Platte & Manistee Weir.

[Nailer]

Work brought me up to Benzie county last week, and I had the opportunity to stop by both the Platte and Manistee weirs. The Platte river is where they collect all the eggs from the Coho. The fish where in heavy, and filling up there holding tanks. Egg striping was going to begin sometime this week.

The Platte is where they hatch and raise them also.

We stopped at the Weir on the Manistee also.

They had just opened the gate to let the fish into the raceways/ponds. They where coming in two and three at a time. They planed to take the eggs here around Oct. 5.

They told me that these two weirs account for %100 of the eggs taken for Michigan. They also sell them to Wisconsin, and Illinois.

[Turfwrench]

Great pics, thanks for sharing.

[DIRTY DOG]

Thanks Ken , Ive been to the Manistee weir many times and its always very cool to see.

[A-Fishy-Anado]

Very cool Ken:thumb:

[Adam Bomb]

Nice pics and info Ken.

[mj6131]

Good stuff.

A couple of things -

The eggs aren't actually sold. (In some cases traded...)

Manistee is also where the steelhead eggs come from in spring.

Until a couple of years ago, part of the eggs used to come from the Swan river weir,

til the run dried up, along with VHS on that side of the state.

[GLF]

Nice pictures Ken!

[Grant Sadler]

:thumb:Very nice Job; Ken

[Just Hook'n]

Thanks for sharing Ken. Cool shots. I've not been up there in YEARS.

Might have to take my son next year when he can appreciate it.

[Priority1]

Ken, It's a sight to behold.

[Boltman]

ok I have to ask cause I don't know, do they kill the females and then take the eggs, or do they express them then let the females go, I was up there a few years ago and they told us, but I can't remember.... it's called sometimers disease...

[steeliebob]

I try to get over there once in awhile. If you ever get a chance when you are up in the Soo pull in behind the big power plant and the college students are usually happy to let you in to see the atlantic salmon hatchery. That is very interesting to see how a small project that started 20 years ago produces so many salmon. Thanks for the pics.

[Priority1]

The fish die anyway. I think a lot of the fish are sold to help pay expenses.

[mj6131]

ok I have to ask cause I don't know, do they kill the females and then take the eggs, or do they express them then let the females go, I was up there a few years ago and they told us, but I can't remember.... it's called sometimers disease...

Each fish is opened up after the eggs or milt are taken, to be checked for BKD. Can't remember the name of the company, but a contractor takes all the carcasses. Fish in good shape might end up being sold for human consumption, but most go to pet food.

[Nailer]

ok I have to ask cause I don't know, do they kill the females and then take the eggs, or do they express them then let the females go, I was up there a few years ago and they told us, but I can't remember.... it's called sometimers disease...

What they told me was; the Kings get a blast of air from a needle to shoot the eggs out, and the Coho get opened up, checked, and striped. then off to the pet food makers.