Craig Harr,

I can't imagine why the meat gomers would've given you dirty looks. All they'd have to do is wait a minute or two then follow behind you and scoop up the dead ones with a net. Playing sockeye out, then releasing them in 70+ degree lake water is kinda tough on them. That's why it IS a meat fishery.

that was cold 4-Salt, but I got a good laugh!!! Did you make it out on the lake?

Not this year Jeff. I'll be up in B.C. in a week or two fishing for sockeyes and kings in the Fraser river, then it's off to Sekiu... Ahh life is good.

Yes, these sockeye act like mackinaw after a fight. Even going barbless and hooked lightly, It takes them a while to get the trama out of their systems. We had 3 floaters out of 9 we released but we turned around and grabbed them and revived them for a minute or so and they would take off like rockets with a little tickle on their tail. When one of the floaters came up a guy next to us saw it as we were backing up to revive it and he raced us to it with net in hand and argued with me that it wasn't mine. We won the race to the fish and i grabbed the tail and he was gone. The guy, all angry, asked me why i let it go and i said CUZ I DON"T WANT TO GO HOME AFTER 20 MINUTES. A limit is boring fishing if it happens faster than you can open your first drink or munch your first chip. It's fishing, not harvesting....isn't it? Anyhow, it kicked but.

4salt, Just my 2 cents worth, I always make sure and handle my fish that I plan on releasing carefuly. I spend as much time as needed to make sure that the fish is stuggling hard to get out of my hands while reviving them. I did have 2 that bellyed up on me and I returned to pluck them out of the water to retain. Just because they are plentiful, I don't need to eat that much fish.

Craig,

I wasn't trying to imply that you mishandled your fish. When salmon fight in very warm water (like lake WA) it takes a very heavy toll on them, and the survival rate is usually pretty low regardless of how carefully they are handled. That's why it's best to retain your limit and then stop fishing so that the sport quota is met with the least amount of incidental mortality. In you first post, it was the part about "meat gomers" that prompted me to respond at all. In this case, they are probably doing less damage.

FFF,

Yeah, I hate going home after 20 minutes too. I usually practice C&R, mostly because I don't need a lot of fish for the freezer. In certain instances though (like this) it's just too hard on the fish. Even if you did get them to revive, there's no guarantee that they didn't die a few minutes later, just sank to the bottom, and no one knew any different.

Those have got to be some of the weakest fish I have ever caught. I've had better luck releasing little trout caught on bait after taking the hook deep. I would say that I had apx 3 fish that I held at the side of the boat that took of like a rocket and then would belly up 30 yds behind the boat. After making a sharp turn w/ 3-4 lines in the water to go back and get them only one took off as I grabbed for the net. We then boated every thing we hooked. Even went as far as to go to a single barbless hook. No difference.

Record catch during 3-day fishery means
no further sockeye seasons on Lake Washington

OLYMPIA – An unprecedented catch of 36,000 sockeye salmon during the July 26-28 recreational fishery on Lake Washington means there are not enough fish left to support additional sport fishing for sockeye this season, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.

Tim Flint, WDFW State Salmon Manager, said approximately 10,000 anglers per day participated in the fishery, the first since 2000.

"It was great to be able to provide anglers with this unexpected opportunity to fish for sockeye this year," he said. "Not only were there huge crowds of fishers throughout the three-day fishery, but they were also very successful."

The sockeye run is continuing to enter the Lake Washington system through the Ballard Locks. Nearly 21,000 sockeye passed into the system July 26-28, giving fisheries managers further proof that this year's return is stronger and later than previously thought.

The latest estimate is that approximately 414,000 sockeye will pass through the locks, including fish entering the Lake Washington system in August and September.

Despite the end of sockeye salmon fishing in Lake Washington, there are several freshwater salmon-fishing opportunities coming soon to the region. Lake Sammamish opens for chinook and coho fishing Aug. 16, and the north end of Lake Washington opens for coho fishing Sept. 16. Sockeye must be released in both of these fisheries.

Treaty Indian fishers have taken an additional 13,000 sockeye to date, with additional fisheries scheduled.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well that sucks!! That math sure doesn't make any sense to me. 36000 taken with an estimate of 414,000, i don't see the problem in keeping it open. What are they worried about?

Here's the deal, 3F. The escapement goal is 350,000, we got 36,000 and the Muckleshoot tribe got 13,000 so far and are owed another 23,000 more, as we have to split 50/50 with them. 72k from 414k leaves 342k, a little shy of escapement, so the tribe may come out on the short end this time. Thank the Fish Gods and hot pink Gami's that we got our share for once

FFF,

Let's examine the figures for just a second.

36,000 = Sport caught sockeye in the 3 day season. (Let's pretend that this figure is somewhat accurate )

36,000 = Tribal share (remember the 50/50 split?)

Total run size = 414,00 fish. (best guess estimate)

36,000 + 36,000 = 72,000.

414,000 - 72,000 = 342,000.

Escapement goal for the run = 350,000

It would appear that we're going to fall about 8,000 short because of the season we already had. (Not to mention mortality from C&R )

Please explain how the state would justify extending the season?

Edit: My apologies for posting the same info. I was pulled away and didn't hit the post message button.

Well my vast knoledge of escapement goals failed me at the time i read that. Sorry. I didn't know they needed that many to make the cut. I see now. Still, it needs to be reopened But probably better that it isn't. What i want to know is when the cedar is going to open up for C&R. Yeah i'm dreamin but it would be nice. Year before it closed my friend landed a 9lb cutthroat. It was almost as long as his leg. And that was when the Cedar was considered to be in a downfall for all species(any info i am not aware of here?). Anyways, thanks for the info.

And not to be a smart asz or nothing but isn't a fish that returns to the system dead or alive better than a fish that is never returned? Some rivers don't even let you take your catch unless you filet it on the bank and toss the carcass back in the river.

Here's my story,

Saturday we only had a few hours to fish, but I took my 3 and 6 year old boys out, along with grampa Dave. Everybody got fish! My oldest boy got his first salmon 2 years ago during the same fishery, and now my youngest did the same.

We motored on in to the boat ramp and as we landed the WDFW officer approached. I said "Howdy! Enjoying the boat show?" His response was a terse, "You took your boys out fishing in a madhouse like this?!?!?" Then he smiled, stuck out his hand and said, "Great job, this fishery is just perfect for taking the kids out!" After checking the boy's catch records he ran back up to his truck to get a few trading cards. He came back with a sad look. He said, "Guys, I'm out of cards, but maybe these will do," as he handed my sons real bear claws from a road killed bear he had found. The boys were ecstatic! They got to meet a policeman with a gun, catch fish, and get some real bear claws all in the same day.

Hope your time was just as enjoyable.

Andy

Who was netting the fish in the saltwater?