Wilson River Broodsrock Program

[Gone Fishin]

Fish are returning now for the third season under this program on the Wilson.

I've seen some comments made on here in the past regarding the success of the program.

Unfortunately, the first two years of the program these fish were turned over to south-fork prison inmates to raise and release. Another wonderful idea thanks to a local S.T.E.P. biologist. And because of it, these fish were not marked properly in the first two years of the program. Heck, most of the fish were not marked at all!

The third year, the fish were raised at Trask River Hatchery (as they are being raised currently) , and I'm happy to report that the fish are properly identified by the adipose and left ventral fins being removed.

Now, on Monday we caught a properly marked broodstock fish, and it sounds like Dave Johnson's crew got one this week as well! This year will really tell us what kind of return we're getting because the fish are marked properly.

Please, if you catch a broodstock fish on the Wilson, give me a call or drop me an e-mail or post it on IFISH. I'd really like to compile the numbers to see how many we get back this season.

Thanks for your support.

-Marty

gnfshn@pacifier.com
(503)842-8813

[Gus Orviston]

Okay, I'll bite. Mom said there were no dumb questions... How is the fish any different than a hatchery steelhead? What is the importance of the Broodstock program?

dennis

[ 12-13-2001: Message edited by: Gus Orviston ]</p>

[Tanner]

Gus,
Doing a search on "Broodstock" should get you into many, many, many threads that can answer your question and then some. There has been many
discussions (some rather heated) on this subject.

[blackdog]

Marty - I appreciate yours and everyone else's efforts to get this broodstock program (and others) underway. They have obviously enhanced the fishing in those particular rivers. In regards to the Wilson, and your other post as well, why is it that those fish all have to come back and congregate in that one spot? I realize this is a convenient spot for gathering wild fish, but couldn't the smolts be released throughout the system so they don't all return to the same spot? Probably a simple reason why this doesn't happen, but sometimes the ODFW doesn't take common sense into its decisions.

[David Johnson]

ODFW doesn't want the fish to spread to the upper parts of the system. They want them to stay low and be caught by fishermen and not spawn with or near the wild fish in the upper reaches.

[blackdog]

Does that mean they have to release them all at the same spot? All they are doing is creating havoc by getting all of these fish to return to the same area. Seems like there is lots of water above Siskeyville or even Mills for the wild fish to have all to themselves. For now I guess we'll all just have to learn to row in the dark and race to 'the spot' and fish elbow to elbow. Isn't that what fishing is all about anyway?

[David Johnson]

As far as I know they do release the brood stock fish in different areas, even way up on the south fork.

Many other rivers the practice is to release all the fish in one spot. NF Nehalem, Trask, Eagle Creek. I know they all only release fish into one area, their hatchery.

As far as racing down to one spot, I caught fish out of five different areas this week, sure, the hatchery hole was my first choice but after 10:30-11 I moved on and took fish after fish every were else.

[David Johnson]

Also, they don't collect fish at that spot. Us fishermen catch and collect the fish for the program.

[Fishin Magician]

I diasgree that all the fish congregate in one spot. fish will move up river eventually. I know the area that you are talking about and I only fish there if there aren't other boats around. It can be a productive area but there is 30 miles of river to fish on that one river and hundreds of other productive rivers to fish within 50 miles drive time. Dave, how many hatchery and broodstocks have you caught way above there???? I have landed hatchery and broodstock fish 20+ miles above there. If those who feel that they need to row in the dark to get to the "spot", more power to you. That isn't fishing to me. On a positive note , I am happy about the broodstock program and am glad to see positive results. Maybe with all the rain we can mount rod holders to our trucks andpull plugs down the highway..... :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:

[David Johnson]

We've caught plenty up above. Especially in years gone by. My very favorite water used to be from Syskie (sp?) down but over the last few years if you are looking for hatchery fish the lower river has been the place to be because of the planting practices. On another not when all this water drops there will be fish way up too because nothing is holding them back.

[Gone Fishin]

It's very unfortunate that the ODFW doesn't release in more sites than they do. But, they do have to abide by State and Federal laws that protect upper reaches of the systems for the native fish. I really don't see why it matters particularly with the broodstock fish as they are rasied from genetic-native stock. But once a fish is raised in a hatchery environment, they are classed as hatchery fish and must abide by the same guidelines.

[ssteelheadsteve]

[ 12-14-2001: Message edited by: ssteelheadsteve ]</p>

[Point-of-Sale Clerk]

Hmmmmmm...