(most of the time it's "constructive criticism"...
) and I'll take the liberty of posting the question here.Read on friends!
"Hey Tom,
I listen to you guys all the time. I have fished for years and feel like I have a pretty good grasp about the biology of our native fish species. I have a question that is eating at me and would love some clarification. It is my understanding the the Great Lakes salmon and steelhead are not native but were initially introduced in the 60s from fish native to the northwest. Studying the life cycle of those Great Lakes silvers, kings, and steelies, they never actually live their lives in salt water. How is this possible? I thought the difference between a steelhead and a rainbow is the steelhead smolt returns to salt and rainbows return back to their lake. If this was possible, why are there not resident chinook maturing in Lake Sammamish from smolts migrating out of Issaquah creek. Are the fish in the Great Lakes a different species or what? Any enlightenment is much appreciated. You guys have done so much for sport fishing. Keep up the good work."
Thanks for the question!
The answer to your question lies not in salinity, but rather productivity.
In the 1960's man's impact on the Great Lakes apex predators -both aquatic and avian- allowed baitfish populations to explode resulting in massive dieoffs which made swimming and using beach resorts a stinky proposition.
While heavy equipment was used to bury the rotting waste, others sought a biological solution.
Enter the University of Washington and Washington Department of Fisheries.
A contingent from these agencies traveled back east and observed that the alewives that were over-populated, resembled herring and candlefish...hmmm... What species loves herring and candlefish??? Salmonids!
Bringing chinook, coho and steelies to the Great Lakes has been a biological, economical and recreational success and one of the hallmark innovations in wildlife management history.
The Great Lakes are vast inland seas that support a tremendous biomass.
While Lake Sammamish has its advantages and solid fish populations both -migratory and resident- it lack the size and carrying capacity to support multiple year classes of salmon runs.
When you look at the Pacific Ocean, the Great Lakes are barely a puddle.
When you look at The Great Lakes, Lake Sam is barely a drop in the bucket.
I hope that answers your question and thanks for listening!
