Pokey, your right, it's the blame game, we don't really know why there are no fish so we blame everyone, without facts.

It their fault:

  • Snaggers
  • Netters
  • Catch and Keepers
  • Guides
  • Sporties
  • WDFW Management
  • You get the point?


In reality it's most likely a combination of all the above.

I for one am not willing to accept that Chinook salmon on the OP are in trouble until I get some facts. I won't consider a post or comment from a well meaning but ill informed indivudual that any run of fish is in dire straights. Although I do beleive that fisheries management have made some major blunders in the past, they really are all we have to really work with and that probably is not going to change. Sure we can take it upon ourselves to be a responsible angler and we should, but is that in itself really going to have an impact? Does it help the fish when we sit in front of our PC's and cast blame, call names etc.. I doubt it. I wonder how much of an impact we could have if we spent as much time focusing our energy on trying to get management to change their policies rather than pissing and moaning about other individuals or groups. Think about how much time you might spend on a fishing forum everyday or even once in a while and how that same amount of time could be put to use in a more constructive manner that could have a real impact on our fisheries. I'm not saying thats there is a magic bullet or that I really even have any answers, but I do know one thing, being un-informed and casting blame definatly will not help anything. I hear so many people saying "we've got to catch and release" and I think that a lot of the "Catch & Release" mentality is "Feel good stuff", kind of a way that allows us to relieve ourselves from blame and thats fine, if C&R makes you feel good, then do it. But the reality is that there are much bigger problems that need to be solved than whether or not we C&R. Think about it, the fact that C&R is sometimes not only a matter of personal choice but in fact is needed or required, tells me that we've got some problems that need dealing with. Catch and Release is like treating the sympton of a disease, when we should be working on prevention.