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Author Topic: Where are the Chinook?  (Read 6912 times)

Robert_G

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Where are the Chinook?
« on: May 23, 2012, 02:15:55 PM »

1 Spring has been caught in the Albion Test fishery during the month of May so far. Can't remember it ever being this bad.
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Trout Slayer

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Re: Where are the Chinook?
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2012, 04:07:27 PM »

Rivers pretty high right now, those fish are well spread out. Plus at Albion they dont take any tides into consideration when dropping the nets so migration times arent accurate.

Thats my way of being optimistic. ;)
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kingpin

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Re: Where are the Chinook?
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2012, 04:33:01 PM »

hard to find them in high water... the last few years by now they have usually netted an average of 20 fish...2008 had 5 by this time, the same as this year.
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BentRodsGuiding

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Re: Where are the Chinook?
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2012, 04:48:25 PM »

Early run Chinook are hurting bad, and with DFO's mandate to promote aquaculture and do F%#$ all else, look for summer run and fall run salmon to follow suit.

Meanwhile anglers in Washington, Oregon and California are boating limits of Springer Chinooks on a multitude of rivers.
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Easywater

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kingpin

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Re: Where are the Chinook?
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2012, 10:34:57 PM »

Early run Chinook are hurting bad, and with DFO's mandate to promote aquaculture and do F%#$ all else, look for summer run and fall run salmon to follow suit.

Meanwhile anglers in Washington, Oregon and California are boating limits of Springer Chinooks on a multitude of rivers.

ya but look at the dollars they are spending and the hatchery output, almost all those fish are hatchery
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liketofish

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Re: Where are the Chinook?
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2012, 12:39:37 AM »

I guess our limited number of wild chinook are being out-competed for food by the American hatchery fish. Let's assume the survival rate in the ocean is 1%. If the Americans pump out 50 millon fry, they will have 500,000 fish return. Likewise, if our wild stock only produce 1 million fry, we will have 10,000 return. The maths don't work in our favour. Time to hang up the chinook rods.
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kingpin

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Re: Where are the Chinook?
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2012, 07:45:49 AM »

I guess our limited number of wild chinook are being out-competed for food by the American hatchery fish. Let's assume the survival rate in the ocean is 1%. If the Americans pump out 50 millon fry, they will have 500,000 fish return. Likewise, if our wild stock only produce 1 million fry, we will have 10,000 return. The maths don't work in our favour. Time to hang up the chinook rods.

id say therre is a lot more than 10,000 springs returning....the natives reported they killed 20,000 last year...so you know it was probably a lot more. sporties on the fraser probably kill a couple thousand not to mention commercial guys.
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arimaBOATER

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Re: Where are the Chinook?
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2012, 07:15:08 PM »

Rod in his written article & soon to be video tells of a successful catch of  chinook. ( with Bon Chovy Fishing Charter )

Maybe it is the "how to catch" them.

May be yous need to sharpen up on your "fishing skills"  ;D

Pointing fingers at myself too as after listening to Jason's vid ( Pacific Angler ) Noticed I've only had my spoons 3 ft behind the flasher when it should of been 6 ft. :o
No wonder my catch record is lower than most sports fisher "people".

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Carich980

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Re: Where are the Chinook?
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2012, 07:53:19 PM »

Or maybe like everything else last season they are just late....
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trout80

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Re: Where are the Chinook?
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2012, 08:06:05 PM »

Maybe they are to "Smart"  ::)
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RainbowMan

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Re: Where are the Chinook?
« Reply #11 on: May 28, 2012, 09:45:26 PM »

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BentRodsGuiding

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Re: Where are the Chinook?
« Reply #12 on: May 29, 2012, 05:09:06 PM »

I believe this threads was about Fraser River bound Chinook, not ocean caught fish, large majority of Ocean caught fish at this time are headed for Washington, Oregon and California.

As far as Fraser Chinooks go it is blatantly obvious to anyone and DFO that early run Chinooks are in dire straights, hence the no fishing until late July and now August that we are subjected too. Hopefully mother nature sorts this out and provides more early fish to the spawning grounds. What really sucks is we are experiencing good marine conditions now, and nothing is being done in regards to enhancing these stocks, when el nino and low water seasons return it could get ugly.

Test sets are pretty good at revealing the numbers in my experience, good numbers in the test sets always resulted in better catches, but with visibility horrible the last few years, I have'nt done alot of early season Chinook Fishing in the Fraser. Historically lots of Chinook began entering the Fraser as early as mid March, that has all changed in recent years, with a majority of the Fraser Chinook that are doing well being mid July till early september fish and then the Fall Chinook enter the lower tribs in early September till late October, lots of these around last few years with last season being dynamite on the Harrison system.
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Dave

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Re: Where are the Chinook?
« Reply #13 on: May 29, 2012, 06:31:55 PM »

Bang on Rod, these early Fraser chinooks are really close to extirpation.
IMO, the only thing that can possibly save them is no harvest, by any method, by anyone, anywhere.
Sadly I can't see that happening in time to save these fish.
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BigCoho

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Re: Where are the Chinook?
« Reply #14 on: May 31, 2012, 11:09:30 PM »

In 2011 for the month of may there was only 11 chinook caught in the Albion test fishery. This year we are currently at 7 Chinook for may so were not that far off and if you look at the month of June for 2011 the springs did not really start showing up in decent numbers until around June 20th.
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