But you had a pretty good nap once you got home, right? Bummer about marking so many fish with lockjaw.
Non-Fly Dirtbag Baker lake sockeye 2024
- Thread starter Wanative
- Start date
Only if you hate nice summer weather.Tough fishing but the weather actually sounds pretty enjoyable.
SF
I did have a good nap.
Paige
Wishing I was fishing the Sauk
I haven't been able to crack the code since opening day.
I don't think there really is a code. We are trying to get non-feeding fish to bite. A reaction strike is what we are hoping for and more numbers make it more likely to happen. Once the biters get caught the rest are harder to entice. Already looking forward to coho season.
Your dad's rod is still catching fish!Tough fishing but the weather actually sounds pretty enjoyable.
SF
When the Baker Lake sockeye fishery first started the fish were for sockeye good biters, perhaps the best biters that I fished over. At the time the Skagit/Baker management system of essentially a hatchery program was setup to maintain that willingness to bite. Unlike many anadromous salmonid populations, the brood stock was collected and separate for the remaining fish prior to any directed recreational fishery. In short, the genetic/behavior supported fish most willing to bite were not being removed from the gene pool. This was much different than the other anadromous fisheries that we are familiar with where those biters are removed from the population before the collection brood stock.
In spite of some warnings in our collective willingness for expanded fisheries opportunities the management of those sockeye began to include harvest recreational fishery prior to the collection of the Baker brood stock. While the harvest rates in the river downstream of the collection point (trap) has been low it definitely is removing willing biters from the potential brood stock. I would not be surprised that over time those fish will become more difficult to catch in the lake.
Curt
In spite of some warnings in our collective willingness for expanded fisheries opportunities the management of those sockeye began to include harvest recreational fishery prior to the collection of the Baker brood stock. While the harvest rates in the river downstream of the collection point (trap) has been low it definitely is removing willing biters from the potential brood stock. I would not be surprised that over time those fish will become more difficult to catch in the lake.
Curt
clear_lake
Just Hatched
Sounds like many remaining of the fish yet to return will be destined for other waters:
wdfw.wa.gov
Baker River sockeye salmon season and counts
Each year, sockeye returning to Baker Lake are trapped below two dams before being placed at artificial spawning beaches, used for production at the
wdfw.wa.gov
speedbird
Life of the Party
How do we know those fish even exist?Sounds like many remaining of the fish yet to return will be destined for other waters:
Baker River sockeye salmon season and counts
Each year, sockeye returning to Baker Lake are trapped below two dams before being placed at artificial spawning beaches, used for production at the
Edit: I have grossly misread the escapement as I forgot to account for in river fisheries. It looks like this years return was very very strong, not below forecast as I mistakenly assumed. It was just more effectively fished for.
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Pink Nighty
Legend
NOT BY ME!!!!
ThatGuyRyRy
Life of the Party
Any open spots for this weekend. Hoping to do scouting with someone else to learn the do and do nots of this fishery.
the_chemist
Life of the Party
Fish will be cought. Limits will be tough.
For an opener on Baker 11,000 sockeye is a big number. For those anglers that have that fishery "dialed" limits would be common.
With the evolution of Baker sockeye fishing techniques and the willingness for a significant portion these fish to bite the myth that sockeye are poor biters has been put to bed.
Curt
With the evolution of Baker sockeye fishing techniques and the willingness for a significant portion these fish to bite the myth that sockeye are poor biters has been put to bed.
Curt
Pink Nighty
Legend
I'm swinging light pink marabou on looooonnngggg leaders in hamilton tomorrow. IM NOT FLOSSING YOURE FLOSSING!!
