Did I miss something? Total closure to sport fishing Oct. 1 Nov. 30. Net schedule seems Sparse as well. Web search yields no information.

Queets River, Quinault Indian Nation:

Tribal netting opens at 12:00 noon opening day to 12:00 noon on closing day.

Stat
Week Put In Pull Out
36 12:00 NOON SUN. AUG. 27 12:00 NOON FRI. SEPT. 1
37 12:00 NOON SUN. SEPT. 3 12:00 NOON FRI. SEPT. 8
38 12:00 NOON SUN. SEPT. 10 12:00 NOON FRI. SEPT. 15
39 12:00 NOON SUN. SEPT. 17 12:00 NOON FRI. SEPT. 22
40 12:00 NOON SUN. SEPT. 24 12:00 NOON WED. SEPT. 27
41 CLOSED
42 CLOSED
43 12:00 NOON SUN. OCT. 15 12:00 NOON TUE. OCT. 17
44 12:00 NOON SUN. OCT. 22 12:00 NOON WED. OCT. 25
45 12:00 NOON SUN. OCT. 29 12:00 NOON TUE. OCT. 31
46 CLOSED
47 CLOSED

It was the same last year as well.

Yes last year there were emergency closures coast wide with no netting either. This year all west end drainages have in river sport fisheries with limited retainage. Except Queets. Have we lost another opportunity to our co-managers?

Or, the NI share was harvested in the ocean. Sharing of salmon (unlike steelhead) is not based one dividing the catch in each fishery. If you take the salmon in the ocean (may only be on paper) then you don't fish the river.

Which is why, I think, the tribes keep trying to push the rec fisheries into the ocean and straits. You fish out there, we fish in here.

Allowing it to be open for a little while for hatchery coho seems like what the plan was. Now that its time for the wild component to enter the river, their obvious choice is to close it. Just my 2...

CC -
I understand and support the salmon closure when the run will be under escaped.

However the new co-manager management paradigm is to also close all associated game fish seasons as well if there are not harvestable salmon available. This change results in significant recreational opportunity loss in can be some quality fisheries. That change I do not understand or support.

Curt

It allows for simplified seasons, though. If something is in trouble, close it all down. Simple, elegant. And allows you to keep your tee time.

It's closed to protect the Wild Coho starting Oct 1st. I've been told by a Biologist last year and this year that the Queets has been having trouble making Escapement Goals. The hatchery fish usually come earlier so it is open in September. Having no rain does not help that scenario.

Also there are some people that aren't happy that the tribe is netting at all in Oct since they will be taking some Wild Coho.

Remember, you can not keep Wild Fish within the Olympic National Park!

Use to be a "simple" reference in the regs like 'no fishing for salmon' from ? to ? was good enough!

I agree WW. In my view, in a situation like this, the water should be opened to trout/char. But, I would add some definitions to "fishing for" to cover situations like this in order to prevent a trout "fisherman" from playing with salmon. Here's some ideas:

Open to trout, closed to salmon/steelhead. Maximum hook size of 10, maximum weight added of half ounce.

Open to salmon, closed to trout. Minimum hook size of 6.

The same is needed for spiny ray fisheries in situations like Lake WA where you want to protect adult and smolt salmon. Might only be shore based or boat must be within 10' of shore.

I know WDG/W defined whitefish gear to allow fishing for whitefish when the rest of the river needed protection so the concept was not foreign, in the past. Also, this won't be perfect in that some legitimate angling methods might be prevented but it should allow for reasonable fisheries.

CM -
I agree that some sort of gear restriction during game fish seasons during salmon closures would be appropriate!

Unfortunately the co-managers (state and tribes) do not agree! Selective gear/fly fishing only restrictions were not adequate on the Stillaguamish/north Fork Stillaguamish and on the Skagit basin selective gear rules (barbless hooks, no trebles, no bait) with a hook size restriction was not adequate for summer/fall game fish seasons.

Even worst on for the Stillaguamish basin there has been significant reduction at winter steelhead opportunities (one of a handful streams where hatchery winter steelhead are still released). In recent years the entire main stem of the Stillaguamish (18 miles of the river) and the first 26 miles of the North Fork were open for winter steelhead fishing (with gear) for two months (December and January) this winter all that water is closed to all fishing. The 4 miles of the North Fork between the mouth of French Creek to the Swede Haven bridge (hatchery site is in the middle of that section) will remain open though the normal December to mid-February season has been cut by 40% (Dec. 15 to end of Jan.) and the fishing has been limited to fly fishing only.

Curt

I know. There is really nobody advocating for the rec angler unless it is ocean salmon.

While the potential game fish season issues were raised at both public NOF meetings held in Region 4 to be fair the NOF process really has no pathway to address those game fish seasons.

NOF was established as a salmon season setting process and in fact until very recently folks were told that game fish seasons were addressed in different process; a more public process with final decisions made by WDFW commission. Now that seems to have changed and to date the public that might potentially be affected have had no public mechanism in which to inject their concerns or preferences.

Curt

Unfortunately we have all seen a wrapped Kwikfish fished 16 feet deep in frog water become a "steelhead fishing lure" when salmon fishing is closed but the stream is still open for game fish.

We are our own worst enemies sometimes.

Fish on...

Todd

[

Curt:

You are correct.......Region 6, during NOF, only talk about salmon.....no steelhead and no sturgeon are allowed to be mentioned at any meeting that I've attended BUT I've found a way around this on the Wynoochee. Wynoochee mitigation is for both salmon and steelhead, so I bring it up at NOF but am careful to talk only to the Coho part of the mitigation. Doesn't matter cause nothing gets done.....25 years, going for 26 years, SOS, just different year.

Todd -

The trouble with your example is that for the summer/fall game fish seasons on the Skagit/Sauk and Stillaguamish and its North Fork the fishing is limited with selective gear or fly fishing rules.

However spring off your example have to wonder if the next step for the co-managers would be to ban downriggers during non-Chinook seasons so folks will not intentionally target Chinook by running their gear near the bottom.

Curt

It's a simple matter to run the boat down the river and pick out those who are salmon fishing and those who are cutthroat fishing. Those guys anchored up with three rods out the back are salmon fishing. And, the last time I made a run down during this time of year those guys fishing illegally didn't even turn their head around when I went by. No enforcement, never has been. Nothing for them to worry about.

A little enforcement can go a long way. Confiscate a couple sleds, trailers and trucks and the whole county will know about it by dark.

One of the reasons the tribes want the total closure, (according to WDFW's email) is the affect of incidental coho catch while we are angling for cutts is unknown. Unknown, unlike the incidental impact of a gillnet.

In 25 years of targeting cutts I have never hooked a coho, chum, or pink. So there's a data point for them to start with.

After the LE guys grab a couple sleds they could fill out the rest of the day checking cutthroat fisherman for their license and gear..."Oh, by the way have you incidentally hooked any salmon?" Boom! More data!

If the tribes want to co-manage, maybe they should co-enforce? Co-data collect?

I would be more than happy to take a tribal fisheries official along on a trip so they can see what it's all about. Oh wait! It's closed! Nevermind. I ain't breaking the law for them. I guess we'll just never know what those incidental catch rates and impacts are.

I can't believe that the Skagit is open during Dec and Jan...My gawd! There's a very distinct possibility that there is a few fish in it. Oh the horror...

WDFW can define what gear is legal and what is not if they want to limit encounters. Thank goodness that tribal enforcement doesn't have the authority to check non-tribal anglers. How would you like going to tribal court (In another sovereign nation)?

Not surprised. During low water years when I've fished it I wouldn't consider the Queets a quality fishery. A few holes to fish, lots of darker Chinook that should be left alone but can't help themselves when the parade of egg clusters are floated through the few deep pools. Lots of competition, lots of rowing down in the dark to get your spot, lots of guides. In the past I've been part of the crew that has loved that river to death. The rush hour meat hooking crew has ruined it, and the park service doesn't want to be in that business. I don't blame them, but it is a shame that the opportunity is gone once again this year. I would be cool with the Park Service waiting until we have steady rain moving in so the fish stand a chance before it is opened.

You won't end up in tribal court for breaking state game and fish laws. That's not how it works.