Catch card reporting?

[PA BEN]

Any body look over the new web site to see if you can report catch cards on line?

[Jake Dogfish]

You can’t report fish online, only crab.
 Due to the large number of non reporting, the expansion factor for reported fish has risen to 8-11 for Chinook.  For example, if someone turns in a full card it goes down in the final numbers as 200+ fish! 
It is very important that if you invite people from out of town, have kids etc. that those cards get turned in. 
We definitely need a new system as this one is beyond broken.

[Wetwoodshunter]

Where did you find the info on how they expand counts?

[JimmyHoffa]

I remember on one of the fishing sites, a couple of the members are former WDFW/NMFS employees and explained how totals are extrapolated.  But they did so in a more complicated way using catch cards and surveys including released fish.

[Tbar]

I remember on one of the fishing sites, a couple of the members are former WDFW/NMFS employees and explained how totals are extrapolated.  But they did so in a more complicated way using catch cards and surveys including released fish.

It has to do with surveys and encounters as well. 

[Stein]

It's tough because if you report caught and released wild fish, you can see the quota numbers spinning down.  Turn in your catch card and they spin down further and faster.  Any released fish is counted, whether it is an 8" jack or a 30# spawner.

It seems there could be a way to do it that doesn't penalize people for being honest.  I would be much more inclined to use boat ramp checks and aerial surveys.  You could also easily count boat trailers in 5 minutes.

[Crunchy]

These days I dont think you will get an honest answer at the boat ramp as far as fish encounters go.  A lot of people report the only encounters were the fish they caught, and if they didnt catch any they report zero encounters.