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Well after the storms and the lake laying down over night I just had to see if there were any fish that moved in and would be stacked up for those hardcore diehards that just refuse to give up. Being the first boat out of the ditch I thought great got it all to myself and a gentle 2-4 roll was looking pretty good. Setup just outside the mouth and ran along in 25fow for the set. Marked a few few fish turned around and headed back towards the ditch, headed towards the wall, passed the #4, around the corner to the port, back along the wall, in front of the mouth. Getting the picture yet? It was brutal, had a 12 rod spread going, spoons, plugs, F/F, Stick baits, sliders, long lines not a sniff. The younger crew members we had on board were having a hard time with the rollers and we called it a little after 9am. Headed home had some lunch and headed to the woods. I may try one more time this week as I am stuborn like that and just cant figure out why if the stocking program was just reduced this year then there should be some fish that were planted 3 and 4 years ago at our doorstep anyday. Yeah I know I am also a dreamer and yes will employ sarcasim from time to time. No more fish and now trying to slaughter all the deer in NWI time to start looking around I guess. Hope some fish show up this week, yesterday was my first skunk in about 3 years and it really, really stunk. With the sick crew I did not get to head out so maybe there are some fish farther out. Good luck guys and gals.

Thanks for the report Jeff.

Thanks for the report. I'm bullheaded and not giving up yet either. Should lay down more tonight, we are going to try in close then move out weather permitting. Rudey

We casted cranks today from first light at the #4 and the only thing we pulled was a 10lb channel cat lol. We went and found a perch limit, then hit the ditch for bass and pike. All around good day.

Good job Jeff.

I believe the stocking cut back was implemented in 2012 or 2013. This would be the first year that the adults would return since the stocking cutback was started. That's why it's so important paying attention to the adipose fin like we did this year.

I was going to make a snide comment about the tactics of the DNR, but I know Ben and others monitor this site and doing so would only be idle speculation, unproven accusations, probably mean spirited and would only piss off people.
So I won't make any snarky remarks. One would hope and expect the DNR guys to be holding emergency meetings, hiring consultants, rearranging schedules, examining innovative solutions to the problems of the Lake Michigan program. If for nothing else, job security. We don't have any bison or elk biologists in Indiana because there are no buffalo or elk. Why have a Lake Michigan program if there are no fish? Those hatcheries could easily be converted to raising trout for streams, walleyes, catfish or other species bound for other places. Or just shut down, diverted to the Division of History Preservation and turned into museums so grade school kids can be bussed-in to see exhibits about the amazing history of salmon in the Great Lakes that happened before they were born. Like a gold rush, once the gold is gone only ghost towns remain.

Hopefully they routed the crash in time to allow "life to find a way" unlike Lake Huron where they ignored the signs and had no chance.

From what I remember of the Lake Huron crash, it came mostly from overwhelming numbers of naturally spawned fish. The province of Ontario never stocked king salmon in the Lake. However, many of the streams that flow into the lake on the Canadian side were very good spawning streams. Eventually, more and more stray kings entered these streams and reproduced, eventually establishing a breeding population in each. And there are lots of streams. What started as a few, became a trickle, eventually became a flood and even if no fish were stocked by Michigan, the result would have been the same. The wild fish overwhelmed the ecosystem, a hard winter or two depressed alewife production and BAM, it was over.

I hear you loud and clear Mike, were are the fish? So we took a cut in kings, does that mean we have no kings or should there be some kings? Summer skamanias, were are they? Gets worse every year and nothing but alot of talking about the subject. Talking doesn't get you fish, only stocking fish will get you fish. Is it time that we ask for soembody who would be an outsider to be at the stocking sites as it happens? The kings that were wire coded and died in the tanker truck are gone. did not get replaced with other kings, got replaced with something else. The coho die off those fish are gone, replaced with steel not another salmon species. what has gotten to be a big game is now not funny. Fishing on this end has gone down every year for some time now and that does not coralate with when the reductions started. Seems like someone was cutting back before the date to do so. So now a portion of coho will be stocked in the ST. Joe and that helps everyone here on this shoreline how??????
Done!!!!