Does anyone have any current info on what the status of the coastal cutthroat's impending slot on the endangered species list is. It seems that on this board it has been taken pretty lightly. In theory, couldn't this issue shut down all steelhead, salmon and trout fishing on designated rivers. From my info the Umpqua in OR, was highly affected by a similar ruling in the early nineties. Anyone have any info or comments on this?

Speaking from personal observations while fishing my neck of the woods (central coastal Washington & Oly. Pen.) I'm not sure they're in trouble here. I catch a couple regularly on trips to Grays Harbor tributaries and not all dinks either. As you go up the coast north of Aberdeen, the populations seem even healthier. Just returned from a trip last week where a dozen or more were encountered...some pushing a pound or more.

I should add that these are all carefully released, never taken out of the water. A great little fighter!!

Same observation here. Three weeks fishing for summer-runs on the peninsula = numerous clarki clarkis up to 20 in.

saw a lotta cutts in the duc last week. lottsa cutts....I doubt there would be any kinda problem on the quillayute system. by the way; Ted, Mark and Steve need punishment.

I can only condone the relaese of all Sea-Run Cutties. To me these are the most beautiful of all the salmonids. These fish have the most difficult life of all searun fish. A 19" fish might be ten years old. Think about this next time you hook one. Killing one of these beauties is a crime, please don't tell me that they taste good. I will gladly buy you a steak if you release one of the beauties. Of course before edit: Sorry about that, got a little excited


Please release all searuns, there is no hathery program for them.

[This message has been edited by salmontackler (edited 08-25-2000).]

Coastal cut stocks are proposed to be listed as threatened under ESA. Proposed doesn't mean listed or even impending, but it is being further evaluated. I haven't heard how this evaluation is going or whether NMFS is leaning one way or the other.

I do know that the stock in question is the Columbia River coastal stock which means, Columbia mainstem, and all tributaries up to the Klickitat (WA) and Fifteenmile (OR) rivers and coastal areas between the Columbia R. and Grays Harbor (inclusive).

So this wouldn't affect Olympic Peninsula, Strait, and Puget Sound populations. Seems kind of excessive that they would include coastal areas of Grays Harbor, though.

Don't know any more, but definitely worth keeping an eye on.

I believe the stocks in trouble are the lower Columbia River stocks. The Kalama used to have a very fine run years ago. But since the middle 70s the Kalama has been heavily over fished resulting in the loss of native stocks, like searuns. Rivers up north are in much better shape as far as searuns go. A good example is the Snohomish, Skagit, Stilly systems. When the limit whent to 2 fish or less in these systems, the fishing has only gotten better over the years. And considering the habitat damage in the Stilly, this is really good.
I urge everyone to release all Searun Cutts that you hook. These fish are very fragile and thier populations very much suseptible to over fishing. And yes a 19 or 20 inch cutt is a very mature fish (RELEASE EM PLEASE!). thanks

I am so happy to see so many people interested in saving Cutts, so many encouraging catch and release. I think these fish are beautiful, and almost spiritual!
In Oregon the regulations are up for revision this fall. A central coast biologist proposed reopening cutthroat fishing with a limit of 2 over 8 inches daily on the coastal streams. After public hearings before the commissioners throughout the state, it appears that public clamor by central coast interests will get their two fish limit from the Salmon river Southward. Watersheds North of that, starting with Tillamook Bay will remain on catch and release status. Inland, such as the Columbia river tribs, there was no discussion for reopening whatsoever as populations remain a serious concern.
I have done a great deal of cutthroat fishing this summer on several streams. I have experienced excellent results, with fish running to 19 inches. (Ten years old? Wow! Cool!) Hopefully, I have created minimal mortality on these beautiful creatures by fishing barbless hooks voluntarily. It appears that native cutthroat populations have been recovering in the past few years, however, it is obvious to me that native fish won't support a catch and keep fishery at this point.
One question though, since you can't keep cutts on the coast now, why don't they make it mandatory to fish without barbs? It seems weird, no keepers, but fish with barbs? ARGH! If you ever fish for cutts, please pinch your barb and never take the fish out of water!
Jen

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Jennie the crazy fishin musician

i absolutely love fishin fer cutts.

@this time of year I have very good luck and usually catch a few right around 24".

They are f'n fantastic fish.

Somewhat hard to hook cuz if yer "asleep @the reel" you'll miss most of the hits (@least if fishin' w/spoons as I do). On the other hand they are voracious feeders and attack yer lures w/abandon.

I don't catch as many as I did 15-20 yr.s ago but they seem pretty abundant.

I do miss keeping the occasional one fer the dinner table as I found them quite tasty. Yes, I release all that I catch.

As to the endangered species thing I extensively researched what I could find about "coastal" cutts (most of the info came from U of W & wdfw and links thru wdfw) and the bottom line (for about 98% of the watersheds) of all the info I've discovered is, and I quote-"unknown".

Release all cutts and remove those Elwa dam(n)s NOW.

Roger

p.s. I usually use krocs, stilly spoons etc. The absolutely best lure I've found is a 502 or 503 super duper retrieved very, very slowly. I don't usually use them cuz you can"t cast em very far (especially if there's any wind). I always use single hooks cuz less of the fish are fatally injured. I'd tell you what the absolutely best bait is but you shouldn't use bait cuz it almost always fatally injures the fish. Sometimes @dawn you can see these awesome predators chasin' baitfish on the surface and sight cast to them, that's my favorite way of catchin em-it's kinda like fishin & huntin combined (Dollies do the same thing but thy're not nearly as much fun to catch). The best thing is that they are available almost everywhere in WA.

RRR

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[This message has been edited by RRR (edited 08-27-2000).]

Here are some links to info on cutts. I'm on my way out the door so haven't had a chance to preview/edit......http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1salmon/salmesa/cuttorc.htm
http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1salmon/salmesa/cuttoly.htm
http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1salmon/salmesa/cuttswit.htm
http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1salmon/salmesa/cuttswwa.htm
http://www.cisti.nrc.ca/cisti/journals/cjfas/f98-083.html
http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1press/090999_1.html

Hope they're worthwhile

Roger

RRR,
Just curious if the OH stands for Oak Harbor and if you've done your cutt and dollie fishing off the beaches. I grew up there and spent alot of my free time on the east side of north whidbey tossing spoons.

Yes it stands fer Oak Harbor. Have done most of my cutt fishin from the east side- mainly round polnell pt. In 98 girlfriend and I were trolling spinners fer cutts and she hooked into two humpies on a 5' ultra-ultra-light. Landed the 1st one and the other came off right @the boat. one was bout 5 lb and the other bout 6 lb.

Know of one spot where there are VW sized and bigger boulders just off of an old boat ramp where the fishin is phenomonal. Every year that I've managed to fish it on a good tide @ dawn a few times I've landed at least one that is pushin' 24"! 24" seems to be the magic number for this strain as I can't seem to find one much bigger (my memory ain't so good-suffer from CRS) if I remember correctly had one one time that wuz almost 25".

Unofficial, second-hand reports of the opener on W. side of island were that the fishin wuz excellent, boat or bank. Not very big, maybe to 4 or 5 lb.s. I might give it a try this evenin cuz I'm gonna go fish "the ditch" this a.m. Can't pass up the chance @12-30 lb fish even tho the surroundings are less than aesthetic and it'll be kinda crowded.

Love this BB, I'll really miss the fishin round here cuz will be in the San Diego are fer 3-4 yr.s.

Good fishin to all (including the indians) hope you-all can refrain from gettin too political and refrain from the name slingin that goes on from time to time.

Roger

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[This message has been edited by RRR (edited 09-02-2000).]