Oh darn the secret is out....

speaking of the new area 9 rule....I spent some time working with a WDFW official to try to get the boundaries changed. I doubt the negotiations will end up changing anything but maybe some enforcement things. One thing we decided to do is allow ALL Coho to be weighed in fin or not. No way for any derby to police such a ill-conceived regulation. Area 9 is surrounded by areas 10 and 8-2 which allow Coho with fins to be retained. So if you are fighting a Coho at the boundary between those areas you will drift into either 8-2 or 10 and land the fish....It will be up to the individual angler and WDFW to worry about the rule. It is especially stupid considering this new rule was decided by tribal fiat and no discussion involving sports anglers at all....except Gary Krein after the NOF negotiations were over. The rule is supposed to make up for overharvest in Hood Canal. One guess who overharvests Coho in Hood Canal and under reports. And guess who gets to keep doing so this year while area 9 sports anglers get to release unclipped Coho in area 9?