WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2024   |   SUBSCRIBE    ARCHIVES   
This high-quality, pre-rigged swimbait features immaculate attention to detail and a compact profile that fish can’t resist. With Berkley's advanced HD Tru Color technology, the Minnotator offers a wide range of realistic color options to match any forage.
The National Professional Fishing League has formally scheduled six of its seven tournament events for 2025 — including the second NPFL Championship — in what promises to be an exciting and competitive season.
Sarah Gibbs and Crystal Hightower hope last week’s Ladies Tagging Workshop at the Weeks Bay Tonsmeire Resource Center is just the beginning of a trend on the Alabama Gulf Coast of female anglers gathering on a regular basis to hone their fishing skills and connect with fellow anglers – and sometimes help with research.
Bob Clouser and his ubiquitous Clouser Minnow fly fishing pattern will highlight about 100 creative fly tiers at the 33rd annual International Fly Tying Symposium, Nov.16-17 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 200 Atrium Dr., Somerset, NJ, announced director Chuck Furimsky.
Baji ? o, maker of blue-light filtering, sustainably-made, performance sunglasses built to save the world’s saltwater flats and estuaries, has partnered with Ducks Unlimited, the leader in wetlands conservation, along with their official camo partner Mossy Oak.
Norsk batteries are not only great for trolling motors and MFD's, they also start big outboard engines--even after spending time in a deep freeze!
Ryan Young was fishing at Stockton Lake Oct. 13 when he caught a 55-pound, 9-ounce black buffalo with his rod-and-reel. The previous state record under pole-and-line was a 53-pound black buffalo caught from Wappapello Lake in 1989.
An analysis of more than a decade of fisheries data by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership indicates that near-shore, no-fishing buffers in Louisiana may be reducing the number of pogies spilled from the industrial harvest to a mere quarter of the historical average, as well as lowering incidental redfish catches.
The countdown is on! TBF’s Annual Fundraising Gala is just around the corner, and we don’t want you to miss out on an evening filled with excitement, auctions, and unforgettable experiences.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will hold a public informational meeting on Caney Creek Reservoir. Discussion topics will include aquatic vegetation issues, results from recent fisheries sampling, and future management recommendations.
St. Croix Rod has announced that Redband Sports Group and Wisco Outfitters will represent the company’s growing fly-fishing portfolio and brand in key fly-fishing regions of the US.
In a lifetime of exploring Pennsylvania’s spectacular Susquehanna River, Joe Raymond had never seen a smallmouth bass like this one--a 7 pound, 24" monster!
The 2024 champs Nicholas Turner and Joe Lay are locals on the lake and beat the local lake curse to take home the win.
B.A.S.S. has kickstarted the BassmastHER program, a new initiative with the goal of creating a space for female anglers at all levels to learn new fishing skills within a supportive community.
The Live Rocker Jig is designed for use with forward facing sonar to meet the needs of anglers who demand a jig that offers the best of both worlds: the ability to mid stroll a “jig and minnow” presentation and the capability to drop the bait to the bottom for a subtle stand-up ned-like presentation.
The 2024 champs Nicholas Turner and Joe Lay are locals on the lake and beat the local lake curse to take home the win.
The Council will work on modifications to deep-water and shallow-water grouper and red snapper management measures and consider options to modify lane snapper management measures.
The John D. Voelker Foundation and the American Museum of Fly Fishing (AMFF) are pleased to announce the winner of the 2024 Robert Traver Fly-Fishing Writing Award: “Last Salad on the Gairezi” by George Rogers, on fishing in Zimbabwe. Read it here.
Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), the parent company of brands including Alumacraft, Manitou, Sea-Doo and Rotax, is selling off its marine businesses, in a bid to boost near-term profitability.
The impacted rivers include the Suwannee/Santa Fe, St. Johns and Withlacoochee rivers. Flooding conditions along these rivers have led to the implementation of safety measures to protect the public.
The NAVAN C30 and S30 models will be showcased in Ft. Lauderdale, highlighting their blend of advanced technology with superior performance, versatility, and comfort.
Huk designed the Tide Point Collection for all anglers looking for a performance-packed button-down. The lightweight polyester fabric is essential for a breathable, quick-drying, moisture-wicking shirt.
Chaparral and Robalo Boats, in partnership with Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, U.S.A. (Yamaha Financial Services), have announced a new multi-year exclusive financing agreement.
The pristinely paired jig and soft plastic body replicates the profile of a miniscule minnow – the edible silhouette carnivorous fish are born to recognize…and eat.
This collection, designed to be the ultimate fishing bottom, embodies versatility at its finest. Whether casting lines or traveling to your next destination, these pants suit any occasion.
In the event’s first Sunshine State visit, competition days will be held Oct. 25-27 with daily takeoffs from Scipio Creek Marina at 7:30 a.m. ET with weigh-ins each day held back at the marina at 3:30 p.m.
Megabass of America, the North American arm of Japan’s premier manufacturer of high-end fishing tackle, is pleased to announce the appointment of Patterson Leeth to Director of Marketing.
Lower Snake River dams (LSRD) removal is the center-piece action that will boost migration survival sufficient to halt a slow-slide towards extinction and recover populations back towards real abundance, conservationists say.
Seakeeper, Inc., the leader in marine motion control, announces Sportsman Boats as the first builder to standardize Seakeeper Ride for complete underway stabilization across its entire model lineup.
Geared toward hardcore tournament anglers who demand uncompromising fishability and blistering performance, this awesome new Caymas model promises to make waves on the cast-for-cash bass fishing scene.
Mix fishing fun with Halloween festivities at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) free Fish or Treat event from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, at the education pond at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs.
With new episodes premiering every other Sunday at 10:30 AM ET, viewers can tune in to a series that take them on exciting journeys from freshwater lakes to the vast and unpredictable expanses of the ocean.
Whether its human companion is boating, paddling, swimming or lounging poolside, pups are safer when wearing a Bombora Dog Life Vest. Four sizes fit dogs from extra small to up to 90 lbs.
 

With four dams removed, Klamath tributaries are once again free-flowing streams allowing easy access for Pacific salmon to spawn. (USFWS)

The first salmon have shown up above where four dams once obstructed the Klamath River, causing plenty of excitement among anglers, conservationists and Native Americans

The Klamath, stretching from northern California into southern Oregon, was once the third-largest salmon river on the West Coast. However, the construction of four PacifiCorp hydroelectric dams over the 20th century significantly disrupted the river's ecosystem and decimated its salmon populations.

The dams, primarily used for power generation, blocked salmon from accessing hundreds of miles of spawning habitat. The resulting stagnant water conditions promoted algae growth, deteriorating water quality, and increased water temperatures, all of which are detrimental to salmon survival. 

Additionally, the dams created concentrated areas where fish congregated, making them more susceptible to diseases. One of the largest observed die-offs of adult Pacific salmon ever occurred below the lower dam in 2002, with an estimated 60,000 fish perishing, per the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

The most significant impacts of the dams was the complete cutoff of salmon migration into the Upper Klamath Basin. The Copco #1 Dam, completed in 1918, effectively blocked salmon from reaching many miles of tributary spawning habitat in Oregon. 

This is the first salmon observed upstream from the point where the aging dams blocked the Klamath headwaters--many more have returned since. (USFWS)

This devastating loss of habitat had a profound effect on both the river's ecology and the communities that depended on it. Salmon production slumped, and with it the fishing both downriver and in the coastal Pacific where the fish went to feed and mature before eventually returning in an attempt to spawn in their natal streams.

By the 1970s, the negative consequences of the dams became increasingly apparent. Public awareness of environmental issues led to the designation of the river below the Iron Gate Dam as a National Wild & Scenic River, but this designation came too late to reverse the damage caused by the dams.

The aging dams, some now over a century old, were in need of costly repairs or replacement. Recognizing the urgent need for restoration, efforts were initiated to remove the dams and restore the Klamath River's salmon populations. The last dam was removed in August of this year, funded by state and federal agencies.

There’s currently a lot of excitement among fishery managers as well as the area Native Americans who used to rely on the salmon runs, because the first spawning salmon (and by now many others) have been seen in the tributaries above the location of Copco #1. 

While a few spawning salmon may seem a drop in the bucket, a successful spawn of a few dozen fish can repopulate with tens of thousands of fry where survival is good. Within a few years these fish should be entering the fishery off the coast. Depending on species, the first adults might return in their own spawning run in as little as 2 years. Kings, the largest salmon, take around 8 years to make their run.

Though what was lake bottom looks like a muddy wasteland now, it will soon be covered in new growth, researchers say, and the upper river will again support lots of spawning salmon. (USFWS)

Clearly, the removal of these dams—which seemed like an over-the-top idea at first--represents a significant step towards recovery of this once great fishery.

It will be good for anglers, for commercial fishers and for the First People, including the eponymous Klamath, who have claimed cultural and spiritual connections to the run as well as the obvious commercial/subsistence benefits.

It’s not likely that the success with the Klamath will result in a rush to get rid of other larger and more valuable dams—like those giant facilities on the main-stem Columbia River—in the near future; the economics don’t make sense. 

But it does appear that some dams on the lower Snake River might be on their way out, as well as those on the Elwha and on Columbia tributaries including the White Salmon and the Methow. The success on the Klamath will accelerate these plans.

Pacific Coast salmon fishing will never be what it was before the first dam was built or the first tree cut down on the watersheds, but dam removal does, in fact, seem to be one great step in the right direction.

— Frank Sargeant
Frankmako1@gmail.com

 
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