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.

Vince,
Thanks for being an advocate for this fishery! I've fished it off and on since 1989. Alot has changed since...So I'm going to add my .02.

I'd agree with you and several others for the early opener, and early closure. Besides if people are doing there homework there are other rivers during that time frame (during the closure) that have decent #'s of chinook in them... a couple of them were already mentioned in this thread. Not to mention the saltchuck seems to turn on then too, most likely where I'd do most of my fishing as of the last 5-6 years during the crowded time on the river!
Here's a thought,
Lower river below 106, 1 fish limit as usual, single point barbless HOOK, once your limit is retained your done.
Above 106, past hwy 101 upriver, catch and release only single point barbless HOOK. Except access along Purdy Cutoff Rd (you know the snagging hole) handicap fishing only. 1 fish limit.
I know it's just a pipe dream, but I just wanted to stir it up little!!!
Anyway with fuel prices approching $4.00 for gas and beyond that mark for diesels by summer, I'm sure we will see less people thru simple attrition. As most folks will look for water to fish closer to home (again another dream).

Good Luck, Good Fishing,
Winterun

Then it stands no chance.

An adequate amount of WDFW enforcement would go a long ways if they really want to help these fish. I mean, when some f'n knob drags a ladder out there and points out fish for his f'n knob buddies to snag, then there isn't enough enforcement present.

The tribe and WDFW has agreed on a 10% CnR mortality rate. The 25% CNR mortality stat I pulled out of my ass was correctly identified as being too large. Pulling large things out of one's rectum is not something that should be regularly practiced in public unless it's during a White House press conference.

I've also been informed that there should be enough chinook returning to have a season that lasts hopefully all of August.

If you guys want enforcement present during the fishery, write a letter to the Director, and to the Chief of Enforcement. There was significantly more enforcement out last August than the previous couple seasons I've fished it. I'd like to think it was due to public pressure.

Thanks for everyone's input.

Dan, when are we going to fish again? Lets do the Lower C next week.

Vince

I can't do next week. I'm headed up north for a 3-4 day trip. I'll hit you up when I get back and see how you've been doing down there.

Good luck with your endeavors.

And when they tie up live fish to a rock and keep fishing with the fish flopping around, hoping for a different one so they can let that one go?

hey guys i am new here but have fished the river for quite a few years and a river i love, being the one i learned this wonderful sport on, in my years on the skok i have notice alot of changes from my first years up until now and i would say an early closure is best say at the end of august, a later start would only cause a major blow up in anglers that would put alot of pressure on the peak time of the run when the crowds typically taper out and native presence is high. any time there is an opener on the skok it is inevitable there will be major crowds on the river for example the 06 year where there was a closure on sept 15 to oct 31 that turned ugly when oct 1 came, so many people i was in shock! normally if there is no closure october is relatively light on crowds so i feel keeping it how it is would be the best because with the amount of people that will show with openers will basically total to that over the season time span, a good idea would be to close the river above 101 during the first 2 weeks of september and let those fish do buisness while fresh fish can still be targeted, these are just my thoughts and opinions based on my observations over the years, also a question i have is how will pumping the new 240 cfs into the north fork affect the lower river? i have a feeling we are looking at a new river this year with more water and how will this affect access, clarity, holes, fish, etc?

Thanks for giving up the lurk and posting. As far as your question goes regarding the summer chinook fishery, who knows how it'll affect the fishing. Above 850 cfs on the lower river, bank access starts to become limited. Above 1,200 it is almost nonexistent. I don't think that the extra bit of water out of Cushman will limit access. How it changes where fish hold during the normally low flows of August, well that's the game. If I told you the answer it'd be too easy. I wouldn't want to ruin it for you.

Vince

yeah i am really excited to see what the new river will have in store, i am ready for any conditions, i would hope that the fish will start moving higher in the system so it wont be such a congested fishery. maybe enough water to use toons even drift boat in the fall all high hopes and dreams for this little river with high potential! only wish they could reintroduce the steelies!!

and i meant closure from 106 bridge up during that time period, 101 just wouldnt make sense..

I can count on one hand the number of legit guys I saw down there in the 30ish trips I took there last season. It would take many more than that to count the snaggers I saw there during the week. And to count the weekend warrior snaggers would be damn near impossible. The pressure is tenfold on the weekends, relatively its a ghost town during the week. If it's about protecting the fish, snagger opportunity shouldn't be much of a concern. Warden's work during the week too. And with less people there it would be much more managible for them to inforce the rules. The guys that are there during the week on normal years, are going to be there during the week no matter what. The week day guys are not many, and impact the fish the least. If weekends are shut down, the total number of people that fish the Skokomish will drop hugely, as will the impacts. Just makes sense to me...Later


Jake

I suppose if I were to really put my finger on where I'd like things to be I suppose I wouldn't be opposed to it closing early say the first week of and September perhaps even August 30. To be honest I really think no matter what we do with the season were still going to have to contend with the extra CRAP no matter what it's just sadly part of fishing today and the only real way to prevent it is to close the river entirely but then nobody's happy and they'll still continue to do it.

that is an OUTSTANDING point, i recall that quite well. i never made it down there on the re-opener on oct. 1st that year, but i fished a couple days later(during the week). i could not believe how many people were there on a tuesday, it looked like blue creek in the early '90s in the middle of december, and i'm not even talking about largely popular holes. not much in the line of fish either, aside from a few scared-to-death coho blasting past everyone. i left shortly.

october 1 came and went last year, without a whole lot of change. i think that had *maybe* something to do with it, just maybe. whenever an opener is created, pressure explodes out there.

making the 100 yards up or downriver from the mouth of purdy creek off limits to fishing isn't a bad idea probably, but it'd be better spent building a lookout for wardens there(like it's hard to bust snagger dirtbags in that spot anyway).

there is a small, but growing, almost underground group of legitimate regulars around there, and they're good company. really put a hurt on those coho with eggs, too....