Brown or Atlantic Salmon

[Yankee Troller]

Did someone say Yankee? LOL

That's a great fish. Atlantic all the way! We have had a 13 and a 14 as our two biggest this year. We just can't break the 15lb mark, which is what we decided on our boat as a wall mounter. Great job!

Has anyone else fought these fish and wondered what the hype is all about? I haven't had one that fought worth a darn. Even the 14lb'r we took at Sodus didn't fight and he was part of a double on the same rod. I've always heard stories of these fish giving it their all during battle.

[TOP SECRET]

I agree. The 15lber we caught fought like a brown...

Nick

[TOP SECRET]

Boy now that I look at my pic compared to yours are you sure that's only 19lbs? Mine weighed 14lbs 10oz on my digital... but yours looks more than 4 lbs bigger than mine... I think the state record is only like 24lbs...

Nick

[GAMBLER]

From the ones I have caught over the years, I have noticed the males fight a lot better than the females. They are acrobatic like a steelhead. The females seem lazy and dog at the boat a little like a brown. The 17lber I caught brown fishing back in the spring of 96 was crazy. Faught like a steelhead on steroids.

[drlfc]

cool fish alantic all the way!!

[shadster]

Mine fought like advertised.... Something I'll never forget. Here is the account in case you missed it.

http://www.lakeontariounited.com/fishing/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=18203

[Self Censored]

Chinooker,

GREAT FISH I AM SOOOOOO JEALOUS!!! Would love to have one of them on the wall in the cabin of my boat!!!

Yankee,

We took 4 keeper sized atlantics in the last 2 weeks and only one fought well, one was on the 500' copper so it may have fought hard but we didn't know it. The other two didn't do much. As smaller fish go...A 10 lb king takes the cake....and the drag! The fighting Atlantics and 'bows just jump alot as clients winch them to the boat.

Maybe I should loosen the drag on the 30# flea free Big Game?????????????...Naw....straight to the net, no tangled lines and if they get off..............one less fish to clean!!!

No rhyme or reason to the lures they hit, flashers, green glow spoons & BT stingers trolled in temp. 80-120 FOW

[FX]

Great fish- congrats! We've caught a fair amount of Atlantics this year too and since the first one in May that hit hard and shot straight up out of the water before coming in the rest of the way like a log, the others have all played possum - dead to the boat until they hit the floor and all heck breaks loose.

Shawn

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

Hi John(of Credit River Anglers), I have thanked all of your sportsmens clubs and groups several times on this forum. I can read and feel your passion for the Atlantics, they are truly a great fish. Where the frustration comes from, not just here in the states but in your province, is how disinterested both OMNR and NYSDEC have become with Pacifics. They are the TRUE savior of the Great Lakes. Why should it take a super human effort from volunteers to continue Chinook stocking in Ontario? Why should every time we have a hot, dry fall here in NY, should we be sitting on pins and needles hoping we can get enough clean eggs to propagate another planting? We have several facilities yet we rely on one source, with no real contingency plan.

Why do I say say savior? Well lets not even go into the economic and quality of life improvements they bring our Lake. Lets just look at the biological improvements: Man altered the Lake forever by building the seaway, and letting the lamprey and alewife in. Today, exotics continue to harm and threaten. The Pacifics provided early key info on Lamprey densities, as they returned to rivers and scarring could be assessed. The Pacifics are the only viable way to control alewife populations. When the alewives are kept at a reasonable level, yellow perch, walleye, and Lake trout hatches have a fighting chance. If not, alewife populations eradicate many hatches through predation. As for your beloved Atlantics, a diet too heavy with alewives reduces their fertility due to the thiamine present. I realize as a dedicated sportsman, you know these facts, but I have written it here for the newer anglers. Both the OMNR and the DEC do a poor job of educating the angling public, and the public in general, as to the fact that the Pacifics help in every way. Even if all you are interested in, is restoring a naturally sustaining population of Atlantics, Kings and Cohos are the answer. The "misinformed" fellow anglers to which you refer to, are merely expressing the way they see it. Many of us see it as, we are so lucky the Pacifics took to this lake the way they did, despite the way it was screwed up. Why are the managers on both sides taking this gift so lightly, and putting all their energy elsewhere? Will someone please tell me why both the province and NY is so gung ho about restoring the american eel? How about we put more effort into treating all the new lamprey spawning sites that are popping up due to improved water quailty? Or how about the province taking real action on some of the 2 million or so cormorants that I saw fly by while I was in Bluffers recently?

I am one of many over here, who appreciate greatly the efforts of your sportsmens groups. Thank you.

[CreditRiverAnglers]

Thanks for the reply Vince. I would have to agree that Ontario MNR have not been as supportive of kings and coho as they could/should be. But from what I have seen the DEC team have been pretty awesome (in comparrison). I wish I could get a few of the DEC guys to work up here (maybe we can trade) . Many of us give the NY/US side credit for not only finding the money to support the fishery, but realizing the economics of it. It is a truly world class, amazing fishery. And agreed that education is lacking all over the fishery, from the ports to the headwaters. Funny that much of the education is coming from angler groups.

As for the club I oversee, we love all the fish the same, Atlantics and Kings, Steelies and Bass, and everything in between (calling Atlantic's beloved comes accros as a one fish state of mind which is incorrect in terms of our group) We were collecting chinook eggs for MNR back since 1990 (long before any other Ontario groups exisited or were involved in salmon) and have been involved most years ever since. The need for voluneers and conservation groups is a sad state of affairs in Ontario due to steady cuts to MNR budgets. OFAH has come to the rescue at Ringwood while our group has been working on other species since the mid 90's. We were never permitted to raise chinooks due to stocking limits.

I certainly agree the chinooks and steelhead are the bread and butter and I doubt that will change in the forseeable future. On the positve side, everyone is learning a lot through online chat, studies and the clipping work on chinooks. There are many on our side of the lake that were addiment 90-95% of the kings in the lake were hatchery fish. The importance of wild chinooks is becoming very clear from the clipping program. More anglers are reducing their harvest, meanwhile our catches are excellent. I've had three, forty plus hook up days so far this summer (all 8 hour outings). So they fishery is rockin.

As for Americal eel, (general info for all) they are a valuable member at the top of the food chain like salmonids, but they have been almost lost, it seems from the hydro dams on the St Lawrence River. They migrate to the Sargasso Sea to spawn and are potodomous (they spawn in the salt and return to fresh water to live). The loss of any native specie is a bad sign for the health of the lake. They are not parasitic like lamprey so they do not hurt the salmon fishery.

As for Atlantic fights, I have had a mixed bag. I found they are great jumpers (as they are known for), but I have not had one large enough to battle in the lake (best is about 7 pounds thus far). In the river I've had some come in like a wet sock, while others have kicked my very experienced river fishing butt and left me shaken. But I've had the same with many steelies. Thye simply make another great component to the fishery. In rivers they turn an 9 month steelhead fishery into a 12 month fishery by filling the May-August void. In the lake they seem to be a nice bonus. If they do take, it will be interesting to see how they develop and what niche they fit into within the habitat.

Lets just hope the Asian Carp don't screw it all up!

Tight lines and enjoy the fishing...it is hot.

John

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

Thanks again to you and all your volunteer friends. I look forward to meeting you someday, if I haven't already. Many of the anglers I come across in Ontario province seem frustrated. They feel like they have no say in policy, not only in the fishery, but towards things like Lake Ontario rooted wind power. They act like they don't know how or where to take the fight. Perhaps people like you can begin to unite the sportfishermen and women into a powerful voice.

Go get one of those "Forties" swimming off your shores! Best wishes the rest of your season.