Where are our salmon?

[westrate]

Another strange week of fishing. After limit catches of Chinook salmon and CoHo salmon Monday in front the piers, the fishing slowed the rest of the week. The water was still cold and there was bait around the piers, however the run of Kings never developed. There are still some fish out in 80 to 120 foot of water, 140 to 160 foot of water and out in 180 to 210 foot of water as well as a few in front the pier, however, no large concentration anywhere. The 80 to 100 foot depth includes 4, 2 and 3 year old salmon as well as a good number of lake trout. the 140 foot depth includes mainly 2 and 3 year old salmon and lake trout. Outside in the 200 foot depth there are salmon, lake trout and a good number of steelhead.

The best method continue to be 11 in Pro Troll (white glow and green glow) with the wild fern Rapture fly pulled on the downriggers, and divers. 5 color leadcore and 100 foot of copper with orange crush and orange corey stingers produced well for steelhead. 200 foot and 300 foot of copper with glow stingray and nitro lures produced well on 2, 3 and 4 year old salmon.

The water temperature Sunday was 60 degrees on the bottom in 25 foot of water which may be a little warm for the chinook salmon. However, at this time of the year, 60 degrees should not prevent the schooling and run up the river. I do not know why the run did not continue, however I keep expecting it to pick up again. For information and fishing charter reservations, email me at [email protected]

[Boltman]

We were in Ludingotn this week asking the same thing... Where are the salmon, hearing on the radio that this is the toughest the charters have seen in a long time, we were skunked 3 of the 4 days that we went out on the water..... I heard one captain say that he is docked near the Indian boats, and they they have gotten so many salmon... that they almost sunk their boats... with the mere weight of all their Kill............I'm thinking this has to stop it shut down the fishing in Ludington for sure.

[1mainiac]

Well they have cut the plants down for the last 4 years so there are less of them to start with. Most of our rivers are too warm for them to spawn successfully so the natural reproduction they said was causing too many salmon has not happened in the last few years. The final answer is there are bigger fish but a lot less of them. I expect next year to be about the same great early season catch's with very little left for a fall run. I imagine the bulk of the 4 year olds ran in last weekend during the 30 mph north winds that brought us the cold water. I have brought this up several times over the last couple of years and most guys dismiss the idea but if you consider the weird short run we had last year it adds up. If you cut plants by over 40% in many areas odds are you will have less 4 year old returns most likely bigger healthier fish but much less of them.

I have switched to Steelhead and am having a blast.

[Boltman]

Jim How do you switch to steel Head....? Another Dumb Question from Your Boltman..

You make good sense about your figures, and with the Tribes NOT cutting back on Netting, it makes for a lot less fish for us.

I'm looking to write a congressmen, or something on this matter, Maybe just Maybe OBAMA would like to know that His Salmon Dinners are Disappearing.

Hmmm, might write OBAMA...