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Great Lake Salmon Initiative

Tuesday October 2nd at MUCC Headquarters in Lansing the Lake Michigan Citizens Fishery Advisory Council met. These meetings are informative, information is brought forth from the MDNR and the advisors give reports representing all corners of the lake. Most of the reports on the fishing season spoke of the booming start to the season, the fabulous coho and king fishing and the size and quality of the fish and catches and the amount of bait seen throughout the ports.. Then the inconsistency and anglers had to make effort in targeting Lake Trout. The end message from almost every comment made was we need more silver fish. There was also a comment made that charters making their money on Lake Trout struggled this year and want more trout planted in southern waters.

What is Michigan facing for 2019. Michigan was over its predator cap in 2018 by the increased stocking numbers of kings this year based on lake trout and brown trout reductions. **Lake trout reduction was denied by the tribes so we went over the cap** So in 2019 we are seeing reductions to Chinook 553k to 504k, Browns 356k to 296k, Coho 1.474mil to 1.384mil and Lake Trout will remain at 2.12mil. Have to remember that the initial proposal in 2016 was for 200k Chinook, all to be stocked in the Little Manistee for egg take. There is talk of increasing numbers in 2020 if the predator prey ratio falls right. What is the predator prey ratio? The ratio of bait vs numbers of predators. Managers use a chinook to alewife ratio with a target of 0.05. Since 2005 the ratio has been above the target number and is showing an increase above the target figure again. How is the ratio going the wrong way when fishing has been tough, we are seeing more bait, the accounting of natal production numbers?? Another concern is the age classes of bait, we need multiple age classes to support recruitment of future age classes of bait. . Jay Wesley to his credit is sticking behind the science and admitted that the science is 2yrs behind what anglers see happening on the lakes real time. Data has to bee assessed, compiled, evaluated, presented and decisions need to be made based on goals set by committee, all this takes time.

Anglers can help. Dan O'Keefe from Michigan Sea Grant presented how important and helpful the angler collected data can and has helped. Continue to collect and deliver heads from adipose clipped fish so coded wire tags can be collected. They also are strongly encouraging collection of stomachs that can be placed in the same collection sites. Stomach analysis is important and he made a point of stating the steelhead stomachs this year were wet weight heavy on alewives for example.

This post is meant to be informative, not critical and as the GLSI has always tried to do is provide information and report back to you what has been discussed and presented.