Dead Steelhead?

[cdq]

I read the article and there are a lot of questions I have.  I showed it to my Human Bio teacher and he has a lot of questions about it also.  Did this last winter have an effect on them?  Since the Salmon fishing wasn't good this year were Steelhead "over targeted?"  Where do fish get their vitamin B because in the article the DEC is going to do tests on several fish and are going to inject them with Vitamin B because of diffeciency with Vitamin B and they are also injecting them with Saline Solution.  I don't know just thought i'd start a thread about it and possibly get some answers or raise awareness.

[GAMBLER]

What ever it is, it is not good.  Can't we ever get a year where one species does not have an issue?  VHS, Stocking issues, Hatchery issues, ect.  We cant catch a break! 

[Tim Bromund]

Well, look at the bright side Brian, the Federal Hatchery hasn't managed to kill entire year classes of lakers in a while.

[GAMBLER]

Well, look at the bright side Brian, the Federal Hatchery hasn't managed to kill entire year classes of lakers in a while.

Don't jinx it Tim! 

[Rich D]

The vitamin B deficiency is coming from Thimanese, which is carried by the alewives, and now seeing also smelt. With the over abundance of bait this year, and lack of predators, theory is that is the cause. Originally thought only to really affect the young, the more I research, the more I am seeing it can and does affect the adults. Time will tell as what they actually come up with, or what they want to tell us. The State of Lake meetings should be very interesting, and long this year.

Capt Rich

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[GAMBLER]

The vitamin B deficiency is coming from Thimanese, which is carried by the alewives, and now seeing also smelt. With the over abundance of bait this year, and lack of predators, theory is that is the cause. Originally thought only to really affect the young, the more I research, the more I am seeing it can and does affect the adults. Time will tell as what they actually come up with, or what they want to tell us. The State of Lake meetings should be very interesting, and long this year.

Capt Rich

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

I thought the DEC was saying that the bait levels were not up? 

[cdq]

I thought the DEC was saying that the bait levels were not up? 

Yeah that's what i thought

[Rich D]

Brian,

Come on, how long you been listening to them and knowing just the opposite??? My point exactly regarding the fact of whether we will be getting the truth from them!!! Sucks that we have to talk about a situation like this. Time will tell...

Capt Rich

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[GAMBLER]

I hear you Rich.  I'm wondering if they do not want to tell us the truth about the bait situation so they do not have to hire more people and spend the $$$ to stock more fish.  They are a government agency.  We all know how honest our government is.........

[ontherise]

Didn't they say that only atlanticus were affected by this???

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobi

[esox]

 Question is.... Will we believe what the DEC tells us if it doesn't agree with your personal feelings.. We have already inserted the boogie man so we can argue this forever and we haven't been told anything concrete...LOL

Edited December 18, 2014 by esox

[Rich D]

I agree Brian, it sucks we can't trust the people in charge of our fisheries!! Pete, yes the alewives are the problem they say for the lack of spawning for the Atlantics. There is a number of studies online from the USA across the Atlantic researching the effects of Thiaminse. Now it might actually be showing up in our steelheads. We are all in this together, need to stick together, and work toward a solution.

Capt Rich DeMong

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Thun]

First a disclaimer, I know nothing about fisheries management. This article from On The Water came to mind and discusses the vitamin B deficiency in Atlantics and how the Round Goby has perhaps helped to restore their spawning abilities.

 

http://www.onthewater.com/lake-ontarios-native-salmon-return-oswego-county/

[Tim Bromund]

It affects all of them to a degree,  Lake Trout and Atlantics most severely, but even kings to an extent.  The first thing they do in the hatchery with the fertilized salmon eggs is put them in a thiamine bath to try to offset the effects of thiaminase.

[salmonboy41]

What ever it is, it is not good.  Can't we ever get a year where one species does not have an issue?  VHS, Stocking issues, Hatchery issues, ect.  We cant catch a break! 

and to add to that when I was add the hatchery this year they told me that a silt ball got into the eggs when they where incubating and killed a bunch of steelhead eggs leaving them short on steelhead for this upcoming years stocking.

[GAMBLER]

and to add to that when I was add the hatchery this year they told me that a silt ball got into the eggs when they where incubating and killed a bunch of steelhead eggs leaving them short on steelhead for this upcoming years stocking.

Makes you wonder what is causing all of these hatchery issues. Cost cutting? Understaffed?

[salmonboy41]

Makes you wonder what is causing all of these hatchery issues. Cost cutting? Understaffed?

kind of makes you wonder. As there seems be a lot of issues over the past hand full of years.

 

I think what bothers me the most about it though is there doesn't seem to be a plan to make sure things don't go wrong in the future, nor is there a backup plan. At least from what I have seen and heard.

[GAMBLER]

kind of makes you wonder. As there seems be a lot of issues over the past hand full of years.

 

I think what bothers me the most about it though is there doesn't seem to be a plan to make sure things don't go wrong in the future, nor is there a backup plan. At least from what I have seen and heard.

Exactly!!!  From the weekend angler to the fulltime charter captain, we all have a lot invested into this fishery. 

[Sk8man]

You guys are right  about the lack of a proactive approach but it is the hallmark of a bureaucracy They only REACT to things and fail to plan ahead with contingencies. I experienced it both in the military and then nearly 34 years with the state and they don't seem to learn.  It isn't the DEC itself or it's dedicated employees it is the nature of the beast itself - the governmental system.

[TileMan Dan]

You are absolutey right Skate. Unfortunately we are all the governmental body responsible for the mess. We all need to make better choices who we vote for and those we nominate. Complacency in our society needs to end if things are to ever change. Voting is everyones right and duty as a citizen of this country. Sadly the majority fails to realize this.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United