Great Lakes Salmon Fisherman.

[walleyes]

So I am kind of a WFN nut,, it's on all day in my office when I am at work and there has been quite a bit of attention spent on salmon fishing in the Great Lakes. It looks like a pretty good fishery for the fishing crowd out there,, some darn nice fish they are getting to have. For the most part they fish them like we do except when it comes to bait,, they call it meat fishing,, it's done in a different way then we do in the west,, different baits and such. One thing I can't get over is their rods,, of course it's all mericanised with the winches for reels put on telephone poles for rods but the thing I noticed is man they run lots of rods.. Like 4 sometimes 6 rods,, spread out on planer boards, downriggers what a mess. It's not like its lack of fish they seem to be in them pretty good but it's like it's a race to get as many in the boat in a day as you can.. They don't stop when a nice one is hooked they just keep on plugin away with all the rods in the water.. I just don't see why,, I mean,, it's not a race is it,, it's supposed to be enjoyable you know.. Take your time, shut er,, down take a few minutes and pull in your fish.. I was reading on one of their web sites from out there and they were kind of making fun of us and our mooching reels.. They couldn't figure out why we would want to use them,, they couldn't see how you could pull a fish in on a reel that retrieves so slow lol.. I don't know I just find it funny how different regions view things so differently. It seems we are out there to enjoy the couple big fish we may catch in a day and get every ounce of enjoyment out of it,, and they get enjoyment out of getting as many as possible to the boat in as short of time as they can,, just don't see it..

 

[peetz]

As well as watching the Bass shows ...Using 50 lb test line , on a 6ft rod ....Hook a fish reel it in , as fast as you can ... and then flick it into the boat

 

[sammyslabber]

Most of these TV fishing show’s hosts are Neanderthals,judging by the heavy gear, fishing techniques and in particular their lack of respect for proper catch/release fish handling methods. I’m especially flabbergastedwhen they use a nylon landing net; fish scales end up everywhere but on the fishafter that they unceremoniously hoist the fish by its gill plate before returning them to the water

 

[Dogbreath]

Lots of innovation the the GL fishery-that's where downriggers were invented after all.

Some of the best spoons I've ever used were GL models Michigan Stinger and NK to name a few-I love some of the colours made by Yeck

Hey while looking for a pic I just found a new source for Yeck!

 

[walleyes]

Lots of innovation the the GL fishery-that's where downriggers were invented after all.

Some of the best spoons I've ever used were GL models Michigan Stinger and NK to name a few-I love some of the colours made by Yeck

Hey while looking for a pic I just found a new source for Yeck!

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Are you sure about the downriggers ??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downrigger

I am sure they have contributed in some fashion but the salmon fishery they are experiencing now is extremely new in comparison to the west coast. I think they can hardly be regarded as pioneers in the fishery in any regards.

 

[Dogbreath]

Are you sure about the downriggers ??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downrigger

I am sure they have contributed in some fashion but the salmon fishery they are experiencing now is extremely new in comparison to the west coast. I think they can hardly be regarded as pioneers in the fishery in any regards.

In a few minutes I'll change that wikipedia article to reflect the truth-it's a POFS as is and I quote

"Walleye and Muskellunge are also frequently fished using outriggers as it is more helpful to have fishing lines extended to either side of the boat for these more jittery fish."

That is idiotic garbage from someone who has never seen an outrigger and has NFC what they are talking about.

Anyway this has been posted here many many times-when Charlie White started talking to people about his invention he was told that the idea had been used in the GL fishery for years.

And Yes inventing Downriggers for sport fishing was a groundbreaking innovation.

Why no one made the connection with commercial power gurdies not adapting them for sport use until long after they had been in use back east is another question-my best guess is that most BC recreational Salmon fishermen @ the time were cowed by tradition and conservatism-something we still see today.

 

[Mourning Wood]

They don't stop when a nice one is hooked they just keep on plugin away with all the rods in the water.. I just don't see why,, I mean,, it's not a race is it,, it's supposed to be enjoyable you know..

I think the "West Coast style" is a hard adjustment in most aspects of life for true & true Easterners. Most people I've met from the great lakes region, at least the more urban areas, seem to be in a rush all the time. I'd love to see a blooper reel of a 6 rod tangle up.

 

[sly_karma]

^ just go out on the puke boats out of Ukee, 14-16 guys drift jigging. Enough multiple line crosses in a day there to put you off it for life. "But it's so cheap!"

 

[MRACER]

X2 -------

^ just go out on the puke boats out of ukee, 14-16 guys drift jigging. Enough multiple line crosses in a day there to put you off it for life. "but it's so cheap!"

 

[Hammer]

Haha this is a funny topic I have fished out west as I am from there but now live in Ontario. I fish Lake Ontario pretty much on a daily basis from may to end of September. We fish alot of high dollar tournaments and big derbies here the fish are no doubt bigger on the west coast but the numbers of salmon we can catch here in a day can easily hit the 30-40 fish range. And range in size from 15- mid 30lbs and the odd 40# fish. My favorite spread would be 7 rods 2 riggers 2 wire divers 2 coppers 300-500 ft sections and a 600-700 down the Shute. Having 3-5 big salmon on at the same time is an absolute rush big tangles ya sometimes but not normally.you should come down sometime and try fishing Lake Ontario it's truly an amazing fishery.

 

[Governor]

I found fishing the GLs is way different than on the chuck on SVI. No tides, little currents to contend with, different bait fish and not so much near shore structure. Depth, water colour, thermocline and water temps plus finding bait fish were all important when I fished there.

Been on a few charters out of Oakville and off Bronte many moons ago before we got our boat. Six downriggers all with two rods each and some stackers on those too, about 15 rods off the back of a 34 foot flybridge cabin cruiser. Mayhem, but there was a million dollar salmon lurking below up for grabs in the Toronto Star Great Salmon Hunt. Once we got a release and this big brute must have run a complete circle round all the gear. Dale Woods, our skipper, spent ages just trying to get the gear up and into the boat. Stainless wire, mono, lures, release clips - just one big cluster ****. What a mess!

Big Jon and Cannon DRs were the most popular back then. We used to run 10' 6" rods with level wind reels and 15 lb mono line. And get this I even used to fish big Rainbow trout in the rivers with 12' 6" rod and 2 or 4 lb mono line on a float reel.

Lived in Port Credit for a time before I moved to BC, so when we had our boat, we spent most of the summer on Lake Ontario chasing salmon and trout. Overall GL salmon fishing was a hoot, but not the combat zone off the mouth of the Credit when the chinook congregated there. It was called the combat zone because there was often about 100 boats in one big mess off the river mouth, all under trolling engine, and a fair number of those couldn't drive their boats properly, let alone show any fishing etiquette. There was one real strange old dude who had two manual riggers put on the back of his PWC and used troll around the mouth of the Credit River off the Ridgetown with this boombox blaring away.

Do any of you folks remember Wolverine's Silver Streak lures, Evil Eye trolling spoons and Cotton Cordell's Ripplin' Redfins plugs?


Gov

 

[Dogbreath]

It was called the combat zone because there was often about 100 boats in one big mess off the river mouth, all under trolling engine, and a fair number of those couldn't drive their boats properly, let alone show any fishing etiquette.

Sounds like the Cap!

And I've still got some Ripplin' Redfins here somewhere in the Pike tackle box good baits back in the day.

 

[salmonboy]

its sad to see that the great lakes have a better chinook fishery than we do on the west coast.....why does the great lakes have hatcheries for chinook, and the westcoast cant get the time of day for funding.......? The great lakes have an awesome chinook fishery, doesnt make sense to me why a lake can have better fishing than the ocean...where chinook r supposto live......

 

[Dogbreath]

No commercial Salmon fishery in the GL region for one thing.

 

[salmonboy]

No commercial Salmon fishery in the GL region for one thing.

ya i know that, but if they can make them thrive there, why cant we do the same here? r u sure there is no commercial fishery there?

 

[salmonboy]

no commercial salmon fishery then?.....

 

[salmonboy]

even if there is no comm. fishery there, why doesnt the government invest in our recreational fishery here, like they do there?

 

[Dogbreath]

no commercial salmon fishery then?.....

No-but the Walleye they catch sells for Top Dollar-it's selling for $22/pound @ Granville Island Market today.

 

[seadna]

From the first link Holme's posted:
"With processing and sales to food stores and restaurants in Ontario, the U.S. and around the world, the industry’s contribution to Ontario's economy was about $234 million (Canadian) dollars in 2011. There are more than 500 active commercial fishing licences in Ontario."

"The Ministry is responsible for legislation and regulations for Ontario’s aquaculture or fish farming operations. Ontario’s commercial aquaculture industry (Great Lakes and land-based) contributes about $55 to $60 million to the province’s economy and produces over 3,900 metric tonnes (or nearly 9 million pounds) of fish annually.

Commercial cage aquaculture in Ontario mostly occurs in the North Channel of Lake Huron (Manitoulin Island) and Georgian Bay. The only fish species farmed at Great Lakes sites is rainbow trout. About 3,700 metric tonnes (or about 8.2 million pounds) of rainbow trout are produced every year, contributing about $50.7 million to Ontario's yearly economy"

and

"Over one million people annually participate in recreational fishing in Ontario. More than 30 per cent of those people fish the Great Lakes and its tributaries. Great Lakes recreational anglers spend over $600 million dollars yearly on items such as equipment, transportation, food and lodging."

So - total value to the economy from commercial fishing/aquaculture in Ontario = $234M+$55-60M+$50.7M = $339.7-344.7M.
Total value to the economy from recreational fishing in the great lakes, >$600M or 1.7x as much money.

Just another example of how the recreational fishing industry is more economically important than the commercial fishing industry. This is true in B.C., Ontario, Washington state and in most locales where the analysis has been done. It's a point that we recs need to make over and over and over again to friends, colleagues and politicians. If policy is more rec. fishing focused, it generates more value to the economy.

 

[Theb55]

As I have said before, Vancouver Island could, with some vision, become a Mecca for recreational fishing. With the proper resources, stream and estuary enhancement, incubator boxes and hatcheries we could be knee deep in salmon. But the commercial catch would have to remain at present levels.