thoughts on current fishery

[fishsniffer]

This is just to get what guys are thinking about whats going on up and down the east coast of lake michigan..what do you think about the fisheries future when we have pretty much everyone going out and getting 2,3 and sometimes 4 man limits pretty much every trip..you think the excess is getting weeded out?or do you forsee doom and gloom?

Edited July 12, 2012 by Nailer

[EdB]

I'm concerned. One thing I've noticed is the large number without adipose fin clips. Did we have a lot of natural reproduction 2 and 3 years ago resulting in the high catch rates? Sure seems to be a load of salmon out there this season.

I'm supporting stocking cuts even though the science is not precise behind them. I would rather be conservative and keep the Lk Mi fishery healthy and strong versus risking a collapse like Lk Huron. If this is the wrong decision, we can always increase plants later. The fish this season appear to be chunky and healthy but 18+ pounders are rare. I think the average size is down slightly from last year from my casual observations. One thing for sure, this year has to go down as the best June/4th of July fishery ever throughout the lake. All the ports are doing well.

[Just Hook'n]

I am little worried too Don, though I am enjoying the hell out of it this summer.

Seems like everyone is slamming the fish and most of the fish I ahve caught recently have bait in them... and we are marking huge bait balls - the biggest I remember in the last 5 years. However, I just don't know how the lake can take all these salmon being caught by so many fisherman and still keep giong year over year. Something has got to give eventually. We've not "boxed" yet this year. We've gotten 14 and 15 and just called it good because the cooler was full and we were getting hot (and the bite may have slowed). The one HUGE factor this year that must be very challenging for the biologists to through into the equation is the weather. Such a strange winter, spring, and now summer. Hard to say what we should expect with this pattern.

[Paulywood]

I'm concerned. One thing I've noticed is the large number without adipose fin clips. Did we have a lot of natural reproduction 2 and 3 years ago resulting in the high catch rates? Sure seems to be a load of salmon out there this season.

I'm supporting stocking cuts even though the science is not precise behind them. I would rather be conservative and keep the Lk Mi fishery healthy and strong versus risking a collapse like Lk Huron. If this is the wrong decision, we can always increase plants later. The fish this season appear to be chunky and healthy but 18+ pounders are rare. I think the average size is down slightly from last year from my casual observations. One thing for sure, this year has to go down as the best June/4th of July fishery ever throughout the lake. All the ports are doing well.

I pretty much agree with everything Ed said. I support the DNR's decision to be conservative with the stocking. The numbers of fish of all species (kings, coho, steelies) all seem to be up. I would be more worried if the fish were skinny or the bait wasn't around. But the fish seem to be healthy and the times I have been out we have marked tons of bait. I guess I'll be happy with what we have and hope the DNR is doing the right thing with the stocking numbers. So far I haven't seen anything to think that they aren't managing the fishery correctly. Hopefully the fishing stays good throughout the rest of the summer.

[Reel Screwd]

The fishing is definatly amazing, there are guys boating between 20 and 30 fish a trip here last few days its nuts, one of the guys i talked to yesterday said all his had empty stomachs. i gotta go out in the morn to see myself its been awhile

[Killin' It]

10 fish full of bait this morning.

[prop nut]

I LIKE IT!

I THINK THIS IS A MUCH BETTER THEN REDUCING THE PLANTING RATES

and having the salmon stamp proceeds go to fund other goverment pay raises

I think its just a great thing get out there and enjoy it

we went out recently with 6 guys in the boat with lots of cold drinks lunch

planned on staying out all day and tacking 30 fish home

after a few hours we had to stop @ 18 because we could not shut the 150 Q cooler lid

this is not good its frigging GREAT

[CAC]

I check almost all of my fish and recently most have had fat alewives in them. I have had a couple full of flies including one KING! I have never seen that before. All in all the fish seem healthy. I suspect that DNR will reduce plants until the catch drops off in three years proving that we need more plants. Just my 2 cents.

[tltorrice]

After recently coming back from a fishing trip to Lake Ontario I am concerned about Lake Michigan's Salmon population. What I saw in Lake Ontario was abundant bait fish. Salmon that were thick and chunky. Even the 2 and 3 year old fish were thick and heavy. When I come back to Lake Michigan (Manistee) I see skinny, small fish. In a recent trip we boated 20 Salmon in a weekend. Largest was 20#. None of the fish had anything in their stomachs. They were hungry. I don't usually mark much for bait fish. I think the DNR is on the right track for taking large amounts of salmon out of the lake and reducing stocking. Since natural reproduction is so good I don't know if it is enough. These are just my thoughts.

Tight Lines

[Rascal Trophy Fishing]

Lake Michigan is again experiencing a nice comeback, best fishing season in Ludington in about 10+ years. (LACA), the Ludington Area Charterboat Assoc., held it's spring mtg. in June. We had a DNR biologist as a guest speaker. He spoke with intensity and fear mongering about a crash similar to Huron in 1998. This man never ever even went out in Lk. Michigan, and has never even fished it in his lifetime. He was cordially invited to come go with a capt. for our sponsor day in mid-July, he declined and stated he had another appointment to do instead. I may be wrong, but I believe what I see and experience on the lake with my own eyes, not some guy in a laboratory with models, theories, and tables of statistics, drawing conclusions based on glossy ideals that just don't fit the picture. It also benefits the DNR as they have been constantly complaining about stocking for decades, they don't like the job, and have even threatened to sell the hatcheries to private industry. I wish they would, as taxpayers aren't always getting all the bang for the buck we pay for in the end anyhow. Only government would try to fix something that isn't even broke, but neglect to fix what is broke, just my opinion.