Lake Champlain United - Forums

Today while watching 102 salmon being processed at the Grand Isle fish trap there were at least a dozen salmon that could not be kept and will probably die due to huge gashes and wounds from fish hooks. Many foul hooks and flies were also removed from fish while I was there. An employee who lives near by says cars are parked there 24 hours a day. (all night) This is unacceptable. These fish represent the future stock of our fishery and need to be protected. A few years ago public hearings were held concerning fishing in the cove and almost unanimously ( including wardens)all attending were in favor of a ban or major restictions . We all felt good about the results of the meeting. Well a few days later commissioner Louis Porter squashed the proposal and blindsided all of us. Well Porter isn't there any more and I believe a new push for regulations is in order. I've heard the new commissioner may be more responsive to change> I urge all of you to petition him for responsible change to this problem. If not a ban at least outlaw treble hooks, possible restrict fishing hours to daylight only. I personally think it should just be shut down. These fish and our fishery deserve better

Thanks for this. Let's shut it down! How?

Well for starters contact commissioner and advocate for change. Email Christopher.Herrick@vermont.gov. I also have a group of fishing advocates and we will be pushing for meetings with F&W and possible public hearings if need be. Every voice is important. Lets keep this thread going

Thanks for posting this Bagman..

Even the salmon river (snagging capitol of the world) has some practical regulations in place.
No night fishing
No treble hooks (single hook only)
No hook gap exceeding 1/2 inch
We have a number of regulations in Vermont to protect many species of spawning fish. Why not the salmon?

They should prohibit fishing in the cove. Period!

Kevin

Hi Guys, its been a long time since I have posted. I can't understand why Vermonts regs are so much different than New Yorks for these fish on the tribs. As for the Salmon River, N.Y. created that monster at the start of it by allowing snagging with the weighted treble hooks. They learned from that mistake based on how they put so many regs on the tribs of Champlain during peak salmon running activity. No Fishing within a certain distance of fish collecting devices as well as closing a section of the Boquet. In N.Y that cove would most likely be closed. There are regs on the Saranac, Ausable and Boquet that follows the hours like hunting and it is fly fishing with unweighted flies or unweighted natural baits only. Hook size / gap is regulated and no additional weight can be attached to line, leader or hook to include swivels even. There is one section of the Saranac there is an exemption for the use of weight and also a free floating lure with restrictions on the hook for the lure. I also think that some of the gear the fly guys use should be looked at again as I see fly fishermen on the Saranac foul hooking fish. I do not think sinking lines and sink tips are illegal to use. They should be in my opinion. I don't think they are foul hooking fish on purpose but when you can run a drift through an area with fish 3 to 10 lbs and keep it better positioned the chances are better to foul hook a fish.

I spin fish for them with no weight and drift a night crawler through where I think the fish are sitting. In over 25 years of fishing for them like that I have never foul hooked a fish. I see fly guys fouling fish every year. I'm not debating a fly vs. spin style as to which is foul hooking more fish - just what I have seen from decades of fishing them this time of year in the tribs. I like the regs as they protect those fish but still allow the chance to catch a trophy sized fish. If you're going to pressure the powers to be about protecting these fish better the whole trib regulation thing in Vermont should be revised to minimize the chances for foul hooking fish without making it impossible to catch one. I di think like you guys on here that area should be at the very least have hours for fishing like hunting and would be best to just close it. If your not familiar with N.Y's trib regs then check them out - they are in place from June 15 to Dec.31. I wish you guys luck on this - its a chance to make the fishery more sportsman like, protect the brood fish a little better and still have it so the possibility is there to catch the landlocked of a lifetime.

Well said champlain fisher

In response to my question to the State about closing Hatchery Cove, I received this response:

"For background, we have discussed the possibility of restricting or closing fishing in Hatchery Cove multiple times, and have decided not to restrict angling for the following reasons:

- The salmon that congregate at the mouth of Hatchery Brook and in Hatchery Cove are all stocked fish.
- We stock these fish to provide angling opportunities.
- The fish can be caught 365 days a year in Lake Champlain
- Hatchery Cove provides the rare opportunity for anglers to fish for salmon from shore, without needing a boat.
- We do use the salmon that return to Hatchery Brook as broodstock for the next generation of salmon stocking, but we have been able to get all of the eggs we need, and we are holding additional broodstock at our Bald Hill Hatchery.

"We realize that some anglers behave badly in the presence of congregations of large fish, and may try to snag the salmon. We believe that this can be addressed through a variety of enforcement efforts rather than taking opportunities away from everyone due to a few bad actors. If these were wild fish congregating to spawn we may close the area to fishing, but again, these are stocked fish returning to the hatchery outflow, and we have plenty of broodstock to maintain the salmon stocking program."

Heres a couple pics

tunamas Was this reply from the commissioner?

bagman wrote: ↑Tue Nov 08, 2022 1:35 pm tunamas Was this reply from the commissioner?

It was from Eric Palmer, with copies to John Hall, Catherine Gjessing, Christopher Herrick and Justin Stedman.

heres some pics

more pics

And perhaps the greatest irony is that many of us "more responsible anglers" are treating the prevalent 15-17 inch salmon in the lake with especially great care, so we don't mangle their mouths on hook release and they can mature with full health upon release.