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How has everyone's salmon catch rate been this year. We all know this is a lake trout fishery with an occaisonal salmon but last summer was one of the best we (our boat anyways) ever had catching kings. We had frequent and multiple catches of kings on many trips. This year has been a completely different. The number of kings we have caught this year has been very infrequent. I know each year can vary some. How have the rest of you been doing on kings around Duluth? Just wondering if it is similar to us. Maybe we were just luckier than usual last year but we have noticed a big change this year in the number of salmon we have caught, even compared to other years. Also concerns me with MN no longer stocking and what the trend may be in the next few years.

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Bill, I actually did better last year on the salmon myself. But I think it was because I got out more last year. Its such a nice bonus to throw a salmon in the box.

I was able to talk to the fish biologist Dennis Pratt this spring about the salmon in Lake Superior. I was told by many people that all the salmon in the lake were planted and they couldnt reproduce. Heres what Dennis told me- All the salmon in Lake Superior reproduce and the only one that is stocked here is the king salmon. He said that 75% of the kings we catch are wild.

He also said that Mn plan to stop stocking wont really have much of a affect because most of them fingerlings end up being fish food anyway.

This is just what he told me. I'm sure someone will tell him hes wrong. All I know is I'd rather cath a salmon over a laker anyday smirk.gif

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I noted that a couple of fishing clubs (Thundery Bay, Marquette, others?) are stocking salmon and have at least anecdotally indicated that their catching more salmon than they have in the past. A friend of mine recently fished there and caught several kings over a couple days. Perhaps they just have better rivers for spawning, I don't know.

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I'll confirm that what Dennis Pratt said about salmon is consistent with what the MN DNR Lake Superior Area Fisheries Specialists say regarding salmon reproduction and stocking.

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Over on this end of the lake, I would say the catch rate for salmon is still about the same as years past... People catch a few here and there during the summer, but the best bite is still in the early spring and fall, for both coho and kings. But, still the salmon fishing is no where near as good as it use to be, since stocking of fish was cut. There are way more coho's that are caught, that is for sure.

But with the recent stocking of kings by a local organization, things hopefully will get a bit better.

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Just wondering if anyone knows whether the WLSTA has ever had any discussions regarding this topic or possibility of stocking programs similar to some of the other clubs?

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

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