It’s the same across the United States. For example, Massachusetts anglers can look forward to more than 579,900 feisty brook, brown, rainbow and tiger trout being stocked this spring according to figures released by MassWildlife. Weather and water conditions permitting, MassWildlife stocking trucks will be making their spring trout stocking runs beginning with selected lakes and ponds in the eastern areas of the state by mid-March. Other waters in the state, still covered with snow will be stocked when weather, snow, water and mud conditions permit.
"Half of the 341,000 rainbow trout we will be putting out will be over 14 inches long," observes Chief Fish Culturist Dr. Ken Simmons. "They'll be distributed statewide throughout the stocking season by our five regional Wildlife District offices." 147,600 brown trout will be stocked of which more than 36,000 are larger than 13 inches. The larger water bodies will receive the larger fish with the smaller brooks and streams receiving the smaller fish. 86,000 brook trout, some of which weigh more than 3 pounds will be stocked in a similar fashion. Anglers can also anticipate trying to take some of the 5,000 tiger trout to be released. These handsome fish, a cross between a female brown trout and a male brook trout will average over 14” in length. Once the stocking season begins, weekly trout stocking reports will be updated each Friday on the MassWildlife Web Site.
In California, unfortunately, the news is not so good for salmon anglers. A precipitous drop in the fall chinook spawning run has California regulators continuing to consider an all-out ban on salmon fishing in California this year. That’s good news for the salmon population, but frightening to the salmon guides who have made their livings off the salmon runs.
Sacramento, despite being a metropolitan area, has enjoyed salmon runs that have been larger than many in Alaska. The area’s taken that run for granted, and built a small industry around it. To the point that officials there say each chinook caught there is worth as much as $700 to the local economy. The math’s inexact, but a ban on the fishing would be a huge hit to the local fishing economy. The hit is tough enough that forty-six members of Congress on Friday urged Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez to declare fishery failure. That declaration would entitle the guides and others who have depended on the salmon run for a livelihood to receive economic aid to help them ride out the failure.
The Fishing Wire has learned that federal authorities are reluctant to make such a declaration as projections say next year’s run may be even more disappointing. If that were the case, it might establish a foundation for a never-ending chain of economic aid. That, officials tell us, is not the point of the fishery failure declarations. They are intended as short-term financial assistance for one-off problems. Other programs are in place that could help those whose livelihoods have been lost in a fishery failure to receive aid in seeking other employment.
There are several theories as to why the salmon run has been so depleted, but nearly everyone agrees the situation is not showing any signs of improving. The Pacific Fishery Management Council will meet later this week in Sacramento to talk about the upcoming season. On Friday, council members will vote to approve one of three options for the season – including a ban on all fishing. The final option will be chosen in April. After that, state and federal agencies will adopt rules that will take effect May 1.
On April 15, The California Fish and Game Commission will consider closures affecting waters within three miles of shore, the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and major tributaries. Some bans on the salmon may, however, be put into place sooner as some areas have already opened to fishing or will open soon.
It doesn’t matter if the cause is a change in the jet stream in 2005 or the export of water from Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (records show that killed nearly 6,000 fish between October and February), the damage is done and officials are now forced to hope that short-term measures are all that is necessary to restore the salmon to the region.
