03-09-2012, 10:12 PM
The question of "native" is one that could be debated for a looooong time too!
This has been an interesting discussion. I haven't fished for either salmon or steelhead in Idaho, and I haven't fished for bass in Brownlee .... yet. I am for keeping fish everywhere!
I have been around a long time, and I have seen a lot of changes take place with our anadromous fish. My dad was a commercial fisherman off of the Washington coast. ALL salmon and steelhead runs have changed and suffered not just Idaho's. Although Idaho's runs are probably one of the worst cases.
The point is that there are lots of problems with the runs. Besides the dams there are other changes with the water quantity and quality, "canners" sitting off our shores, seals, northern pikefish, and so on. The fact that the bass are eating some of the smolts also is a small drop in the bucket.
I don't think is has to be an either bass or salmon situation. I think we can have the bass and the salmon both. Yes the flows disrupt the bass in some of the reservoirs, but sometimes there need to be compromises on everyone's part. Maybe they will get those flows fine tuned where it all works better.
There isn't going to be a single solution that will be a magic bullet that will restore the runs to there former status. But by addressing most of the issues we can tip the balance in the salmon's favor. It will take many many compromises and a huge effort, but I believe we are seeing the beginning of the return.
That is a good thing for all fishermen, even if you don't fish for them. It has brought awareness of the value of fish and fishing recreation to the forefront for many entities. They are seeing that fishing is big business with a big voice. We have gained a say in many other areas because of the salmon and steelhead cases.
For our fisheries, the salmon bring a huge smorgasbord of ocean nutrients with them. Those nutrients feed more than just the smolts. Whole forests and food webs depend on that nutrition coming every year. I have seen rivers in Washington virtually die when the salmon stop running. Areas that don't have a high natural nutrient load peter out and the fish become very small and very few. Here in Idaho look at the Payette River. For the most part, it doesn't support a good food base for fish of any kind anymore compared to what it used to.
It behooves us as sportsmen (and women) to look at the whole picture and make sure we keep our runs, because when we loose them, we may loose our say in many other fisheries also. There are ways to work together to have many uses of our waters, if we are willing to make it happen. That will mean many compromises, and a great deal of effort by the multitude of individuals that want to have their voice heard.
Just think ..... more salmon means more smolts to feed the bass!!!! [
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This has been an interesting discussion. I haven't fished for either salmon or steelhead in Idaho, and I haven't fished for bass in Brownlee .... yet. I am for keeping fish everywhere!
I have been around a long time, and I have seen a lot of changes take place with our anadromous fish. My dad was a commercial fisherman off of the Washington coast. ALL salmon and steelhead runs have changed and suffered not just Idaho's. Although Idaho's runs are probably one of the worst cases.
The point is that there are lots of problems with the runs. Besides the dams there are other changes with the water quantity and quality, "canners" sitting off our shores, seals, northern pikefish, and so on. The fact that the bass are eating some of the smolts also is a small drop in the bucket.
I don't think is has to be an either bass or salmon situation. I think we can have the bass and the salmon both. Yes the flows disrupt the bass in some of the reservoirs, but sometimes there need to be compromises on everyone's part. Maybe they will get those flows fine tuned where it all works better.
There isn't going to be a single solution that will be a magic bullet that will restore the runs to there former status. But by addressing most of the issues we can tip the balance in the salmon's favor. It will take many many compromises and a huge effort, but I believe we are seeing the beginning of the return.
That is a good thing for all fishermen, even if you don't fish for them. It has brought awareness of the value of fish and fishing recreation to the forefront for many entities. They are seeing that fishing is big business with a big voice. We have gained a say in many other areas because of the salmon and steelhead cases.
For our fisheries, the salmon bring a huge smorgasbord of ocean nutrients with them. Those nutrients feed more than just the smolts. Whole forests and food webs depend on that nutrition coming every year. I have seen rivers in Washington virtually die when the salmon stop running. Areas that don't have a high natural nutrient load peter out and the fish become very small and very few. Here in Idaho look at the Payette River. For the most part, it doesn't support a good food base for fish of any kind anymore compared to what it used to.
It behooves us as sportsmen (and women) to look at the whole picture and make sure we keep our runs, because when we loose them, we may loose our say in many other fisheries also. There are ways to work together to have many uses of our waters, if we are willing to make it happen. That will mean many compromises, and a great deal of effort by the multitude of individuals that want to have their voice heard.
Just think ..... more salmon means more smolts to feed the bass!!!! [
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