Fishing Forum

it would be nice if some of these excess eggs found thier way into flaming gorge....


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[size 2][#888888]charlie meyers
[/#888888][/size]Salmon egg collection looks encouraging
[url "mailto:cmeyers@denverpost.com"][#000000]By Charlie Meyers
Denver Post Staff Writer[/#000000][/url]

When fisherman gab turns to records, measurements usually come in pounds and inches, not numbers running into the millions.
We're talking kokanee eggs here.
After several disappointing years, the Colorado Division of Wildlife appears on pace to collect more salmon eggs than ever before in a program that totally supports a fishery dear to the hearts of anglers.
"I don't want to tell you we're going to set a record and then have to call and say we didn't, but it does look encouraging," said Rich Kolecki, state hatchery manager.
With the sun, moon and all the planets seemingly aligned for the first time in ages, the numbers are starting to pile up.
Although the timing of the kokanee runs generally has been delayed by mild weather and high water levels, the fish are there, ready to contribute their eggs to the process that perpetuates a popular activity in a couple dozen places around the state.
Crews already collected 5.7 million eggs at the primary site around the Gunnison River-East River complex, where the take shriveled to 2.75 million a year ago. With a few thousand fish still holding in the Roaring Judy Hatchery ponds, Kolecki hopes another 2 million might be forthcoming.
That alone might be almost enough to meet the state's baseline of 7.8 million required to stock those half-dozen reservoirs essential to replenish the system.
DOW aims for slightly less than 10 million eggs each year, which allows the agency to also stock several other recreation-only lakes.
But wait, there's more.
About 765,000 eggs already have been taken from the southwest duo of Vallecito and McPhee reservoirs, with a couple of million more in prospect. Still to come is the anticipated bonanza at Granby, which last season chipped in 3 million eggs, the most in many years.
A sonar survey, coupled with visual observation, reveal many thousands of fish poised to dash up the Colorado Division channel to waiting DOW nets.
"It sounds like the Granby run could be the best in a long time," said Eric Hughes, state

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fish manager.
DOW crews still are waiting for the run at Williams Fork Reservoir, which added 550,000 eggs in 2004 and could contribute more. Now, for the first time, the agency will tap the ample run out of Elevenmile Reservoir.
Biologist Jeff Spohn reports about 3,500 fish in the trap at the South Platte River inlet. Just 367 are females and only 11 percent of these have come ripe, Spohn said. The Elevenmile run trickles out over a period of almost 2 months.
Males run first, and the trick is to keep them alive and well until a matching number of females arrive and ripen. Given optimum conditions, Spohn aims for a take of 1.5 million eggs.
By now, the count is really starting to pile up. Still, Kolecki isn't one to count his eggs until they're in the pan.
"A few things could go wrong, but I'm still optimistic," he said.
Thing is, state hatcheries can handle only a limited number of fry. Anything over 10 million eggs amounts to excess.
So, what if DOW collects, say, 15 million, not at all out of the question?
"We have friends who'd love us," Kolecki said of a commodity that has been in short supply among wildlife agencies all over the western United States in recent years.
DOW uses excess kokanee eggs to barter with neighboring states for a variety of fish desired to round out its aquatic package. The return this year could be particularly sweet. But, then, records usually are.
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I don't know if Utah gets kokanee eggs from other states but I do know the kokanee numbers are down in Flaming Gorge because of the excess number of lake trout. In years past there have been plenty of kokes that keep the lake well stocked but that might be changing. I guess we will find out soon because those eggs won't keep for ever. Thanks for posting the article, it will be interesting to see what happens. WH2
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Its always good to see other species ,of fish branch out in other states.I hope they have a record spawn with all them eggs.I know that wyo has in the past ,traded for koke eggs for the gorge.I dont know if they still do this or not.iam hoping that the new regs that will go into affect next year will make a difference ,helping to bring the kokanee back to its glory days at the gorge.More protection for the spawning beds below fontenell dam will help greatly,as will rasieing the limits on macks .i really cant complain about the kokes in the gorge , I caught more and bigger kokes this year then i have in a long time.IMO i think that lack of habitiat and pressure from so many macks in the lake,has had a bigger affect on the kokes ,then lower hatch rates have.The next few years will tell the tale or not.
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Utah and Wyoming need to get together and buy all surplus eggs and dump them in the Gorge. That would help feed all them Lakers.
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