Another article

http://graydrakelodgeando...-trout-salmon.html?m=1

"...push on harder, pummel it even harder, harvest even the last one- go to any length like a crack addicted drug addict to get the chrome fix. "
 
Agree that a lot of it requires at least hip boots to wade through, but he does hit some nails.
 
I have never heard anything about the ocean currently contributing significantly to the LO Alewife population.  The issue here, at least hypothetically, is that the longer periods of ice cover and assumed resultant reduction in phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass,  and the longer periods of cold temperatures, cause increased thiaminase production in the alewifes, who also suffer in terms of body condition from less available food and the harsher conditions.  The predator gets a higher dose of thiaminase in each prey fish consumed, and has to consume more prey fish per unit of energy needed, and as a result is not able to get enough Vitamin B for maintenance of metabolism.  After one bad winter in 2014, this exhibited most dramatically as the chrome die off in the SR.  Then, a second winter even worse than the first, and the deep lake pretty much shut down after mid-June.  It seems logical that if this condition became advanced enough in large numbers of the trout and salmon out in the lake in 2015, they hit the bottom instead of making into the tributaries.  Some of the fish survived, but no where's near what would be expected from "normal recruitment" (I've seen west coast numbers where 1-2% return is considered good, but we don't have seals and seal lions and Orcas and the commercial and Native American fleets in LO!), and the Salmon and Steelhead were both affected (I saw pretty good numbers of browns in the CNY tribs I have been on, maybe they are more focused on the gobies).  A silver lining in all this for the long run is that as long as the hatchery is selecting the healthiest fish, these are possibly individuals with a genetic resistance to the thiaminase, as they have some how managed to survive and make it back to the hatchery, so the genepool gets "stronger."  But if it takes a long time to get things "back on track," it's little consolation for geezers like me and Twobob. 

Pretty much as I agree with Lucky . My only comment / question is ( salmon ) did not hit well in the coolers on the lake in 2015 . If they were out there in " normal " numbers wouldn't one think the creel would have shown those results and they didn't end up on the lake bottom because they were not out there ?
Flip side and story goes that they hid from all the pro and novice anglers with fancy electronics somewhere on the lake that no boats dare to go .
Get ready folks, the lake trout fishery is going to BOOM >>>> then CRASH from over harvest again .

Agree with you guys on the lack of fish and why- NOT what this guy said bout too many bait.

Might think so Bear- especially if the bait have a decent spawn.
HOPE----and easy winters.
 
OOps---- that guy says Ontario  already has too many baitfish.

Did he miss  out on giving  an Orvis endorsement?  There's more than a few things in that bloggish  lump that I disagree with, but the guy is a salesman, and adept at marketing. The majority of west coasters don't give the tiniest of fecal excretions about the GL fisheries, and they aren't going to change. Of course, if a published author and famous guide beats on their forum doors, well..., maybe. The opposite may hold true, though, and the philosophy of fishing without catching  taking hold in the Great Lakes would do his guide business a whale of good. Kind of like bluefin guys that'll blow 10,000 bucks  on trips to get one surface take.  I'm sure I've opened myself to the usual lecture about how I don't know squat, but, since I wasted my time reading it, I figured I'd add to the pile...

Another Jan. 5 Article: http://www.syracuse.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2016/01/guides_problem_of_dying_struggling_steelhead_on_salmon_river_persists.html
 
(Jus my opinion, probably not yours. (yukyuk)
My comment to article:
Hi Dave,
Thanks for keeping us informed!
I would have written that the normal # of twirlers (not last year) seen on a daily basis, over the last 25 years, is 99.99% LESS this year. Ya-Hooo! (Guess I should have returned your call ;)
In the last 25 years or so Ive seen 3-4 twirlers, on a daily basis, all steelhead season.
This year Ive only seen 3-4 TOTAL steelhead twirlers for the ENTIRE (almost daily) last 3 month steelhead season.
Yes, it persists, BUT is normal, and is 99.99% better than the last 25 years. (excluding last year)
Sincerely, Randy Jones
A Salmon River Pulaski NY full-time Fishing Guide who is on the water almost daily over the entire Salmon River Fishing season.