Duke

I wish I hadn't read this- for some reason we have landed a very high percentage of slider fish, go figure. Can definitely see how it could be trouble, but at least it's a fish you might not have had a chance at otherwise. Love the free slider!

Once a year I take grandpa's tackle box out and run the gear from the 70's. Still works.

My comment was tongue in cheek. Tim nailed it, kings just eat. I laughed when I heard a biologist say they had a really good year class of four year old walleye that were now legal as they were 15-17". That is why walleye fishing sucks.

So are you running Gramp's plugs on copper behind a board, or a downrigger below the boat?? And not saying old stuff doesn't work, but what are you going to use to up your odds?

In my limited experience, and what I've also been told by the pros, is downriggers take far fewer fish, especially fewer big fish than the gear that is spread out from under/behind the boat. Do you agree? And 30 years ago what percentage (and total #) of fish were being caught on downriggers? More?

What about midday? Were more fish caught outside low light periods in the past than they are now? Thanks for humoring this rook

I think we're missing out as in the fish that make it to the weirs are the ones that did not hit lures. Are they making salmon less likely to bite by breeding these fish?

This literally has got to be the only reason why less fish are caught on the old standby methods close to the boat, and more are caught using new methods to get lures away from the boat. Could also be because the water is clearer now too though, maybe?

I must say this is just what I have heard and believe to be true about the history of fishing tactics - I am a totally clueless rookie. So I'd love to hear more experience from the veterans. Although getting off Corey's original topic - needs a separate discussion? Fascinating stuff!

I read that the earlier runs are due to simple "accidental" genetic selection by the DNR broodstock collection efforts- they have/had a tendency to set up the weirs & collection stations early in the run, catch the early fish, meet their quotas, then take those fish back as broodstock. Seems plausible enough but I don't know how much truth there is/was on the timing of the DNR collecting their broodstock.

I would think you should be able to age salmon like other fish- taking a razor blade to slice a thin cross section of a dorsal or anal fin ray, then use a microscope and count the growth rings just like tree rings. This of course requires a microscope or having a total geek brother(s) who own one.