I have also come to the conclusion to let the circus take and partake in the return of what salmon do migrate. It's been a long haul since I first decided to actually fish for spawning salmon but with the commercialism swath of down low and up high in terms of pay to play, it's disgusting now.

hot tuna
My scientific knowledge is . The dec stocks 2 and 3 year old catch and release trout in a river section that does not winter over due to anchor ice. On a stream I fished for 50 years. The sections that are bait and keep, produce the largest, best fishery.
This leads me to believe, something is wrong. My dollars are being wasted on science instead of first hand knowledge.

I was not at all referring to the Ausable although I seriously doubt that anchor ice totally eliminates all the fish every winter in any section of that river, or Fran would not have been finding the fish he caught, and I would never be seeing the hogs that live under the flume.  But of course I'm not up there in the dead of winter ( and neither are you, you're walking around on Lake George.)

"Now if you believe that there is more predators than forage, blah.
The predator base, besides lake trout is lower than it has been . Some want you to believe that natural reproduction is increasing the predator population , poopy, chock.. this is a ploy.."
 
That is the "poopy, chock" to which I referred.  No one has said there are more predators than bait.  But the data does exhibit declines in the bait that indicate a high risk that carrying capacity is being exceeded.  Lake trout were lowered 20% , the same amount percentage wise , as Kings, in the first cut, and were further reduced in the second cut due to problems at the Federal Hatchery.  Lake trout have also always been stocked at much lower numbers than kings.  The fin clip study demonstrated conclusively that Kings spawned in the Salmon River returned as adults.  That would mean that if DEC stocked X number of Kings, and Y number recruited from natural reproduction, we now have X+Y number of Kings, and except in Bizarro world in Superman,  that would be an increase. 
 
"Ploy" implies some sort of conspiracy.  I have spoken to Steve LaPan, director for Great Lakes Fisheries for NYSDEC, and we agree that the fastest way to get the king salmon out of Lake Ontario would not be to reduce stocking, but rather increase it to the point where the alewife did collapse.  If anyone were desiring to get the King out of Lake Ontario,  but the Fish Community Objectives are pretty clear, and the king is top dog in that document, if anyone took the time to read it.
 
First hand knowledge got us from the stone ax to the metal axe, which you might still be using to cut your firewood without science, which is how we get to devices like chainsaws.  (and that is a metaphor.)

Lucky13

hot tuna
My scientific knowledge is . The dec stocks 2 and 3 year old catch and release trout in a river section that does not winter over due to anchor ice. On a stream I fished for 50 years. The sections that are bait and keep, produce the largest, best fishery.
This leads me to believe, something is wrong. My dollars are being wasted on science instead of first hand knowledge.

I was not at all referring to the Ausable although I seriously doubt that anchor ice totally eliminates all the fish every winter in any section of that river, or Fran would not have been finding the fish he caught, and I would never be seeing the hogs that live under the flume.  But of course I'm not up there in the dead of winter ( and neither are you, you're walking around on Lake George.)

Yes I've been to the ausable in the dead of winters to experience the anchor ice firsthand. Lived there for a few years as well. The areas of c& r get the largest amount of anchor ice. Those shallow pockets and pools literally close up from the bottom.
Remember before c& r or 2 year old stocking there was a section called " trophy water " it started at monument falls. You'd be hard pressed to catch a 12" fish besides the 8" stockies when the size limit was 9".

On my honeymoon I caught and released a 24".brown in Monument Falls, best fish of the trip, which also included 19" and 18" browns and a 17" rainbow in the Pocket water below Wilmington.  And, it being my honeymoon, I only got to fish a few times for a couple of hours, lots of gift shops in Lake Placid and other sites to see.
 
I streamgaged for the USGS ( as part of a coop with them, not as a Federal employee) in Irondequoit Creek, which experiences large amounts of anchor ice.  The stream has continued to improve as a natural brown trout stream throughout.  Fish swim away from conditions they don't like, and yes, on the Ausable there are places where they can't return upstream, but that's how the big fish end up in Lake Everest and down in Ausable Forks. 
 
Also, NYS Stocks 1 year old ( 8-9") and 2 yr old (12-14") trout.  Larger fish stocked in the Ausable come from other sources, like the Essex County hatchery, or the local Chamber of Commerce, or so said Mr Betters in his books.

Got in with my son midday on Monday- We each hooked up once lower mid- TONS of fisherfolks and VERY VERY few fish.- only saw a half dozen in 5 hours.
Chucker folks doing poor to  moderate in deep holes where they can snag to their hearts content.
Only runners are singles - in 3 days never saw more than one at a time.
Tuesday went upper mid to a very favored spot and it was one of the poorest days of fishing I have experienced on the Sr since 1985. Did I mention TONS of fisherfolk.
Again the occasional ( one an hour or so) single fast runner seen.
This AM back to lower mid and we saw perhaps 4 fish in 5 hours.
Chuckers running after fish  picking some as they run past and I personally believe thats what is being reported by most venues as a slow pick or ya gotta move to find them.
LOTS of fisherfolks and frankly have seen more action on the odd occasional late August.
Kinda too late IMHO for a run this year-when ya talk to the right folks- never had more than a trickle.
Hate to be so negative but if this keeps up Pulaski is gonna change.
I will be there if even one fish runs - but most wont.
Satisfied -yea- I love it there fish or not-
My trip last month, however , was very slow but a bit productive- This was awful fishing lol.
My November trip is on a real big hold.

Do they plan on a release anytime soon?

So I will concur I hit 2 spots. My normal spot hat fish ,but not huge numbers. Just enough to get by. I had two Ho's hit pink egg patterns and a king hit a bunny leach. Several other liners got on too. Mid river fish were sparse and holed up or on redds. The folks having ''luck'' are the '' hunters '' ripping them off redds or slowly taking them out of accessible holes in the am. The river is only packed with people not fish.

Whenever I  FISHED someone would usually RUN over and start slashing below me.
They think you see something and are trying for it.
Guy came between my son and I who were standing bout 25 feet apart to do that.
Crossed his line a few times and he- and a fish- left.
Combat fishing.
 
Never see this idiocy anyplace but the SR- worse when its slow.
 
I dont believe its a question of water levels or temps at this mid Oct time. IMHO their body clock says SPAWN and they gotta go.
Just very very few going lol.

Thanks for the report guys.