Which salmon fisheries will we lose this year?

[snake]

Place your bets now! How many fisheries will we lose this year?  We took a real good kick *censored* last year, and don't forget about the license fee increase!

[hunthard]

It better be 0

[Mr Mykiss]

Springer prediction is 101,000 to Bonneville...could be bad.

[Stickerbush]

Pink salmon run might be out for mid Puget sound

[jmscon]

Pink salmon run might be out for mid Puget sound

? Area 9 and or 10?

[Stickerbush]

Not sure exactly but based on a conversation I had with someone in the know said horrible spawning conditions in the sky/Snohomish they are expecting low numbers in those areas. Assuming saltwater areas near those areas will be impacted

[follow maggie]

Probably anyone's guess. I have a bottom fishing trip out of seiku in may, not buying my license until the day before. At least the license fees didn't go up this year. I think they were getting a huge rash ion of crap and decided to leave them alone.

[bassquatch]

I am soooooo happy we didn't buy a Trophy when we had the chance 

This is only going to get worse and worse and worse 

[WAcoueshunter]

Here's some forecast data from NOAA based on ecosystem indicators.  This looks to be the worst year for returns in 20 years.  Conditions come and go, looks like we're going to pay for the El Nino from the last couple years.  Good for tuna, bad for salmon.  On the plus side, the cold ocean and good snow packs now should make for good survival that will result in better salmon returns a few years from now. 

https://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/research/divisions/fe/estuarine/oeip/g-forecast.cfm

[jstone]

When I was a kid we had a cabin up the Chiwawa. Lots a Salmon went up that river, was great fishing. One of my contractors has a cabin up there he said you cant fish and it is all screwed up.. Cause?

[Mr Mykiss]

re: NOAA there are margins of errors but check out last years spring and fall predictions, NAILED IT!!

[BigGoonTuna]

wish i could wait and see what the seasons are going to be before i get a new license for the year, but i do enjoy messing around on the lakes in the spring.

10 years ago you had a relatively good idea what most river seasons would be, now, you've got absolutely no idea until NOF is done with.  the difference is now tribes have so much money that they're chipping away at our seasons and trying to push us off the rivers in most places.  i do most of my fishing for kings on the lower nisqually these days, it went from open every day, to closed to boats monday-thursday, to closed to fishing monday-thursday, to fully open again but closing after august.

[Stein]

I'm not spending a dime on a fishing license until we have something for sure happening and then it will only be the minimum necessary for that fishery.

[Night goat]

.......all of them

[twolabs]

Better question is which ones will we keep. NOT many

[DOUBLELUNG]

When I was a kid we had a cabin up the Chiwawa. Lots a Salmon went up that river, was great fishing. One of my contractors has a cabin up there he said you cant fish and it is all screwed up.. Cause?

ESA listing of Upper Columbia River steelhead and spring Chinook. 

[Night goat]

Honestly, the only reason why I'm going to buy a fishing lisence this year is so I can fly fish small creeks and stuff up in the hills, just happens to be that I have a good spot for pinks 7 min walk from my deck at my cabin, so, might get a lisence and huck flies off the beach, I highly doubt they are gonna close skagit pinks in the salt, but, I suppose you could say I don't have a very positive outlook on the fisheries in Washington, I've pretty much quit fishing here all together. I find it more enjoyable to get a rack of beer and hike up to a small lake and mess with bluegill and perch than most other fisheries, at least they haven't screwed that up yet

[Bullkllr]

Honestly, the only reason why I'm going to buy a fishing lisence this year is so I can fly fish small creeks and stuff up in the hills, just happens to be that I have a good spot for pinks 7 min walk from my deck at my cabin, so, might get a lisence and huck flies off the beach, I highly doubt they are gonna close skagit pinks in the salt, but, I suppose you could say I don't have a very positive outlook on the fisheries in Washington, I've pretty much quit fishing here all together. I find it more enjoyable to get a rack of beer and hike up to a small lake and mess with bluegill and perch than most other fisheries, at least they haven't screwed that up yet

Give it time, give it time.

It's pretty dismal. I used to basically be a "steelhead bum" during the whole winter. The entire experience has become limited beyond what I ever imagined.

[JimmyHoffa]

The hike in lakes used to be really great fishing.  First they were going up with helicopters and putting fish in the lakes.  They also used to allow you to backpack up plants each year to stock the high country.  A few lakes even had salmon in them.  Then you could catch a bunch later in the season and grill them up while camping.  State stopped that.

I'd imagine the salmon seasons are going to be fast and furious, especially silvers.  Supposedly they took the worst hit from 'the blob' that messed up ocean conditions. 

Hopefully, more than just this:

[WAcoueshunter]

It's gonna be tough.  My take, there will be salmon that we can catch.  Somewhere.  Are you good/flexible enough to catch them? If they aren't stacking up in the pool in front of your house, it may require some effort.  My six year old punched 44 (not caught, actually punched) fish in 2015.  He kicked my rear, I only punched 41.   This is also a pink year.  Last year was tough, but there were some fish to be had.  You need to know how to fish, and be flexible on when/where you do it. 

[singleshot12]

But have you done the math to find out what those salmon are actually costing a pound? For most it would not be feasible. I hate to see all recreational salmon fishing become a bubble fishery for just the rich.

[Dhoey07]

I didn't buy a fishing license for the first time in my life this year.  There were a handful of times I wish I would have, but I survived.  I used to fish the Snake and Columbia a lot over here, but the springer season on the snake, poor forecast for sockeye at Brewster and the CRSSE turned me off.

[Stein]

Just read Tony Floor's monthly column and it looks pretty bleak.  Get the trailer up to 100% shape and buy some gas futures if you want to play.  The pinks even look a bit questionable, especially south sound.

There will be fish to be found, but when you add in ferry costs, hotels, gas and days of vacation it gets a bit much for many people.

[theleo]

Springer prediction is 101,000 to Bonneville...could be bad.

Could be an interesting year to add to the data set for the discussion on the lower 4 dams on the Snake.

[snake]

It's gonna be tough.  My take, there will be salmon that we can catch.  Somewhere.  Are you good/flexible enough to catch them? If they aren't stacking up in the pool in front of your house, it may require some effort.  My six year old punched 44 (not caught, actually punched) fish in 2015.  He kicked my rear, I only punched 41.   This is also a pink year.  Last year was tough, but there were some fish to be had.  You need to know how to fish, and be flexible on when/where you do it.

Wow, you are totally not getting the point here...good for you by the way...

[Tinmaniac]

Pinks don't count and neither do the ones that are brought home not bled with the guts still in them.

[Mr Mykiss]

Springer prediction is 101,000 to Bonneville...could be bad.

Could be an interesting year to add to the data set for the discussion on the lower 4 dams on the Snake.

Because those dams caused the ocean conditions to be horrible the last few years?

[Mr Mykiss]

Springer prediction is 101,000 to Bonneville...could be bad.

Could be an interesting year to add to the data set for the discussion on the lower 4 dams on the Snake.

Or because they caused last year's sharp decline in fall chinook?

[singleshot12]

Ocean conditions,dams,predation etc. all don't help. But any realistic thinking person knows that "NETS" are the most detrimental to salmon runs.

 

[WAcoueshunter]

It's gonna be tough.  My take, there will be salmon that we can catch.  Somewhere.  Are you good/flexible enough to catch them? If they aren't stacking up in the pool in front of your house, it may require some effort.  My six year old punched 44 (not caught, actually punched) fish in 2015.  He kicked my rear, I only punched 41.   This is also a pink year.  Last year was tough, but there were some fish to be had.  You need to know how to fish, and be flexible on when/where you do it.

Wow, you are totally not getting the point here...good for you by the way...

It's gonna be a tough year. Not the first time. I enjoy fishing and spending time with my kid. The idea that I would not buy a fishing license because I need to fish outside of my home water would never cross my mind.

I know that's not what the OP was asking, but several of the posts went that way.  But I also get tired of the "woe is me" crowd who would like to blame everyone under the sun rather than just getting out there.  There are animals to be hunted and fish to be killed, I'd rather live my life making the best of the hand I'm dealt instead of griping about whether the deck was fairly shuffled.

[WAcoueshunter]

Pinks don't count and neither do the ones that are brought home not bled with the guts still in them.

I haven't NOT bled a fish in probably 25 years.  Heck, I even bleed perch and planted trout.  I don't gut my fish on the water because I don't want their cavities water logged with ice water.  If your pinks are soft, maybe you should try not gutting them when you can't keep it dry (and still cold)?

Most of those 86 fish in 2015 were not pinks, although plenty were.  Same day pinks are great.  I punched 43 in 2014 (non-pink year) if that makes you feel better. 

[Bullkllr]

Well, of course if you're willing and able to travel you will be able to take more advantage of what is open.

The driving idea behind this thread is the unprecedented limitations sports-fishers in Washington faced last year and perhaps this year too. While we've lost a lot over the years, last year was a whole new level.

Looking at ocean conditions for this cycle and the current state of politics involved, it's hard to imagine much better in the near future. Coho will probably be on a par with last year. CR chinook may be down somewhat. That ain't good for state-wide fishing prospects. As mentioned, even pink numbers will probably be a fraction of the past few cycles.

[snake]

Lets not turn against each other on here. we all love to salmon fish.  The fisheries I was referring to are ones taken from us by the tribe and politics or both.  obviously we can't control ocean conditions.  Some of us Die hards will travel to the end of the earth to catch a  salmon, but the majority of people will not, they will just sit on the sidelines. We need every voice we can get and all the support we can find.  Call WDFW and tell them we want more opportunity. Even if it means lowering the limit rather than closing a river.  I have had numerous conversations with biologists about the subject.  We need to re- open the river mouths in puget sound and hood canal that were taken from us for one.  More opportunity=less crowding on the rivers. The more rivers that close the more crowded the others get.  CALL WDFW!! it only takes a few minutes!!

[Mr Mykiss]

WDFW sent me my catch card with no form to fill out my catch...foreshadowing??

[ctwiggs1]

Pinks don't count and neither do the ones that are brought home not bled with the guts still in them.

I haven't NOT bled a fish in probably 25 years.  Heck, I even bleed perch and planted trout.  I don't gut my fish on the water because I don't want their cavities water logged with ice water.  If your pinks are soft, maybe you should try not gutting them when you can't keep it dry (and still cold)?

Most of those 86 fish in 2015 were not pinks, although plenty were.  Same day pinks are great.  I punched 43 in 2014 (non-pink year) if that makes you feel better.

I was thinking about changing it up this year. 

Dry ice on bottom, sturdy layer between, then fish on top.  What do you think?

[Tinmaniac]

I think you'll have frozen fish.I need to learn how to bleed fish without cutting them.My fish are cut ear to ear as soon as the come on board to allow the heart to pump all the blood out and put on ice.Fillet at the dock so I dont have a rotten garbage can for a week.All pinks are released unharmed.

[WAcoueshunter]

Yeah, I think dry ice may be too cold as well. Frozen pinks are not good.