TOPIC:

GLSI
32 mins ·
Nearing the end of 2017 salmon season. Kids are back to school, fall winds, hunting season etc. despite the potential for great fall fishing. It became very apparent that the demand for silver fish is where our fishery is in the minds of anglers. Kings are the crack cocaine of fresh water fishing!! With the addititon of coho in big numbers on this side of the pond this year, anglers came out of the woodwork to participate along with the opportunity to catch a 30lb or even 40lb fish.
What about the future? We are waiting to hear about the results of this years bait fish assessments! Currently there are concerns about bait quantity and age classes 2012, 2015, 2016, and hopefully 2017 alewives from fed and states agencies. What about gobies that anglers were sold a bill of goods to support the massive lake Trout planting operation on? Does anyone remember the video last year where the MDNR said Lake trout, 70% of their diet is Gobies and Kings only eat alewives?? And, the truth be told that the isotope data shows that 9.6% of LT diet are gobies and prefer pelagic species like alewives and rainbow smelt. What if winds don't set-up the lake next year for good fish numbers on the east side of L. Mi next year. States agencies relying on natural reproduction? Lack of balance of Predators and economical demand for Kings.
The GLSI formed last year to refute the planned cut to plant 200,000 kings in 2017 instead of maintaining 559,000 plants in Michigan waters of Lake Michigan. The idea that there is too much natural reproduction can be argued because there is no hard data to prove this. The MDNR is working on micro chemistry studies to determine natal rivers where kings are naturalized. The problem is there is only 1 grad student slated to this study. The MDNR needs to study and make an attempt to more accurately determine actual reproduction numbers not some bogus estimate of 1 to 19 million. The problem is money and how do they get money allocated for this effort.
There are positives though!
*The MDNR is listening to the GLSI thru it's membership
*The future management plan of Zonal Management--recognizing zones in Lake Mi suited for certain species and economic efforts
*Coho movement further downstream from current plant locations to enhance survival through the predator gauntlet
*Future LT cuts starting in 2019
*Weirs were put in early this year recognizing that natal fish are returning earlier for egg take
What needs to happen?
*If we are to rely on natural reproduction of King Salmon why are stocks not being protected??? A reduction in creel limit from 5 to 3 is crucial!! Breeding stock of all other species are controlled through limits or seasons--does anyone recognize an agenda here??
*Lake Huron should give up the majority of their production, including tribal entities at Nunns Creek. Michigan should recognize the "SCIENCE" that 90% of those fish come to L. Mi to feed then return to spawn. Google November 2016 L Huron Citizen Advisory Council meeting Minutes, on pg 4 Frank Krist is noted that chinook numbers need to be maintained for alewife suppression----really?
*Chinook plant numbers need to return to 559,000 2013-2016 levels and planted for late summer return and fair distribution for economical impact
*Dramatic cuts in LT numbers for a balanced Apex Predator population
*recognize the demand for and the desired species----salmon
What are your thoughts?