Sushihunter
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/09/SP1B127626.DTL
Signs point to monster return for salmon
Tom Stienstra, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Tom Stienstra
Archive
(08-09) 17:07 PDT -- An 80-pound salmon caught off Rivers Inlet this past week crowned a siege of some of the biggest salmon taken off British Columbia in years. The news could mean great things for the Bay Area coast in the future.
On the same morning the 80-pounder was caught, an angler on a nearby boat caught a 71-pounder. At least one 50-pound salmon has been caught every day this week out of Rivers Inlet Resort, according to Ron Shapland, co-owner of the resort. "The fish this season are unbelievably huge."
The story of the decline in salmon populations on the Pacific Coast is well documented, but there's a surprise twist this summer. Scientists blamed the fall of salmon stocks primarily on a lack of marine food production, which has also affected the population of some marine birds. This was the result of a change in wind patterns across the ocean that caused poor upwelling and lack of plankton and krill.
But this spring and early summer, powerful winds out of the northwest returned, and with it, upwelling jump-started the marine food chain.
With plenty of food again in the ocean, yet far fewer adult salmon this summer, the fish that are out there are gorging and getting huge.
That is why what is happening now off Canada could presage huge fish in future years along the Bay Area coast. This summer, DFG released more 20.2 million smolts in San Pablo Bay to bypass water diversions and help the fish reach the ocean, and with rich feed conditions, those salmon could grow more than a pound per month. That is why I predict we'll have more than 1 million salmon in the 20 to 25-pound range in the summer of 2010 off the Bay Area coast, with a sprinkling of monsters.
"It's hard to believe how big the salmon are up here right now," said fieldscout John Beath, who reported the story from Canada and set a line-class world record for landing a 51-pound salmon on 6-pound line. "Seriously, the average salmon at Rivers Inlet is 40 pounds and up, and there's 50, 60 and 70-pounders."
More info: (425) 226-4600 or riversinletresort.com.
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
Signs point to monster return for salmon
Tom Stienstra, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Tom Stienstra
Archive
(08-09) 17:07 PDT -- An 80-pound salmon caught off Rivers Inlet this past week crowned a siege of some of the biggest salmon taken off British Columbia in years. The news could mean great things for the Bay Area coast in the future.
On the same morning the 80-pounder was caught, an angler on a nearby boat caught a 71-pounder. At least one 50-pound salmon has been caught every day this week out of Rivers Inlet Resort, according to Ron Shapland, co-owner of the resort. "The fish this season are unbelievably huge."
The story of the decline in salmon populations on the Pacific Coast is well documented, but there's a surprise twist this summer. Scientists blamed the fall of salmon stocks primarily on a lack of marine food production, which has also affected the population of some marine birds. This was the result of a change in wind patterns across the ocean that caused poor upwelling and lack of plankton and krill.
But this spring and early summer, powerful winds out of the northwest returned, and with it, upwelling jump-started the marine food chain.
With plenty of food again in the ocean, yet far fewer adult salmon this summer, the fish that are out there are gorging and getting huge.
That is why what is happening now off Canada could presage huge fish in future years along the Bay Area coast. This summer, DFG released more 20.2 million smolts in San Pablo Bay to bypass water diversions and help the fish reach the ocean, and with rich feed conditions, those salmon could grow more than a pound per month. That is why I predict we'll have more than 1 million salmon in the 20 to 25-pound range in the summer of 2010 off the Bay Area coast, with a sprinkling of monsters.
"It's hard to believe how big the salmon are up here right now," said fieldscout John Beath, who reported the story from Canada and set a line-class world record for landing a 51-pound salmon on 6-pound line. "Seriously, the average salmon at Rivers Inlet is 40 pounds and up, and there's 50, 60 and 70-pounders."
More info: (425) 226-4600 or riversinletresort.com.
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
