Winter blackmouth

[Skillet]

Oh yeah.  I'll have to call WDFW and let them know what I'm going (legally sport fishing with downrigger clips on the wires)  but it should be fun.  And comfy in bad wx...

You're already on the list H20... 

[h20hunter]

I'll even throw in a $20 for fuel! 

[Skillet]

Oh no, I can't take anything like payment... But if you managed to bring some sport gear to use and a hunk of that smoked salmon I wouldn't be mad about it.

[7mmfan]

Oh man. If you're short a buddy and need some landjager for snacks, a guy could twist my arm.

[h20hunter]

Could be worse people to fish with. 

[jmscon]

Skillet, do you like grappa?

[jmscon]

Skillet, do you like grappa?

Guess not

[lokidog]

Kind of glad they pushed it back. Last year it was amazing how many dunks were being pulled out. Not sure what the survival rate is once you out then back but it can’t be 100 percent.

I'm told barbless mortality is calculated at ~ 40% in WA.  That's why they ask you how many you C&R'd... tallying up all the crab food that comes off the quota.

What a BS number, if this is the number they use.  There is no way 40% will die if released in the water and not netted! I will never tell a fish checker how many fish were released UNHARMED! Unfortunately, I think there are guys out there that, when asked, will actually say they released fish that they didn't so as not to look like a fisherman that sucks.   


There seem to be a lot of small fish in Area 7, at least the eastern part.   

[jackmaster]

Is there any truth to a rumor I heard about that some areas are going to shut down salmon fishing for up to 10 years? And also I heard rumors that the natives say that it's we the sportsman causing the serious decline in salmon populations and want us sportsman to longer be able to fish for salmon?

[WSU]

There's lots of truth that rumor.  WDFW is trying to enter into a 10 year plan with the tribes and NOAA.  Under the plan, the impact to certain stocks of chinook will be reduced.  The reduction WDFW is agreeing to would result in basically no chinook fishing in many of the popular marine areas. 

What's better, WDFW didn't even model what the reduction would mean before they agreed.  Talk about incompetence!!!

[Skillet]

Skillet, do you like grappa?

I definitely prefer his earlier work.   

There's lots of truth that rumor.  WDFW is trying to enter into a 10 year plan with the tribes and NOAA.  Under the plan, the impact to certain stocks of chinook will be reduced.  The reduction WDFW is agreeing to would result in basically no chinook fishing in many of the popular marine areas. 

What's better, WDFW didn't even model what the reduction would mean before they agreed.  Talk about incompetence!!!

This is not good.  How could they possibly agree to reductions in opportunity to their client base before they know if there will be any real benefit?   Unless sportsmen aren't their real client base...

[lokidog]

Unless sportsmen aren't their real client base...

DING DING DING!   

[jackmaster]

If this happens in sekui or neah bay it could actually kill those towns!! I for one am probably going to never buy a Washington fishing license again!! it's pointless !!

[JimmyHoffa]

If this happens in sekui or neah bay it could actually kill those towns!! I for one am probably going to never buy a Washington fishing license again!! it's pointless !!

Yeah, CQ has been hurting from salmon and other fish reductions (like halibut).  Some of the guys I know from there don't know how the town is really going to make it long term.  And with less to do in the outdoors, means more getting into trouble indoors.  A few guys in the area used to be really into all the fishing/shellfishing and it pretty much kept them on a good path.  Once enough closures happened (winter steelhead I guess being the straw breaking the camel's back) they got into heroin and meth and all sorts of other trouble--now in prison.

[WSU]

Skillet, do you like grappa?

I definitely prefer his earlier work.   

There's lots of truth that rumor.  WDFW is trying to enter into a 10 year plan with the tribes and NOAA.  Under the plan, the impact to certain stocks of chinook will be reduced.  The reduction WDFW is agreeing to would result in basically no chinook fishing in many of the popular marine areas. 

What's better, WDFW didn't even model what the reduction would mean before they agreed.  Talk about incompetence!!!

This is not good.  How could they possibly agree to reductions in opportunity to their client base before they know if there will be any real benefit?   Unless sportsmen aren't their real client base...

Incompetence.  It gets worse.  The primary driver to the closure of areas 5-9 are Stillaguamish Chinook.  The closure will only save a handful of fish.  Worse, the habitat is the problem and the river can't really produce more fish.  It's already a mix of hatchery/wild fish that are being used to prop up the population.  Stopping fishing won't address the problem.