TOPIC:

Great Lakes Salmon Initiative

It has been a long time since the GLSI has done a post....SORRY! For several reasons, it's fishing season; still talking to the DNR's multiple times a week, working on future fish plants, watching bait fish assessments and looking at bait thru out the fishing season. Assessing the salmon fishing season....this spring was lights out but since????

Once again it boils down to the LMC, Tribes, Consent decree> And we feel that the true economic impact of the states, businesses, and the true heroes of this fishery, where the real money comes from is the recreational angler. Well guess what as President of the GLSI a charter Captain and a past recreational angler----I feel I have failed you.

The Michigan MDNR, The Basin Coordinator Jay Wesley is going to request 2.1 million Lake Trout for 2020. What? The excuse is because of the 2000 consent decree is about Lake Trout Restoration. There is NO 2020 Consent Decree written---we don't have to order 1 Lake Trout from the USFWS!!! Lake Trout are an important species for anglers and the tribes--but in balance in accordance at the very minimum Chinook Equivalents! This means that Lake Trout should not be planted in excess of 1.2 million...they should be planted at ZERO for a number of years to balance the predator prey relationship we have all heard about. Why should we listen to this predator prey relationship?? Lake Trout live for decades, and eat everything. We hAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY ONLY EAT 13LBS A YEAR. Do you buy into that?

The USFWS is not interested in salmon and want to eradicate alewives and smelt!! They don't plant salmon, don't raise them, their money only comes from native fishes like lake Trout., from your federal tax dollars If you have been on the fence for 2 years about the GLSI why do these agencies promote Gobies?? These are an invasive species, just like alewives and smelt...but Gobies are GOOD??? Why because they proclaim Lake Trout eat them---but their diet is only 9percent a year of Gobies

There is an easy answer and solution----do proper fisheries management. Do a true and proper predator balance planting. And the USFWS should be where the tribes make their money and focus on White Fish Restoration!!! This a true and simple solution for all parties involved and won't leave recreational anglers, Charters and all related businesses, like hotels, motels, campgrounds, tackle shops, manufacturers etc., in the dust.

Jay Wesley should request zero trout next week from the USFWS for plants in 2020. Jim Dexter should support , that decision. This also stands for Randy Claramunt the Lake Huron Basin Coordinator, which in that lake has been declared as being stocked beyond the carrying capacity of Lake Trout. Does the states DNRs support us as anglers and hunters, I don't believe so!!!