Smalma

I guess a guy can look at this in many different ways! Maybe the same logic could work on rivers such as the Columbia River. Maybe our fish managers (WDFW) should consider the trade offs of such ideas. If your proposed logic is about trade offs, let's get WDFW to change the "length" or depth of the gill nets that are currently being used right now on the Columbia. Let's say we take 20 or 30 feet off the nets; or we make them half as deep, that should allow them to continue to fish and yet it will allow a much greater escapement of Endangered Species.

Then fishermen could use an additional rod on the Columbia if they wanted to and not have to "give up" or shorten their fishing season by 10 to 30% Or let's say that we force the damn dams to release more water when smolts are migrating down river. That too should increase the return number of ES fish. Or let's have a little more "hatchery fish" to harvest at terminal fisheries. What's going to be the states or fed's next set of logical moves to "protect" the endangered species? Too many ES being caught, so let's eliminate the use of hearing in the salt. That will give us a few more days of fishing. When that fails, let's eliminate the use of downriggers and flashers, next let's eliminate the use of bait in freshwater. When all that fails, now we will go to all barbless hooks with no bait. When that fails, we will go to only fishing every other day. When that one fails, it will be every other week!

Where will this Bull $hit ever stop! And some people wonder why fishermen are demanding more and more hatchery fish for harvest and sport! Lot's of fishermen are for recovery of wild fish, but not at all... or any costs! So often we hear the "agency folks" on this board tell us that it's not and option…and it's the "law". If what we are now seeing is true, that the oceans conditions are what is really is controlling our returns of salmon and steelhead, you will be seeing an ever increasing call for more hatchery fish. It's a hard pill for many members on this board to shallow, but at some point fishermen are going to rebel and say enough is enough!

There are an increasing number of fishermen that are getting feed up with the federal ESA and are beginning to talk about having this act amended. Personally, I think that it needs to be amended to address the times that we are now living in. the act was established almost 30 years ago, before the science was even there to support many of its past actions. In my opinion, the act has been misused by several special interest groups just to achieve there own personal goals.

As just one example, a group of California "seal lovers" had gotten their species "protected" and by doing so has caused an unnatural "off balance" to other species such as our salmon and steelhead species. Because they (seals) are now protected by federal law, numerous other species are now being put at jeopardy. The list goes on and on and just because a group of "federal employees" have the power to play god.

Well, I am getting a little off track so I will get back to the issue of using 2 rods. I for one am getting tired of an agency making rules that don't really make any sense. Many of these stupid "rules" were mad over ten years ago and are outdated in there use and intent. In years past, it was very difficult for fishermen to educate themselves about these issues in time to make any real effective changes before something became law. In to day's world, with the speed and knowledge of the internet, all that has now changed! In the "old days", only a few special interest groups or persons had the time, or power to be able to comment and critique what was being shoved down our throats by the various state and federal agencies.

Thanks to websites such as Bob's, we can now bring these issues up that have for years been swept under the rugs of bureaucrats. It's a fact that many state and federal employee's visit this board often if not daily and get the opportunity to read the "reality checks" of many of their own action or doings. Just like this thread about the use of more then one rod; it's almost laughable for some of us to see it being defended under the disguise of ESA. I will bet you money, that ESA had nothing to do with the removal of the 2 rod use rule.

So what to you think Smalma, was the two rod rule discontinued because of politics, or what it done in the name of ESA?


Cowlitzfisherman