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hey there,
I went out to the north fork area on the salmon river this last weekend, and the fishing was pretty good, as far as numbers go. despite catching over a dozen fish, we only caught one that was over 24". almost all of them were 22", really skinny hens. normally they dont seem to be that skinny until april! I am wondering if other people are having the same results of tiny fish this year. normally the a-runs we get are around 5-6 pounds average, these ones are mostly <4. I caught one that was 19" and about two pounds. it looked like a skinny lake trout! perhaps the thermal block made them skinny? are bad ocean conditions that are leading to poor returns also severely stunting growth?
what do you fellas think?
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[url "http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2487555/Island-debris-size-TEXAS-2011-Japanese-tsunami-headed-straight-U-S.html"]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2487555/Island-debris-size-TEXAS-2011-Japanese-tsunami-headed-straight-U-S.html[/url]
This might have something to do with it. That is a lot of crap that is free floating out in the salmon and steelhead feeding waters. [:/]
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Fished the Straits of Juan de Fuca this summer, and the chinook, coho, and pinks all came in very fat and packed with herring, anchovy, squid, shrimp, and/ or candlefish. The baitfish were so thick we were getting false bottom readings frequently. Our downrigger cables and line were vibrating like crazy going through bait balls. The surface would be frothy with one or more of the above more often than I have ever experienced. I was told that the ocean conditions were perfect for baitfish. So, either our steelhead were in a different part of the ocean than the salmon species, or something else is to blame.
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Seen quite a few fish since the first one on October 12th and I have had a couple 28in fish but most are under 24.
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There do seem to be a lot more smaller fish this year. My biggest thus far was a 27" male and the rest have all been under 24". Don't think this will be the year to land the elusive 40"er as I hope every year. 36" is my best Salmon River fish so far and I am not sure I'll top it for some time.
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have any of you fished out of the snake river basin this year? I wonder if its across the NW or just our fish... I was in AK this august on the Kenai Peninsula, and the steelhead up there were average size and build. It is also strange that we have a record setting fall chinook run corresponding with a steelhead return so poor that they are worried about having enough to reach broodstock goals.
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What kind of run did these fish come from? Is it genetic? Maybe pollution? What's the history? Maybe a different hatchery?
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Probable more 1 year fish returning compared to 2 and 3's. Water temps in river outside optimal prior to going to salt can also effect the size on return but I bet it's mostly younger fish you're encountering. Isn't that why they changed regs on the Clearwater this year?
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[quote riverdog]Probable more 1 year fish returning compared to 2 and 3's. Water temps in river outside optimal prior to going to salt can also effect the size on return but I bet it's mostly younger fish you're encountering. Isn't that why they changed regs on the Clearwater this year?[/quote]
This . . .
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Grande ronde fish are the same way. Did get a 33 inch hen there last Sunday though but the rest have been 22 to 24
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Perhaps the poor little silver bullets had to compete with the 1,550,491 salmon that swam up the Columbia this year. Not to mention the ones that got picked off between buoy 10 and Bonneville, and the 233,000 other steelhead that came.
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Small steelhead fit through gillnets much better than big ones do..................
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Had some friends just got home from shoup, they had same report. Lots of small fish. Coffee shop talk is blaming netting and sort screens down stream by the native Americans. I hear that they get $.40 a lb selling the fish for pet food. Any truth to that?
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Here are a couple from today. These are the average this year.
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Saturday we didnt have a fish under 27 inches with the biggest fish going 31. Today we were back to cookie cutter dinks.......
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