06-06-2004, 07:34 PM
It's 
to me to see all those big fish decimated. Who wants to go fish for a bunch of 18"-20" lake trout with very little shot at a fish that is a decent size? Not I! I was listening to a guide on a local radio program yesterday who said he is fishing 5 days a week on Granby and since ice-out (late April) he and his clients have taken a total of 3 fish over 26". That bites!
My suspicion is that the regulation was changed to promote harvest of the fish that were doing the most damage to their precious hatchery kokanee that they dump in, but I haven't been able to confirm that. Seems pretty short-sighted to me, either way.
I'm not sure of the economics of mack fishermen vs. kokanee fishermen, but I can tell you that I'm not going to Granby to fish for a bunch of those little tykes. Which means I'm not paying for a motel room there, I'm not filling my truck and boat with gas there, I'm not eating at least 2 meals per day in the local restaurants, and I'm not dropping assorted other $$ on "necessities" in the local bait and tackle shops. My guess is that the serious mack fisherman drops more dough into the local economy than the kokanee people.
Anyway, with our burgeoning populations, fishermen and DOW need to get used to the idea that we have to start seriously protecting these valuable resources of big fish. Our lakes and rivers simply can no longer support heavy harvest by every Tom, Dick, and Harry who can afford a license and a tank of gas.
Okay, I'll climb down off the soap box now. This whole topic just pushes one of my "hot" buttons.
[signature]
to me to see all those big fish decimated. Who wants to go fish for a bunch of 18"-20" lake trout with very little shot at a fish that is a decent size? Not I! I was listening to a guide on a local radio program yesterday who said he is fishing 5 days a week on Granby and since ice-out (late April) he and his clients have taken a total of 3 fish over 26". That bites! My suspicion is that the regulation was changed to promote harvest of the fish that were doing the most damage to their precious hatchery kokanee that they dump in, but I haven't been able to confirm that. Seems pretty short-sighted to me, either way.
I'm not sure of the economics of mack fishermen vs. kokanee fishermen, but I can tell you that I'm not going to Granby to fish for a bunch of those little tykes. Which means I'm not paying for a motel room there, I'm not filling my truck and boat with gas there, I'm not eating at least 2 meals per day in the local restaurants, and I'm not dropping assorted other $$ on "necessities" in the local bait and tackle shops. My guess is that the serious mack fisherman drops more dough into the local economy than the kokanee people.
Anyway, with our burgeoning populations, fishermen and DOW need to get used to the idea that we have to start seriously protecting these valuable resources of big fish. Our lakes and rivers simply can no longer support heavy harvest by every Tom, Dick, and Harry who can afford a license and a tank of gas.
Okay, I'll climb down off the soap box now. This whole topic just pushes one of my "hot" buttons.
[signature]