10-08-2007, 12:05 AM
[cool][#0000ff]I was around from the mid 70s through the mid 80s and witnessed both the peak and beginning of the decline of the browns. That was when brownaholics came in from all over the world to fish at night in subfreezing temperatures, trolling next to shore with long rods, light lines and big Rapalas. In between frostbite amputations they sometimes scored big browns. There were enough 20 pounders that it did not raise many eyebrows when someone got one. Bob Bringhurst got the biggun...the 31 pounder...but there were quite a few huge fish lost at the net.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In those days the chubs were so thick you could just about walk across the marina on them when they moved inside. The browns were planted heavily to help keep them in check. They got fat on chub pizza. The smallmouth were already in the lake by the mid 70s but not a major population yet. There were plenty to be caught, but they had not yet cleaned out the chubs. I think they were the main cause of the ultimate crash of the chub population, but of course the macks and browns did their part too. However, once the main forage base was gone (chubs), there were not as many browns stocked. And, the macks changed their dining habits to include more rainbows and kokes. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As most Gorge fans know, macks are pretty omnivorous and will munch anything they can find. Today that might be a mixed platter of suckers, burbot, crawdads, sculpins and the aforementioned kokes and hatchery pet rainbows. As Gorge fans also know, the macks are not missing many meals. The fish being caught during the last year have mostly been very healthy, with big guts.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are still quite a few browns in the Gorge, but not nearly as many and seemingly none of the huge ones from those glory days. I am sure there are some trophies in there, but because the big browns feed at night...and only for short periods maybe once or twice a week...you have to be lucky and have both good timing and good planning to be at the right place at the right time with something they will hit when they are feeding. It was plenty tough "back when" and even tougher today.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In those days the chubs were so thick you could just about walk across the marina on them when they moved inside. The browns were planted heavily to help keep them in check. They got fat on chub pizza. The smallmouth were already in the lake by the mid 70s but not a major population yet. There were plenty to be caught, but they had not yet cleaned out the chubs. I think they were the main cause of the ultimate crash of the chub population, but of course the macks and browns did their part too. However, once the main forage base was gone (chubs), there were not as many browns stocked. And, the macks changed their dining habits to include more rainbows and kokes. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]As most Gorge fans know, macks are pretty omnivorous and will munch anything they can find. Today that might be a mixed platter of suckers, burbot, crawdads, sculpins and the aforementioned kokes and hatchery pet rainbows. As Gorge fans also know, the macks are not missing many meals. The fish being caught during the last year have mostly been very healthy, with big guts.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are still quite a few browns in the Gorge, but not nearly as many and seemingly none of the huge ones from those glory days. I am sure there are some trophies in there, but because the big browns feed at night...and only for short periods maybe once or twice a week...you have to be lucky and have both good timing and good planning to be at the right place at the right time with something they will hit when they are feeding. It was plenty tough "back when" and even tougher today.[/#0000ff]
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