2015/02/26 15:42:31
pafisher
There is next to no natural repro of Steel in the SR,if they did n't stock there would be none to fish for.The west coast is a different story,lots of naturals out there.
2015/03/11 16:20:45
dimebrite2
Just got first hand info today of over 100 dead steelhead in the river sighted two days ago on a float from pineville to ballpark. Also got first hand info from a friend who attended state of the lake meeting last night. Vitamin b-defficiency was said to not be a new problem in which egg injections have been done in the past. A question was asked "why are more fish dying in salmon river and Not so Much in other tribs and Canadian tribs"... Answer from DEC: salmon river has too much fishing pressure...

I've feared the past few years...mostly since 2010ish/2011... Too many people... Steelhead being harassed from top to bottom. I do admire the lack of internet and Facebook hype the past year. I do hope it continues. Fishing should not be treated like a video game.
2015/03/11 20:01:45
hot tuna
I got first hand info today that the zoo and below were filled with many cars, for a weds no less..
That about detours my thoughts of coming up anytime soon , esp on a weekend .
 
I think L-13 may have attended the meetings and I have read about them on a Lake forum from those that did and their views..
Too many ppl are really not the issue as my understanding as far as the health of the fishery..
The fishery (lake) is in a fragile state right now as I am reading..  Remember , it's a put and take fishery, it's all based on the lake balance more then the river pressure.. If pressure was the problem in tribs, measures could be taken to correct that.. That's not the case as I understand
2015/03/11 21:13:10
hot tuna
If you wish to read about the sol meetings then I suggest looking at these points of view. I do agree with many here , even the finger pointing one. It's really best to start from page 1
http://www.lakeontariouni...led/page-4#entry339200

The strange thing is , years ago the trib anglers were blaming the lake fishers for the majority voice now the lake fishers are blaming the trib anglers for the voice.
2015/03/12 07:11:33
dimebrite2
Absolutely a lot more than fishing pressure problems tuna. Was only referring to "dead fish"... As no tribs are showing near as many dead fish as the salmon river.
2015/03/12 07:57:18
dimebrite2
And you're correct about fishing pressure currently: a lot of people. I suspect a lot more fish are dying as we speak. Fishing pressure is making the problem seem much worse on the "salmon river". ... Over 109 dead fish seen in 1 float??? That's freekin horrible. I know many say who cares its a put and take fishery. I do believe they should step in with some type of regulations if the dying fish persist. Now another record lake freeze after an already hurt alewive population... Here comes some really bad times folks
2015/03/12 08:03:25
dimebrite2
Big question here: if these steelhead are b1 defficjent in the lake; why are they showing up to the river and dying in the river??? I'm not implying that b-1 deficiency doesn't exist, just saying fish getting hooked and handled 50-100 times week while having vitamin deficiencies is not helping the problem
2015/03/12 08:05:04
dimebrite2
The hatchery has proven that fish held captive in a stress free environment have high survival rates...
2015/03/12 08:12:51
Lucky13
A lot of the tribs have been too iced up for anything to get in, we shall see in the next week or so if there is much left to run. But they cited reports from the Genesee and other tribs of the same phenomenon I have not had a lot of time as I have been manually clearing snow before it could end up in my living room first, now my basement, but the data from tissue analysis of the fish, controlled with Lake Erie fish, showed dangerously low Vitamin B levels in both liver tissue and muscle tissue.  One pathologist had said that a fish with the B1 level seen was technically dead, and if not, would be soon.  And, if the alewife came through this winter like last, get ready for Round 2.  But they have or anticipate having the fish they need at the hatchery, and they can get the adults to recover with B injections.   And, yes, it is possible to play a fish to death, if you are overly concerned about the dead fish call DEC and ask them to close the river for a year or two. After that, call the lottery people and ask them for next week's winning number!
 
I do want to point out that the job done by DEC on this rivals anything you'll see on CSI, absolutely amazing forensics involving a lot of dedicated and insightful scientists working tirelessly to get such a detailed answer in a VERY short time period (at least as seen by those of us who have worked in science and know how painfully slow it can sometimes be.)   Also, I don't think there is anyone to point the finger at, we are dealing with a bunch of exotic species in a foreign environment, and how they behave under different stressors is basically anyones guess sometimes.  This was the "perfect storm" for steelhead mortality (and my have just been a close call for all the alewife eaters).
 
I can't believe that anyone who lived within 20 miles of Pulaski didn't go to the meeting considering the events of the past year and the studied opinions that have been flying right and left.
2015/03/12 08:28:00
dimebrite2
I live 6 miles from the DEC facility and even closer to tribs that host runs let alone the salmon river. As much as I wanted to attend, the same reasons that keep me from getting out on the river kept me from attending.

You're right lucky, there is no "one" factor to point the finger at which more or less is summed up through this whole thread as well as published studies on the matter. It just seems ironic that at the height of such a catastrophic event with steelhead noticibly dying in the river still; parking lots are filling up. Lfz is filled with people snagging the same fish over and over again... Let it burn baby... Just keep throwing gas on the fire. The good thing is, life goes on in these parts even if the fishery collapses ;)

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