[troutaholic]

Over the years there has been population fluctuations with kokanee salmon and often times reduced numbers of eggs collected during the spawning operations. Is the current angling limit of 10 fish excessive? Should we as Sportsmen try to conserve our resources better?

 

[epic]

I will have to say I think the current limit is fine. There was a record egg take this last season, and they are adding new egg collection points ontop of that. You have to remember kokanee are a put and take fish, they dont last after they spawn and not every fish is collected by the DOW. So why was this resource.

 

[bobco]

10 fish is excessive. I will go to 6 fish limit and let the macs have my other 4 fish....

 

[fowl_hooked]

I will have to say I think the current limit is fine.  There was a record egg take this last season, and they are adding new egg collection points ontop of that.  You have to remember kokanee are a put and take fish, they dont last after they spawn and not every fish is collected by the DOW.  So why waste this resource.

I agree 100%

 

[FishDr]

I support the 10-fish limit because, in good years, CDOW has no trouble getting enough eggs, and the macks seem to be growing just fine on the remaining fish and there still lots left over for the anglers.  I think that if you wanted to do something to guarantee a steady supply of eggs, you'd want to make sure that the environmental conditions were conducive to a good spawning run, and good survival of juvenile and adult kokanee.  A couple of years back, Blue Mesa was so low that the fish had to struggle to swim up the old Gunnison River channel in the Iola Basin, most of which was just a big mud flat...if I remember correctly, that was a particularly poor year for egg take.  A new and growing threat in Blue Mesa are the illegally introduced yellow perch.  If a large population develops, and they happen to be hanging around the shallow end of the lake when all the kokanee come down from Roaring Judy, it'll be a massacre.  If the perch get the kokanee, then there'll be fewer kokanee to feed the big lake trout, the anglers (like me), and to produce eggs for the next generation!

I'm curious whether the majority of anglers actually catch a limit of kokanee every time they go out.  I know that some of the anglers I see at Blue Mesa definitely do, but a lot of them seem not to.  I almost always limit at Blue Mesa, but that isn't always the case on other lakes.

 

[Kitchenmonkey]

If you beleive about half of the folks who post on this forum, There are always limits caught on every species on every lake they fish every time. I guess this is the place to post "fish stories" after all

 

[troutaholic]

I will have to say I think the current limit is fine.  There was a record egg take this last season, and they are adding new egg collection points ontop of that.  You have to remember kokanee are a put and take fish, they dont last after they spawn and not every fish is collected by the DOW.  So why was this resource.

But as we know at 11 Mile and other places they can get really big before they spawn and die(like 3-5 pounds), so is catching 10 smaller ones(10-16") a good thing? They are a put and take fish yes, but they can get bigger if given the chance.

 

[laker taker]

I've said this before; wildlife, including aquatic management is a science not opinion. Granted, you can manage for different goals such as quality take, quantity take, other species control, etc... Kokanee salmon is an extremely valuable resource to our state wildlife managers. IMO, they wouldn't jeopardize such a valuble resource by having unrealisticly high limits.

CSU did a study that explains it all. Kokanee salmon don't live but 4 1/2 years, I say take em or they go to waste any way.

http://www.warnercnr.colostate.edu/~brett/lab/coldwater/trophic.html

 

[troutaholic]

I've said this before; wildlife, including aquatic management is a science not opinion. Granted, you can manage for different goals such as quality take, quantity take, other species control, etc... Kokanee salmon is an extremely valuable resource to our state wildlife managers. IMO, they wouldn't jeopardize such a valuble resource by having unrealisticly high limits.

CSU did a study that explains it all. Kokanee salmon don't live but 4 1/2 years, I say take em or they go to waste any way.

http://www.warnercnr.colostate.edu/~brett/lab/coldwater/trophic.html

I read the article and life cycle expectancy. It looks like there is a need in some areas especially where they collect eggs to keep them to a more mature age for doing this, so I don't know if I agree with the take everything or they go to waste arguement.

 

[clackaram]

Hmmmm.....I feel the kokanee love....interesting.

FishDr.- not too many good water years in the last decade.

 

[idratherbfishing]

My vote if there were an option for it is, "Don't know".

I really don't know enough about Kokes and I expect it will take me some time to know enough to formulate an educated opinion.

Dan

 

[hosswolf]

The limit doesn't affect how many I keep. I can't seem to catch any :-\ I give up trying when I see the lakers on the flasher. They're easier for me to catch. I need more patience.

 

[jamiehughes]

i just dont get why kokanee are as stated "an extremely valuable resourse to our wildlife managers" why are they so important. personally i could say i really have no interest in catching something that is probably never gonna get over 5lbs here in colo, they arent that cool looking(especially when their body's are falling apart) nothing like catching a fish and having his jaw fall off. i've caught quite a few and i guess i just don't get it. they don't fight that great and i didn't think the ones that i caught at dillon tasted good at all. i must be missing something.

 

[Mustang]

why isnt there an option for "i dont care, kokanee are weak fish and if i want salmon ill fly to alaska"?

so yeah, i really dont care

 

[laker taker]

Read the study out of CSU and you'll understand a little more about why Kokanee are so valuable resource. I agree that Kokanee are no fun to catch. The only reason to even fish for them is to smoke 'em & eat 'em.

I was told once by a pretty knowledgeble guy who fishes Granby alot (I wonder who that was!), that the majority of high coutry lake fisherman fish for Kokanee. My experience has told me the same. Go to Big Blue and talk to other fisherman, what are they fishing for, KOKANEE. When you talk Macks, they look at you like a moron, "why would you fish for those greasy fish?" People like to catch to eat. And Kokanee are fished for alot.

DISCLAIMER: These are the recreational fisherman I'm speaking of, not the experts/fishing psycho's who post on this site. So don't go bash my brains in for this post.

 

[TroutFishingBear]

Read the study out of CSU and you'll understand a little more about why Kokanee are so valuable resource. I agree that Kokanee are no fun to catch. The only reason to even fish for them is to smoke 'em & eat 'em.

I was told once by a pretty knowledgeble guy who fishes Granby alot (I wonder who that was!), that the majority of high coutry lake fisherman fish for Kokanee. My experience has told me the same. Go to Big Blue and talk to other fisherman, what are they fishing for, KOKANEE. When you talk Macks, they look at you like a moron, "why would you fish for those greasy fish?" People like to catch to eat. And Kokanee are fished for alot.

DISCLAIMER: These are the recreational fisherman I'm speaking of, not the experts/fishing psycho's who post on this site. So don't go bash my brains in for this post.

no if you go to blue mesa right now during the ice season, and ask people what they are fishing for, it is never kokanee but always macks. The only time kokes are more popular is during the spawn/runs. And the only reason the fisheries managers say kokes are more popular is because they conduct their "research" during the spawn to see which is more popular. Well, everyone is going to be fishing for kokanee then, so what do you think? It's a no brainer what they are doing. Sorry just had to give another perspective. I'm done in a thread like this, too much controversy. BTW, it would have to be a 4 fish limit for kokes to make any significant impact on helping the population. Pat martinez (if you can believe him) told me that. I can't really remember his reasoning though. The biggest problem at big blue are those that get waaaaaaaaay over their limit. They are everywhere. It's a shame people have to be like this.

 

[laker taker]

I think you should actually READ my post.

that the majority of high coutry lake fisherman fish for Kokanee. My experience has told me the same

"My experience."  That was my experience, that fishermen I talk to at Blue fish for Kokes mainly. This is during the summer, not the winter. I have no opinion of ice fishing attitudes so I should have deatiled that. Perhaps I should ask you, Trout Fishing Bear, about the attitudes of fishermen at Blue before the DOW changed the limit on lake trout? What were the attitudes then? What did that do to change the fishery? I am not so ignorant to think that people ONLY fish for Kokes there, Some very well known Lake Trout fishermen fish there, alot, I happen to know that as fact. Alot of locals don't fish there for either species.

I had to post my "disclaimer" for experts such as you.  Once again, opinions vary as do experiences, that is why I always state my opinion and experiences as just that, not fact as I am not an "expert". I just fish alot.

 

[TroutFishingBear]

Well I guess my experience differs...through the ice the mack anglers probably outnumber kokanee anglers at least 20 to 1. Open water during the spring, 10 to 1. Summer...about even. Fall, kokanee anglers outnumber mack anglers at least 10-1. And I wasn't "bashing your brains in" for that post, I just felt it was slightly off. I was obviously not bashing the person that posted it, as you seem to be me your last post...Like I said, stuff like this isn't necessarily the greatest thing to discuss on the internet where we cannot know the other person's true emotions and meaning of what they say like can be done verbally.

 

[clackaram]

LT's comments are right on, and creel census data can support it.

If Mack's or Kaokanee were to become absent from Granby or Blue Mesa for example, which group of anglers would have the most complaints? The most would come from anglers missing kokanee. The loudest would come from Lake Trout Fishermen.

Anglers may say that they are fishing for Mack's (male machismo) but check the stringer and there will be Kokanee. Kind of like the pheasant hunter who shoots some quail while they are out. Ask the hunter what they are hunting for and it is pheasant, not quail.

Next to catchable rainbows, kokanee are the most important fish produced in CO in terms aof angler take and satisfaction.

TFB- when you turn 18 try and get a seasonal job with the DOW as a creel clerk, it will open your eyes to the values of anglers from all walks of life in Colorado, and how the DOW respects and manages for all these values.

 

[kokaneeking]

whoever told you that is stupid, i agree when the kokes go into the spawn they do tend to fall apart, but when they are silver they are excellent eating and beautiful fish, kokanee arent weak fish either, when they are silver they do fight well, some of the people on this site are full of it