Springers are getting close

I went to Barrier Dam campground yesterday, and while there saw a gentlemen bring in the first Cowletz Springer to be weighed, They said it was about three weeks early for them, but they also have got one i. The hatchery. And the owner said he has reports of quite afew being caught in the lower river. Heart starting to pump, while thinking about Native Steel and Springers

Salivating for that first bite of 2015 king.... it's been a while.

Winter's howl is abating and Springers are on the move once again.
On the cusp of a great time of the year.

Doc,

That's a perfect photo, a beautiful daughter, a perfect fish and very importantly, a PFD.

Thanks for posting. Not meaning to hijack the Springer thread.

Yeah I'm ready for some orange colored omega 3 oils dripping down my fork. Lots a native steel to hook first though. Good luck,


SZ

If this weather pattern holds and the rain backs off, could be the best early river conditions in years.

The tree frogs @ my place have come out in the past week. Soon.

now taking bets for when WDFW will announce their annual kalama and lewis shutdown...any day now i wager.

damn, i miss those fisheries.

I'm looking forward to our 2 day per week season!

I've typically catch my first one around 3rd week of February. First push of fish seem to be bigger and bite well. Anymore I prefer the low clear flows in Feb over fishin the high flow with Bonneville going up and down like a yo yo all week in the peak of the run. Gettin excited.

A buddy got one today. Time for the aluminum hatch on the big c.

What is a typical rig for springers?

Miss those Kalama fish...

I see you been staying off our rivers so far this season.....Timber.Good luck,

SZ

Oh.... It's just about that time for me.....I usually dont make my first jaunt that way until the last few weeks of Feb....I'll will be behind the Northshore grocery off and on over the next 5-6 weeks..

You called it.

https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/erule.jsp?id=1547

there springers on the kalama?

Fuk...why even have a hatchery for springers if your not gonna pump out enough smolt numbers to support a fishery.................Weak very,very WEAK. Good luck,

SZ

They have been releases the same numbers from these hatcheries for years (decades). Survival is down and since everybody and their retarded brother got a boat and fishes the mainstem Columbia, I wonder what happened to the catch in the tributaries?

Folks have a very short memory. Until ~ the year 2000, there hadn't been any semblance of mainstem sport fishery for springers in 30 years! Now, the annual pressure in the lower river is huge by comparison.

Also, the hatchery springer stocks (Cowlitz, Kalama, Lewis) on the WA side are all that is left of the lower river, WA-side ESA-listed spring Chinook pops, they (WDFW) have to make escapement, hatchery or otherwise.

Just saying...

iirc, the kalama and lewis used to be a different stock, then that was changed, and the runs crashed.

" the kalama and lewis used to be a different stock, then that was changed, and the runs crashed."

Ive seen this posted before and it is Incorrect. There have been no major changes in broodstock source in these programs. The only recent "change" is at Kalama since 2009, where they have consistently back-filled with Lewis R, which they have done intermittently since 1959.

From the WDFW HGMPs
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Lewis River spring Chinook

Broodstock Source Origin Year(s) Used Begin-End
Cowlitz River Spring Chinook H 1967-1970
Carson NFH Spring Chinook H 1960-1984
Kalama River Spring Chinook H Unk Unk
Willamette River Spring Chinook H 1986-1986
Lewis River Spring Chinook H 1960-Present


Kalama River Spring Chinook

Broodstock Source Origin Year(s) Used Begin-End

Kalama River Spring Chinook H 1959-Present
Cowlitz River Spring Chinook H Intermittent
Lewis River Spring Chinook H Intermittent to present

since 2009 Lewis river stock has been used yearly to backfill kalama R stock.
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