Fishing for Native Steelhead

[bankwalker]

    

Can't believe how many people are ok with killing native steelhead. Legal or not. I'm disgusted with this mentality


That said....Swatson very nice fish congrats on a once in a lifetime fish. Just wish you didn't kill it. 

[jay.sharkbait]

Great fish!

I would have killed it, eaten it and not even bothered with the trophy!

[7mmfan]

Great fish Swatson, I know what its like to pursue a goal like this an finally achieve it. Heres the problem though.

Part of the reason that 20# steelhead are the fish of a lifetime now, is because they have been caught and killed for generations. They didn't use to be all that uncommon. But when those fish are killed, those genes are GONE. It might be the only one you kill, but if 30 or 40 other people kill their once in a lifetime 20# fish, those fish won't get to spawn and pass genes on to make more 20# fish. For every one that gets killed, it makes it more and more rare that you will catch one in the future, and eventually those fish will simply be gone and 20# steelhead will be a thing of the past.

Its a vicious cycle, I know, and I can't blame you for doing something that is legal. Eventually though, I think we as sportsman need to step up and make personal changes to how we utilize a resource, even if the state is willing to .

[singleshot12]

Great fish. but I think it would have been more ethical if you mainly killed it for sustenance instead of a trophy for the wall. no offence,it is legal and it is one native the nets won't get.enjoy

[WSU]

Great fish Swatson, I know what its like to pursue a goal like this an finally achieve it. Heres the problem though.

Part of the reason that 20# steelhead are the fish of a lifetime now, is because they have been caught and killed for generations. They didn't use to be all that uncommon. But when those fish are killed, those genes are GONE. It might be the only one you kill, but if 30 or 40 other people kill their once in a lifetime 20# fish, those fish won't get to spawn and pass genes on to make more 20# fish. For every one that gets killed, it makes it more and more rare that you will catch one in the future, and eventually those fish will simply be gone and 20# steelhead will be a thing of the past.

Its a vicious cycle, I know, and I can't blame you for doing something that is legal. Eventually though, I think we as sportsman need to step up and make personal changes to how we utilize a resource, even if the state is willing to .

Exactly, except we should have made that choice already and stepped up.  Many people have but, as you can see, some haven't. 

I wonder how rare 20 pound steelhead will be when my 1.5 year old sons are old enough to what a trophy it truly is?  Hopefully we haven't bonked them all by then. 

[jackmaster]

There are a helluva lot bigger issues to the demise of the native steelhead runs than sportsman whackn one in the head onece a year, I hope you realize that? I hope you feel as strong about those things as you are against a LEGAL SPORTSMAN......again awesome steely swatson

[GEARHEAD]

awsome fish, sounds like a helluva good time, nice job. ignore the nay sayers activist wackjobs. the State says you can take "one" fish and you did. good job, and i am sure a lesson learned, lol.

[WSU]

There are a helluva lot bigger issues to the demise of the native steelhead runs than sportsman whackn one in the head onece a year, I hope you realize that? I hope you feel as strong about those things as you are against a LEGAL SPORTSMAN......again awesome steely swatson

I do.  Those issues, like logging, houses, roads, cars, etc., are a little tougher to address.  The existence of multiple problems doesn't mean it is right to selfishly bonk our way further into an ever-worsening situation. 

[Skillet]

Great fish Swatson, I know what its like to pursue a goal like this an finally achieve it. Heres the problem though.

Part of the reason that 20# steelhead are the fish of a lifetime now, is because they have been caught and killed for generations. They didn't use to be all that uncommon. But when those fish are killed, those genes are GONE. It might be the only one you kill, but if 30 or 40 other people kill their once in a lifetime 20# fish, those fish won't get to spawn and pass genes on to make more 20# fish. For every one that gets killed, it makes it more and more rare that you will catch one in the future, and eventually those fish will simply be gone and 20# steelhead will be a thing of the past.

Its a vicious cycle, I know, and I can't blame you for doing something that is legal. Eventually though, I think we as sportsman need to step up and make personal changes to how we utilize a resource, even if the state is willing to .

Exactly, except we should have made that choice already and stepped up.  Many people have but, as you can see, some haven't. 

I wonder how rare 20 pound steelhead will be when my 1.5 year old sons are old enough to what a trophy it truly is?  Hopefully we haven't bonked them all by then. 

This is one of the greatest myths about how big fish come into existence.  The biological imperative of every fish is satisfied on its first successful spawn.  Anything after that is gravy.  How many times has this fish spawned?  3,4,5 times?  That means its genetic code has been transferred successfully multiple times over.  If she was 8# and spawned she puts out the exact same genes as she did when she was 18# and spawned.  Just because she's bigger when she spawned does not mean she produces bigger fish.  It just means she's got experience.  Do all 8# fish have what it takes to live up to this 22#'ers potential?  Nope, not every fish has what it takes.  But to imply the OP is affecting genetics because he chose to keep this fish is not based in fact, it is just a projection of one person's set of morals onto another's.  I believe it is far, far more damaging to a wild population to yank first-year spawning steelhead out of the river that carries these genes than fish that have made it several times over.  That small first year fish being kept is actually removing many years worth of successful spawning.

I know from my walleye fishing buddies this is not a popular view, but...

[PolarBear]

Great feesh!  Congratulations! 
I mostly fish rivers where there is no native retention, except for one.  If I'm gonna bonk a nate I prefer to bonk a buck.  Since the Quinalts are raping the native fishery of hundreds of 20+ natives every year, I have no problem with a regular guy bonking his one nate per year.  These fish snobs who show their vitriol for others who legally take one native per year yet boast about how many 20+ nates that they release are actually killing far more than the few guys who keep one per year and only get to fish a couple of times.  The non tribal fisherman that are the problem are those who C&R dozens of natives per year.  No matter how careful they are, they are still killing a good percentage of what they release.  I would rather see some guy be proud and take home his one nate than some fish snob who is inadvertently killing a half dozen or more by thinking they are doing "the right thing".   

By the way, don't post this on ifish!  Those Oregon steelhead elitists will crucify you!

[wafisherman]

Personally I'd like to put higher value on the genes that prove the fish has what it takes to put on size and last multiple trips.   

[WSU]

Great fish Swatson, I know what its like to pursue a goal like this an finally achieve it. Heres the problem though.

Part of the reason that 20# steelhead are the fish of a lifetime now, is because they have been caught and killed for generations. They didn't use to be all that uncommon. But when those fish are killed, those genes are GONE. It might be the only one you kill, but if 30 or 40 other people kill their once in a lifetime 20# fish, those fish won't get to spawn and pass genes on to make more 20# fish. For every one that gets killed, it makes it more and more rare that you will catch one in the future, and eventually those fish will simply be gone and 20# steelhead will be a thing of the past.

Its a vicious cycle, I know, and I can't blame you for doing something that is legal. Eventually though, I think we as sportsman need to step up and make personal changes to how we utilize a resource, even if the state is willing to .

Exactly, except we should have made that choice already and stepped up.  Many people have but, as you can see, some haven't. 

I wonder how rare 20 pound steelhead will be when my 1.5 year old sons are old enough to what a trophy it truly is?  Hopefully we haven't bonked them all by then. 

This is one of the greatest myths about how big fish come into existence.  The biological imperative of every fish is satisfied on its first successful spawn.  Anything after that is gravy.  How many times has this fish spawned?  3,4,5 times?  That means its genetic code has been transferred successfully multiple times over.  If she was 8# and spawned she puts out the exact same genes as she did when she was 18# and spawned.  Just because she's bigger when she spawned does not mean she produces bigger fish.  It just means she's got experience.  Do all 8# fish have what it takes to live up to this 22#'ers potential?  Nope, not every fish has what it takes.  But to imply the OP is affecting genetics because he chose to keep this fish is not based in fact, it is just a projection of one person's set of morals onto another's.  I believe it is far, far more damaging to a wild population to yank first-year spawning steelhead out of the river that carries these genes than fish that have made it several times over.  That small first year fish being kept is actually removing many years worth of successful spawning.

I know from my walleye fishing buddies this is not a popular view, but...

That argument does not make sense to me.  First, you are assuming this fish has already spawned.  There is no way to know if that happened or not.  Only a low percentage of steelhead are repeat spawners.  It is far more likely that the genes were never spread.  Second, even if this fish were a repeat spawner, more genes would be spread through being allowed to spawn again.  Either way, bonking that fish removed genes that would have otherwise spread (assuming something else didn't kill it before is spawned). 

[Skillet]

You are correct, I am assuming it has spawned before - I have always understood that steelies achieving that size have spawned multiple times.  If that is not the case, I'll stand corrected on that one point about this fish having already met its biological imperative.  If someone has some info to share about that, I'd appreciate it...

[MtnMuley]

Here's a real thread jack........at least DFW manages/regulates steelhead............they quit managing walleye last year and a lot of you didn't give a single care and supported the unregulated harvest of ALL walleye in the prime Columbia River system.

[WSU]

Here's a real thread jack........at least DFW manages/regulates steelhead............they quit managing walleye last year and a lot of you didn't give a single care and supported the unregulated harvest of ALL walleye in the prime Columbia River system.

I was one of those.  Walleye (and bass) are one of the issues referred to by jackmaster that also are harmful to wild steelhead.