Game commission meeting

[singleshot12]

I heard on the radio 710 AM that there is going to be a commission meeting in Mill Creek, they are going to discuss shutting down all sturgeon fishing in western Washington rivers and all steelhead fishing January 1st.
Somehow this doesn't surprise me, bummer deal though 

[Button Nubbs]

I wish I could go... January 1st or feb 1st?

[Button Nubbs]

so i just read it a little closer. pisses me off... over the last few years on many of the rivers systems on the sound they have gone from a june 1st opener, to a first sat in june opener. they have also gone from a feb 28th closure to a feb 15th closure and now a feb 1st closure?! im sorry for being crude but these people can eat my

[singleshot12]

and what the meeting should really be about is on ways how to stop the netting and poaching of our steelhead and sturgeon so it can remain open!!! Duh!

[JimmyHoffa]

One of the things to note, is that when they close certain rivers (entirely or early) is it just adds more pressure to the ones that are still open...just making it more likely those later rivers will have to be closed.

[Button Nubbs]

I can't make it tonight. If someones goes to the meetings. Tell them to make it no bait after feb 1st and keep it open til feb 28th. Just my idea...

[singleshot12]

One of the things to note, is that when they close certain rivers (entirely or early) is it just adds more pressure to the ones that are still open...just making it more likely those later rivers will have to be closed.

Good point!!!  And for people that cannot attend these meetings it's almost as good to give your 2 cents via email.  If we don't express our concerns then they'll figure we don't care and will go ahead with the closures which will definitely equal "a major loss of opportunity"... We won't have anything left if we don't speak up folks!

[Sporting_Man]

If some river is ripped from its fish (by nets, or whatever other reason) it doesn't matter to me wheather they close it or not - I am not going there... So, their restrictions are the problem that comes after the fact... after those tribal nets, etc.
Our problem is COHO on sale in Safeway, or some other grocery store... We know where it is coming from, right..?
Our problem is treaties written in a way that nobody cares if Natives wipe fish off the map during their "half" or the time on the river...
Our problem is when hatcheries claim that they "met the escapement goal". That is the point from which nobody cares any more if we are catching, having fun that we paid with thousands of $$$ every year. We support several local businesss which provide high-paid American jobs. Really, i seems that nobody cares. Nobody. 

[singleshot12]

Anyone know the results of the meeting yet?

I still can't believe how backwards things are    Talking about shutting down a great sport fishery while still allowing netting??  Come on now!  That's just plain nuts

[JimmyHoffa]

Not sure if it came from the game meeting, but I heard the Snider Creek hatchery will be getting closed.  It is on the Sol Duc.  The fish are to be moved to other rivers (Bogachiel/Calawah) over the next couple of years.  It was a weird program--guys caught a certain number of early return wild steelhead and then took them to a hatchery for those wild fish.  So, in effect, big steelhead that ran after the other hatchery runs petered out.  It seemed to work out pretty good for the area and I thought the river too.  If I remember correctly it was all volunteer from Forks people, just they need approval from WDFW.