Important Fishing Announcement

[jbeaumont21]

Just received the email:


All salmon fishing closed below Bonneville Dam starting tomorrow, Sept. 2 
Recreational fishery exceeded allocated ESA fall Chinook impacts 
Fishery managers from Oregon and Washington have closed all salmonid (salmon and steelhead) fishing, including both retention and catch-and-release fishing, on the Columbia River from Buoy 10 to Bonneville Dam as of tonight, Thursday Sept. 1 at 11:59 p.m.

Higher than expected catch, effort, and handle rates of lower Columbia River tule fall Chinook in the Buoy 10 fishery have put the recreational fishery over its allowable impact limit for this ESA-listed stock, which is the most constraining salmon stock this time of year. (Non-treaty fisheries remain within their overall impact limits.)

“This closure is a big deal and a decision not taken lightly, but we’ve got to do this to ensure fisheries remain within their conservation limits on these listed runs of fish,” said Tucker Jones, ODFW’s Ocean Salmon and Columbia River Program Manager. “It kills us to have to close fishing before Labor Day Weekend, especially when we recognize how important recreational angling is to both the conservation of salmon and to the economics of local communities that rely on this fishery.” 

“Unfortunately, closing is our only option right now. But we are committed to getting folks back on the water as soon as possible, if it’s possible,” he continued “We’ll also be looking ahead to next year and thinking about how to do things differently to try and avoid this outcome in the future.”

Chinook handle (and ESA impacts) were more than double expected rates during the non-mark-selective portion of the Buoy 10 fishery with some of the highest handle rates of fall Chinook ever observed, one fish per angler on some days. Even after Chinook retention closed at Buoy 10, Chinook handle remained high in the coho-directed fishery with about 750 fall Chinook being released yesterday by Oregon anglers. 

 Fishery biologists are continuing to track and update runs. Salmon fishing could reopen downstream of Bonneville to target this year’s large coho run at Buoy 10 or upstream of the Lewis River if it’s determined fisheries could be held and not further meaningfully impact lower river tule Chinook salmon.

With the closure, all angling for, and retention of, salmonid species (Chinook, coho, steelhead, sockeye) is closed on the Columbia River downstream of Bonneville Dam. Angling for shad, walleye and other warmwater species remains open under permanent regulations, and sturgeon fisheries scheduled for later this month are not affected.

Check for the latest fishing regulations by visiting ODFW’s Recreation Report - Fishing Report for your zone and clicking Regulation Updates https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/columbia-zone 

[metlhead]

'Not taken lightly' my ass. Prolly took all of a minute to decide  with cheers and high 5s all around. I feel the department has become any entity we must now defend ourselves against.

[metlhead]

Any guides out there with some input on this? Seems hard to run a business with these abrupt rules. Many people plan their trips on a calendar. Must suck calling folks to let them know the trip is called off.

[hard hunter]

Hard to believe any science is used....especially when they are meeting next week to discuss more netting

[plugger]

I would find it hard to believe that any guide would not warn their guests of possible closers well in advance. It happens all the time for salmon, nothing new. Most just move to the next section of river until they end up on the reach.

[Widgeondeke]

I would find it hard to believe that any guide would not warn their guests of possible closers well in advance. It happens all the time for salmon, nothing new. Most just move to the next section of river until they end up on the reach.

      THIS

I spoke to a buddy yesterday that guides. He has clients flying in from Asia to fish this weekend. Just moved to another spot. Hardest part is trying to find accommodations closer to the new launch on short notice.
I have a 2 day trip booked for next week. Waiting to hear where we will target salmon now that buoy 10 is closed 

[PointBlank]

Cold water tributaries will get hammered with angling pressure. Won’t be suprised if they open it back up in a week or two after tracking the dam counts… wouldn’t be the first time they messed with a season.

[Whitpirate]

Yet the nets hit the water last night.

[Stein]

“We’ll also be looking ahead to next year and thinking about how to do things differently to try and avoid this outcome in the future.”

Wonder what that means.  

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Yet the nets hit the water last night.

You have a problem with that?  So if the Netters were shut down because they were catching more than their allotted amount,  You'd have a problem with sports fishermen getting to fish?

[Whitpirate]

I have a problem with commercial netting on the Columbia and the force behind the commercial protection.  Between commercial fleet and tribal NoF closed door deals sportsman continue to take less than 25-30% of supposed quote with the manner in which they count "encounters."  So yes, if the ESA fishery is threatened by continued encounters with rod and reel fishery, I have a huge problem with allocation of nets engaging in the "threatened" fishery.

I buy from commercial folks and understand you have a livelihood but specific to WA there is a huge imbalance of allocation, influence and opportunity due to the closed door pay off the North of Falcon and commercial lobby.

[metlhead]

Since allotted amount of fish was mentioned, does NOF cover the fishery inside the river? Is the Columbia actually managed by a published quota that sportsfishers can monitor?

[Sitka_Blacktail]

I have a problem with commercial netting on the Columbia and the force behind the commercial protection.  Between commercial fleet and tribal NoF closed door deals sportsman continue to take less than 25-30% of supposed quote with the manner in which they count "encounters."  So yes, if the ESA fishery is threatened by continued encounters with rod and reel fishery, I have a huge problem with allocation of nets engaging in the "threatened" fishery.

I buy from commercial folks and understand you have a livelihood but specific to WA there is a huge imbalance of allocation, influence and opportunity due to the closed door pay off the North of Falcon and commercial lobby.

You do realize that the end user of commercial caught fish is the public, right?  It is cheaper for most people to buy commercially bought fish than to buy a boat and gear up to catch them and travel to where ever is open.  Easier and cheaper to go to the local fish counter and buy it. So when you shut commercial fishermen down, what you are really doing is shutting off a majority of the public from having access to those fish.

[Gobble Gobble]

Also convenient they did it just before the last big holiday weekend of the year when so many will be on the water fishing.

My wife told me about this when I got up. Joe Kent was on Steve Brannon's War Room this morning talking about the closure.

[curtmdavis]

I have a problem with commercial netting on the Columbia and the force behind the commercial protection.  Between commercial fleet and tribal NoF closed door deals sportsman continue to take less than 25-30% of supposed quote with the manner in which they count "encounters."  So yes, if the ESA fishery is threatened by continued encounters with rod and reel fishery, I have a huge problem with allocation of nets engaging in the "threatened" fishery.

I buy from commercial folks and understand you have a livelihood but specific to WA there is a huge imbalance of allocation, influence and opportunity due to the closed door pay off the North of Falcon and commercial lobby.

You do realize that the end user of commercial caught fish is the public, right?  It is cheaper for most people to buy commercially bought fish than to buy a boat and gear up to catch them and travel to where ever is open.  Easier and cheaper to go to the local fish counter and buy it. So when you shut commercial fishermen down, what you are really doing is shutting off a majority of the public from having access to those fish.

 Guess they'll have eat farmed Atlantic salmon. Sucks to suck.