Atlantics

[lokidog]

What's the problem with potentially seeing them in the Sky?

   Just another fish to catch, it's not like they are competing for food, cross-breeding, or even breeding at all.

[WAcoueshunter]

Wouldn't they be eating smolts in the river?

[lokidog]

As far as I know, they are not eating anything.  All of the stomachs have been empty, at least during the first couple weeks.  I think juvenile salmon have a lot more to worry about than these Atlantics like trout, spiny ray fish(where present), Kingfishers, Mergansers, Terns, Cormorants, etc.

[huntnphool]

 Was listening to guys on the radio Saturday talking about the Skagit opening for catch and release steelhead. They said some Atlantics have been showing up in the Indians nets upriver.

...but not to worry, they can't spawn right?

[Mfowl]

Was listening to guys on the radio Saturday talking about the Skagit opening for catch and release steelhead. They said some Atlantics have been showing up in the Indians nets upriver.

...but not to worry, they can't spawn right?

Lets hope they do spawn, maybe we'll have something to fish for in the future. 

[JimmyHoffa]

DNR pulled the lease for the operation in Port Angeles.

[lokidog]

Was listening to guys on the radio Saturday talking about the Skagit opening for catch and release steelhead. They said some Atlantics have been showing up in the Indians nets upriver.

...but not to worry, they can't spawn right?

They will not be spawning, the few that haven't starved to death are too young to spawn!  I'd like to see evidence that there are still any of these surviving.  Weeks after the escape, there was little evidence that they actually knew how to swallow a fish as all stomachs were empty.

[huntnphool]

Was listening to guys on the radio Saturday talking about the Skagit opening for catch and release steelhead. They said some Atlantics have been showing up in the Indians nets upriver.

...but not to worry, they can't spawn right?

They will not be spawning, the few that haven't starved to death are too young to spawn!  I'd like to see evidence that there are still any of these surviving.  Weeks after the escape, there was little evidence that they actually knew how to swallow a fish as all stomachs were empty.

 Just telling you what was said on the radio Saturday.

[lokidog]

Was listening to guys on the radio Saturday talking about the Skagit opening for catch and release steelhead. They said some Atlantics have been showing up in the Indians nets upriver.

...but not to worry, they can't spawn right?

They will not be spawning, the few that haven't starved to death are too young to spawn!  I'd like to see evidence that there are still any of these surviving.  Weeks after the escape, there was little evidence that they actually knew how to swallow a fish as all stomachs were empty.

 Just telling you what was said on the radio Saturday.

How would anyone know what shows up in the Indian nets anyways, they don't tell anyone the truth....

[7mmfan]

The real problem I see with that statement from them about more Atlantics than Chums in their nets, is that there could possibly be more escaped net pen fish in one river system than the 2nd most prolific wild salmon to Pinks. There should be thousands and thousands of chums in there right now.

I used to fish the upper Skagit this time of year and the banks were lined with spawned out chums for miles, and there would still be thousands more spawning. I was up there this weekend, in places where you couldn't cast before because you'd just snag one spawner after another. Nothing. Not a fish.

The Indians are complaining that there are more atlantics in their nets than chums, because they have netted the chums to a point where that's possible. Its sickening. They were netting chums for a chum hatchery for God's sake! There should never be a need for a chum hatchery! No wonder our river systems can't support wild fish anymore, there's no nutrients being put back into them in the fall. All the habitat work in the world won't matter if the system doesn't have the nutrients to support salmon fry and steelhead smolt when they hatch.

I'm disgusted, sorry, rant over.

[Gobble Doc]

The real problem I see with that statement from them about more Atlantics than Chums in their nets, is that there could possibly be more escaped net pen fish in one river system than the 2nd most prolific wild salmon to Pinks. There should be thousands and thousands of chums in there right now.

I used to fish the upper Skagit this time of year and the banks were lined with spawned out chums for miles, and there would still be thousands more spawning. I was up there this weekend, in places where you couldn't cast before because you'd just snag one spawner after another. Nothing. Not a fish.

The Indians are complaining that there are more atlantics in their nets than chums, because they have netted the chums to a point where that's possible. Its sickening. They were netting chums for a chum hatchery for God's sake! There should never be a need for a chum hatchery! No wonder our river systems can't support wild fish anymore, there's no nutrients being put back into them in the fall. All the habitat work in the world won't matter if the system doesn't have the nutrients to support salmon fry and steelhead smolt when they hatch.

I'm disgusted, sorry, rant over.

Completely agree. The chum runs of at least 10-15 years ago seem all but over. But wasn't there a trade of some sort along the way to allow for more Chinook fishing in exchange for chums? I recall something about this a number of years ago. In any event, it's a bummer that there aren't those big dogs to fish for anymore around Thanksgiving. Depressing.