More BS

[Dman]

 I make it a habit to follow the daily salmon catch reports for the Tacoma area this time of year, once the spawner's start moving in. I also receive the DFW news releases and just wonder why we are being sold the "more opportunity" garbage this year still, with regard to only keeping hatchery fish. Without saying names, two top fisheries people recently stated that they thought catches would run as high as two hatchery fish to every one native. I have never caught one hatchery chinook in Puget Sound in all my days of fishing. In the last two week's catch reports for area 11 and 13, the report was that in some instances, ALL fish had to be turned loose at spots like Pt. Dalco and a large number of fish at Pt. Defiance also. The proof's in the pudding, we got screwed again. Longer opening's mean nothing when there's nothing to fish for.

[jackelope]

I guess i can't complain yet because we're having our first summer king season in 10 years or something like that(opens on the 16th) and the pre-season word is that fishing will be great... i will say that i'm a big fan of catch and release anyway, so having to release fish, especially wild fish, does not phase me personally. i'd much rather catch and release than not catch at all, but realize that is just my opinion. in my little experience salmon fishing the sound, i have caught a couple hatchery kings up this way, and my neighbor who is a die-hard saltwater salmon fisherman regularly catches legal kings...he fishes all over, wherever he can, and i can't say i know wether they are wild or hatchery fish. he caught one 2 years ago that was 58lbs out of area 7 right off of guemas island. maybe coondog will chime in here. he's a pretty knowledgeable north sound fisherman.

[boneaddict]

i will say that i'm a big fan of catch and release anyway, so having to release fish, especially wild fish, does not phase me personally. i'd much rather catch and release than not catch at all, but realize that is just my opinion.

Exactly!


 
           

[Dman]

 "Quote
i will say that i'm a big fan of catch and release anyway, so having to release fish, especially wild fish, does not phase me personally. i'd much rather catch and release than not catch at all, but realize that is just my opinion."

 I do catch and release also, as many know, but let me ask you this, what makes a salmon different from a deer? Why is it bad to keep a salmon?

[Dman]

 I also checked the catch results and compared this year from the opener to this year, same period. Catch (and keep) rates are down from 10% last year to 6% success rate this year so far on chinook in area 11 according to State checks.

[jackelope]

what makes a salmon different from a deer? Why is it bad to keep a salmon?

HUH?? when did i say it was bad to keep a salmon?
I said:

i will say that i'm a big fan of catch and release anyway, so having to release fish, especially wild fish, does not phase me personally. i'd much rather catch and release than not catch at all, but realize that is just my opinion.

i truly do stress the part about that being my opinion, and don't personally care what anybody else does.
i don't keep a lot of fish because i don't eat a lot of fish. same reason i don't shoot 5 deer...can't eat that many. i will say that when i do keep a fish, it's usually a salmon from the salt.

[Dman]

 I'm the type of person who would eat wild game every day of the year, it's just better for you. I caught exactly (0) salmon in Washington last year and fished probably 4-5 days. A very short while ago, I would catch a few fish every year in the Sound. I've been out twice this year with nothing as of yet. I go to Canada just north of the border and there's no lack of fish anywhere you go. I also have friends from Alaska who emphatically state that Alaska is managed diffferently, so there's always plenty of fish for everyone, whether your a tosser, or a keeper. My point is just that we we're sold this new fishing package as an "increase" in opportunity, which is statistically not the case, the fact is fewer fish well be kept, period, no matter how long the season is for hatchery fish. My biggest complaint about that is the tribe's as co-manager's in my opinion have a greater responsibility to affect similar changes to their own season's and I have not read of one yet....

[jackelope]

i'm with you on the eating part..trust me...it's just that i'm the only one. there's only 2 of us in my house and my wife eats it when she feels like it. when she's out of town or out with the girls or something, it's venison on the BBQ for sure.
as you know, i'm no wizz when it comes to P.S. salmon, but what i've heard is that this year up here in the north sound has been a great year so far. the blackmouth fishing was outstanding, and judging by coondog's bycatch last week or so, the summer season should be good too. maybe you should drag that nice big boat of yours up here for some fishing.

[boneaddict]

I catch and release deer all of the time.  Have you seen any of my pictures on here?  Its a hell of alot hrder to put a big buck on film than it is to put him in the freezer.  Given a choice for example....the methow river.  They shut down all fishing because of depleted runs.  If I can catch the fish and release them "unharmed"  then there is the best of both worlds.  You don't have to shut down the sport.  Granted, I love to eat barbecued steelhead, but if given a choice to be able to fish or not, obvious choice.  Go barbless, go baitless, go FISH!

[Dman]

 Good points. That is a good suggestion. I may get up to Posession area for some Coho and Pinks this Summer. Nookers will be a Canada show primarily, we leave August 7th for eight days with the cheeseheads...

[jackelope]

dman...the summer nooks out of posession is supposed to be awesome, as is the bubble...
don't miss out!!

[Dman]

 Keep me posted on the north end report, maybe we'll get a chance to slay some nooks on the same water...
 
 I know I muddied the water with my thought's above, but my overall summary of what I was saying is this and it goes back to the State's recent sign on to the Federal fisheries new plan. Phase out hatcheries, hatcheries are bad. Increase hatchery quota's to remove hatchery fish from escapement, so only wild fish spawn naturally. I point back to the amazing success on the Green, where now over a million hatchery origin Sockeye naturally spawn annually, versus the historic run of only 5,000 wild fish. All due to hatcheries. Habitat loss and resoration should be the absolute number one priority of fish and game, both wild and hatchery fish will spawn in good habitat.

 D

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

Bone if you want any SH let me know...

Dman are you really that surprised??? How long have we been eating crap but being told it is great???

[Dman]

 Not really surprised, just flabbergasted constantly by the BS. When I was on the Sound advisory committee, reporting to NOAA fisheries, I actually had to stand up and defend not just Canada, but our States fishermen also. You may have heard of the proposal to not allow US fisherman to bring fin clipped Kings back from Canada, because Canada doesn't clip their Kings. the response I got from the committee chair was that NOAA was convinced the majority of Washington bound salmon were caught of the West Vancouver Island coast. The problem with that is I fish there and my response was, never have I seen a Canadian fisheries officer search for a US "bar code" in a fish and additionally, how could you otherwise tell one clipped fish from another. Total crapola. I also stated that if the proposal passed, masses of Washington fishermen would go to Alaska, myself included, defeating NOAA's ultimate goal of reducing Alaskan fishing pressure by the combined US/ Canadian fisheries.

[ICEMAN]

Here is what they told me in 2004:

Thank you for your e-mail correspondence to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Fish Program.

Currently 45% of hatchery salmon and steelhead are released without their adipose fin being clipped.  WDFW adipose fin clips hatchery chinook, coho and steelhead and the percentages vary by region.  In Puget Sound 83% are adipose fin clipped, the Washington Coast, 45% and the Columbia River 40%, giving a statewide average of 55% adipose fin clipped.  WDFW is currently working toward mass marking fall chinook in the Columbia River and on the Washington Coast which will raise the statewide average to over 90%.  Not all hatchery fish will be marked as some are used to help rebuild wildstocks.  Not marking them prevents them from being harvested in selective fisheries and allows them to return to the streams to help rebuild these natural runs.   

If you have further questions, please email again or call  (360) 902-2700.  Our Customer Service hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Sincerely,
Fish Program


Not sure if I believed it then, or now...