Annual sturgeon limit

[Limhangerslayer]

Saw that they voted it to a one fish not two fish limit annually starting May 1st.  And starting  Jan. 1st.  2014 it is totally catch and release below bonneville.  That can't be good for the guides on the lower Columbia.  Pretty sad they try to solve by completely shutting off the sportsman. Wonder if a retention fishery will ever come back?

[wildmanoutdoors]

Sturgy grow slow. Shut it down!

[Ripper]

If you're going to shut it down do it for all users.

[7GillOutfitters]

I agree, need to get the nets out of the water also.  It is time to let sturgeon recover for a few years, even though I am sure we will never see a retention fishery again.  Sad that's for sure, mismanagement at its finest.

[Bigshooter]

Get the nets out of the river first.

[sirmissalot]

Sturgy grow slow. Shut it down!

It will never be the same again. Natives will continue to rape the resource, sea lions will continue to gorge themselves and the sporties will never see another sturgeon fishery like it did before. Whens the last time WDFW gave us something back? Its take take take. This is horrible news.

[dreamunelk]

Interesting how us sportsmen never take any of the blame?

Everyone seams to forget or not remember the Skagit pink runs.  They were shut down for several years to sports fishing when numbers returned they reopened.  Oh and during the shut down the tribes were netting. 

[wildmanoutdoors]

I dont. I seen the decline happen in the Estuary fishery. Allot of us did.
I blame us as well as the other user groups. We have taken an enormous amout of Sturgy from the Big C.

Good fishing for the most part is a thing of the past. Everywere! I started Salmon, Steelhead and Sturgy fishing hard core 30 years ago. Its not near the same....

I have 5 boats and most rarely get used more than once a year now.

[Fish4Fun]

When salmon fishing was pretty much shut down in the early 90's that is when the Sturgeon fishing got popular. Used to be only a handful of boats in the Estuary before the salmon closures. In the mid 90's it would take over an hour on some Saturdays to get on the trailer at Deep River. Limits were almost the rule back then, my boat has had days of 20+ fish and 15 of them were keeper sized fish. Slowly the fish got smaller and smaller as the keeper fish were taken out of the fishery. On top of that I have seen 3/4 ton 4X4 trucks come out of Deep River from the commercial guy that lived past the boat ramp with the bumper almost dragging the ground with fish sticking out. The Sea Lions are nothing new down there either, back in 1994 we sat out at Rice Island and watched a Sea Lion eat Sturgeon, this was before it was ever being reported. I am sure once it goes to C&R it will be fun to fish with very few boats. The Frasier River in BC has been C&R for years and it is a world class fishery now. I think if we slow down the harvest these fish will come back.

[singleshot12]

It's a sad day again for the sportsman. common sense would be to stop the commercial netters and long liners not increase it. another ploy just to get us out of the way so they can completely rape the resource and then eventually put them on the endangered species list. How backwards can it get?

[muzbuster]

Once again the average joe gets the shaft for the nets.       NICE JOB Department of no Fish or Wildlife.

[flatbkman]

I think that we will be able to fish and keep in the future. WDFW will just need to figure out how to sell lottery tags for fisheries first, and of course you will need at least 10 points to have any chance of drawing. And of course the days and hours of fishing will be strictly regulated.

[Bullkllr]

Sad; but probably neccessary.

Worst thing about this is that its just another example of how the WDFW (and most other fishery managers) are so far out of awareness with what is actually happening with fish that they let things get to a crisis level before taking major steps.

Remember when there were smelt... seemed like a limitless supply...

[washingtonmuley]

Get the nets out of the river first.

Amen brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The sportsmen are not the problem.

[lokidog]

Once again the average joe gets the shaft for the nets.       NICE JOB Department of no Fish or Wildlife.

 

[cohoho]

I am glad they are shutting it down to C&R, but the nets are non-discriminate about what they catch.  By catch is still going to occur and they will continue to kill the fish.  Between nets, both native and commercial, guides and every day fishermen, that fishery couldn't sustain that catch rate.  Add in the loss of Lampreys and loss of hooligans/smelt - heck any smart fish below the dam would be high tailing it to where the bait is at...  Add those big freaking sea lions and what they are consuming, probably won't be a Sturgeon left in ten years, except for above the dam...  Even though I think sturgeon is absolutely wonderful table fare, I am more than supportive on this decision, probably too late though...  But got to get rid of ALL of the nets, it plain and simple.  I just thank God, I didn't jump into the guide business when I was seriously thinking of it.  That would have been a business failure to upmost degree... 

[Special T]

I think its funny how most people on any given issue focus on problems that divide us instead of unite us.  The Sea Wolves cause problems for several species, for ALL fishermen. They stay protected yet are not even remotely close to being endangered. 

[singleshot12]

The sporties have definitely put a dent in the pop! the last couple years  But what is plain and simple now is what we don't catch anymore is just more sturg for the market, and that ain't right, but what does make sense anymore?

[Antlershed]

I am glad they are shutting it down to C&R, but the nets are non-discriminate about what they catch.  By catch is still going to occur and they will continue to kill the fish.  Between nets, both native and commercial, guides and every day fishermen, that fishery couldn't sustain that catch rate.  Add in the loss of Lampreys and loss of hooligans/smelt - heck any smart fish below the dam would be high tailing it to where the bait is at...  Add those big freaking sea lions and what they are consuming, probably won't be a Sturgeon left in ten years, except for above the dam...  Even though I think sturgeon is absolutely wonderful table fare, I am more than supportive on this decision, probably too late though...  But got to get rid of ALL of the nets, it plain and simple.  I just thank God, I didn't jump into the guide business when I was seriously thinking of it.  That would have been a business failure to upmost degree...

I am all for them shutting it down, and it probably should have been done a few years ago. Just wish they would also address the nets and the furbags that are killing the sturgeon.