# 2018 Chinook Egg Take, Little Manistee Weir



## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

Hello everyone,
Our first day of Chinook salmon egg will be tomorrow, October 2nd (tuesday). We'll get started around 9am and probably go until early afternoon. Depending on numbers and ripeness, we may also take eggs on Wednesday the 3rd, but that is not for sure yet.

The facility is open to the public on egg take days, so if you're interested stop by and watch the show!


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Thanks for the info Mark.


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## JungleGeorge (Apr 18, 2013)

I’m interested to see the numbers compared to 4 years ago , the least amount of fish on record ...


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

You and me both George! Anyhow, at least today went well. We spawned 155 pairs, which got us enough eggs for Wolf Lake Hatchery's allotment. We will take eggs again tomorrow, this time for Platte Hatchery. Here were the numbers from today. We harvested 343 Chinook salmon, with the biggest going 26.3 lbs. We passed 61 coho salmon, with the biggest going 11.8 lbs. We also passed 5 brown trout to 5.9 lbs, and 13 steelhead up to 18.6 lbs.


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

Wow, 18.6. That's a duke!


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## GVDocHoliday (Sep 5, 2003)

Strong fish numbers at Tippy and alot of fish being caught. We've been running only one dumpster at our fish cleaning station the last 4 years....we needed to out the second one down there on Sunday. Looks like we're going to need to empty them tomorrow ready. Not gonna make it to the scheduled dump on Friday.


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## salmon_slayer06 (Mar 19, 2006)

Thank you for sharing the results. I bet more fish will be waiting come Wednesday morning.


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

Took eggs again today. We did 97 pairs today, harvesting 214 Chinooks, for a season total of 557. We had another 26 lber today, plus one massive male that went 28.3 lbs.

We passed 184 coho, for a season total of 245. The biggest coho today was 13.3. We also passed 34 steelhead, for a total of 47. No huge ones today, but we had a couple over 14 lbs. We also passed 33 brown trout for a total of 38. Today's biggest brown was 7.3 lbs.

We're done for this week. We're planning to again next week, probably tuesday or wednesday. If I get a chance later on tonight I'll try to post some pics.


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

GVDocHoliday said:


> Strong fish numbers at Tippy and alot of fish being caught. We've been running only one dumpster at our fish cleaning station the last 4 years....we needed to out the second one down there on Sunday. Looks like we're going to need to empty them tomorrow ready. Not gonna make it to the scheduled dump on Friday.


I bet that smells nice lol.


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

I was driving down 55 and was behind a garbage truck that had just pulled out of Fisherman's Headquarters. I will never forget that smell as it slopped out of the truck onto the hwy.


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## strmanglr (Sep 23, 2015)

I thought the weir on the Little Manistee was shut the beginning of September and the egg take took place through September. Has the weir been open up till Monday?


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## jumbojake (Apr 20, 2009)

thanks fur your post captain!inn yur opinion are these natraul reperduction kangs of de lil river mainistee.explaining de light numbers ahead of time so to speak.compared to betsie and swan creek seems so light for a absolutely perfect river for natraul reperduction?


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

strmanglr said:


> I thought the weir on the Little Manistee was shut the beginning of September and the egg take took place through September. Has the weir been open up till Monday?


I guess I'm not sure what you mean. The weir grates are put in place in mid August, effectively blocking all upstream fish passage. Once enough fish pile up below the weir, then we turn the pumps on (about two weeks ago). This allows the fish to jump the ladder and wind up in our ponds. Then once they're ripe enough, we can spawn them. This took place over the last two days. Hope that helps.


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

jumbojake said:


> thanks fur your post captain!inn yur opinion are these natraul reperduction kangs of de lil river mainistee.explaining de light numbers ahead of time so to speak.compared to betsie and swan creek seems so light for a absolutely perfect river for natraul reperduction?


Since all the stocked Chinooks have adipose fin clips, we can tell whether they're hatchery or wild right on the table. We'll get a final report from the processor after the run is over, but I'd say I've seen a pretty good mix of both wild and hatchery fish so far, maybe half and half. Why we aren't getting better survival on wild fish from the Little M in recent years is a very good question, and I'm not exactly sure. We know the river is still producing lots of wild smolts each year, and our electrofishing surveys show that the river remains very healthy. So the problem lies either in Manistee Lake or Lake Michigan. Possible explanations include predators- walleye and northern pike in Manistee Lake, lake trout in Lake MI, possibly cormorants too. Also, perhaps when there were more alewives around, they provided cover for the outgoing smolts. Predators would rather chase a slow dumb alewife instead of a fast wily salmonid, but these days there aren't as many alewives around so they have no choice but to target the salmonid smolts.

The Betsie has been amazing in recent years- it is an absolute Chinook salmon factory. Exactly why it has been producing so much better than the Little M is somewhat of a mystery. If you're referring to the Swan River on the east side, there isn't any natural repro there. It gets returns of nearly 100% stocked Chinooks.


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

Here's Olen with the 28 lb Chinook from yesterday:








Some spawning action shots:
















Here's the 18lb steelie we passed on tuesday:









And a nice brown:


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## jumbojake (Apr 20, 2009)

t


M. Tonello said:


> Since all the stocked Chinooks have adipose fin clips, we can tell whether they're hatchery or wild right on the table. We'll get a final report from the processor after the run is over, but I'd say I've seen a pretty good mix of both wild and hatchery fish so far, maybe half and half. Why we aren't getting better survival on wild fish from the Little M in recent years is a very good question, and I'm not exactly sure. We know the river is still producing lots of wild smolts each year, and our electrofishing surveys show that the river remains very healthy. So the problem lies either in Manistee Lake or Lake Michigan. Possible explanations include predators- walleye and northern pike in Manistee Lake, lake trout in Lake MI, possibly cormorants too. Also, perhaps when there were more alewives around, they provided cover for the outgoing smolts. Predators would rather chase a slow dumb alewife instead of a fast wily salmonid, but these days there aren't as many alewives around so they have no choice but to target the salmonid smolts.
> 
> The Betsie has been amazing in recent years- it is an absolute Chinook salmon factory. Exactly why it has been producing so much better than the Little M is somewhat of a mystery. If you're referring to the Swan River on the east side, there isn't any natural repro there. It gets returns of nearly 100% stocked Chinooks.


Thanks captain for your prompt response.and knowledge, I aperchyate the comeback.thank you your time and hard work helping are fishery,s


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## SJC (Sep 3, 2002)

M. Tonello said:


> Since all the stocked Chinooks have adipose fin clips, we can tell whether they're hatchery or wild right on the table. We'll get a final report from the processor after the run is over, but I'd say I've seen a pretty good mix of both wild and hatchery fish so far, maybe half and half. Why we aren't getting better survival on wild fish from the Little M in recent years is a very good question, and I'm not exactly sure. We know the river is still producing lots of wild smolts each year, and our electrofishing surveys show that the river remains very healthy. So the problem lies either in Manistee Lake or Lake Michigan. Possible explanations include predators- walleye and northern pike in Manistee Lake, lake trout in Lake MI, possibly cormorants too. Also, perhaps when there were more alewives around, they provided cover for the outgoing smolts. Predators would rather chase a slow dumb alewife instead of a fast wily salmonid, but these days there aren't as many alewives around so they have no choice but to target the salmonid smolts.
> 
> The Betsie has been amazing in recent years- it is an absolute Chinook salmon factory. Exactly why it has been producing so much better than the Little M is somewhat of a mystery. If you're referring to the Swan River on the east side, there isn't any natural repro there. It gets returns of nearly 100% stocked Chinooks.


Few walleye in Betsie Lake. Start planting walleye there and see what the returns do...


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

Here's a Manistee News Advocate article on the egg take: 
http://news.pioneergroup.com/manist...collection-starts-little-manistee-river-weir/

9&10 News also ran a story on it yesterday but I can't find it online yet. I'll try to post it later if I can find it.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

My nephew got a 31" walleye in Lake Macatawa about a week after they opened the net pins, back when we had kings. It had 7 smolts in it.


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

Found the 9&10 News story. Check it out here: https://www.9and10news.com/2018/10/03/keeping-michigan-waterways-supplied-with-salmon/


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

Scout 2 said:


> What do you do with the fish after you strip the eggs?


They go to a contractor, American Canadian Fisheries. They can do whatever they wish with them. I think most of the Chinooks wind up being used for pet food. I believe some of the earlier fish do get sold for human consumption.


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## Slimits (Jun 30, 2014)

M. Tonello said:


> They go to a contractor, American Canadian Fisheries. They can do whatever they wish with them. I think most of the Chinooks wind up being used for pet food. I believe some of the earlier fish do get sold for human consumption.


What kind of shape are the fish in? Assuming very close to death but just curious!


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

Slimits said:


> What kind of shape are the fish in? Assuming very close to death but just curious!


Yeah by the time they're ripe enough for us to take eggs from them, they tend to be very dark and on the downslide.


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

Had the 4th day of Chinook salmon egg take at the Little Manistee Weir today. We spawned 120 pairs for the state of Illinois. We harvested 331 Chinooks, for a season total of 1,093 so far. We passed 106 more coho, for a season total of 546. We passed 57 steelhead for a season total of 207. And we passed 15 more brown trout, for a season total of 85. We had a new season record for biggest brown trout, with a nice male that weighed 9.0 lbs. 

We may need one more day of egg take next week. At this point we aren't sure yet, so stay tuned.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

When will the grates on the weir be pulled? As soon as the egg-take is finished?

Is the DNR still taking eggs at Swan Creek, and Medusa Creek?


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

Fishndude said:


> When will the grates on the weir be pulled? As soon as the egg-take is finished?
> 
> Is the DNR still taking eggs at Swan Creek, and Medusa Creek?


My guess is we'll pull the grates sometime next week. Yes, we did one day of egg take today at Swan River.


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## jumbojake (Apr 20, 2009)

M. Tonello said:


> My guess is we'll pull the grates sometime next week. Yes, we did one day of egg take today at Swan River.


 was it impressive numbers inn your opinion at swan creek captain? swim overs doing good any wide body 30lbers at that location.my uncle lives on a river norh of there said he had a good short push of big kings.I couldn't make it unfortunately.but he said it was exelent to sea up dare


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## Benzie Rover (Mar 17, 2008)

STEELnICE said:


> The Betsie river run isn't blocked from their spawning habitat by a weir and their offspring aren't trucked all over the great lakes. Not much of a mystery to me why the Betsie remains a salmon factory.
> 
> Edit: If you don't think there are predators in Betsie bay you must not know about the pike fishery in there. Betsie also has remarkably poor public access other than the mile long snaggers gauntlet.


I totally agree, Betsie Bay has LOTS of predators, as does the entire lower river below Grace Rd. And Pere Marquette Lake is absolutely loaded with (pike, walleye and bass) predators. Yet, both the PM and Betsie systems crank out tons of natural kings annually. Why the Lil M struggles these days is quite odd. Seems like it might be something particular to that stream. I have to wonder if the large natural coho run impacts chinook spawning success due to super-imposition (digging over) the chinook redds? Coho typically spawn later and the Lil M fish are notorious for running very late (like Thanksgiving through early January). Few other systems have developed as robust of a natural coho run as the Lil M. That's one thought. Unfortunately, walleye have gotten all the blame and focus around NW Lower and the circumstantial evidence just doesn't seem to add up.

But I have to disagree about the Betsie having poor access. Tons of launching points and lots of state land for walk-in. Sure, compared to the Big M below Tippy there are some private properties to avoid walking on, but with a small bit of effort you can fish every single hole in the type 4 water no problem. By the insane amount of traffic we encounter well up or down from the dam these days (compared to 20+ years ago), I have to think most other folks feel it's very accessible as well. The crowds below Homestead on peak weekends are close to what they were 30 years ago but still lower generally, whereas the crowds in the lower and upper river are 20X greater than anytime in history. Literally no where to fish without having company on that river these days.


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

We're planning our last processing day at the Little Manistee Weir for next Wednesday, October 17th. We may or may not have to take Chinook eggs that day. Regardless, we plan to empty the ponds and pull the weir grates on that day.

Also- we are pulling the buoys from the south end of Manistee Lake today, so that area will now be open to fishing.


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

jumbojake said:


> was it impressive numbers inn your opinion at swan creek captain? swim overs doing good any wide body 30lbers at that location.my uncle lives on a river norh of there said he had a good short push of big kings.I couldn't make it unfortunately.but he said it was exelent to sea up dare


Jake- I did not make the trip over to the Swan, and I have not heard any numbers yet. Either way, I'm sure they had some 25+ lb kings just like we did at the Little M weir.


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## SJC (Sep 3, 2002)

Out of the 150 some Huron kings we boated this year and the few hundred others I've seen, none were 30 pounds. Our biggest was just over 24. Nice, healthy looking fish, but not as thick as the ones my buddies were getting on the other side...


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## Troutstkr (Oct 6, 2018)

Benzie Rover said:


> Why the Lil M struggles these days is quite odd. Seems like it might be something particular to that stream.


Was just up on the lil M a couple weeks ago. King redds all over. Didn't see a lot of fish but saw a lot of clean gravel. 

I would think the weir and only early fish get in there is the culprit.


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

Problem with little man is all of the fish are killed for cat food and shipped to canada before they spawn. The weir never used to be in untill oct 17th did it? So what states quota are we going for now or did we get at swan? What were total number harvested for eggs and total number killed? The early passers on little river dont fair as well with succesful spawn with higher water temps when they are ripe.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I disagree. The "early spawners" in the Little Man are the reason there are Kings in that river in the beginning of June, and all through summer. By the time the weir is in place, the upper river is full of Kings, just waiting to spawn. And plenty of later fish spawn after the weir is pulled. Take a dip in the upper stretches of the Little River in September, and see how warm it is, lol.


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## Troutstkr (Oct 6, 2018)

Those salmon in late July, August, are tough to catch. Can't sight fish for them, they've already seen you. And they are fresh and strong. Gotta love it.


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## toto (Feb 16, 2000)

As for spawning fish, perhaps Mark can tell us how many pairs it takes to load up the Little M naturally. What I mean is, how many pairs of salmon does it take to satisfactorily restock the Little M? The numbers may surprise you as to how low that number really is.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

toto said:


> As for spawning fish, perhaps Mark can tell us how many pairs it takes to load up the Little M naturally. What I mean is, how many pairs of salmon does it take to satisfactorily restock the Little M? The numbers may surprise you as to how low that number really is.


And then look at the numbers of smolts heading out on the Mo in May


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## toto (Feb 16, 2000)

Yep, there are a lot more fis that naturally reproduce than you might think. If memory serves me well enough, each female has 5000-7500 eggs +/-, if that's true and you had 30 females successfully spawn, you would up to like 225,000 smolts, correct?


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## Mr Burgundy (Nov 19, 2009)

Like stated above, fish in there are loaded during the summer. You just got to do some walking and looking and you will find Plenty of Fish. Now as for landing them that is a completely different story, good luck on that one


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## STEELnICE (Dec 4, 2007)

Have you guys been to the little man in the summer in recent years? Summer run is down by about 90%. I camp on the little every July and since probably about 2014 I would not consider it to have fishable numbers of summer Kings.


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## MoJoRisin' (Jan 30, 2004)

As you said time for fresh line....ive got lots of coho and king spawn...i am looking forward to this fall as compared to last fall. Windy cold so far with big azz waves....looking good to go in a few weeks.


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

Fishndude said:


> I know people who live on, and very near the river. Summer runs of Kings are down 90%? I hear much different information.  It is worth noting that the DNR also plants Kings in the Little River.
> 
> Who ever said that all the Kings are "killed for catfood, or shipped to Canada, before they spawn?" I mean, other than Sparky23.
> 
> ...


Well actually that is what happens to them. There is a contract with the state to Canada for all kings harvested. Most of it goes to cat food. So exactly who is ignorant? Maybe other questions should be asked like how eggs have went up for sale from the midnr before there quota was even met on some years? Maybe you would just blindly agree but those are actual facts. Look at marks last post..post...they didnt need many eggs but still harvested remaining kings....? Why then . Why go to swan if they needed nothing else .


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I know that the MIDNR likes to take eggs from multiple sources when possible, to provide some genetic diversity. And I also know that they do sell surplus eggs to commercial bait dealers. And they do sell the carcasses of harvested Salmon for food in some cities. And they do sell other carcasses of harvested Salmon for pet food. 

What I don't see is the DNR killing Salmon for catfood, or shipped to Canada, before they spawn. Canada also harvests King Salmon from the Great Lakes. They have their own hatchery, and stocking programs. Some of the other States bordering the Great Lakes also have their own hatchery, and stocking programs for King Salmon. Michigan isn't the end-all, be-all for King Salmon in the Great Lakes.


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

W


Fishndude said:


> I know that the MIDNR likes to take eggs from multiple sources when possible, to provide some genetic diversity. And I also know that they do sell surplus eggs to commercial bait dealers. And they do sell the carcasses of harvested Salmon for food in some cities. And they do sell other carcasses of harvested Salmon for pet food.
> 
> What I don't see is the DNR killing Salmon for catfood, or shipped to Canada, before they spawn. Canada also harvests King Salmon from the Great Lakes. They have their own hatchery, and stocking programs. Some of the other States bordering the Great Lakes also have their own hatchery, and stocking programs for King Salmon. Michigan isn't the end-all, be-all for King Salmon in the Great Lakes.


Well just because you don't SEE it doesn't mean anything. They are contracted and get all of them. Just like eggs that have been for sale many years some guides somehow end up with most of them. A few bait shops end up with most of the rest. If they have that much excess to where they sell them why are they not letting them pass to spawn on there own? Once a quota is met there is no need to continue to take...? Some years excess has been for sale before quota was met? How is that possible?


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## -Axiom- (Jul 24, 2010)

Sparky23 said:


> W
> 
> Well just because you don't SEE it doesn't mean anything. They are contracted and get all of them. Just like eggs that have been for sale many years some guides somehow end up with most of them. A few bait shops end up with most of the rest. If they have that much excess to where they sell them why are they not letting them pass to spawn on there own? Once a quota is met there is no need to continue to take...? Some years excess has been for sale before quota was met? How is that possible?



By chance do you remember what it was like when we ( the avg citizen) could sell eggs?

I remember stripped salmon carcasses strewn all over the place.

I am trying to figure out what your point is.

Where are the eggs for the spawn sacs in the bait shops supposed to come from?


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

The point is why are they killing them and not letting them spawn if they have excess. Why are "excess"for sale before quota is met?


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## Big Skip (Sep 1, 2010)

What I believe it boils down to is the efforts by the dnr are for the greater good of our fisheries. They arent harvesting salmon to make money only, rather than to fund such projects so we have resources for years to come. Its easy to point fingers at them when fisheries crash or arent as good as they were, but fact is they are only trying to help. Everyone has their opinion that is mine!

Sent from my LM-X410(FG) using Tapatalk


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## Floater (Feb 8, 2003)

Any luck finding a pic of that 23 lb. steelhead?


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## mdj (Oct 1, 2005)

Floater said:


> Any luck finding a pic of that 23 lb. steelhead?


Been anxiously waiting on that myself


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

I wonder how many people flooded the Little Man after reading or hearing that they passed a 23lb Steelhead. Probably close to the number of people who are buying Mega Millions tickets with the *billion* dollar jackpot...


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

PunyTrout said:


> I wonder how many people flooded the Little Man after reading or hearing that they passed a 23lb Steelhead. Probably close to the number of people who are buying Mega Millions tickets with the *billion* dollar jackpot...


What would you do if you landed that things? That fish would be a major battle in the little river.
Probably would be great on the smoker!


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Trout King said:


> Probably would be great on the smoker!


Nah. I'd just put it in a blender and make cat food with it.


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## MoJoRisin' (Jan 30, 2004)

I'd land it when she was full of spawn off the pier.....oh wait its a male....****!!


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

PunyTrout said:


> Nah. I'd just put it in a blender and make cat food with it.


Well you can buy back our kings at the store already made as catfood, that is about the most valuable a river king gets as far as my palate goes.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

PunyTrout said:


> Nah. I'd just put it in a blender and make cat food with it.





Trout King said:


> Well you can buy back our kings at the store already made as catfood, that is about the most valuable a river king gets as far as my palate goes.


Ground up raw fawn venison is still the best I've found for my pet Bobcat anyway...


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

Floater said:


> Any luck finding a pic of that 23 lb. steelhead?


I did get a pic, but the system isn't letting me upload it. The fish was a male, and only about 35.5 inches in length. So it was a chunky one.

Out of curiosity I took a look at our Master Angler database. From 1994-2014 we recorded weights of entered fish. Over that time period, about 50 steelhead over 20 lbs were entered in the program. Of those, only six were bigger than 23.0 lbs. Three of them were caught trolling in Lake Michigan, one trolling in Lake Huron, one from the Manistee River, and one from the Boardman River.

The current state record is 26.5 lbs. It was caught in 1975 by an angler trolling in Lake Michigan.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

My buddy got a 16.98# many years ago, could not get master angler out of it (17#). Thought about getting it mounted, didn't say so and the guy he was with chopped it up first and made the decision for him.

Next weekend he got an 18.5#. Some people.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

M. Tonello said:


> I did get a pic, but the system isn't letting me upload it.


Try reading this tutorial on a work-around and try again posting the pic.

https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/...pload-pics-you-can-do-it.624345/#post-6904064


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## Floater (Feb 8, 2003)

Thanks for the info Mark! Shows how rare a fish of that size is in Michigan waters. Hope that stud finds a hog eggwagon to settle down with.


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## wilsonm (Dec 28, 2010)

M. Tonello said:


> I did get a pic, but the system isn't letting me upload it. The fish was a male, and only about 35.5 inches in length. So it was a chunky one.
> 
> Out of curiosity I took a look at our Master Angler database. From 1994-2014 we recorded weights of entered fish. Over that time period, about 50 steelhead over 20 lbs were entered in the program. Of those, only six were bigger than 23.0 lbs. Three of them were caught trolling in Lake Michigan, one trolling in Lake Huron, one from the Manistee River, and one from the Boardman River.
> 
> The current state record is 26.5 lbs. It was caught in 1975 by an angler trolling in Lake Michigan.


We can only guess at the weight of the steelhead from the carcass we pulled out of the dumpster at Tippy Dam in the spring on 2001 when doing creel census. The carcass was that of a female, stripped of eggs and fillets which weighed in at 12.1 lbs, It was a RP clip, just under 40 inches. The 20lb fish we saw a couple days before wasn't in its league. There was no shortage of big fish from around 2000/ 2001.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

A buddy of mine thinks he may have hooked (and lost) that 23# beast, last week. His largest documented Steelhead was 18.8#, and he said the fish he fought for 10 minutes last weekend was quite a bit larger. And he's been fishing for Steelhead in MI since the 1960's, before the DNR started planting them in large numbers. He wouldn't tell me where he hooked it, lol. He wouldn't keep it if he did land it.


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## JungleGeorge (Apr 18, 2013)

I bet you he was on the little mana ..


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## bolt (May 2, 2008)

Is there anywhere that gives the total salmon and eggs harvested from all the NW weirs this year? Would love to get me hands on some of that spawn from that company that gets all it! How much spawn do they harvest and where is the store you can buy it at?


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

The same guy buys ALL of the surplus loose eggs from the DNR, and from all of the fish cleaning stations at various bait shops. If you can figure out who he is, and how to buy eggs from him, kudos to you. I am not aware of stores where you can buy his surplus eggs, but I know they are chemically cured before he sells them wholesale.


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## koditten (Sep 3, 2016)

I wish I could have weighed this one last spring. All I could do is measure it. It was 33 inches long. 

C







ould anyone make a guess? I honestly don't know what It weighs.


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

10ish...pretty fish


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

M. Tonello said:


> I did get a pic, but the system isn't letting me upload it.


Mark: The picture upload is working again if you're still of a mind to post it.

I'm sure there are plenty of anglers who would like to see it.


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## Mr Burgundy (Nov 19, 2009)

I sure would


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## koditten (Sep 3, 2016)

Count me in. Kinda feel I'm almost being "trolled". 

Let's see that fish!


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## salmon_slayer06 (Mar 19, 2006)

20 pounders don't come in they win every time. I call those rod benders and don't stop running


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

Here's the 23 lb beast! Bet you didn't know Santa Claus worked at the weir...


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## Black Ghost (Jul 3, 2002)

20lb Maxima will not be enough!


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

M. Tonello said:


> Here's the 23 lb beast! Bet you didn't know Santa Claus worked at the weir...


Why is he cradling the fish like a baby? He should be holding it with his arms outstretched to make it look bigger... 

Thanks for posting the picture Mark.


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

How was it you are able to buy the eggs from fish that were supposed to be spawning and the public can not? Just curious.


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

How was it you are able to buy the eggs from fish that were supposed to be spawning and the public can not? Just curious.


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## Superior Outfitter (Feb 19, 2018)

Sparky23 said:


> How was it you are able to buy the eggs from fish that were supposed to be spawning and the public can not? Just curious.


We are a licensed dealer and we buy eggs from fish that are leftover after the egg take. We buy a very, very small amount of eggs compared to the number of fish that run so there would't be much to go around anyway. The public has much better access to eggs than we do at any fish cleaning station.


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## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

Own many lbs did you get. Just curious how much excess was sold


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## Superior Outfitter (Feb 19, 2018)

I got under 100 lbs including water weight. I don't know how much was sold, but they sure didn't have much to sell. A day at a fish cleaning station would be more productive if I could do that.


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