Study the Ouija board to see fate of Lake Trout
With the recent news that the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes began their first round of gillnetting in April, the question over what will become of our Lake Trout fishery is again at the forefront.
Fortunately, we don’t need a crystal ball; the answer was obvious in David Reese’s recent story in the Daily Interlake about Mack Days champ Jason Mahlen.
In his story, Reese pointed out that, to be successful in the Mack Days contest, Mahlen spent every possible day on the water in his large aluminum boat, utilized very expensive, high tech sonar, a very high tech electronic anchor system tied into a very expensive electric trolling motor, with very specific tackle to detect the soft bite of these fish in waters up to (and over)200 feet deep.
Mahlen battled terrible weather, with waves some days that sent every other angler on the water running for shore. And besides the very lucrative financial gain for all his efforts, he was regularly rewarded with…15 inch fish that only a very, VERY skilled angler might hope to catch.
It was also very telling that Jason explained that “concentration is the key…that’s why I don’t like to fish with other people”. For many folks, fishing is a family, social event…who wants to hit the lake and sit there for hours and not be able to speak, lest you break Grandpa’s concentration? And how many of those little half pound fish will it take to supply the family fish fry?
It’s funny (not), because for the last several years, most anglers who have pushed hard against the tribes desire to decimate the lake trout fishery, Charter Captains and private anglers alike, have been chastised for wanting to protect a fishery that required…according to the CSKT, Trout Unlimited, and others…”large boats, expensive downriggers, high tech electronics and very specific tackle”...to be “successful”.
So, it seems very reasonable to predict that, although seemingly nothing has changed as far as needing special equipment if you want to be “successful” on Flathead Lake, it is the “measure” of success that has changed, and drastically. Instead of being rewarded with a fifteen POUND fish…now it is a 15 INCH fish that is the mark of a successful Flathead Lake angler.
When the CSKT announced the final study that would allow them to kill hundreds of thousands of Lake Trout annually, they and Trout Unlimited promised we would “always have a lake trout fishery”. Again, no fortune teller needed, it is quite obvious what that fishery will look like into the future. The plan focusses on killing 75% of all lake trout over 8 years old…so; few will ever surpass that 15 inch mark.
When word gets out that Flathead Lake is good for nothing but 1 pound Lake Trout, no one, except the Mack Days anglers fishing for PROFIT, will come here to fish. Another huge impact to our local economy as well as family recreation on what was once a world class Lake Trout fishery.
Oh, and gillnetting supporters prediction that, as the lake trout numbers decline, anglers will turn their focus to Yellow Perch and Whitefish? The by-catch of 2,487 Lake Whitefish killed in the nets to the 5,232 Lake Trout removed clearly indicate that there won’t be very much of ANYTHING left over when this slaughter really hits full speed.
The Tribe and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported that only ONE bull trout was caught in the netting effort, and was released unharmed. Now, we all would like to believe that the fish we are trying to save won’t be impacted by these efforts. The gillnetting on Swan Lake and the subsequent crash of Bull Trout in that system leaves me with little faith that will be the case. Maybe with a little time behind the Ouija Board, that answer might be revealed as well…
— Mike Howe, Bigfork