Post by: upperleft on February 25, 2022, 01:32:56 PM
- Is this the right decision to close the season?
- Is the fish counts the wdfw providing even accurate?
- As a sportsmen what can we do?
Post by: upperleft on February 25, 2022, 01:34:14 PM
https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/erule.jsp?id=2805
https://wdfw.wa.gov/news/state-announces-full-closure-coastal-steelhead-fishing-support-conservation-following
Post by: Platensek-po on February 25, 2022, 01:43:29 PM
Well if its WDFW's goal to have this states sportsman's disapprove of them any more, then they really are making it easy to hit their goal. The closer of this years steelhead season shouldn't come to a shock as we have repeatedly seen the government agency screw everything up. Like others I currently have a lot of emotions and questions surrounding this issue.Even though we are in the process of reversing the spring bear ruling it still feels that our voice doesn't matter in this state.I fear that we may someday lose all control of this agency. Hoping to hear what my fellow Washington State sportsmen's thoughts are on this ruling and what you've all heard regarding the issue.
- Is this the right decision to close the season?
- Is the fish counts the wdfw providing even accurate?
- As a sportsmen what can we do?
If the numbers are right, and I have no reason to believe otherwise, then it’s absolutely the right decision. That being said there are a lot of other things they could be doing to make sure this doesn’t happen in the future. I’m pretty pessimistic about the future of salmon and steelhead though.
Post by: Meathunter06 on February 25, 2022, 01:51:26 PM
Post by: Stein on February 25, 2022, 02:55:58 PM
Post by: metlhead on February 25, 2022, 04:36:18 PM
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on February 25, 2022, 05:19:03 PM
Several of your questions would be answered if the department was transparent even the smallest bit.
:yeah: :bash:
Post by: Forks on February 25, 2022, 05:31:49 PM
Post by: Bullkllr on February 25, 2022, 05:38:34 PM
It continues down a road that for me has been both soul-wrenching and heart-breaking, that much I know.
Post by: JimmyHoffa on February 25, 2022, 05:46:54 PM
Should have closed the peninsula years ago. When the Queets gets nothing back......that should tell you something. Humans suck.I'd guess that springer season on the coast will probably not last too long. Usually the park closes everything first, followed shortly after by WDFW.
Post by: Ridgeratt on February 25, 2022, 05:51:19 PM
Post by: branches on February 25, 2022, 07:38:54 PM
:yeah:
It continues down a road that for me has been both soul-wrenching and heart-breaking, that much I know.
I feel the same way.
Post by: Slow-drifter on February 25, 2022, 08:09:10 PM
Post by: Dirty Mike on February 25, 2022, 08:30:42 PM
This closure is ridiculous, backed by false science and a lack of real world numbers. Most people on the peninsula are reporting seeing a larger than normal number of reds already this season due to low river levels, but Noone seems to care that due to those levels the creel reports are low because fishing is tough. It's not a lack of fish. It's a lack of proper management from our bull@@$% stateagreed watch as soon as we get this incoming rain the Numbers will increase a ton
Post by: PolarBear on February 25, 2022, 08:54:09 PM
Post by: HUNTIN4SIX on February 25, 2022, 09:17:23 PM
Several of your questions would be answered if the department was transparent even the smallest bit.
They won’t want us to know they have been cutting steelhead/salmon hatchery production. They are bowing down to the enviro’s striving for a wild fish utopia.
It is so obvious and most have no idea. They like sportsman fighting over other stupid reasons for the decline.
Post by: Jake Dogfish on February 25, 2022, 11:34:25 PM
Post by: HUNTIN4SIX on February 26, 2022, 05:51:39 AM
Steelhead are on a path to extinction and have been for years. The biggest factor is not habitat or hatcheries. It’s simply lack of abundance. This can be solved by using all available habitat instead of planting them all in the same place. This does not make economic sense to WDFW so they will continue to spiral the toilet bowl.Hatcheries create the abundance.
Post by: MonstroMuley on February 26, 2022, 06:57:55 AM
Steelhead are on a path to extinction and have been for years. The biggest factor is not habitat or hatcheries. It’s simply lack of abundance. This can be solved by using all available habitat instead of planting them all in the same place. This does not make economic sense to WDFW so they will continue to spiral the toilet bowl.Hatcheries create the abundance.
Closures forced our group pivot to Oregon ... Fish'n Buddy touts ODFW New "Wild Broodstock" program reason
for Oregon's successful Metalhead Fisheries ... we'll see? :dunno:
Post by: BigGoonTuna on February 26, 2022, 07:32:06 AM
while in some cases this is true (where some small programs that made for good fisheries have been completely eliminated like the little green, grays river, east fork lewis etc), the fish just aren't returning. by some of the rhetoric you hear nowadays you'd think that the cowlitz gets 1/10th the amount of fish planted in it that it did 20 years ago, simply not true. the fish aren't returning from the ocean, or in some cases (like puget sound streams) aren't even getting to the ocean.Steelhead are on a path to extinction and have been for years. The biggest factor is not habitat or hatcheries. It’s simply lack of abundance. This can be solved by using all available habitat instead of planting them all in the same place. This does not make economic sense to WDFW so they will continue to spiral the toilet bowl.Hatcheries create the abundance.
probably the biggest factor in modern times is predation. seals, sea lions, humboldt squid, cormorants, terns. everything but the squid are protected by federal law, and there's little motivation by those in charge to actually manage any of them. kind of sounds like the same problem we have with wolves and cats, hmm...
Post by: metlhead on February 26, 2022, 10:00:06 AM
Post by: Stein on February 26, 2022, 10:02:16 AM
Jinx. Was hoping the state overlooked the squid. Protections for them soon to come😞
They fail the cute test, so they will be left alone. :chuckle:
Post by: JimmyHoffa on February 26, 2022, 10:13:19 AM
Steelhead are on a path to extinction and have been for years. The biggest factor is not habitat or hatcheries. It’s simply lack of abundance. This can be solved by using all available habitat instead of planting them all in the same place. This does not make economic sense to WDFW so they will continue to spiral the toilet bowl.I think it's harvest mostly down the food chain--smaller food fish, forage fish, shrimp, etc. A healthy river should have tons of fish moving in and out all year long of all species--spawning, rearing, dying, etc. If you harvest all different types of salmon to minimum yield, then it doesn't matter what steelhead protections you have. You wouldn't need a steelhead hatchery program if you could get enough ocean nutrients back into the spawning grounds year round.
Post by: Mudman on February 26, 2022, 10:14:15 AM
Post by: Jake Dogfish on February 26, 2022, 09:47:15 PM
No, God created abundance and man has done nothing but mess it up.Steelhead are on a path to extinction and have been for years. The biggest factor is not habitat or hatcheries. It’s simply lack of abundance. This can be solved by using all available habitat instead of planting them all in the same place. This does not make economic sense to WDFW so they will continue to spiral the toilet bowl.Hatcheries create the abundance.
We need hatcheries to rebuild the runs now because the numbers are so low. We should plant every creek with all species of salmonids and leave the large rivers alone. We are doing it backwards.
Post by: nwwanderer on February 26, 2022, 10:29:10 PM
Post by: HUNTIN4SIX on February 27, 2022, 06:32:13 AM
Little worried about that abundance deal, more than 95% of all the species that have ever existed are extinct, nearly all before manYou sound like some of the WDFW employees I worked with....
Post by: nwwanderer on February 27, 2022, 09:29:16 AM
Post by: Forks on February 27, 2022, 02:00:51 PM
Post by: Slow-drifter on February 27, 2022, 03:22:32 PM
Post by: Jake Dogfish on February 27, 2022, 03:34:35 PM
This closure is ridiculous, backed by false science and a lack of real world numbers. Most people on the peninsula are reporting seeing a larger than normal number of reds already this season due to low river levels, but Noone seems to care that due to those levels the creel reports are low because fishing is tough. It's not a lack of fish. It's a lack of proper management from our bull@@$% stateThey are letting some fish spawn in the wild? :yike: :chuckle:
Post by: JimmyHoffa on February 27, 2022, 04:02:12 PM
Post by: Bareback on February 27, 2022, 04:19:44 PM
Post by: HUNTIN4SIX on February 27, 2022, 04:46:48 PM
Maybe they should use all that energy and count redds. Escapement numbers don’t start until March 1. With the rains coming all history of those redds will be gone. WDFW has transitioned to more desk jobs instead of in the field jobs. If they reverted to protocol from years past (more field employees) they might, and it’s a big might, have a better grasp as to actually what the current state is. Instead they manage wildlife from bureaucrats and tribal demands.
:yeah: Very true!
Post by: snake on February 27, 2022, 07:16:24 PM