Posts: 4,244
Threads: 12
Joined: Mar 2003
Reputation:
0
Heather Fried a uconn graduate student and Steven Brown an undergradate student are pulling a 110' net in CT. rivers and coming up empty for Tomcod and Smelt. Smelt are on the threatened species list for CT. Several reasons seem to be a cause for not finding any. Degradation of spawning areas, dam construction, stripe bass predation, and even global warming. These fish need cold waters and we have been getting warmer winters, especially in the 90's. In 1922 hatcheries tried to resupply but have long since stopped. Only time will tell if we see these fish again
[signature]
Posts: 23,576
Threads: 0
Joined: Dec 2001
Reputation:
0
smelt counts in michigan are well down as well. have been for a good 10 years now [unsure]
we used to go and come home with a five gallon pail. those days are long but gone, if you get a quart you are lucky, but the stores around here have no problem stocking their shelves with them...
Hmm, I wonder?[crazy]
I have eaten store bought smelt, they are no where near what a fresh caught smelt will taist. on top of that the smelt are not as clean as they would be if I had caught them my self. and you know that if you dont clean your game well you cant get rid of that gamey taist.
are the stores in your area supplied well with smelt early in the spring?
[signature]
Posts: 4,244
Threads: 12
Joined: Mar 2003
Reputation:
0
Hey Dave, the stores allways have them in the spring and summer, so they must get them out of Mass. I remember getting tomcod as a kid, but haven't seen them here in years. [unsure] Our new governor says she wants to bring back the clean water in the sound. It has improved over the last 10 years, so maybe the water temp and our increasing stripe bass population does have something to do with it. I know the blue crabs have been hit hard by the last two years of cold winters. It might be wishful thinking to get the cod and smelt back but you have to try.
[signature]
