Back about a decade ago, at a Steelhead/Cutthroat Policy Advisory Group Phil Anderson was asked why there was not an April 15-30 steelhead fishery in the Hoh, as there were NI fish still available for catching. His response was that of the sprites were open the tribe would also fish, even if they had no "share" left. He further stated that "We got the fishery we wanted". When pressed by folks who wanted to go fishing on who "we" was, Phil never answered.

It's all about "opportunity" for the sporties. Unless, of course, you fish in the ocean or Straits. Then, it is fish to the number.

Salmo, you can't hang the lousy coho returns on Ron; he's not that good. But, you can hang the "believe all models", "fish to the number", "Opportunity rules" and so on.

Just look at his track record in GH and Willapa. Either look at that as his management choices or he does what he is told really well.

Go fish the Hump EVERYONE else does.....

Don'cha know?

No one fishes there anymore. It's just WAY too crowded.

Just ask fp?

Carcassman,

That's what I said. I don't think RW is to blame for the lousy coho runs. He's good at something though, based on all the promotions. So there is that.

Yeah, Salmo, there is that. Knew another WDF'er who said "I ride for the brand". That is a good way to promote.

The nets were doing lots of "testing" today around Woolley.

Are you serious? Just figures..... !@@#@*()(&$##@!!

Does this mean the closure might be "lifted?" I'm NOT holding my breath tonight

I counted at least 6 nets around the Highway 9 bridge yesterday afternoon on the Skagit. Watched briefly and saw 3 nice sized silvers come out of a net and in the boat.

Just a question do they still get half of the preseason forecast or is their half adjusted in season if runs are smaller than expected?

Depends on what number is "agreed to" for management. If the PSF was agreed to, then that number holds. If the State and That Tribe (remember that Skagit has 3 different ones fishing) agreed to the update, then that holds. But, the 50% includes ALL Skagit coho taken in WA; the Makah troll, the Fraser sockeye and pink by catch, and so on all count.

But, since the Co-Managers generally now operate under "you catch yours and then we'll catch up" (sure, sporties, fish the ocean and Straits) they will likely be able to "balance" catches.

"In-season run size assessments conducted by state and tribal co-managers indicate that coho run sizes are significantly below pre-season forecasts in these rivers."

So I guess this means that there are enough for the tribes but not for anyone else?

The "Everyone else" took their fish in the ocean, the Straits, and Puget Sound.

As Smalma has noted more than once as long as non-Indians, particularly sporties, put the emphasis on catching fish in the Ocean, Straits, and PS then most of the river fishing will be by the Tribes. If you want river opportunity, stop fishing the marine waters.

To expand a bit on what CM had to say.

Typically on the Skagit following an in-season update on the run strength the total number of harvestable fish is adjusted. In this case with a run less than expected the number of harvestable fish went down. With Puget Sound coho the foundation of the manage is exploitation rate management with varying abundances different allowable exploitation rates have been established. The updates were low enough to push management to lower exploitation rates. Based on expected impacts on the earlier non-treaty marine fisheries they had "used up" the NT share though apparently some treaty share remained.

As a result there in-river recreational was closed. Fair to the river guys; probably not but remember every year is different. In recent years the river fishers have enjoyed more generous bag limits than those fishing the salt; in that case they were on the "winning side" of the current management paradigm.

Curt

Our small motley crew of 3-6 would prefer to catch Puget Sound salmon stocks in Puget Sound instead of Westport anymore. After many years of fishing Westport on charter boats, more for a change of scenery than for the fishing, we decided that fishing over weak PS salmon stocks in the ocean was a poor decision and made a consciences decision not to go this year or in the coming years.

I’m not going to condemn those that do simply because you like me probably didn’t even give it a thought. For instance, with seemingly earlier openings at Westport, the chance of fishing over the PS stocks like the limiting stock Lake Washington Chinook is greater according to the models provided by WDFW. This isn’t only recreational anglers but tribal and NT commercial ocean fisheries as well.

It is asinine in having dozens of fisheries from the ocean through the straits continue fishing over the limiting factor and not having a fishery at the endgame.

The Highway 9 bridge at Sedro Woolley is where the Upper Skagit Tribe does most of its test fishing. The test fishing is what updates and adjusts the pre-season forecast. Even when the in season update adjusts downward to no directed fishing for the target species, there will be test fishing. Without test fishing there are no in season updates.

Does anyone know the proportion of treaty fisheries that are in terminal areas vs mixed stock? The tribes have spent quite a bit of time netting Area 7. I would guess Area 7 is not the only mixed stock treaty fishery. To me it would seem hard to believe that their mixed stock impact is insubstantial.

The tribe has been drift netting and running set nets up by Concrete for the past week. Drove by a set net today, and saw that the boat was there unloading fish into totes. This is 20+ miles upriver from Hwy. 9.

Locals are absolutely pissed off..no other way to phrase it.

Tribe wiped out our Chum run, and now they're wiping out the last of the Coho. (and yes, that's how I really feel about it)

2 years from now I'd bet the Skagit is closed to ALL fishing...except for the tribal nets, of course.

In 1965 the Skagit sport catch was listed at 2,500 steelhead and we fished well in to April and early May. This is based on information the WDF supplied at the time and I quoted in an article for Western Outdoors Magazine.

After the Boldt Decision things changed tragically and there is a lot of
animosity about tribal netting. I am not sure we can blame the tribes for all the problems in our declines in Puget Sound rivers.

I remember the rumors of hay balows (sp) being dropped from bridges
upstream above set nets

I wonder about our departmental management decisions as well.

Anyway, the Skagit and other Puget Sound Rivers are not the same as they once were.

Took this pic about 5pm this evening..



Wife just came and told me she saw a red light floating down the river...went and looked, and they're still drift netting..

Go to photobucket and click on the pictureyou want. To the right there be IMG click on it.


Come back here and bring this page up.

Click ctrl v then enter.

It should now be loaded here??

fp is not very good a splainen PC sh!t. Took me
several months to figure how to load a picture.

fp