Fishing Forum

Check the pic.
[signature]

14,673!!!!!!

93335 adults over..

Boo YAA!!!
[signature]

Looking good guys... Maybe the clearwater will get bumped to 2 adults...
[signature]

FandG said there has already been 10,000 Clearwater fish over bonnevill. Last year these was only 7600 for the whole season. If we are half way and can pull another 10,000 to the Clearwater we should see a bump in the limit.
[signature]

I wanted to see if the rumors were true and there were actually salmon in the river... So I stopped at the BON fish ladder yesterday while I was down there for work. Turns out it's true and there are actually are salmon in there! The water wasn't too clear, but there were frequently three or four visible in the windows at a time!


[inline image.jpeg]
[inline "image[1].jpeg"]
[inline "image[2].jpeg"]
[signature]

This is really good to see. I am wondering what the difference in conditions was that brought a larger run back this year as opposed to the last few years. Anyone have some theories?

Fewer northern pike minnows? seals? More water for the smolts??
[signature]

I would think ocean conditions considering the fall run plus better passage and water management (flushing the system). I think if we get them to the ocean we would have decent returns every year as long as the commercial guys dont hammer them out on the ocean. The OR and WA boys are licking there chops for another go around even though they have pulled a ton of fish out already.
[signature]

I know steelhead are an entirely different animal and dont spend near the time in the salt but i also find it interesting that we had a banner fall salmon passage over lover granite last year but the steelhead numbers were on the light side considering the 10 year average and again we are having a pretty great start to the salmon run. Would water conditions be good for the salmon but not for the steelhead? maybe mortality rates were high for the steelhead? just something to discuss while i patiently wait.
[signature]

All the stars are currently aligned, with better management, flushing, etc., but the biggie seems to be ocean conditions, with cool Pacific waters. I have been fishing the Straits for close to 50 years, and last year the bait fish were so thick that my depth finder often couldn't make it to the bottom for periods of close to 5 minutes. The herring, anchovy, candlefish and shrimp could often be seen by simply looking over the side of the boat. I've seen good years and dismal years, but nothing quite like last year. This year should be similar or better, but that evil el nino is being forecast. Mike
[signature]

I think that historically we have been losing way to many smolts headed down the river. The remaining survivors are then even further reduced because there are not enough fish so predators hammer em'. You can compare salmon runs to farming crops. If you get behind (less smolt hitting the ocean) you are never going to catch up (small returns). Can't make a good chinook run out of crappy smolt survival no matter how good the ocean conditions are.
[signature]