Bronc - You asked whether the public should be allowed to harvest excess salmon returning to the hatcheries. They can and they are welcome to harvest to the limit allowed by the regs. The harvest method allowed by law is called fishing. Not snagging. Snagging these fish is illegal and it should remain as such.

It is my view that snagging reduces the overall harvest because these fish are harrassed to the point where they won't hit for legitimate anglers. So, if we want to maximize the harvest rate on hatchery stocks to reduce the excess, I suggest a strong crackdown on snagging. Legalizing it would only make the problem, and the fishing, worse.