Upcoming events include Smoked Salmon Smackdown III and fall fishing tips
at the Sept. 9 meeting and the Salmon Slam on Sept. 12. But first a few
words about a grim meeting with the DNR in Michigan City.
The Aug. 20 fisheries forum, organized by local charter captains, brought
together 75 anglers (boat owners from East Chicago to New Buffalo as well
a smattering of shore fishermen) and a dozen Indiana DNR personnel
(fisheries chief to field personnel).
Biologists Ben Dickinson and Brian Briedert did the heavy lifting for the
DNR and put together an outstanding presentation and responded to
questions on quagga mussels, salmon, lake trout, steelhead and generally
how we ended up where we are.
Frankly, there was nothing presented on those subjects that has not been
previously disseminated in your Hoosier Coho Club News. Still, it was good
to get most folks "on the same page" and in the same room, although plenty
of questions were left open.
Key points of the DNR presentation:
* "Not much can change the fishery in a substantial way (i.e. bring
back lots of kings) unless mussel abundance drops immensely or alewives
increase a lot."
* "(Quagga) Mussels are choking the lake from the bottom up...basically
siphoning out all of the phytoplankton in the water column...there has
been a 75 percent decline in phytoplankton." Phyto feeds Zooplanton which
feeds alewives. Alewives are at 50-year lows and less robust, Quagga
estimates are 950 trillion (that's 950,000.000,000,000!).
* "We (Lake Mich.) are becoming similar to Lake Superior." (less
productive/more sterile). "We are concerned." Graphs showed a lot of
parallels to the collapse of alewives/Chinook on Lake Huron.
* There will be fewer Chinook in Lake Michigan next year. The 2013
lakewide cuts (50% reduction) - and a poor spawning year (drought
conditions in 2012) for "wild" fish - will fully kick in next year as
those fish will be the mature, three-plus year old kings in the lake. Fish
catching, as always, depends on a lot more than stocking numbers (i.e.
salmon fishing at East Chicago vs. Michigan City this summer).
* No explanation for lack of/poor Skamania return this year. "We are
concerned, but they have been late before."
* "We (IDNR) can change the stocking mixture (more steelhead, less
coho, more browns or whatever) and we can tweak the stocking locations,
but this is not a high-impact activity that will 'fix' fishing."
* "Stocking goals for 2016 and beyond:
All Lake Michigan; 1.7 million Chinook
2.5 million Coho
1.9 million Steelhead
1.4 million Brown Trout
3.4 million Lake Trout
Indiana; 200,000 Chinook
270,000 Coho (210k fall
fingerlings, 60,000 yearlings)
505,000 Steelhead (100k ff
Skamania, 205k yearling Skamania,
100k
ff
winter
runs,
100k
yearling
winter
runs)
50,000 Brown Trout
92,000 Lake Trout (USF&WS)
Your Indiana biologists may be contacted at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Rich Holm has been busy organizing another great Salmon Slam for Sept.
12, Key points are first place guaranteed $1,200, $100 per team entry fee
and weigh best five salmon or trout. Boats may depart from Portage or
Michigan City, but must weigh-in at Portage (catch may be transported by
boat or vehicle). Complete rules and registration form are at
www.hoosiercohoclub.org. For more details, call Rich at (219) 762-4362.
The Sept. 9 meeting will feature Capt. Craig Koepke on September fishing
(for salmon and lake trout). The Sept. meeting is also the 3rd annual
Smoked Salmon Smackdown. Bring some friends and enjoy sampling fish, maybe
pick up a new recipe. Entry in the friendly ''my smoked fish is better
than yours" competition is free. If need fish to smoke, contact McKee at
221-1340 (some lake trout available). The rules are;
Smoked Salmon Smackdown III
(smoke 'em if you got them)
Sept. 9, 2015
Skwiat American Legion Post
121 Skwiat Legion Ave., Michigan City, Ind.
Contest Rules
1. Entry is free.
2. Open to public.
3. Admission to sample/judge/vote is $2.
4. One vote per person.
5. First place, determined by most votes, wins $77.77. Second place $33.33.
6. If entering smoked fish, bring enough, in sample-sized portions, for 40
voters.
7. Salmon or trout are eligible as smoked fish. No smoked fish spreads, dips
or rolls included in judging - just fish.
8. Entries should be on site by 6:30 p.m.
9. S.S.Smackdown takes place at the Hoosier Coho Club membership meeting
at 7 p.m. on 9/9/15 at the Skwiat American Legion Post, Michigan City,
Ind.
10. Any questions, contact McKee at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 219-221-1340.
