Awkward Combat Fishing

[Stein]

Yep, what a perfect fishery that would be if they could bring it back.

I left from Arlington, bonked my limit, raced back and was to work by 9.  I got pulled over where the casino now is when it was a 70, the officer walked up, stopped and looked at my bloody cooler, came up to the window and asked where I came from.  I told him the story and he smiled and told me not to drive a trailer in the left lane.

[outdooraddict]

i heard a buddy tell me some of the best fist fights he ever seen where down there on the cowlitz by the the dam.  that was my first experience of "combat" fishing

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Go to 1:20 mark and see some gillnet combat fishing in Prince William Sound, Alaska.  This is part of the fishery that I fish in.  What you are seeing here is a main Bay hatchery opener.  This is the area we call the "Geek Zone" as people geek out while setting their nets. You are either real lucky or real smart if you get your whole net out and sometimes being smart doesn't matter.  I have seen rammings, guys jump on other boats and have fisticuffs, people run over other nets, and people run into other nets.

The situation here is this.  Main Bay and other hatchery terminals is divided into zones. The inner two zones are for protecting fish and letting them build up to make sure the hatchery gets enough fish for spawning purposes and some times cost recovery....... which involves a couple seine boats catching fish for the hatchery to pay production costs. The hatcheries are also supported by a two percent tax on the gillnet fleet.  That tax regularly costs me $2,000 to $3,000 a year and there are 500 boats in this fishery.

So the first zone in Main Bay is about 3/4 or a little more of Main Bay, which is about 3 miles long. This is the common property area along with a very large area outside the bay.  This area gets regular openers as long as fish are stacking up in at the hatchery.

The second area is about a half mile of the bay and is called the Terminal harvest area. Once the third area has enough fish to provide the hatchery, this area opens up and helps spread the fleet out a bit more. When it first opens there are usually some battles for sets as the fish have been building up for weeks. but after the initial opening, most boats leave, as this area is at the back of where the fish come from so most get caught before they get there. But a few guys stick around hoping some fish get through or back out from the hatchery area. As it's a very deep bay, sometimes they are rewarded and some fish pop up and they make bank.

Then there is the Geek Zone or the AGZ (Alternating Gear Zone, shared alternately by the drift fishermen and the set net fishermen. This area is a little more than a quarter mile long by about 800 feet wide. The fish pile up here, waiting for the channel into the hatchery to be opened.  As they wait, they ripen up until they are ready to spawn. The hatchery eventually starts their egg take and when they have harvested enough, a commercial opener is scheduled.  Some times only half of the AGZ is opened. This happens when they have enough fish, but haven't spawned them all yet. They want the fleet to mop up the rest, but not take the ones they are still taking eggs from.  There is a barrier seine strung across the bay that keeps the fish in. Those are the big white corks you see as the boats are waiting to set. 

The number of fish draws a big portion of the fleet all hoping to get a lucky set and pad their bank account. And this is the result.

t=17s

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Here's another clip with the whole AGZ open. This one has a lot of fish hitting nets and shows the craziness better.

[gaddy]

Iv'e seen that on TV,  Nuts!!

[Dhoey07]

Brewster sockeye is the most boats I've been around at one time. 

[Bullkllr]

i heard a buddy tell me some of the best fist fights he ever seen where down there on the cowlitz by the the dam.  that was my first experience of "combat" fishing

Plenty more room at the Barrier Dam in general, although coveted spots "at the marker" could bring out the competition.

Blue Creek back in the day was much more competitive. Some of the best spots were only for a couple guys, and man, did everyone else try to horn in. At "the point" if you could get a clean drift in the prime spot it was "fish on".

Last day I walked in there (and it's been 20+ years) I walked out shortly after daylight with one fish. Three guys were trying to fish from the bank behind me right over my head. There was nothing else to do and literally no other spots to fish, so I just left and never went back. I had had enough. Was it worth it back in the day? Heck yes- we'll never see numbers like that again.

[elkrack]

skok

Bank fishing from both sides of the river! Complete chaos

[snake]

skok

Bank fishing from both sides of the river! Complete chaos

Could start its own thread on this one!

[MtnMuley]

Brewster sockeye is the most boats I've been around at one time.

......and you always have 2 or 3 *censored*es bucking the norm of the other 300 boats.