TOPIC:

Great Lakes Salmon Initiative

The L. Michigan Citizens Advisory committee had a phone conference call yesterday. 2 main topics of discussion were increasing Chinook plants lake wide and Catch and Immediate Release of Lake Trout/Mortality.
*remain status quo stocking levels
*increase 450K lake wide
*increase 900K lake wide
*further increase
Are bait levels stable enough to increase? Evidence showing that L. Huron fish may not be coming over in numbers or returning before maturing. Size of 3yr old Chinook has achieved goals set by the L. Michigan Committee.

The overall recommendation was to increase production lake wide. The Lake Michigan Basin Coordinator Jay Wesley has something to go to the LMC with. This does not mean that increases will happen. A decision by the managers should be made sometime later this summer to prepare the hatcheries and egg take levels.

With the Lake Trout creel change from 2 fish to 1 in MM-4 Grand traverse Bay the problem arose through mortality of Lake Trout through catch and release targeting, like Bass fishing has become common practice. Lake Trout are different and can not be released by hook and line caught methods and survive. Public education is important to understand this situation. The mdnr does not want to reduce fishing efforts or make legal problems for anglers. The NRC has brought this issue to the mdnr to be discussed

Earlier this week the Tribe LRBOI in Manistee set assessment nets along the bank in Ludington. This created much discussion concerning fishing difficulties while these nets were set. Assessment nets are set by many agencies throughout the year and are part of the lake wide management tools used to assess different populations and ages. These nets typically assess lakers, cisco, whitefish, bloaters. The tribe saw on several facebook pages the issues this caused/causes in heavily fished areas. They will be doing more assessments late summer and we have communicated a couple of days ahead notice will eliminate most of the issues.

Michigan seldom resists passing complicated, even somewhat onerous regulations. There are places in the Gulf and Pacific Northwest where having "descender" devises when fishing for bottom/reef fish is required.

It's my understanding most of the lakers in the laker-restricted zone are caught by jigging. It's my understanding the release mortality is due to heat and barotrauma (pressure).
Why not consider requiring descenders be on board and used by people practising Catch and Release for trout. There are very inexpensive or even homemade versions which will work very well to send the trout back to the depths. There are models which will work with downrigger trollers which cost less than $100 to send 'em back to the depths.

I question the need for the tribes to do their assessment work in popular salmon fishing areas is as valid as is their desire to be a pain-in-the-butt to recreational angler.

Thanks for the detailed report