If the run size estimate only supports one day, I'm okay with that, given that these fish are ESA listed.

However, what really fries me is that the folks dipping for smelt DO NOT NEED A FISHING LICENSE!. That's beyond incredible.

WDFW is asking for a huge increase in existing license fees, but they are not asking those folks who are dipping smelt to buy a license?!. Buying a license is a modest way of insuring the folks who are harvesting also support the infrastructure necessary to properly manage the fish and wildlife resources of our State, including law enforcement.

And it provides some accountability for following the rules and regulations. If you break the law (e.g., dip too many pounds of smelt), you can lose the privilege of fishing for them, or any other fish, in the State of Washington in the future. But if you don't need a license, that accountability is gone. And from what I've heard, taking too many smelit is a very common occurrence. So the enforcement of the smelt dipping regs falls on the backs of those of us who do buy a license every year.

Sorry for the rant, but this issue really bothers me.