FishwithJD

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The American River: The Depressing Truth

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American Numbers
So, just how bad has the salmon situation in Northern California gotten? Well, here’s a little spreadsheet I found stapled to the wall of the Nimbus Fish Hatchery on the American River near Sacramento.

Take a close look…the numbers to the right of the red line are Chinook salmon counts; to the left of the blue line are the corresponding years in which those fish returned to the river. Beginning in 2000, we had five straight years of 100,000+ kings in the American. And then by 2007-08, the run had dwindled to 10 percent.

I floated an 8-mile stretch of river on Nov. 1 just to see for myself how things were shaping up for the 09-10 fall and I saw a total of two alive kings, 1 dead one and no redds. A trip to the hatchery a few days before revealed a few fish behind the weir, empty holding ponds and no water yet even running down the ladder. This, my friends, is not looking good…

Late October and not a single fish in the hatchery...

Late October and not a single fish in the hatchery...

Lake Almanor Map with Hot Spots??

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J.D.

I enjoy fishing Lake Almanor and reading the fish reports in W.O.N. Usually the articles say where they are catching fish. Example: the A-frame, El Dorado Inn, rec 1, rec 2, the springs. None of the maps I have of the lake show where these spots are. Do you know of a map that I can buy that will show where these spots are located on the lake? I would appreciate any help you can give me.

Larry P.

I’m not sure of a specific map, but the Lake Almanor Fishing Association can hook you up with all that info.

OR bumps up hatchery steelie limit

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Hatchery STeelie
Record numbers of steelhead returning to the Snake River system has prompted Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to increase the bag limit for adipose fin-clipped steelhead in several northeast Oregon waters.

Beginning on Sunday, October 18, the bag limit for adipose fin-clipped steelhead will increase from three to five fish per day and will remain in effect through April 15, 2010 in the following areas:

* Grande Ronde River from the Oregon/Washington state line to the mouth of the Wallowa River;
* Wallowa River from the mouth to Trout Creek; and,
* Imnaha River from the mouth to Big Sheep Creek.

In the Snake River from the Oregon/Washington state line to the angling deadline below Hell’s Canyon Dam, the bag limit will be five adipose fin-clipped steelhead of which no more than three may be 32-inches total length or greater. The states of Idaho and Washington have implemented similar regulations in the Snake River and tributaries.

The June 1 through October 10 count of steelhead at lower Granite Dam is over 230,000 this year, about double the 10-year average. With such a large run in the Snake River, managers expect abundant hatchery steelhead to return to trapping facilities on the Wallowa River, Little Sheep Creek (Imnaha basin), and at Hell’s Canyon Dam on the Snake River.

“We expect a very good fishery this year,” said Bill Knox, ODFW fish biologist in Enterprise. “There will be plenty of fish and we encourage anglers to keep adipose fin-clipped, hatchery steelhead to help reduce the potential interactions with ESA-listed wild steelhead in these waters. Retention of adipose fin-clipped hatchery steelhead will also help reduce surplus returns to hatchery trapping facilities next spring.”

Anglers are still required to record steelhead on their combined angling tags and follow all other regulations contained in the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations.

Bass Baits for Fall Trout

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Fat RainbowIn autumn, when the weather and water temperatures start cooling, big trout begin to shake off their summer lethargy and become active. The dropping water temperatures get the fish salivating like Pavlov’s dogs and they move in close to shore to feast before the onset of winter.?? That’s exactly what makes the upcoming several weeks the most productive time of year to hook a monster.
Click here to read more…

Eggs in the fridge a week still OK?

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JD,

My boyfriend is driving me crazy about getting info for curing his salmon eggs. They have been sitting in the fridge for a week or so. He has used borax in the past, but was looking for something a lil different. He doesn’t go “online” so it is left up to me. I get 25,000 responses when you put it through Google. Are the eggs still good? any suggestions for curing them? Thanks all your advise is appreciated.

–Mary in Akron, NY

Hi Mary,

Well, the eggs that are sitting in the fridge for a week are starting to get towards the end of their rope. Not to say they won’t fish, but I never go more than a day or two before tossing them out. Curing the roe immediately is the key!

As far as cures go, I’m surprised you only got 25,000 results from Google! There are about as many cures out there as salmon and steelhead anglers. How your boyfriend cures the eggs depends largely on what he’ll be fishing for. Not to confuse you even more, but salmon generally prefer a saltier egg (upstream, of course, but lower in the system sweet is better…ah, never mind!) while steelies seem to like it a little sweeter egg. The most basic cure that’s been working for eons is the ol’ Borax method.

The easiest way: cut the eggs into bait-sized chunks and them shake them — a few at a time — in a bag of Borax until the eggs are completely coated. This is a good steelhead and trout cure and will sometimes take salmon as well. If salmon are his main target, probably the best way to go as a neophyte egg curer is to buy a commercial cure like Last Supper or Wizard from Pro Cure or Pautzke’s Fire Cure.

If he wants to do his own, check out the book on Egg Cures by Scott Haugen by Amato Books.

Good luck! And make sure your boyfriend knows that he’s a lucky man to have a woman that let’s him keep the eggs in the fridge!