# Clinton River Temperatures and Trout Survival



## MEL (Jul 17, 2005)

Wow, Im really confused by Willis posts. 
Are we to be upset cause of the effort to clean the Clinton?
Or are we to be upset due to the effort to stock some trout to make a small trout fishery in the most populated are of the state?
Or are we to be up set due to the Sate(DNR) is spending money on the effort (as minimal as it is?)

As I see it if the state(DNR) is making effoerts to clean the river GREAT!
If they throw some trount into a marginal river to provide a local area to fish trout-GREAT
If by stocking the Clinton this takes some pressure off of other better trout rivers in the state-GREAT.

Im 53 years old, Ive seen the Clinton in the 60's, 70's and 80's let me tell you all something it wasnt a pretty sight. Nor was it a pretty smell. Ive seen purple, green, orange and other color waters in the Clinton (chemicals). So if we can do something to clean it. Toss a few trout in it and make a fishery for some of us Metro Area Trouters whats the freakin proublem????

Do those of us who know and Love the Au Sable realize that that river has undergone DECADES of inprovements to get it to where it is today.
100+ years ago it was a crap fishery for trout!!!


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## The Downstream Drift (Feb 27, 2010)

And now more guys seem to show how thankful we all are for the efforts put forth to build a fishery on the Clinton. Glad to see some of you guys are coming to the table here to support the DNR's efforts on the Clinton.

I hate to say it but I am going to bow out of replying to Willi's posts for awhile. I have tried to prove the importance of the fisheries we have here and it seems like I am just talking to a wall.

I can only hope that you guys (Mel, Esox, Maverick, and others) can make some headway. However, sometimes it just doesn't pay to argue with someone that believes his ideas are never to be challenged. Perhaps a conversation with our fisheries biologist is all that will get him to believe the Clinton River fisheries are important.


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## Zofchak (Jan 10, 2003)

The Downstream Drift said:


> And now more guys seem to show how thankful we all are for the efforts put forth to build a fishery on the Clinton. Glad to see some of you guys are coming to the table here to support the DNR's efforts on the Clinton.
> 
> I hate to say it but I am going to bow out of replying to Willi's posts for awhile. I have tried to prove the importance of the fisheries we have here and it seems like I am just talking to a wall.
> 
> I can only hope that you guys (Mel, Esox, Maverick, and others) can make some headway. However, sometimes it just doesn't pay to argue with someone that believes his ideas are never to be challenged. Perhaps a conversation with our fisheries biologist is all that will get him to believe the Clinton River fisheries are important.



I don't think you have to worry about replying to Willi for a while....:lol: It looks like he scored himself at least a temporary vacation from M-S.com..


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## The Downstream Drift (Feb 27, 2010)

That is impressive. Maybe now we can get back to talking about fishing on a fishing forum.


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## opjones (Oct 15, 2007)

I am beyond confused about the OP's intended direction for this thread.


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## Zofchak (Jan 10, 2003)

opjones said:


> I am beyond confused about the OP's intended direction for this thread.


 From reading his posts in the Kayak/Canoe forum I got the impression that he is strictly a paddle sports enthusiast and not into fishing at all. While everyone should be entitled to their own opinion, it's kind of odd to post comments that border "anti fishing" on a site that caters to hunters and fisherman .


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## MEL (Jul 17, 2005)

The guy was sounding alittle scary. Gotta have a twisted mind to try to make some of the oints he was trying to make. Its either that or im the nutty one and he's narmal? Im still trying to see what the proublem is with cleaning the Clinton up, getting rid of the junk and chemicals and tossing some trout in there, even if their survival is low. It just dosent sound that be to me. Maybe he's with PETA and dosent like fishing?


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## Afterthaut (Sep 7, 2011)

...Or he doesn't understand that stocking trout goes hand in hand with cleaning up the river, both of which have been going on simultaneously for quite a few years now. :idea: The DNR wouldn't waste time stocking trout for all these years if they didn't think they would have at least a slight chance at survival (Auburn Hills to Rochester). Steelhead are migratory anyway so that is just a bonus.


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## The Downstream Drift (Feb 27, 2010)

The thing about it is that he is for cleaning up the river. However, trying to prevent a fishery from being built while in the process of cleaning it up is almost counter-productive. Maybe I'm wrong but more guys there are enjoying the river as a fishery leads to more guys concerned about the conservation efforts. 

Just imagine what would have happen years ago if anglers wouldn't have wanted to replenish the fisheries in our rivers that were destroyed from logging. I am certain there were guys screaming the same things Willi is now back then. I guess we can all thank the groups of anglers that pushed to restore what was destroyed then.

I, for one, am very happy to see that while the conservation efforts are at the top of the list in regards to our watershed the DNR has not lost sight of how important this fishery is and can be to the local area.


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## mfs686 (Mar 15, 2007)

Bottom Line.....Hunting and Fishing groups have always done more to improve the habitat of the wildlife more than any other group out there. Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited and all the other Unlimiteds have spent thousands, and in some cases millions of dollars improving habitat. This work has in turn improved water quality for both people and wildlife. They all go hand in hand and it is the money and manpower put forth by hunters and fishermen that make it happen.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Lots of passion in this post. It is sad that Willie seems to think the DNR plants Trout in the Clinton at the expense of canoers and kayakers, for some strange reason. But his original thought has a lot of validity. I took the 70 Degree Pledge many years ago, before I knew it existed. Mine is actually more like a 68* pledge. Think about it, if you really love Trouties.

http://www.70degreepledge.org/

I will be honest and say that fishing for Skamanias is what triggered this for me. I got tired of seeing people release those magnificent fish, after fighting them in warm water, only to see the fish float by a few minutes later. Just because you release them, and they swim away, *does not* mean they will live to fight again. Even if you do your best resuscitation, most of them will die after being fought to hand in 70 degree water. It just might take a day, or two, for it to happen. Again, think about it, if you really love Trouties. There are a lot of good days you can fish in a calendar year. I have learned to find other things to do on those hot summer days. Or, at least keep what you catch, so they are not wasted.


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