TOPIC:

Great Lakes Salmon Initiative
21 hrs ·
Wow! What a beginning to this years fishing and tournament season, absolutely outstanding. Started out in the southern end of the lake with tremendous coho fishing with some fish at nearly 10lbs. Then as the Kings started to show up the numbers of 20lb even 25+ pound King Salmon being caught is just blowing every ones minds. This is exciting and brings up the question will Lake Michigan break the 40lb mark again this year? Is the possibility to break a new state record swimming around? Are you going to be the one that catches it?

Congratulations to Hammbone catching a 29+ lb Chinook in this past weekends tournament, in early May, amazing.

Spoke to Jay Wesley yesterday and the mdnr is collecting heads from tagged fish and otoliths from wild fish in order to gather information. The information gathered should be interesting on age structure, maturity, growth rates. This should also help in future management decisions! Anglers can have a part in these decision making processes. The GLSI has heard from many members since this phenomena of huge fish has begun. First is, well these fish are eating something we need more fish planted. Second is wow this is incredible, I would rather have the opportunity to catch a fish over 30lbs than a bunch under 20lbs. What is your opinion, we want to hear from you?

The GLSI has heard from many anglers that the State of Michigan MDNR needs to do a better job at planting fish. Absolutely they do but we as anglers need to step up and do our part also. Looking at and seeing how other states are planting fish and net penning programs in cooperative efforts with dnrs is important. With the amount of fish being planted, acclimation, survivability, smolting, predator evasion are all important factors and net penning helps in this process. BUT we as anglers, visitor bureaus, sport groups and organizations have to step up and do our part. We need to go to the MDNR and ask to be part of the process, we just can't complain that they need to do better. In reality we need to do better! It takes a massive amount of work and effort to get the pens, schedule the fish, feed the fish, stay in contact with biologists, release the fish, remove the pens and maintain them. BUT, if we want a higher quality product, better fishing, we can't just complain we need to step up and do some of the work. We can't be calling the MDNR on a Sunday on Mothers Day and say were out of food. Again, we as anglers and organizations need to participate and be part of the process and solutions to what we desire in our fishery.

personally I would much rather catch a bunch under 20 than one 30 if we are talking about the population of the lake. If I spend the amount of money that is required to troll for salmon and I spend most of the time chasing one big fish and not getting skunked the rest of the time, I would sell the gear. I wouldn't want to constantly be catching dinks but if I am catching in the 10 to 20 range I am happy. Then if you happen across a 30 it is a glorious surprise (well I am assuming it would be - I will let you know when I get my first one).

I'm with Ed. I'd rather catch two 15s or three 10s than one 30 - and I've caught plenty of 25 to 30s. I once wrote an opinion story about a 10 pound salmon being the toughest fish in the lake to boat. I stick by it.