Projected 6.27 million humpies returning to Puget Sound. Up around 1 million from actual return 2011.

wow louie those are serious numbers

Best advice for fishing pinks in the salt from a toon. If you want a bit more safety than you will find in the Sound, try Hood Canal. Hoodsport's a great place to fish... From a boat.

As stated, watch out for Herschel. He WILL be lurking, and he WILL eat anything you leave suspended in the water. I was a victim some 10 years ago at Hoodsport. Fortunately, I was using 20-lb. mono as a stringer, so I didn't get dunked. In fact, I didn't even notice the theft until I pulled up an empty stringer while attempting to add another fish. Cool thing about the pink fishery is that you can lose a few fish and still easily catch your limit. I haven't kept any since that year. I just like to catch 'em.

Now if the projection is accurate--is the question.

In 2011, at the NOF process, the commercials were allowed to double their fleet going after the pinks in Puget Sound, with the recreational fishers getting first shot at the fish. I know that happened from area 9 north to the Mukilteo Ferry boundary, which the MFB was the commercial boundary to fish north of that line. Area 9--South, I believe was the same way different boundaries. The reasoning was that if the projections came up short, or very short, the powers to be, would know by the recreational catch if an adjustment to both allocations was needed, instead of the commercials scooping up what could turn out to be a majority of the run due to lower than expected numbers of fish returning.

It was commonsense management. Hopefully, that is still the arrangement going forward this year, along with providing plenty of escapement for the rivers.

A win, win ,win for recreational, commercial fishers, and eco health of surrounding rivers.

Geez how times change!
I remember fishing the Snohomish for Humpies with my daughter and being the only boat on the river...except that pesky David Lee (in high school at the time) showing up in his drift boat! LOL