setomonkey

Interesting story in today's New York Times. Mike March 17, 2008 Chinook Salmon Vanish Without a Trace By FELICITY BARRINGER SACRAMENTO — Where did they go? The Chinook salmon that swim upstream to spawn in the fall, the most robust run in the Sacramento River, have disappeared. The almost complete collapse of the richest and most dependable source of Chinook salmon south of Alaska left gloomy fisheries experts struggling for reliable explanations — and coming up dry. Whatever the cause, there was widespread agreement among those attending a five-day meeting of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council here last week that the regional $150 million fishery, which usually opens for the four-month season on May 1, is almost certain to remain closed this year from northern Oregon to the Mexican border. A final decision on salmon fishing in the area is expected next month. As a result, Chinook, or king salmon, the most prized species of Pacific wild salmon, will be hard to come by until the Alaskan season opens in July. Even then, wild Chinook are likely to be very expensive in markets and restaurants nationwide. “It’s unprecedented that this fishery is in this kind of shape,” said Donald McIsaac, executive director of the council, which is organized under the auspices of the Commerce Department. Fishermen think the Sacramento River was mismanaged in 2005, when this year’s fish first migrated downriver. Perhaps, they say, federal and state water managers drained too much water or drained at the wrong time to serve the state’s powerful agricultural interests and cities in arid Southern California. The fishermen think the fish were left susceptible to disease, or to predators, or to being sucked into diversion pumps and left to die in irrigation canals. But federal and state fishery managers and biologists point to the highly unusual ocean conditions in 2005, which may have left the fingerling salmon with little or none of the rich nourishment provided by the normal upwelling currents near the shore. The life cycle of these fall run Chinook salmon takes them from their birth and early weeks in cold river waters through a downstream migration that deposits them in the San Francisco Bay when they are a few inches long, and then as their bodies adapt to saltwater through a migration out into the ocean, where they live until they return to spawn, usually three years later. One species of Sacramento salmon, the winter run Chinook, is protected under the Endangered Species Act. But their meager numbers have held steady and appear to be unaffected by whatever ails the fall Chinook. So what happened? As Dave Bitts, a fisherman based in Eureka in Northern California, sees it, the variables are simple. “To survive, there are two things a salmon needs,” he said. “To eat. And not to be eaten.” Fragmentary evidence about salmon mortality in the Sacramento River in recent years, as well as more robust but still inconclusive data about ocean conditions in 2005, indicates that the fall Chinook smolts, or baby fish, of 2005 may have lost out on both counts. But biologists, fishermen and fishery managers all emphasize that no one yet knows anything for sure. Bill Petersen, an oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s research center in Newport, Ore., said other stocks of anadromous Pacific fish — those that migrate from freshwater to saltwater and back — had been anemic this year, leading him to suspect ocean changes. After studying changes in the once-predictable pattern of the Northern Pacific climate, Mr. Petersen found that in 2005 the currents that rise from the deeper ocean, bringing with them nutrients like phytoplankton and krill, were out of sync. “Upwelling usually starts in April and goes until September,” he said. “In 2005, it didn’t start until July.” Mr. Petersen’s hypothesis about the salmon is that “the fish that went to sea in 2005 died a few weeks after getting to the ocean” because there was nothing to eat. A couple of years earlier, when the oceans were in a cold-weather cycle, the opposite happened — the upwelling was very rich. The smolts of that year were later part of the largest run of fall Chinook ever recorded. But, Mr. Petersen added, many factors may have contributed to the loss of this season’s fish. Bruce MacFarlane, another NOAA researcher who is based in Santa Cruz, has started a three-year experiment tagging young salmon — though not from the fall Chinook run — to determine how many of those released from the large Coleman hatchery, 335 miles from the Sacramento River’s mouth, make it to the Golden Gate Bridge. According to the first year’s data, only 4 of 200 reached the bridge. Mr. MacFarlane said it was possible that a diversion dam on the upper part of the river, around Redding and Red Bluff, created calm and deep waters that are “a haven for predators,” particularly the pike minnow. Farther downstream, he said, young salmon may fall prey to striped bass. There are also tens of thousands of pipes, large and small, attached to pumping stations that divert water. Jeff McCracken, a spokesman for the federal Bureau of Reclamation, which is among the major managers of water in the Sacramento River delta, said that in the last 18 years, significant precautions have been taken to keep fish from being taken out of the river through the pipes. “We’ve got 90 percent of those diversions now screened,” Mr. McCracken said. He added that two upstream dams had been removed and that the removal of others was planned. At the diversion dam in Red Bluff, he said, “we’ve opened the gates eight months a year to allow unimpeded fish passage.” Bureau of Reclamation records show that annual diversions of water in 2005 were about 8 percent above the 12-year average, while diversions in June, the month the young Chinook smolts would have headed downriver, were roughly on par with what they had been in the mid-1990s. Peter Dygert, a NOAA representative on the fisheries council, said, “My opinion is that we won’t have a definitive answer that clearly indicates this or that is the cause of the decline.”

This time of year I would guess mid-day is best, as that'll give the water a chance to warm up a little. Later in the spring or summer, though, I've caught pike at all times of day. Never at night though, but I don't do much night-fishing. Mike

I know Roger, I'll be fishing less the next few years (will esp. miss my annual week-long trips), but I figure it'll come back to me when I introduce him to fishing and he hopefully becomes a fishing buddy for life. Mike

Sounds pretty good to me right now, after the winter we've had up here... Mike

Thanks again guys, I bought a Citica yesterday and got the coupon from the retailer for the $30 rebate. Mike

Definitely sounds like a great day, some nice-looking fish and meeting OFNers is always a treat. Mike

Definitely a lot of fun just to take a look around. There was a demo or something going on by the aquarium, with Bob Izumi and Dave Mercer, so I wasn't able to get close and show the fish to my boy. Have to do it next time... Mike

Good pt, Lew, I did take a look around before buying the Citica, I think I got a good price. Plus I needed to use those BPS gift cards for something, and didn't have any plans for any other big purchases this spring. I didn't have enough time to look around too much, but there were quite a lot of crankbaits and plastics on sale too. Mike

That's a pretty brown, love the colours... Mike

Congrats, nice looking steel and a great way to start the season... Mike

Always nice to be recognized for your work, TJ. Glad you had a good show. I'm really glad to be part of OFC, and often wear my hat in case I run into other board members.

Went to BPS yesterday to spend some gift cards that I got for my birthday last year. Had been meaning to buy a new baitcasting reel but put it off after our son was born. I had Oliver for the day so I took him along, I hear it's never too early to get them started! They were sold out of Curados, which was the #1 reel recommended to me when I posted a question about this last year. I looked at some other options but I'm a Shimano fan and ended up buying a Citica D after talking to one of the sales rep. Have never really asked for input on my purchases at BPS before and I was very pleased with the service I got. Friendly and helpful, even though it was really busy (had to wait to get up to the counter). There was a Sportsman Show sale on so I saved some money on the Citica, plus I didn't realize but there is a Shimano reel rebate on, which is another $30 off. ($50 off Curados and $20 off Cruxis reels). Also picked up a soft tackle bag, thought about this last year and decided to make the switch. The Browning 370 bags are regularly $79.95 and were on sale for $49.95. Also finally met Roger (bpsbassman) there, he was by the reel counter and we chatted about the board etc. Good meeting you Roger... Can't wait to get out this spring to try out the new reel. Already started organizing the new tackle bag. I have too much stuff. Mike

Cliff, They were supposed to require passports as of Jan 2008, I think, but there was a big outcry and lots of people had long delays getting passports, so they've put it off for a little while. Your son will eventually need a passport to cross the border by land (already required by air). Mike

Hi guys, First I heard of this rebate. How long does it last, and is it good for all Shimano reels? I had been thinking of picking up a new baitcasting reel this winter... Thanks, Mike

Extremely stupid or stupidly extreme? jk I'm impressed you went out anyway with that cold snap! Mike

Freshwater reports in Feb. Darnation, you Southern guys have it good... Mike

A big part of fishing for me is getting out on the water and being somewhere quiet and peaceful while trying to catch some fish. One of the reasons I avoid the big and super-busy lakes. I'd rather fish a smaller cottager lake. Mike

Happy Chinese new year to all, may you catch lots of fish this season... Mike

lew, not sure which direction you'll be arriving at the airport for the pick-up, but there's a Timmies right on Dixon Road before the left-hand turn into the airport area, a good place to have a coffee and wait for the call. Only a few minutes from the terminals so you can finish your cup before heading out, given the time it usually takes to clear Customs and get your bags. If your wife is flying out of Terminal 1, give yourself even more time. I fly pretty regularly and the new terminal is the worst for waiting for your bags. Mike

Nice box of lures for sure! Mike

Yup, heard and saw it last night. Also remember the same thing happening in mid-December, it was snowing and blowing around and then I saw a flash, I actually thought a power line went down at first... Mike

Nice catches! Looks like those eating pike were caught at a cottage somewhere so you are probably okay from the dreaded GTA cooties and contaminants. Mike

Those are great-looking lures Ric, what are you planning to use them for? Mike

Never been, hopefully somebody can help you out. But you should factor in the cost of fishing on your honeymoon! Unless your wife wants to join you on the charter or is cool with you going fishing while you're there, if so then you got yourself a keeper... Mike (my wife and I went fishing during our honeymoon, and also on our first anniversary, so I consider myself very very lucky)

Ouch! Hope you sleep it off okay. I have been lucky so far, stuck myself a few times with hooks but never past the barb. A buddy of mine got one past the barb on the water, and he pulled it through himself. I was willing to help, I think, but he just went and did it. Mike