Predictions for returns on the August kings on the Skok is poor. There has been a request for input on how to best structure the recreational season to minimize impacts.

One of the issues is related to catch and release mortality. The end of August sees a much higher impact related to catch and release, than does early August. With an estimate of 1 out of 4 fish released dying, and the numbers of fish kept closing in on 1 out of 4 by the end of August (because they are darkening up), by the end of the season for each fish kept the impact is actually 2 dead fish. Early in the season most people are keeping their first legally (no need to comment on that) caught fish.

My prejudice is for an early season, with days being chopped off at the end of August. The other options are to start the season later, or to make it open only certain days of the week.

If my numbers are off would someone from WDFW please correct me by PM and I'll fix it. I'll add in whatever predicted returns, and mortality numbers I get.

If the managers involved in the North of Falcon process aren't reading this, I'll talk with one of them by phone. However, chances are your input will be read right here on the board.

Please keep this discussion on how you'd like to use a limited number of days on the Skok. Don't pollute the thread with commercial fishing/tribal fishing/global warming/skok snagging/hemorrhoidal itching arguments. The manager I've talked with on the phone already gets a migraine dealing with a contentious process. I'd like to give him a straight answer to a straight question. Here it is one more time:

If the recreational chinook season on the Skok needs to be limited, would you rather see it start late, end early, or restricted to certain days of the week?

Thank you.

And although unrelated, I just had a pleasant memory of seeing strangers, and friends spend an afternoon picking up trash on that river. AuntyM, her spouse, and the two fella's who's board names I can't remember, I've got a free seat for you in my boat. AuntyM, do you remember those gents names?


Vince

Most of the jackoffs show up on the weekend, but then so do a lot of regular working people. If it ended early it would probably be the 20th, from what I remember of my conversation with the fisheries guy.

Seems to me that the fish are there in good numbers on the 1st of Aug, so maybe move up the opening date by 10 days, and cut 10 days off at the end of the month. That would give us about 30 days.......................or are the numbers of returning fish going to be to small????????????????? I think that would be a reduction of days for our season.

My immediate thought was to limit the season to specific days of the week. My choice would be Sunday thru Tuesday. Why those specific days? 1) Because most people would be working or preparing for the week, which could/would limit the impact on the Skok. 2) Because I work Wednesday thru Saturday. haha

Not to mention having legislature crack down on netting and set limits on the tribes. Otherwise, entire river systems and species will be gone.

Les

i'm not a huge expert on that run, maybe closing it to king retention is the answer.

what i would like to see on average return years is a "1 king OR 2 coho" limit until the 4 fish bag limit starts october first. there are a ton of smallish(2-5lb) hatchery coho in that river in the last 2 weeks of september, and while i don't mind CNR on them, it'd be nice to be able to bring 2 home to make the trip worthwhile. you tag and bag a king, you're done fishing, but if you get a coho you have the opportunity to CNR the rest of the day, or catch another coho and go home.

i wonder what kind of effect spilling water from cushman will have on the fish. i can't imagine it being anything but positive, giving them more cover from the harelip snagger types. 240CFS + whatever comes out of the south fork should bring the lower river up a substantial amount in the late summer.

I think that a 4 day per week season would be good, that way there are days the fish can rest and move up and also spread out the season over the summer. I don't fish there much any more but this seems like a reasonable way to go, it works in Alaska on the popular rivers like the Anchor and Ninilchick.

I could see the whole month of August opened. Most of the fish, especially early on in the month, are usually bright.

September usually consists of dark fish... with the latter portion of the month being the smallish coho just starting to trickle in. Close the river during the month of September.

October first re-open the river to a 2 fish limit. There is no need for there to be a 4 fish limit... it draws additional, unnecessary attention to the river as well as a much higher harvest rate. October also perfectly coincides with the typical increase in likelihood of having increased flows, usually causing fewer fish to be snagged, released, and eventually killed.

Keep the season opened till December 1 and extend the season to the upper river as well while maintaining selective gear and C&R regulations above 101. Most of the steelhead typically aren't arriving till the end of January and the shortened season in the upper river is bogus...

streamer- you fish that river you;re part of the problem...... sorry I thought it was too funny not to pass on

Haha I agree... along with "I can use spoons and still snag with the best of them."

I would say open as usual and close early. This gives the numbers needed a chance to run the river after all the fishing is done. They continue to trickle in all the way into sept. No nets at that time either though.
Selective days suck. And believe it or not Abu, many of the hairlips that like to snag snag snag are the same type that dont have a job or work for a living(those type seem to not really care about the rules). Many of us who that have a five day work week still like to fish and do the correct way.

I can't see the mortality numbers....1 in 4 die. With all the fish that are hooked and released the bottom should be littered with those kind of rates.

Open it early and just to Mason County residents. That would keep all the Seattle, Bremerton, Olympia, and the rest of the tweakers out of there.

Really, open it early and if you could limit the days to Sunday-Thursday.

Fishing by permit only, must take a simple test to obtain permit

1. How long shall thy leader be whilst fishing the skok?
-any answer longer than 3 ft = no permit
2. What color shall thy hairband be that be tied to thy hook?
-anything other than a look of disdain = no permit

Seriously though, just end the season early and give those poor fish a chance to do their thing.

Vince, I took a little time to look at the king returns over the last ten years on the Skok. and also the coho returns. A little off topic, but it shows a very marked improvment in the numbers of kings returning to the hatchery. In 1998-1999 return was 5584 kings/2793 coho. As the years progress from there the 2002-2003 return was 9394 kings/25595 coho. The 2004-2005 return was 16026 kings/ 19824 coho. The following year was 12358 kings/1726 coho.This past fall the return was 13270 kings/6370 coho.
I guess my question is why the more liberal (4 fish) limit on coho with the numbers down so drastically? It looks like the coho should also be a concern.
In answer to your question, maybe they could implement and enforce a fishery like on Rufus Woods lake. You catch a king,you MUST keep it and you are done for the day.This in addition to opening the river the 15th of July and closing it for all fishing on the 15th of August. It would remain closed on a weekly basis until escapement had been met and then reopened. They should set up a weekly meeting between the hatchery,WDFW,and the tribes to set a reopening. This would give the best chance to reach escapment and still allow the surplus to be utilized if any is possible.This might still be used in conjunction with a 4 day week for fishing.
I'm not sure how they know the return is going to be dismal, but better to plan for it and try to avert a disaster now.

My .02 as well.

I think it would be smarter to go with a 4 day a week fishery, with an earlier opener. One of the closed days would have to be a Sunday or Saturday or you would just have an increase of pressure on the open weekdays. I am weary of a straight early closure because if we have a lack of rain or the fish come late, there is little chance we will see an in season adjustment until it is too late. I know you don't want to hear it, but the best way to limit take would be to vigorously enforce the place. Since very few fish are hooked legally, many people would become fustrated and not come back. When they can snag a fish on every fifth cast, many do just that.

"Open it early and just to Mason County residents. That would keep all the tweakers out there. "

There fixed that for you.

i think if you really want to make a dent in things, open the puyallup back up in august like it always used to be. it'd take the pressure off the skokomish, as well as the nisqually. both get hammered harder than i've ever seen since they started closing that river in august.

I think I like the # of days per week season. Maybe that would allow some fish from both early and later parts to get through.
I can understand keeping it open earlier for brighter fish as well.

If you open early or as normal, then there is a low run, how do you hit the escapemant goal? Safer to open later, after observing the first part of the run to estimate return numbers...or am I off?

i think that's a sensible idea.

i'm just not a fan of choking seasons and limits down to near nothing in the name of "opportunity." if it's not likely to make escapement, just shut it down until it does.

the wild coho population really exploded in the late 90s after being closed for many, many years. this last year was a very good run(albeit few of the fish were good biters this time around). i think the next fish in that river to see a drastic reduction in numbers soon will be the chum run. you could nearly walk across their backs 10 years ago in the skokomish, but they've been hammering on them in the canal so hard that the last 3 years really sucked.