Short time salmon fisherman here so I'm not sure if I should reply to this post, bluckut.....I would like to challenge this posts participants to come to a consensus on two (sort of) items:1. Best practices for releasing a salmonoid quickly.2. 3 simple things fisherman can do to help the fish out. i.e. Changing out hooks, not using 20 colors of lead, changing spots on the lake when catching runt fish, etc.Maybe this way some of us new salmon fisherman can have a reference to go to for best practices.
Joe, Contact John Viar the Big Lakes biologist for confirmation that salmon brought up from 54 degree depths will have high mortality when fought in 70 degree plus surface water. Whenever I live well a summer salmon into surface temp. water is takes a few minutes before it is dead.Since you evening fish for salmon out of you cottage I would love to have you keep track of your catch and release or better your catch and eat?Dick
And while I would love to continue with this, I have to get up at 3am so I can yank a giant bow up from 25 feet. (which is well above the death depth of salmonids) Hopefully I will have a selfie to share with all of you because I am fishing alone. Wish me luck.
Dick, you started this thread saying how this was a put and take fishery. What "whole resource" are you referring to? I support ethical aquaculture.
the long lead lines will do it, too long of a battle in warm water. i see posts with people using up to 20 colors of lead. i would poke my eyes out before doing that[/quote Who uses 20 colors of lead core? That's 120 or more feet deep where a downrigger might be better to chase lakers in 100 ft, of water??Reeling in 20 colors of lead would seem like a silly effort??Dick