Mike Gilchrist,

I find your response to fishnphysician interesting coming from some one who is involved with a group that is supposed to be representing sports fishermen. To not be able to get answers for why are seasons and quotas are drastically changed mid season is ridicules. We all know that the management of the fisheries is much more complex than it needs to be there is either enough fish to fish them or there is not. I also know for a fact that the WDFW didn’t go to the Trollers Association and or the Wa. Charter Boat Association and ask them if they wanted to make a trade. I am a curious if you were at these meetings or if some one from the RFA was and if so witch group of sportsmen do you represent, the ones who go out on charter boats or their own boats, or do you represent the charter boats and guides who make a living on the sportsmen’s seasons. There is a big difference between the two.

The facts are Mark Cedergreen who is a paid lobbyist by and president of the WCBA approached the WDFWfor the second time this season to change the rules because they were losing costumers. The first was to change the size limit of kings to down to 24” witch they had changed up to 26” several years ago when the fishing was getting better because the quota was being used to fast. Now they needed more fish. When that didn’t work and it was obvious the quota for the second year in a row would not be reached they went for the wild silvers because that’s all they could catch with any reliable numbers. Where was the sportsman represented in these trades? THE WCBA DOSNT REPRESENT THE SPORTSMAN THEY USE THE SPORTSMANS QUOTA FOR THERE GAIN.. To expect us to believe there will be a surplus of these wild fish at this time of the season will not fly, especially on a year where they have so far this season missed the fish counts by 200,000 springers and lake Washington sockeye by 85,000 fish. The don’t have a clue whats out there this year. A portion of those kings they just gave away where Grays Harbor fish why not increase opportunity in the river.

I also do not like this late end of June openings, and five days a week fisheries that the WCBA pushes for and gets. Historically mid may early June is when some of the best king fishing is here. And to have any where from 150 to 300 sports boats show up on a Sunday morning when these guys fill there boats and trucks with gas, food, and bait at home and then go back home that night does nothing for the town. I know they all don’t do that but the vast majority do I don’t blame them, I would to. If they can change the seasons to be more liberal during the season than they surly could let us start fishing June 1st with a seven days a week fishery and then later in the season start cuttings back if need be. Are quotas are to small and to hard to get now I just don’t think we should have to give the to another group because we can not fill them.