Ask yourself ? Are you supporting Steelhead ? Or .....

[jkthomps]

I just got an email on this to sign a petition for the plates... all about $$$ now days.

[pilebuck]

I have fished winter and summer runs for many years this is the first I won't be this whole this is BS in my opinion I don't know what the future holds for our steelhead up north here

[fish vacuum]

I have fished winter and summer runs for many years this is the first I won't be this whole this is BS in my opinion I don't know what the future holds for our steelhead up north here

Me too. The sky is the only S river that got planted with winter runs for this year. You won't find me participating in that circus. The state tried to make it sound like a win when they got the OK to plant ONE RIVER in the WFC deal. What a joke!

[bigtex]

Last time "R" had any pull in this state was 85 I believe. It's been swirling the drain since.

Republicans have controlled the WA Senate for several years now.

The 2016 legislative session will have one more D then R. It's going to be an interesting year in Olympia come January considering if just one D goes against their party on a vote it will force a political gridlock.

A lot of speculation that the Republicans could take the House in the 2016 election.

[Rob Allen]

Well for  one  not  all steelhead populations  are in decline,  some  wild  steelhead populations  are  doing quite well, particularly  lower Columbia  tributaries.

i am almost positive that all of WDFW's hatchery steelhead  are  ad  clipped.

the big problem  for  steelhead  anglers  here in SW  WA   is that  the habitat  on the lower portions of the rivers has been destroyed and the  fish no longer use it,  they swim through it   and pass into the upper  sections  which are typically  closed.

 on the North Coast and OP  tribal netting  is  causing an overharvest condition and their netting of  wild  steelhead needs  to end...

in the PS  rivers  juvenile survival in the Salish sea seems to be the big problem

in all areas  hatchery fish are performing  exceptionally poorly and our hatchery facilities  are in very bad  shape

[JimmyHoffa]

Steelhead are really resilient and I don't worry much about them.  The smolt numbers will respond to what the river gives them in the way of food.  So, no salmon eggs/carcasses/fry/smolts to prey on throughout the year it shouldn't be a surprise that the steelies are down.
An interesting read out there was research about the decline of the steelhead in hood canal.  The scientists put tracking devices on the outbound smolts to time/track them.  A small percentage would be preyed upon in the estuaries right as they hit the salt, but a whole 50% made it to Hood Canal Bridge and never made it past.  It was like a black hole for smolts.  Something about that bridge--predators likely.

[Buzz2401]

I never really understand what people have against the WDFW.  I have been hunting and fishing Washington for 30 years and some things are worse and some things are better then they were from say the mid 80's.  Most of the things that would help sportsman in this state are out of the WDFW's hands.  Does WDFW waste funds?  Of course its a government agency but thats not what is making our fishing and hunting opportunities decline.  Only thing that would help hunting is better predator management and less people hunting.  They have no control over the predator management and hard to tell people they can't hunt a certain year or area.  River fishing could be improved if we got rid of the nets but that is also something they have no control over.

[fish vacuum]

An interesting read out there was research about the decline of the steelhead in hood canal.  The scientists put tracking devices on the outbound smolts to time/track them.  A small percentage would be preyed upon in the estuaries right as they hit the salt, but a whole 50% made it to Hood Canal Bridge and never made it past. 

Same deal with rivers on the east side of the sound. Smolts were tracked and huge numbers never make it past the San Juans. No explanation yet that I've read.

[steeleywhopper]

WDFW can suck a Milt Sack!

[wildweeds]

Saw a thing this morning. The wild fish coservancy is at it again.

[2labs]

WDFW can suck a Milt Sack!

Yea, what he said!! A Chum milt sack

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Don't support the plates.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

The population of Washington in 1980 was 4.3 million. Today it is over 7 million. If you don't think that has a lot to do with fish and game populations and trends, you aren't facing reality. Those people have to live somewhere and every time a house is built we lose habitat. Water is diverted for drinking and hydro power and for farming.  Opening up forestland to sunlight warms rivers which affects some speies such as salmon. Oily runoff and antireeze from our roads Some species are able to adjust to the changes without too much of a problem and others may even flourish. But depending on the habitat they depend on, others will have problems that will only get worse.

Add more people and more demand on our fish and game to the mix.  It's not going to get better if the population keeps growing.  It always amazes me that hunters and fishermen can't get the connection and aren't staunch conservationists. Teddy Roosevelt got the connection over 80 years ago.

[2MANY]

Yes he did and predicted the future as well.

Man is the problem and he has no solution.

[Mr Mykiss]

Don't forget you are also supporting wolves if you get these plates.

Oh hell. Am I supporting wolves if I have an elk license plate??!!