great , if not , a long ride. If the lake flips ,it basically your only choice to run offshore till you find warmer water . I start fishing at 65 during summer once the lake sets up and the lake flips .

Location is always everything

I don't think most guys are fishing for them . Use to be a lot of guys trolling close with boards . Everyone wants Salmon. And that's what they are set up for. . We trolled out front yesterday in 40 o 60 ft looking for them Boated 15 Lakers , no browns

We all struggle sometimes . I have been doing this since the 70s and I still have bad days . I can tell you this , keep it simple . Less can be more .I don't know what you have for equipment . But riggers are the center of it . One spoon on each rigger, 25 ft leads for me , and maybe a dipsey or 2 should be plenty . I run 5 rods max . Make what you have work . And I generally do as well as anyone out there . Use proven spoons . My favorites are, glo frog, Lazer spook , black silver , 42 second , NBK , carbon 14 . DW reg and Mags , Stingrays , Moonshine . Been doing better with reg size lately. Location is the first piece of the puzzle . Follow the pack. Don't get to close . Speed is relevant to your monitor . But generally 2.1 to 2.8 is good . And that's on a fish hawk or depth raider NOT gps , that's SOG or speed over bottom which is totally different . Direction of troll is important also so note that on the hit . Patience , you have to let what you have work . I use to change stuff constantly and wind up with a mess down there . How you drive the boat is critical IMO . Straight with slight S curves . Good luck

I have noticed that our Canadian brothers seem to catch on occasion and consistently over the last so many years the biggest fish of the season during the fishing year . Now why is that ? Either they are better or more lucky than we are . Or something to consider are those are North shore naturally reproduced fish that don't stray far from the breeding grounds .

But there were some which may be the few bigger fish . And how big were the avg returning 3 year olds ? Probably those 18 to 23 # fish . Or so I would guess .

Also has it occured to anyone those 25 and 26 # fish maybe 4 years old ?

Well , it ain't nothing like it use to be 20 + years ago . And we are way better at catching them . And average size is not bigger . There is not nearly the amount of alwives in the lake like there was back then also . Can't deny that . Are these low to mid teens kings we are catching small 3 year olds ? I'd like to know that also .

We were wondering how the kings weight would be this spring . I guess we now know . But there sure are a lot of them

Where are you located ?

If the probes go bad and are out of warranty , would you want to risk buying a used one ? Especially if it's a lot of money . Got a depth raider last year for 525 complete shipped to house . Good so far .

If nobody else wants it , my weight station cooler has about had it .

20, 40 , 60 , 200 k , really isn't the issue . With all the state and political pensions that have to be paid , where is that money coming from ? The combined amount has to be shocking. The long term ramifications of that can't be sustainable . What happens when there isn't enough money funded to pay ? Personally , I'd like to see more emphasis put on saving and investing and self reliance at the high school level . Teach kids to save and take care of themselves long term , be forward thinking . Yeah, that will work . What am I thinking ?

Is that 60 k before the benefit package ? If a lot are making less than a lot are making more if that's the median . To pay for that retirement , 1 million dollars + would have to be invested to fully fund that at 6% return . Does the state have that ? We all know that answer . So who pays that 42 year old till he lives to 100 + the way life span gets older ? Sure he earned it but it needs to get paid for . Where does that money come from ? There are only so many rich people the state can shake down . And they are leaving in drpves and taking their state income tax bill with them . Which leaves it to the rest of us. Tom Gallisiono took 11.5 million to Fla. For just one .

Being a self employed person all my life , I have made my own retirement . If the economy of the country goes south , it greatly affects my retirement situation . It seems that state or government employees have it better benefit / retirement wise as than most everyone else .Set for life . The retirement / benefit based on the last 3 years of employment seems a bit much ( for lack of a better word )to me . Teachers with seniority take on coaching or other position or other employees nearing retirement work the overtime that is saved for them by others so when it's their turn they can do the same to up their dollars so they can get more in retirement . Politicians court the union vote and give them these great benefits to get their endorsement . Basically buying their vote with taxpayers money . Like paying off school debt . When the economy gets bad , taxpayers still have to fund these guaranteed benefits . The population is living longer and the better health care we get has gone through the roof . And a huge portion of the population is retiring at the same time . So taxpayers are paying way more for many years longer and it's only going to get worse. Social security is broke and these pension funds are grossly underfunded . Wages are down . I can't see taxing our way out of it . Especially when we are sending gazillions of dollars all over the world. Every person that moves out of the state , and a lot are ,leaves the rest of us who stay footing the bill . There sure looks like there is a financial train wreck coming .

I agree with you 100% I would hate to see the current administration of this state look any more anti constitutional than they already are ,if that is even possible . But they seem to push that envelope more each day .