Typical Skok Mess

[Special T]

I believe it is impossible for the WDFW to actually manage the fishing due to the way the treaties were drawn up and the way they have interpreted up until this point... I say we need to decimate ALL the fisheries so that no money can be made... I say rape and pillage until just before the point of no return... If there is no real enforcement on the tribal side and only on our side how can Fish be managed so that a true 50/50 split can happen... IT CANNOT! I have no problem with honoring the split, We just need real definable bench marks and enforceable rules.
I just have a problem with how it is used as a wedge by tribes for money in many cases where it should be a non issue.. For example dredging the Keystone ferry terminal that has been held up by tribes... Or any other waterway project for that matter... Many advances have been made in tech and understanding in making construction more fish friendly, but skidds still are greased just to do projects that have no or negligible affects on fish. 

[WSU]

Why is it WSU that everytime anything about indians come up you jump in and stand up for them. Do you hunt or fish or is your real name cascade hunter.  You never post unless it;s something to do with indians and treaty;s look in the mirrow again your on the wrong side again.

The reason I jump in is that we have a totally one sided view that is all over the board, and often the posts are factually wrong.  Everyone can have their opinion, that's what makes this country and the boards great.

As for a report regarding hunting or fishing: went to the Skok this morning.  Fished a couple hours, went 2 for 3 on bobber and eggs.  The biggest problem is the people "drift fishing" who give a huge rippin' hookset every case.  Totally turns the bite off, and makes the fish about 10 times harder to catch.  The best part is, the drift "fishermen" land about 1 out of 10 since it is aweful hard to control a fish that's hooked in the a$$, and then have to release said 10th fish becuase it is snagged.  Catch a fish, and all of a sudden you have 3 drift "fishermen" standing in your hip pocket.  So, I moved on and hooked more fish, got mine, and am now back at the office. 

1morebuck: thanks for the info.  I went down below where you told me to go, but there are tons of fish around.

[300magman]

WSU,
You said "WE" have a one sided view.......... There is no "WE" from me.......The indians are destroying the fish runs  in washington.
When all the fish are gone, Are you still going to side with them??? I bet not...........

to hell with the indians......quit fishing years ago because of all the B.S.

[WSU]

I wasn't speaking for anyone, I'm just saying that the board in general has a one sided view (as you illustrate).  I also said I don't necessarily agree with what is going on.  I certainly don't agree with examples where fish runs are being harmed, and pointed out that the Skok is not one of those.  Things like netting native steelhead on the OP are a bit different...

[300magman]

WSU,
I understand where you are coming from now. Wasn't try to throw you under the bus. It is sad that as human beings we cant have equal rights for all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love to fish but the rules are way out of whack!!!!!!!!!!

300magman.............

[1morebuck]

The real harm done to the fish is due to spite. By that I mean the tribes spite the sport fishers and vice versa. As a sport fisher it boils my blood to see that I cannot fish in the Skok on Monday's. The rule states NO sport fishing. Yet, last Monday after bear hunting, I stopped by Purdy Creek just to watch two tribal members with hook (three inch treble) and line (50 lb. braid) yard three kings out in 15 minutes. They cannot sell these (I know, I asked the tribal fish buyer) fish and I know for a damn fact they are not eating them, but even in tribal rules "jigging" aka snagging is considered sport fishing, even if they claim subsistence fishing. So the four other guys scouting out the river and watching tribal members "fish" are pissed too. One of those sport fishers standing there is a snagger. He justifies his "fishing" based on how the tribe is "fishing" and the spite continues.

It is a sad fact that MOST, not all, of the the aforementioned tribal members are in fact destroying the salmon fishery on the Skok and wasting everyone's natural resources. And after talking to WDFW enforcement about it, they say that they report tribal members "jigging" and wasting on a regular basis only to have no response from tribal enforcement. Until ALL tribal leaders recognize and quit participating in these wasteful acts the spite will go on.

[WSU]

WSU,
I understand where you are coming from now. Wasn't try to throw you under the bus. It is sad that as human beings we cant have equal rights for all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love to fish but the rules are way out of whack!!!!!!!!!!

300magman.............

No sweat!  I wouldn't make such posts if I didn't have thick skin!

[huntinhick]

Well living next to the res and having 3 of my kids go to school there is what started to open my eyes. I drive the lower strech at least twice a week and the wife drives it twice sometmes 3 times a day going back and forth to the school.  being that close and seeing what goes on day to day give you a little diffrent insite.  biggoontuna,  as of last year (can't check right now not home) they netted all the way to the mouth of the river and had sereval nets all down the canal at least as far as the hood sport hatchery.  With nets streched bank to bank I have no idea how any fish are going to make it to the hatchery to be harvested for eggs. 

[1morebuck]

And it gets worse. I was there this am for the "pulling of the nets". The river between 101 and 106 was DEAD. In just a few days the tribe has taken nearly ALL of the fish from the river. I want to put this into prospective.

Tuesday I was on the river and there were at least 50-80 fish in the hole below where I was (the small pocket I was at was holding 6-8 fish) and on the short 1/2 mile walk I did every large hole was close to the same (WSU was there and should agree). Today at 5:15 am I did the same exact walk. Zero fish in the first three holes. And the hole where Purdy Creek dumps in (the one that usually has a ton of fish in it) 2 and one had the white death spots on it. Tell me the tribe is getting it's fair share.

Some have said the Skokomish runs are less important than certain Columbia runs. EVERY salmon and steelhead run is important to me. Someone else said to just give it to them. Hell no, sport fishers would still take the fall and then we would have to pay to return the runs back to their traditional levels.

On at least one good note, I want to thank and commend all of the members here and every other fisherman and woman who has gone down there this year and fished correctly. This isn't just for the egg tossers. This is for the "drifters" who have really laid back on the snagging and the keeping of foul-hooked fish. I understand that we are not perfect, hell I'm not. But there has been a great effort made on many's part and the river is MUCH cleaner this year too. Thanks.

[buckhorn2]

WSU not jumping at you it;s just hard to swallow seeing what has happened to my friends and myself included. I am not on the sound but on the ocean. My friends here are all tied one way or another to the fishing industry and the bolt decesion has caused heartache out here. There are 23 indian crab fisherman and 231 non-indian commercial crabbers. The 23 indian crabbers not only are entitled to 50 percent of the harvest but they get a 40 day head start on the fishery. We used to start dec. 1 now it;s sometime after january after they have fished for 40 days right where we fish. It;s the same with the salmon;halibut;blackcod. They keep salmon we have to release when they troll they fill all the xmas and new years crab markets and it has cost people here jobs; houses; marriges and when we start to fish you can hear them say over the radio here come the cow boys. You are right about treatys but the intent of this one was never about what it has turned into. It must depend on where you live as to how much the indian treatys have affected you but here it has cost us a lot. Another thing is crab molt and change shells and then start to feed to fill there new shells. They feed best in dec and january then quit feeding all the time because they have filled out and then usually start feeding only on tide changes so are harder to catch. Anyway I hope it has;nt cost you any loss of income but in our case it has.

[1morebuck]

UPDATE: So the kings are about done on the Skok. The fishery was questionable this year with the rule changes and the way the tribes decimated the river. However as a lifelong Skok fisherman, I have to say that there was a very significiant increase in good fishermen and the trash problem was quite a bit better. Again, to all of the respectable fishermen that were down there, thank you.

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

My favorite weekend to fish it is labor day weekend. I will be up there with bobber rod in hand ready to catch a few. 2 years ago I couldn't buy a fish on eggs. My buddy had hooked and released a few and I got tired of using the same eggs as him and h e was catching and I was wasting eggs so I put a number 5 blue fox on and hooked a 30 pound hen on my first cast. He was pissed cause all he was catching was dark bucks and I hook a beautiful egg barge laden witgh sea lice. I love this time of year

[1morebuck]

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! There are NONE left in there!

[steeleywhopper]

I was fishing there last year and had a nice at least 30 lb king on all legal and a native guy seen me playing with the fish. He pulls his line in and puts what looks like a 2nd treble hook on the size of his fist. Casts it in and trys to steal my fish. I was on Hunters Tree Farm Property and one of the hunters family members were out there. They carry conceled weapons along with me when I go I always carry a concealed weapon. I said take my fish you M&*$% and you will get shot. (Well I will NEVER shoot anyone I will always just fire in the air.)He said try it and I said well I'm a legal concealed weapons and I pretended to pull my gun... And he was scared *censored*less... dropped his pole and ran. I ended up reeling my fish in and his pole. Got a nice 34 lb king and a 140.00 rod and halibit reel with 3 treble hooks the size of a baseball!!
I reported it to the sheriff and state patrol and got pictures and a police report and they found the guy and arrested him. Don't know what happened after this.

Why and the heck would they arrest him when you are the one who gave him a death threat? I know interfearing with someone while fishing or hunting is a small crime, but threatening to shoot someone over a Skok infested fish is insane.

[Yelm hunter]

That's why I don't even fish that River anymore...

That tribe is worthless... It's NOT even a TRIBE... Nothing at all like the Nisqually Tribe or the Puyallup/Squaxin tribe