collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: Washington bass, walleye fishing limits liberalized in response to orca crisis  (Read 11128 times)

Offline Ridgeratt

  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (+11)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Sep 2008
  • Posts: 5475
  • IBEW 73 (Retired) Burden on the working class.


Washington bass, walleye fishing limits liberalized in response to orca crisis

Washington bass, walleye fishing limits liberalized in response to orca crisis
UPDATED: Wed., Dec. 18, 2019
 
Limits on bass and walleye fishing - alongside other warm water species - were liberalized by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, S

By Eli Francovich
elif@spokesman.com
(509) 459-5508
Limits on bass and walleye fishing – alongside other warmwater species – were liberalized by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission on Saturday.
The new rules, which will go into effect mid-February, remove size limits and daily limits on rivers and streams throughout the state. The rules also double the daily limits for most species on 77 lakes throughout Washington, said Steve Caromile, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s warmwater fish program manager.
The changes are in response to new legislation aimed at increasing chinook survival in hopes of helping struggling orca populations in the Puget Sound. Bass and walleye eat salmon smolts, although to what extent they impact the migrating fish is disputed.
Initially, WDFW officials proposed removing bag limits statewide, but the commission directed them to narrow their proposal.
The entire process has angered many bass and walleye anglers who prize the two non-native game fish species. Allowing anglers to keep the fish means there will be fewer large fish in Washington waterways, a blow to the catch-and-release ethic championed by many. Some anglers feel that a 2017 liberalization of bag limits for walleye and bass already fulfilled the Legislature’s mandate.
“We are disappointed in this result and this points out more strongly the need for us to move forward with legislation intended to protect and grow the warmwater fishery in Washington State for the positive social and economic future that it represents,” said Joel Nania, the former president of the Inland Empire Bass Club, in an email.
According to a WDFW presentation to the commission Saturday, 500 people supported liberalized bass and walleye limits. Those in favor were concerned that the non-native fish were killing salmon and hurting endangered native species, like orca. They also believed broadly that protecting native fish and wildlife is more important than protecting nonnative predators.

In all, 190 people opposed the liberalized limits. Those opposed questioned the science behind the change, pointed out the economic value of bass, walleye and other warmwater fisheries and believed that orca and salmon conservation efforts should focus on “bigger issues.”
Groups that called for liberalized rules for bass, walleye and other species praised the decision online.
“These species are tremendous predators of juvenile salmon and steelhead,” according to a statement from the Wild Steelhead Coalition on its Facebook page. “The Wild Steelhead Coalition has long advocated for such changes to protect threatened native salmonids.”
The commission also approved a proposal from commissioner Kim Thorburn to develop a non-native game fish policy.
“That will be a big piece of work for staff,” Thorburn said. “Most fishing policies are related to salmonids.”
For detailed rule information, see Alan Liere’s fishing-hunting report on Page 12 or visit the Fish and Wildlife Commission’s website at wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission.

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/dec/16/washington-bass-walleye-fishing-limits-liberalized/


I can honestly say I have never witnessed an Orca in Roosevelt. I have however seen a few whales and walruses, usually around the boat launches and lounging on the beaches. But that's another thread.  :sry:

Offline snowshoes22

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jun 2012
  • Posts: 698
  • Location: Grant County
Bunch of bs. Warm water fisheries take another hit. How about no more netting for commercial and natives?
"I'd rather have a slow hit than a fast miss"

Offline bigskyhounds

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Tracker
  • **
  • Join Date: Feb 2018
  • Posts: 70
  • Location: Loon lake
 I really have a hard time with the wdfw when they do stuff like this to protect something no one can use as a resource. but yet our deer elk and moose never get the help they need. How can an agency have an all out assault on one non native species but turn a blind eye to others. They even have a bounty on a native species (northern pike minnow) just don't understand how they can pick and choose how they manage. Seems to me they just do whatever they want. Turkeys weren't native to Washington and I would guess they have to have a negative impact on some native species.

Offline Ridgeratt

  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (+11)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Sep 2008
  • Posts: 5475
  • IBEW 73 (Retired) Burden on the working class.
They did  away with the Columbia salmon endorsement which paid partially for the fish checkers during the Springer seasons. Without that I haven't seen anything about springers. They did close down the summer chinook runs. Perhaps I might just have to buy more fish from Skillet when he is catching them off the coast

.
Bunch of bs. Warm water fisheries take another hit. How about no more netting for commercial and natives?

The invasive turkey species will have an impact on any of the small bird populations they eat everything. Insects, small nesting birds.
Buddy from Oklahoma has watched the local nesting ducks disappear from the turkeys eating the little ducks. Could this have an impact on the local grouse populations around here.  :dunno:

I really have a hard time with the wdfw when they do stuff like this to protect something no one can use as a resource. but yet our deer elk and moose never get the help they need. How can an agency have an all out assault on one non native species but turn a blind eye to others. They even have a bounty on a native species (northern pike minnow) just don't understand how they can pick and choose how they manage. Seems to me they just do whatever they want. Turkeys weren't native to Washington and I would guess they have to have a negative impact on some native species.

They bring more pressure on another fishery to support the idea they are working for the publics best interest.
« Last Edit: December 21, 2019, 08:03:06 AM by Ridgeratt »

Offline Bullkllr

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Aug 2007
  • Posts: 4753
  • Location: Graham
It's just another example of management by virtue-signaling for the liberal masses.

Further deplete the warm-water fisheries and ban plastic straws- that'll really fix the Orca situation  :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

No one is willing or able to make the decisions that will matter. With what has happened the last 20 or so years and continued decisions like this, it is getting harder and harder to be optimistic about ANY fish or wildlife management in this state.
« Last Edit: December 21, 2019, 08:12:33 AM by Bullkllr »
"Making good people helpless will not make bad people harmless"

Offline Bango skank

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+9)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: May 2014
  • Posts: 5880
  • Location: colville
If they really are worried about salmon, they should work on killing off some sea lions.

Offline Axle

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2009
  • Posts: 2088
  • Location: Issaquah
If they really are worried about salmon, they should work on killing off some sea lions.
I totally agree. Along with the birds that eat salmon fry.
I have never been a fan of limits on bass in salmon waters though.
I am the man what runs with the football: Jerry Clower

Offline snake

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: Aug 2015
  • Posts: 759
  • Location: Washington
1. increase hatchery chinook production. (giving the orcas something to eat)
2. kill the sea lions
3. regulate tribal

pretty easy solution on paper, but none of these will happen.

Offline full choke

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (+13)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jan 2009
  • Posts: 2503
  • Location: Maple Valley
If they really are worried about salmon, they should work on killing off some sea lions.
I totally agree. Along with the birds that eat salmon fry.
I have never been a fan of limits on bass in salmon waters though.

Seperate limit for mergansers from other waterfowl.
Put a bounty on cormorants.
"If you think our wars over oil are bad, wait until we are fighting over water..."

Offline E-10

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Pilgrim
  • *
  • Join Date: May 2017
  • Posts: 22
  • Location: Spokane
  • Groups: NWFR
You’re on the right track. Don’t kill the sea lions, turn large barges in the ports and harbors in to large live-traps. Trap the sea lions, tow the barges out to where the orcas are and release them. Let nature do the rest. There won’t be as many sea lions to devistate the salmon and steelhead populations, the orcas get fat on sea lions, and we don’t have to rewrite any laws to make it legal to shoot select sea lions.

1. increase hatchery chinook production. (giving the orcas something to eat)
2. kill the sea lions
3. regulate tribal

pretty easy solution on paper, but none of these will happen.

Offline ne kid

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Scout
  • ****
  • Join Date: Jun 2016
  • Posts: 489
  • Location: ferry county
I wish they would put a bounty on the walleye and on Smallmouth 1$ a fish for there fileted out carcasses.

Offline Ridgeratt

  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (+11)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Sep 2008
  • Posts: 5475
  • IBEW 73 (Retired) Burden on the working class.
You’re on the right track. Don’t kill the sea lions, turn large barges in the ports and harbors in to large live-traps. Trap the sea lions, tow the barges out to where the orcas are and release them. Let nature do the rest. There won’t be as many sea lions to devistate the salmon and steelhead populations, the orcas get fat on sea lions, and we don’t have to rewrite any laws to make it legal to shoot select sea lions.

1. increase hatchery chinook production. (giving the orcas something to eat)
2. kill the sea lions
3. regulate tribal

pretty easy solution on paper, but none of these will happen.

This should be a no-brainer they transport smolts down the river so they have the technology in place. Just need to supersize the side walls.
Watching the pair of them on the sailboat they could feed a few orcas with each one.

Offline bassquatch

  • AKA: Porter's Pursuits on YouTube to help you catch more bass!
  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (+3)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Posts: 2550
  • Location: Arlington, WA
  • Something clever.
From now on every smolt eating TROUT I catch gets its gills cut! Some I'll eat, the rest will sink.
Probably do the same with every salmon and steelhead as well.
It will look like I'm just removing the hooks through WDFW binos though, eff these idiots.  :mgun2:
AKA: Porter's Pursuits on YouTube to help you catch more bass!

Offline bigtex

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Dec 2009
  • Posts: 10277
1. increase hatchery chinook production. (giving the orcas something to eat)
2. kill the sea lions
3. regulate tribal

pretty easy solution on paper, but none of these will happen.
Increasing hatchery chinook production is actually now being funded because of the orca issue.

Offline Bango skank

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+9)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: May 2014
  • Posts: 5880
  • Location: colville
1. increase hatchery chinook production. (giving the orcas something to eat)
2. kill the sea lions
3. regulate tribal

pretty easy solution on paper, but none of these will happen.
Increasing hatchery chinook production is actually now being funded because of the orca issue.

Alright, so on to step two when?

 


* Advertisement

* Recent Topics

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal