Broodstock Bad News

In December, the state of Massachusetts stocks broodstock salmon in lakes throughout the state. These are " retired" fish. They have been spawned out for eggs for Atlantic Salmon restoration. Each year the state stocks whatever number that is available to them. There is no set number  ( as opposed to trout, which are grown specifically for stocking ) of salmon. The state makes it clear that these fish are a bonus and there is no guarantee that they will even be available.

Unfortunately this is a bad year.  Because of T.S. Irene the hatchery in Vermont lost many of the broodstock salmon. Massachusetts did not get any this year from them. Last year 1740 salmon were stocked in the lakes throughout Mass. This year that number will be 300. Each district will receive 60 fish. I do not know how many lakes will be stocked. Last year five lakes were stocked in my district ( southeast). If the same number are stocked this year that means only 12 salmon will be put in each lake. This is disappointing for me. The closest stocked lake is about 1 hour away. It hardly seems worth the drive with so little chance of success.

I was hoping that I could fish for broodstock salmon until ice in. Now I'm going to give it a shot once. I hope I catch one but even if I do, I will probably only go the one time. I think they will either be fished out quickly or spaced so far apart that it will be like finding a specific  needle in a pile of needles. A far smarter decision would be to go to the seafood store up the street and buy a couple of salmon steaks. That may just happen.