Collapse of our Salmon fishery

[Patriot]

Is it possible?

There’s a thread about the salmon fishing from this year and how poor it was, lake wide.

Since there were a lack of 3 year old salmon, many 2 year old and I can also assume 1 year old alike were kept.

Could it create a snowball effect because of smaller fish being kept year after year and potentially collapsing our salmon fishery?

Are there even anymore 4 year old fish out there?

Edited December 8, 2014 by Patriot

[ray koziatek]

shulda been around in 93,94  ...sheephead wire the main target.....late 80,s were booming...dont trade yer riggers in for bobbers just yet...

[Locoman]

In nature there are always up years and down years. There are so many variables. The fishery isn't collapsing, it's just going through a transition like it has in years past. Listen to Rays advice and hang in there. You never know what next might bring.

[Patriot]

shulda been around in 93,94  ...sheephead wire the main target.....late 80,s were booming...dont trade yer riggers in for bobbers just yet...

I've been fish big O since the late 1980's and I've seen the ups and downs. For the little salmon fishing I did this year, I didn't see it as a problem but a lot of other guys had a problem with it. The late 80's and early 90's were fantastic fishing, I only wish it were that great now but thanks to the Zebra.

 

I remember the Little Cleo was the hot spoon for Brown Trout, flatlined behind the boat, back and forth in front of the bluffs in Fair Haven.

Was it Lake Michigan that had a similar problem a few years back?

[GAMBLER]

The two year old and one year old year class this year seemed great.  Hopefully we will see more normal numbers of kings this coming season.  If not, I know I will still be out there chasing trout. 

[Sk8man]

Just part of the up and down cycle....have seen it since 1975 and it has been worse when the bait was down as well ......the numbers of young fish should be a good omen for the near future especially with the bait population looking healthy as long as there aren't any environmental or weather disasters.

[Yankee Troller]

This thread is great way to start internet rumors. We survived the drought/low stocking from 2007 in which a lot of immature Salmon were taken. Yet we saw some amazing fishing in the years following. Our forage base is solid.

[Patriot]

Not trying to start a rumor or open a can of worms, just keeping it real. And of course people are going to pounce on me for it. Especially the charter guys for which the fishery is their bread & butter.

Based on the thread "Now that the kings have run...opinions, please.", things were pretty bleak for the 2014 season. A lack of 3 year old fish means everyone was catching 1 and 2 year old fish. If most keep their catch of those year fish, what's left? Yea, I know a lot of people don't keep the small guys but a lot do.

[jason]

I know my crews only kept a total of 20 salmon this yr. But the steelhead is a different story.

[vetting]

Yeah for Kings it was the same story for Lake Michigan on the east and west sides.  There were long time charters that pulled in their first skunk ever this year.  Im not talking about the having a bunch of rookies who miss-handle the rods on 5 fish either - Im talking about a full charter trip without a bite.  So since we have totally different stocking numbers and patterns, wouldnt that indicate that there is a commonality between Lake O and Lake Michigan?

[Silver Fox]

This thread is great way to start internet rumors. We survived the drought/low stocking from 2007 in which a lot of immature Salmon were taken. Yet we saw some amazing fishing in the years following. Our forage base is solid.

Totally agree. Till we get a pattern of this happening then maybe its a discussion. We are now entering the time when boredom sets in guys!

[muskiedreams]

At least it only takes 4 or 5 years for them to mature. With muskies, it takes about that long for them to grow to 30" Then they only grow about an inch a year. So it takes a good 18 to 20 yrs or more for them to be trophy size. And tey don't stock muskies in Lake Ontario or the east end of Lake Erie.

 

There are also the trout to fall back on if there is one bad year class. Browns and steelhead can give a lot of good action.

 

I would say that a long as they keep stocking it should be ok in the long run, barring any major natural (or unnatural) set back.

 

It might be the weather paterns this year that influenced the productivity. I know a guy that dives in the Upper Niagara River and he said that things were different there as well. Much of the zebras were scoured fron the botton by the ice. There were less of manny game fish and even less gobies. Mother nature has a tendency to change things every year to a certain extent but she is also verry resillient.

[should be fishing]

check out Spider Rybaak's post on the Salmon River egg take here under October titled "MORE TO COME"  The population is strong on the SR. I like his point about evolution and nighttime migration

 

noticed fishing the Genny that the piers did not see the big numbers of earlier years but when you hit the falls at peak it was loaded with fish - more sneaking in at night.

 

http://fishingandhuntinginoswego.blogspot.com/

[Sk8man]

Geez, kinda depressing....what will we use for an excuse next year for not catching salmon?   Hey tell me the guy in the next article entitled "Early Surfin on Oneida Lake" doesn't look like a dead ringer for Todd on the Goldrush show on the Discovery channel

[momay4000]

This thread is great way to start internet rumors. We survived the drought/low stocking from 2007 in which a lot of immature Salmon were taken. Yet we saw some amazing fishing in the years following. Our forage base is solid.

 

Thank goodness for this post.

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

[TileMan Dan]

For me its a great day being on the lake running the boat and all its gear. If I get into fish its even better. I am fortunate that I not a charter guide where my livliehood relies on the number of fish coming over the rail.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Gator]

Wow, didn't mean to start a ruckus, just wondered whether the spawning run mirrored our experiences on the big pond. I've fished it since the '80s, and there have been many ups and downs. I'm sure that the sky isn't falling...but we had a poor year and I guess I just wondered whether this reflected a poor year class or whether those sly fish just managed to hide from us. Lots of water out there.

Regardless, I'll be hitting it hard again next year.

[ray koziatek]

did you see the chicken cross the road?   who started what,how many names do you post under........he he....

[GAMBLER]

The Salmon River run was missing the early run of wild fish.  This just goes to show that we can not rely on Natural reproduction.  We all have been spoiled by all the extra wild fish in the system in the past four or five years. 

[Captain Carl Bish]

My strategy during this collapse was to follow Yankee around and pick up his road kill.

In my opinion the fishermen are the least of the threats to the survival of the salmon population.

I also think the hatchery was up to something fishy several years ago resulting in the lower numbers. I heard a plausible explanation taking into account the harsh winter as well.

Next season will be great!

[Yankee Troller]

My strategy during this collapse was to follow Yankee around and pick up his road kill.