Walleye are invasives

[Mfowl]

It is UNREAL how many sea lions are in the lower river right now. There are hundreds at the Cowlitz mouth alone. They are going to decimate this years runs if they don't leave. Eating walleye is great but killing them won't save the salmon! Those sea lions are going to starve the walleye out too!

[Jake Dogfish]

As a salmon advocate, I don’t see dividing fishermen by what species they fish for as helping anything.
Furthermore I don’t see the evidence that walleye are invasive on the west side of the state outside of the Columbia.  Bucket biologists have been trying for years. 

[MeepDog]

As a salmon advocate, I don’t see dividing fishermen by what species they fish for as helping anything.
Furthermore I don’t see the evidence that walleye are invasive on the west side of the state outside of the Columbia.  Bucket biologists have been trying for years. 

I'm saying they're invasives specifically in the Columbia River system. I could give a rip what someone puts into a manmade lake as long as it stays there. I'm not trying to divide fishermen, just convince them to actually eat the walleye out of the Columbia. At this point we couldn't get rid of them if we wanted to.

[metlhead]

Salmon WERE great. I could care less though. I just want to catch fish, and lots of em. Survival of the best in that river. Start dumping stripers!

[plugger]

Let's destroy a year-round fishery so we can fish for salmon 2 months out of the year. Genius 

[huntnnw]

You ever seen walleye in the snake puking up smolts? Ive caught walleye with as many as 6 smolts in their guts. You dont get fish back for sealions to eat without smolts getting to the ocean. I could care less about walleye reeling up deadwood. only thing good about them is eating

[buglebrush]

It is UNREAL how many sea lions are in the lower river right now. There are hundreds at the Cowlitz mouth alone. They are going to decimate this years runs if they don't leave. Eating walleye is great but killing them won't save the salmon! Those sea lions are going to starve the walleye out too!

Exactly.  Reducing sportsman opportunity should always be the last resort, but in WA it's always the first.  Need to reduce sea lion, wolf, cougar, and bear populations instead of reducing and eliminating hunting & fishing opportunities! 

[dilleytech]

As a Columbia river living fella who fishing a lot for salmon and some for walley and bass. Bass probably kill a lot more smoky, taste just as good and are a lot more fun to fish for then walleye. We will never out fish the bass or walleye. Try all you want.

salmon runs have been pretty consistent over my life time. We get good years and bad years. Keep doing what we are doing works fine for me. Keep hatcheries pumping out fish. Kill as many fur bags and fish eating birds as we can, and hope the ocean stays in good shape.

But I always wonder about the shad. They hit any shiny little thing that swims in front of them. We don’t think they are smacking a bunch of down river smolt? Where’s that cat food shad fishing industry at?

[buckcanyonlodge]

A friend fished the Columbia one day this week and caught 7 walleye from 7 to 11.5 pounds. Released ALL of them.

[plugger]

 :yeah:I like your friend. Exactly what i would do.

[MeepDog]

But I always wonder about the shad. They hit any shiny little thing that swims in front of them. We don’t think they are smacking a bunch of down river smolt? Where’s that cat food shad fishing industry at?

And if these fish aren't eating the smolt itself, they're certainly eating something. They are getting big from eating something out if the river. Outcompeting for resources is just as dangerous as direct predation.

[MeepDog]

It is UNREAL how many sea lions are in the lower river right now. There are hundreds at the Cowlitz mouth alone. They are going to decimate this years runs if they don't leave. Eating walleye is great but killing them won't save the salmon! Those sea lions are going to starve the walleye out too!

Exactly.  Reducing sportsman opportunity should always be the last resort, but in WA it's always the first.  Need to reduce sea lion, wolf, cougar, and bear populations instead of reducing and eliminating hunting & fishing opportunities!

It's more nuanced than just a reduction of opportunity. The walleye, bass etc season is literally year round no limit. The salmon season is heavily restricted so it's pretty obvious which species needs some help with opportunity.

[dilleytech]

It is UNREAL how many sea lions are in the lower river right now. There are hundreds at the Cowlitz mouth alone. They are going to decimate this years runs if they don't leave. Eating walleye is great but killing them won't save the salmon! Those sea lions are going to starve the walleye out too!

Exactly.  Reducing sportsman opportunity should always be the last resort, but in WA it's always the first.  Need to reduce sea lion, wolf, cougar, and bear populations instead of reducing and eliminating hunting & fishing opportunities!

It's more nuanced than just a reduction of opportunity. The walleye, bass etc season is literally year round no limit. The salmon season is heavily restricted so it's pretty obvious which species needs some help with opportunity.

Man if you tell me I can fish for salmon from April to October one year then the next only walleye and catch as many as you can. I’m going to be catching way!!!!! More salmon. Salmon fishing is sooo good on the Columbia. I have never had a 20+ fish walleye day. But you can do that day after day with fall salmon.

[plugger]

I haven't kept a single walleye in the Columbia in the areas they pulled the limits since they did it. Used to keep a few smaller fish in those areas, not anymore. everything gets released

[Gettin Birdie]

Dams have to go if real change is ever actually expected.  Red lake in Idaho was named that for a reason, cause it looked liked you could walk across it with how many salmon were in it, no more.  Many more crappy dams along the snake in ID - Hell's canyon are a disaster, not good passage.  Alternatives are needed in place for sure, if only we had some alternatives for power that was cheap and clean, hmmn...nuclear?  wonder why the dumb dumb dems never mention that when talking clean energy, maybe cause they can't profit off their green energy investments!  When the NPM program started the ratio for smolt being eaten was about 80% NPM, 20% bass/walleye/etc.  since then the number has surely shifted, take one predator out and another will fill it's place.  Pelicans, damn, it's time to put a season on them, they are chock full in the snake, just follow the smolt downriver, gulp em below the damn by massive amounts, hazing works to a point.  Always laugh at the bass club guys, most get so pissed if you take their beloved bass out of the river/lake, yet take walleye anytime.  Both are equally destructive, I've seen video of bass just hammering small NPM that a regular in the program fishes for.  I am personally a walleye fisherman, but would like to see all species thrive for everyone's opportunity.  Long ramble, but the point is there are many many factors that contribute to this plight, many not listed, but damn removal would have the most benefit as far as I've read and understood.  Unlike gas though, we need to have alternatives actually in place before we shut the well off, thanks Biden!