WDFW closes all coastal steelhead fishing!

[upperleft]

Well if its WDFW's goal to have this states sportsman's disapprove of them any more, then they really are making it easy to hit their goal. The closer of this years steelhead season shouldn't come to a shock as we have repeatedly seen the government agency screw everything up. Like others I currently have a lot of emotions and questions surrounding this issue.

• Is this the right decision to close the season?
• Is the fish counts the wdfw providing even accurate?
• As a sportsmen what can we do?

Even though we are in the process of reversing the spring bear ruling it still feels that our voice doesn't matter in this state.I fear that we may someday lose all control of this agency. Hoping to hear what my fellow Washington State sportsmen's thoughts are on this ruling and what you've all heard regarding the issue.

[upperleft]

the official rule change:
https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/erule.jsp?id=2805

https://wdfw.wa.gov/news/state-announces-full-closure-coastal-steelhead-fishing-support-conservation-following

[Platensek-po]

Well if its WDFW's goal to have this states sportsman's disapprove of them any more, then they really are making it easy to hit their goal. The closer of this years steelhead season shouldn't come to a shock as we have repeatedly seen the government agency screw everything up. Like others I currently have a lot of emotions and questions surrounding this issue.

• Is this the right decision to close the season?
• Is the fish counts the wdfw providing even accurate?
• As a sportsmen what can we do?

Even though we are in the process of reversing the spring bear ruling it still feels that our voice doesn't matter in this state.I fear that we may someday lose all control of this agency. Hoping to hear what my fellow Washington State sportsmen's thoughts are on this ruling and what you've all heard regarding the issue.

If the numbers are right, and I have no reason to believe otherwise, then it’s absolutely the right decision. That being said there are a lot of other things they could be doing to make sure this doesn’t happen in the future. I’m pretty pessimistic about the future of salmon and steelhead though.

[Meathunter06]

Tribal governments along the coast are closely monitoring their coastal steelhead fisheries and considering in-season management steps to continue to support conservation. Now that is funny right there, let the indians fish that will save the steelhead dumb 

[Stein]

Several of your questions would be answered if the department was transparent even the smallest bit.

[metlhead]

Closing seasons will not impact wild fish numbers one bit. They wont be extinct in our lifetime, but numbers will never recover to levels of consumable sustainability. Any person with intelligence could point out quite a few fisheries for hatchery steelhead with minimal impact to wild fish. Kinda wish wilds would do the dino dance. Maybe then we could choke the rivers gmo drones and get back to fishing.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Several of your questions would be answered if the department was transparent even the smallest bit.

  

[Forks]

Should have closed the peninsula years ago. When the Queets gets nothing back......that should tell you something. Humans suck.

[Bullkllr]

 

It continues down a road that for me has been both soul-wrenching and heart-breaking, that much I know.

[JimmyHoffa]

Should have closed the peninsula years ago. When the Queets gets nothing back......that should tell you something. Humans suck.

I'd guess that springer season on the coast will probably not last too long.  Usually the park closes everything first, followed shortly after by WDFW.

[Ridgeratt]

Not to mention that the wdfw just recently lost a large number of steelhead on the snake.

[branches]

It continues down a road that for me has been both soul-wrenching and heart-breaking, that much I know.

I feel the same way.

[Slow-drifter]

This closure is ridiculous,  backed by false science and a lack of real world numbers. Most people on the peninsula are reporting seeing a larger than normal number of reds already this season due to low river levels, but Noone seems to care that due to those levels the creel reports are low because fishing is tough. It's not a lack of fish. It's a lack of proper management from our bull@@$% state

[Dirty Mike]

This closure is ridiculous,  backed by false science and a lack of real world numbers. Most people on the peninsula are reporting seeing a larger than normal number of reds already this season due to low river levels, but Noone seems to care that due to those levels the creel reports are low because fishing is tough. It's not a lack of fish. It's a lack of proper management from our bull@@$% state

agreed watch as soon as we get this incoming rain the Numbers will increase a ton

[PolarBear]

I hear the Satsop snd Wynoochie are full of steelhead right now. Saw this closure coming a mile away. There are too many environmental activists in the WDFW.

[HUNTIN4SIX]

Several of your questions would be answered if the department was transparent even the smallest bit.

They won’t want us to know they have been cutting steelhead/salmon hatchery production.  They are bowing down to the enviro’s striving for a wild fish utopia. 
It is so obvious and most have no idea.  They like sportsman fighting over other stupid reasons for the decline.

[Jake Dogfish]

Steelhead are on a path to extinction and have been for years.  The biggest factor is not habitat or hatcheries.  It’s simply lack of abundance.  This can be solved by using all available habitat instead of planting them all in the same place.  This does not make economic sense to WDFW so they will continue to spiral the toilet bowl.

[HUNTIN4SIX]

Steelhead are on a path to extinction and have been for years.  The biggest factor is not habitat or hatcheries.  It’s simply lack of abundance.  This can be solved by using all available habitat instead of planting them all in the same place.  This does not make economic sense to WDFW so they will continue to spiral the toilet bowl.

Hatcheries create the abundance.

[MonstroMuley]

Steelhead are on a path to extinction and have been for years.  The biggest factor is not habitat or hatcheries.  It’s simply lack of abundance.  This can be solved by using all available habitat instead of planting them all in the same place.  This does not make economic sense to WDFW so they will continue to spiral the toilet bowl.

Hatcheries create the abundance.

Closures forced our group pivot to Oregon ... Fish'n Buddy touts ODFW New "Wild Broodstock" program reason
for Oregon's successful Metalhead Fisheries ... we'll see? 

[BigGoonTuna]

Steelhead are on a path to extinction and have been for years.  The biggest factor is not habitat or hatcheries.  It’s simply lack of abundance.  This can be solved by using all available habitat instead of planting them all in the same place.  This does not make economic sense to WDFW so they will continue to spiral the toilet bowl.

Hatcheries create the abundance.

while in some cases this is true (where some small programs that made for good fisheries have been completely eliminated like the little green, grays river, east fork lewis etc), the fish just aren't returning.  by some of the rhetoric you hear nowadays you'd think that the cowlitz gets 1/10th the amount of fish planted in it that it did 20 years ago, simply not true.  the fish aren't returning from the ocean, or in some cases (like puget sound streams) aren't even getting to the ocean.

probably the biggest factor in modern times is predation.  seals, sea lions, humboldt squid, cormorants, terns.  everything but the squid are protected by federal law, and there's little motivation by those in charge to actually manage any of them.  kind of sounds like the same problem we have with wolves and cats, hmm...

[metlhead]

Jinx. Was hoping the state overlooked the squid. Protections for them soon to come😞

[Stein]

Jinx. Was hoping the state overlooked the squid. Protections for them soon to come😞

They fail the cute test, so they will be left alone.

[JimmyHoffa]

Steelhead are on a path to extinction and have been for years.  The biggest factor is not habitat or hatcheries.  It’s simply lack of abundance.  This can be solved by using all available habitat instead of planting them all in the same place.  This does not make economic sense to WDFW so they will continue to spiral the toilet bowl.

I think it's harvest mostly down the food chain--smaller food fish, forage fish, shrimp, etc.  A healthy river should have tons of fish moving in and out all year long of all species--spawning, rearing, dying, etc.  If you harvest all different types of salmon to minimum yield, then it doesn't matter what steelhead protections you have.  You wouldn't need a steelhead hatchery program if you could get enough ocean nutrients back into the spawning grounds year round.

[Mudman]

It is not our fish...  Fish belong to Native peoples.   Put you poles in the attic.  No surprise and will only get worse.  Focus on elections if ya want to fish. 

[Jake Dogfish]

Steelhead are on a path to extinction and have been for years.  The biggest factor is not habitat or hatcheries.  It’s simply lack of abundance.  This can be solved by using all available habitat instead of planting them all in the same place.  This does not make economic sense to WDFW so they will continue to spiral the toilet bowl.

Hatcheries create the abundance.

No, God created abundance and man has done nothing but mess it up.
We need hatcheries to rebuild the runs now because the numbers are so low.  We should plant every creek with all species of salmonids and leave the large rivers alone.  We are doing it backwards.

[nwwanderer]

Little worried about that abundance deal, more than 95% of all the species that have ever existed are extinct, nearly all before man

[HUNTIN4SIX]

Little worried about that abundance deal, more than 95% of all the species that have ever existed are extinct, nearly all before man

You sound like some of the WDFW employees I worked with....

[nwwanderer]

Ouch!! 

[Forks]

Unbelievable the number of bug chuckers in their rubber boats on the Hoh pounding it like a cheap one. All the while most likely, claiming no harm done. People just can't help themselves.

[Slow-drifter]

This closure is ridiculous,  backed by false science and a lack of real world numbers. Most people on the peninsula are reporting seeing a larger than normal number of reds already this season due to low river levels, but Noone seems to care that due to those levels the creel reports are low because fishing is tough. It's not a lack of fish. It's a lack of proper management from our bull@@$% state

[Jake Dogfish]

This closure is ridiculous,  backed by false science and a lack of real world numbers. Most people on the peninsula are reporting seeing a larger than normal number of reds already this season due to low river levels, but Noone seems to care that due to those levels the creel reports are low because fishing is tough. It's not a lack of fish. It's a lack of proper management from our bull@@$% state

They are letting some fish spawn in the wild? 

[JimmyHoffa]

I've heard WDFW has been flying quadcopter drones up and down the rivers nearly all day long.  Supposedly looking to catch someone fishing out of a boat.

[Bareback]

Maybe they should use all that energy and count redds. Escapement numbers don’t start until March 1. With the rains coming all history of those redds will be gone. WDFW has transitioned to more desk jobs instead of in the field jobs. If they reverted to protocol from years past (more field employees) they might, and it’s a big might, have a better grasp as to actually what the current state is. Instead they manage wildlife from bureaucrats and tribal demands.

[HUNTIN4SIX]

Maybe they should use all that energy and count redds. Escapement numbers don’t start until March 1. With the rains coming all history of those redds will be gone. WDFW has transitioned to more desk jobs instead of in the field jobs. If they reverted to protocol from years past (more field employees) they might, and it’s a big might, have a better grasp as to actually what the current state is. Instead they manage wildlife from bureaucrats and tribal demands.

  Very true!

[snake]

If anyone wants some good reading, Google " Atlantic Salmon Recovery".