FishwithJD

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Big Salmon Run Helps Northern California Economies

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Big salmon like this Smith River king are great for the economies of coastal towns!

Hhey all you politicians that don’t give a rat’s arse about fish, it’s time take note: Healthy salmon runs are good for the economy. Need I break it down further? Okay, here’s one you might understand: Salmon = Money. Got it?

Read all about how the Smith River’s epic king run last fall provided the a good boost to several downtrodden economies of Northern California in the WALL STREET JOURNAL Also, check out the cameo from our pal John Klar.

And for every one of you who benefited from the Smith’s kings (guides, tackle shops, gas stations, hotels and restaurants), it’s time to bust open the wallet and give a donation to the non-profit Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery…Without it, you’re probably out of a job!

Steelhead planted in Northern California Lake

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Photo: www.siliconeer.com



Here’s one from the “things you don’t hear every day” file: A small lake in Nor Cal was recently planted with trout…but not your typical power goo-slurping, nub-finned variety. No sir, Mill Creek Lake was recently stocked with steelhead.

The small lake in Mendocino County is the second water in the state planted with native steelhead trout under new environmental mandates. On Jan. 11, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) planted Mill Creek Lake with steelhead trout that were raised at Warm Springs Fish Hatchery. A total of 15,000 fish will be planted in the lake over a five- to six-month period.Click here to read more…

Sun starting to set on California Delta’s fish??

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It may be beautiful above water, but things aren't so rosy under the Delta's surface.

A new report regarding the health of the fisheries in the California Delta has just been released and…big surprise…things don’t seem to be looking all that great.

The Delta is a complex system that houses gamefish like Chinook salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, striped bass, largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, American shad, catfish and panfish…along with important forage species such as delta smelt, threadfin shad, splittail and many others. The problems that plague it are just as multifaceted: Water diversions are a huge killer, as is pollution and habitat loss.

You can read all about the decline and what biologists found in recent trawl studies HERE

Catch a trout & win $10,000

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Your best bet for a record will probably come from a place like Santa Ana River Lakes, where they plant round tails well in excess of 20 pounds

If you happen to find yourself this winter staring down at a new California state record rainbow trout that you just caught, you’d better hope you caught it on a Pautzke’s product (Fire Bait, Liquid Krill, Fire Corn or the classic Balls ‘O Fire), because they’ll pay ya a cool $10K in cash for breaking the record.

Interestingly enough, the contest (which stared Dec. 1 and runs through April) is even open to anglers who fish those crazy Southern California lakes where they plant ridiculously large rainbow trout…some of which are actually larger than the current state mark of 28 pounds and change.

While I’ll happily take 10 large and a state record of any kind, I’d much rather break that state record with an anadramous rainbow rather than one that arrived in a truck. The contest is limited to the first 25,000 anglers that preregister at Pautzke.com

You want big steelies? Better head to Idaho!

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It may just be time to call in sick for a few days...

To make you even less productive at work today, consider this: While you’re sitting at your desk, guys on the Clearwater River in Idaho are banging away at B-Run steelhead that are running 3 pounds heavier than normal this year. In case you’ve not yet been introduced to the double-stripe B-Runs, they are among the largest steelies on the West Coast and when they’re around, you’ve always got a really good shot at breaking the 20-pound mark. Especially this fall, when guys are seeing lots and lots of fish in that upper teen range and beyond…Do I feel a “sick day” coming on?

For more, click over to our pals at North West Wild Country