I skimmed through this thread and wanted to mention something that's been bugging me quite a bit this year.
Why does the ministry stock Chinook salmon? I should really call them and ask why they would stock a fish that doesn't feed in the rivers, and then have an open season for people to "fish" for such a species in the rivers.... BLOWS MY F'IN MIND
Why instead... maybe they can stop stocking chinook... and wait until the lake is ready for Atlantic salmon.. the true native Ontario salmonid. I mean... cohos at least... as least cohos are nice to look at!
I mean... CHINOOK...really!?!?! Of all the things they could stock... WHY CHINOOK! Why does the ministry want our riverbanks to smell like ROTTEN FLESH for an entire month. Snagged, gutted or just left to be.... ALL OF THEM DIE AND SMELL HORRIBLE. It's disgusting to everyone hiking the trails to smell the dead salmon bodies.
Please... please stop the madness and start stocking something else. I really can't see any logic in stocking chinook.
Excellent Question Michael! (About the Atlantics)
The "problem" or not much mentioned thing is this:
Firstly, Chinook have been proven to ADAPT WELL ... and also came in at the right price tag. Thats why they were choosen and proven to work.
Alebiet our "opinions" on their looks etc.
As for the Atlantic Salmon: One thing that is NOT TALKED ABOUT OFTEN (and remember, I'm all for the Restocking) is the REAL REASON they became extinct in LAKE ONTARIO.
*Over fished, the dams, the pollution ...... etc (All real things .... however)
There still are PERCH, PIKE , CARP .... Why did not all these fish go extinct like the Atlantic Salmon?
In my opinion, there seems to have been some FATAL FLAW in the genetics of the "ORIGINAL ATLANTIC SALMON"...... Seriously.
It could include MANY FACTORS... but at the end of the day, they DIED OFF while other species contiued to flourish... up to and including INTRODUCED new species.
I do not pretend ot "KNOW" everthing about the new genetic backgrounds of what has been new stocking over the past 6-7 years.
But, "I KNOW".... I have yet to "SEE or CATCH" an ATLANTIC in any of our TRIBS that has been over 1-2 lbs.
A HEATHLY TROUT/ SALMON in Lake Ontario waters.... can gain on AVERAGE that every year!
So why is this happening? It would "Seem" That maybe they have not found the right genetic strain....YET!
Lets hope they do!
The "Original Atlantic Salmon" OF LAKE ONTARIO (Not east coast)..... DIED OFF! Couldnt handle it.
Think about it
lol
ps: Never forget, the most NOBLE and PRIZED fish in all of existence (THE STEELHEAD of ONTARIO) didnt even EXIST when the ATLANTIC SALMON did.... Thanks to it's failure and our introduction of RAINBOW TROUT... we have what we have.
DOESNT mean it cant CHANGE AGAIN!
*SMILES*