Glad I'm not the only one who's confused...

By Mooch:
[QUOTE] [ But while I would expect someone who has legally harvested a native to be "proud" enough to honestly report it, I find it incredible that anyone who has C&R'd a fish would be disingenuous enough to not report it, thinking that this would in some way help to keep a viable fishery, selective or otherwise, open. That is lunacy; because if you don't speak up then you might not have the opportunity to "report" in the future. Plus how would C&R ever be seriously considered as a monitoring method on rivers that might be potentially reopened if the success of capture and release is not reported. QUOTE]

Exactly where the WDFW gets all of their numbers (creel census is one way), and what exactly they do with them, are on-going mysteries to many, myself included. There is a lot of distrust. But then maybe I'm just overly jaded and have a bad attitude after witnessing decades of horrible and on-going mismanagement.

Maybe they are using C&R data in some way that is positive to the fish and/or anglers, but I have yet to see evidence of this.

I think its a pretty big stretch to say that they're shutting down entire fisheries because of unreported C&R. From experience, observation and association I KNOW it not a stretch to say that many anglers may not be honest all of the time with WDFW fish checkers.

Possible motives?
Takes us back to that "lack of trust thing". What are they going to do with those numbers?...escalate tribal harvest...shut down early because of C&R mortality...Who knows? Certainly not I; and I'd like to hear the story from someone who does. I know that when they ask you how many "shakers" you catch in the salt a huge % are written off as mortality! If nothing else, full reporting to the checker (who talks to LOTS of fishermen, and is probably one him/herself) is a great way to have your hotspot pinpointed by a horde of other anglers the next day.

Last time I checked, disingenuouness and lunacy were not crimes. Nor is it a crime to not report to a "checker". Right or wrong it happens all the time. I would probably frown on it more if I was not so CONFUSED!

GS
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"It's NOT that much farther than the Cowlitz!"

"I fish, therefore someone else must tend the cooler!"