The Steelhead Angler

I just got done checking the Chinook numbers coming over Bonneville Dam and while they run seems to be about three weeks late they are looking pretty good for right now. Yesterday over 9,000 salmon crossed Bonneville dam on their migration home we have not seen numbers like these in over a decade for the last several years 3,000 per day was a good number lets hope this continues as we wait for there arrival.While only 1,600 have crossed Lower Granite Dam so far this year as I mentioned they seem to be running about three weeks late so I’m expecting to see these number increase as well over the coming weeks. Come on Salmon!!

It is truly hard to get vary excited though as every time you turn around you are hearing more bad news about the West Coast Salmon populations and this year for the first time ever they have completely shut down salmon fishing on the west coast. It makes you wonder that with over 9 Billion dollars spent on there recovery and number being at an all-time low (for summer run salmon) if we will be able to continue to enjoy seeing these magnificent fish return in any respectable numbers in the future.

I was doing some research over the past week when the seals again became an issue with the migrating salmon and I definitely became disillusioned with this thought. If the seal numbers are 238,000 as they say; and lets say that they eat just one salmon every other day do you know how many salmon that works out to be in a years time? Well the number is astounding 43,435,000 salmon a year. Now you add Orcas the commercial fisheries the fact that over 80% of the juveniles will never make it to the ocean and how the climate change affects the oceans conditions you really begin to gain some respect for these fish. Well it was just a thought  not a good thought but a thought.

The good news at least for this year for those along the Columbia River systems is that we are expecting a very good run this year. So I suggest that if you ever wanted to try your luck in catching a Chinook salmon that you get your gear ready and give it a try this year as we can not predict how long this will continue.

Do you have some thoughts about these magnificent fish if so join use at Idaho Trout Hunters Forum  in the catagory TroutHunter Member’s RoundTable and let us know what you’re thinking. http://idahotrouthunter.smfforfree2.com/index.php

By: RR Smith
Looking to save on your next purchase of Fishing Gear Please visit my Store at Steelhead Gear.Com I’m sure you will find some of the best prices available anywhere for your Salmon, Steelhead, and Trout Fishing Gear wants and needs.

http://www.steelhead-gear.com

It appears that the Chinook Salmon run we have all been hopping for is starting to make its way past Bonneville Dam as their count numbers begin to improve. Looking on the DART Adult Passage All Species Composite Report page yesterday the number of fish crossing over Bonneville Dam was 6645 adults and 115 jacks both of these number are good results and as the run has just started to move up the river I’m hopping that even these numbers will increase over the next few days.

They have been trapping a few of the seals that hang out around the Bonneville ladders. While activist still are protesting their removal and just how long they will be able to keep the trapping operation for the seals going seems to be up in the air. I may be a little more sympatric about this issue but if the dams were not in the rivers the seals would not even be traveling up there in the first place. Ok they won’t let them destroy the seals at least let them keep up the trapping efforts and get them out of the river. Some unhappy fisherman might chuck a rock or some at them and we don’t want these seals to be harmed now do we?

Anyway back to the good news and that is even with the seals feasting on or salmon it appears that the fisheries management teams predictions are going to be met if not excided this year. We should all have a better then average chance at hooking into one of Idaho’s special treasures this year.

A friend of mine has started a forum here in Idaho and it would be great if you would stop by and see what we are doing here in Idaho. Don’t be shy either start your own topic and let us know what going on in your area or ask some questions and find out some of the many exciting fishing opportunities that Idaho has to offer.  You can find his forum at:  http://idahotrouthunter.wordpress.com/idaho-trouthunter-forum/  and tell Old Eagle Eyes Hi for me while you’re there.

Once again Idaho Salmon are facing another man made obstacle on their migration back home. Bonneville Dam is seeing large numbers of Sea Lions and California Seals again that are feasting on our Salmon runs. While state and federal agencies have been monitoring this situation for years and have decided that they need to take action the Humane Society of the United States has step in and are trying to prevent their efforts.Look at some of this information posted on the Free Republic Website

*”Salmon and sea lions are protected species. But California sea lion numbers are booming, while many northwest salmon species are struggling. The sea lion population, about 1,000 animals in the 1930s, now numbers about 238,000 along the West Coast. Biologists think the animals have maxed out available breeding sites and habitat.

The number that could be killed under the initial federal proposal is about one one-hundredth of the number that biologists estimate could be removed without undermining the overall population.
Anglers and biologists have grown increasingly frustrated with sea lions that swim up the Columbia to Bonneville Dam, where they feast on salmon gathering to climb fish ladders upriver. Last year, monitoring crews counted sea lions eating more than 4 percent of the salmon run, although biologists suspect they probably ate more.

Hudson said state and tribal biologists estimate sea lions may consume 13 percent to 17 percent of spring Chinook salmon passing through the dam.”

* http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1987633/posts

Now I do not know about you but I’m tired of my tax money being used to feed a predator that by all accounts have over populated their natural environment and are now seeking to find an easy meal on the very same fish that we as sportsmen, tax payers, and even as consumers have been trying to protect and improve their numbers so that we can continue to enjoy fishing for these magnificent fish.

Have you heard the answer to the problem from the Humane Society of the United States as stated by spokes woman Sharon Young “agencies should look to cut back fishing before looking at sea lions”

I’m all for protecting wildlife and I believe that I do my part I keep very few of the fish I catch and most of the time I catch a release my fish just to insure that the will be there tomorrow and for the next generation to enjoy as I have. But when you see articles like this it makes you wonder way we spend billions of dollars ever year on salmon recovery programs have numerous agencies work for their recovery and then when they decide it is time to take a corrective action we do not allow them to do anything. They do not want to eliminate the seal population only take a control measure and reduce their numbers. I say load the seals up in a box and ship them to Sharon Young and the Humane Society of the United States and tell them that their seals are in our rivers and they need to do something with them.

By: RR Smith

Looking to save on your next purchase of Fishing Gear Please visit my Store at Steelhead Gear.Com I’m sure you will find some of the best prices available anywhere for your Salmon, Steelhead, and Trout Fishing Gear wants and needs.

http://www.steelhead-gear.com