kings

[Jim Hudson]

Fish

Over in these parts, the whitefish population is doing really well, as is the herring population. With the somewhat decline in smelt populations, these other species have rebounded very well. Which is good, one herring or whitefish is much more biomass then smelt add up to be for growing predators. I believe, and I would have to check these figures again, in the last assessment that was just published for Chequamegon Bay, whitefish accounted for 80 percent of the swimming biomass. Should be some good eating out there!!!

For the Coasters, I am not really sure what to make of it. Some are caught each year in and around the islands, but not as many as you would think from the constant stocking efforts. I dont think even the biologists know where they are going or what they are doing at this point. One thing is for sure, for the coasters to make a come back, spawning habitat has to be looked at. With sedimentation and run-off, spawning grounds have been devestated in local streams. I think this is the next approach to look at for the coaster study.

For truly a sportsman idea, I believe in this area, splake should again be stocked in numbers. Their numbers are starting to dwindle and it's a shame to me. As these are the fish that offer the greatest opportunities to all anglers alike: small boat, big boat, on the ice, etc etc. But with a push for an all natural system, we will see where this goes...

And Frank, I do agree!! It is a good thing. The more opportunities out there, the better. Some of the Kings caught and seen on this side this year were bigger on average, but I would say the numbers only raised a bit. In a few more years we will see how the return is. Oh, and coho numbers seem to be up over this way and seem to be spawning well!!

[upnorth]

The are trying to get the Coasters/lake run Brook Trout back too, although if memory serves me that it up the shore a bit.

[thistlekicker]

I'm curious about how AISA determines and justifies their independent stocking efforts? Do they work with the DNR or other management agencies to determine how salmon stocking will affect the Cheq. Bay ecosystem? Do they have their own biologists? Not much info on the webpage...

ALso, is it possible that coaster rehab efforts are being inhibited by salmon stocking? Is it possible that brook trout and salmon compete for spawning habitat and as juveniles living in streams before they head to the lake? Could this be robbing Peter to pay Paul?

[DEADhead]

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Northlander, we'll never stock coho again because its to costly for our DNR.

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ST, fish managers are content with the current levels of natural reproduction of the cohos and would rather put the money towards other species management. I don't think cost was necessarily the main factor for the discontinuation of stocking coho. Cohos seem to be the only Pacific salmon in LS to really establish itself and maintain sustainable natural reproduction.

[DEADhead]

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With sedimentation and run-off, spawning grounds have been devestated in local streams. I think this is the next approach to look at for the coaster study.

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That is the biggest hurdle right now to Coaster rehabilitation. Logging and mining outfits in the UP are destroying some good spawning areas with the increase in sedimentation in these stream/rivers. The other issue is the use of hatchery fish to replenish coaster stocks. Let's face it, hatchery slamon/trout just aren't viable spawners and lack the longevity of wild fish. No where is this more evident than inthe Pacific NW and their Pacific Salmon rehab. It is pretty much a failure because the fish the federal hatcheries produce don't know how to survive or reproduce in the wild. Same is the case with the Chinook program in MN. That is why the counts are down at the French River trap. Because the stocked fish aren't surviving. Only 5% of the total catch of kings by anglers are stocked fish, the rest, 95% are wild naturally reproducing salmon. That poor return is the reason the DNR decided to abandon the stocking. It is basically just throwing money away.

Splake fishing is very popular in WI and MI and those states continue to keep stocking this fish. MN and Ontario have not been stocking splake as part of their coaster rehab program. Splake are competing for the same resources as those coater brook trout.

There has been some promising research done lately that may be able to rejuvinate some of these hathcery programs. Studies done on hatchery raised salmon and steelhead using a gravel matrix on the bottom of the concrete hatchery tanks have shown those fish have larger brain sizes when compared to fish that have been reared in concrete only pens. The larger brain size may also indicate higher survivability rates and increased reproductive success.

[-Marc V-]

Man are you a fishhead, DeadHead!

[Quickstrike]

I personally think the DNR is doing a suitable job on Lake Superior from the time I have lived up here. I believe that Lake Superior is far too large to rely on a "put and take" fishery". It takes some time to rebuild and sustain a naturally reproducing fishery, but I feel like we are moving in the right direction. Steelhead numbers on the north shore seem to be increasing every year, and I have noticed more coasters the last two falls which is also encouraging. Cohos and Lake Trout are also providing good fishing opportuities and it seems that these days most people on the big pond look at Kings as "bonus fish".

There are also many aspects that the DNR has no control over such as low water levels that killed many rainbow trout smolts this summer, or periodic winter kills. The DNR can't control that the north shore of Lake Superior is not the ideal habitat for producing large kings and that our rivers don't have the neccesary spawning grounds for huge runs of lake run fish.

I personally love it up here and you won't find me complaining about our fisheries anytime soon.

[SKIPPERS KID]

Kent I have seen more steelhead and the season has been closed for how long?? a long time, The loopers are down from past years? Well I am glad you are out there and enjoying it now hope there are some this spring If I am right it should be slow this winter and spring. WE will have to see the loopers where stalked as put and take I hope well all have fish in the future?

[Quickstrike]

I have no problem with the stocking of loopers, mainly because they are part of the steelhead rehabilitation plan, i personally don't mind having a no-kill law on steelhead because i would never keep one anyways, but I can see and understand how some people would benefit from being able to harvest steelies, especially charter captains. The looper low numbers from what i have heard has been because of dry summers and winter-kills. I feel that if the steelhead trend continues, it would be nice to see the looper program phased out and a limited harvest opened on steelhead. I believe many people have grown to appreciatte this fish and have witnessed the positive affects of C@R so a limited harvest would be possible.

[bigfish21]

I hope I'm not too late on this topic because I was just talking about this the other day. I think the NO Harvest of steelhead is great because they will always be there. Loopers are there for the taking. The biggest problem we are facing these days is an increase in people/fishermen and the old management ways are not able to keep up with the demand. I think a big reason the smelt are no longer present like they used to be is not because of the introduction of king salmon. Rather, the havest practices that were employeed. I hear there used to be radio broadcasts saying when they were running and people would fill up a couple of washtubs for themselves. When you take a huge number of fish before they spawn year after year the numbers will definatly drop...drastically. If/when they come back mabey they should only have an open season every other year. I think the same goes for the kings. There is a 13inch size minimum so many of them will be harvested long before they have a chance to make in back to the rivers. And if they do there are hundreds of people fishing for them and harvesting the eggs for bait. How can a fish population be sustained if they are not allowed to spawn. As for the coasters, I was happy to see a fairly large number of them in a northshore river this fall with some fish up to the mid-20 inches. I'm not here to say people shouldn't keep fish because putting one on the table is not only fun but tasty. The DNR probably does struggle financially with the stocking because there is not enough money there for them. We need to get together and voice our opinions to the DNR so they know what they want. Look what happened up at leech lake. They voiced their opinions and got a bunch more fish stocked and bird populations reduced (I don't agree with it by the way but it worked)

[upnorth]

There is more to it than just stocking and restrictions. Lake Superior is cold and sterile. There is just no way it can support the larger numbers of fish that everyone wants. I was around in the 60s when the smelt runs were huge, hard to believe how many of them little buggers were around. But had went on for years and if you really read this thread the decline started when the kings were planted. ST has it right tho, the smelt population needed to be managed and the kings really did number on them.

And there are a lot more fishermen out there than there was in the past. I remember back when you could go to the French River shore fishing and see only a half dozen other people, if you got within 100 feet of someone you were crowding them. Now you go down there and if you are not there 2 hours before sunrise you ain't getting a decent spot to fish.