TOPIC:

www.thenewsdispatch.com/sports/article_1...28-6735ff34a37d.html

Thanks for that...I hope there's a large turnout for that meeting. Anxious to hear a follow up.

I hate to say it, but if you look at pictures of fish around the ports size and health looks like lakers are winners by far. If this is a lake with little food they are finding something the other species are not. There were reports of 30# kings in door county, but the average king is around 13 to 18#s, that 5 to 10#s light. Steelhead are very small this year and there was no summer run. Cohos were hit and miss and undersize also. Perch hit and miss with some sorting but whos know what age class is left. So even stocking more kings and less lakers which I'm in favor for might not be all that good if they can't find food. One more thing looking at most reports around the lake the most productive water has been 250ft plus. In ludington fishing has been more consistent in 400ft plus which is a 20 mile plus jog which people are not to willing to do everyday unless you're a charter.

I agree Raven. Unfortunately, the laker stockings are controlled by the feds, and it's my understanding that there is no cooperation between the feds and the state DNR's. Supposedly the feds want the lake returned to it's "natural" state..which included lakers but not salmon. It also doesn't include all the mussels...fleas..pollution..etc. So like you said, I'm afraid for the forseeable future its going to be primarily a laker fishery.
I've seen pictures of fish that goes both ways. I've seen skinny ones, and I've seen alot that look quite healthy. I agree with your assessment on the skinny coho and steelhead. The steelhead that the guys are catching, and that I've seen pictures of, look like last years spawners that re-entered the lake...IE skinny fish. The local DNR report is lamenting the fact that the "run" up the creeks really hasn't happened yet, I can't vouch for this personally, but that's what the report says, so supposedly they're still out in the lake, and there is some evidence to that. Most of the reports are including offshore steelhead in the mix.

I think we can all agree is the health of the lake starts with the mussels and how much food is left over. Thats tough to determine since these things are still expanding to no ends. All we can do is to see if they eat themselves to death but unfortunately they will take the whole food chain with them. There is some talk about stocking perch to help them out since they were a native species but then again there food source is being consumed by mussels. Bottom line is the mussels control the lake and no one likes it and there is nothing that can be done about it.

I think it will be interesting to see if they can do anything with genetics - say modify the genes in a batch of quagga mussles and release them in the lake such that they breed and yield infertile offspring. I would think it would be about the only hope in controlling them and were likely years and years away from that.

Actually, if the desire was there and the money was there I bet mussel "AIDS" could be developed and unleashed in a matter of months. There's no desire since the fisherman vote is inconsequential, no dollars since there's no way to funnel it back to the political parties.

True Story

What would the feds do with all the lakers? Anyone know of phone numbers for fertilizer plants we could pass on to them?????