Westport Coho Report

250 taken in the middle two weeks of July.

SERIALLY?

W T F ???

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/creel/ocean/

Wonder if the creel count includes all the ones people report but don't bonk. I know a some are being landed in Westport that are caught in area 1.

Wow. All up and down the coast except the Columbia.

Some of the charters from Westport were going to area 1. Thats my guess.

I called WDFW Region 6..........NO COHO are legal at Westport.

Charter and private boats are running from Westport to Area 1, where it is legal to catch/keep Coho, the Coho must be punched as Area 1 AND you better not fish after you leave Area 1 and going back to Westport.

"AND you better not fish after you leave Area 1 and going back to Westport."

And that means ANY fishing to include pulling crab pots! (See Statewide General Rules pg 4, 9th item under Harvest and Possession Rules).

If that's truly the case, then the creel report should accrue those landings to Ilwaco NOT Westport.

J F C !

WDFW X 0 = 0

Simple Math

[quote=eyeFISH

If that's truly the case, then the creel report should accrue those landings to Ilwaco NOT Westport.

J F C ![/quote]

As many of us know, WDFW isn't sure if it the "left hand or the right hand" that is in charge......but if you call them "they have all the answers".

Remainder ----- Barbless goes into effect August 16, at least for the rivers that I fish, in Region 6. You check on your own.......

Probably about a 40 year old fish bag just found in an old tackle box of my grandfathers! Ironic and a bit sad!

Fished Barkley and the offshore banks last week, and ironically found the best ocean coho fishing I've ever had. Numbers were decent but the size was really incredible. Largest I saw was over 18 lbs on the dock scale. Largest on my boat around 14. Big fat bellies. I'd estimate 30-40% were clipped American factory models.

So did last year's run just stay out at sea, and now returning as goliath's? If so, somebody (not us sporties) is going to get a great surprise this fall in the rivers.

That ever happen?

fb

I imagine somehow a 4 year Coho has happened but not as a general rule. They just ate well which can mean many things, everything, and nothing. You will know shortly in fact the QIN start last week of August and the numbers will pretty much show the first couple of weeks.

Sounds as though the Coho are pretty thick and large out there. The Qin. have been getting a lot of Coho averaging 11 pounds this week. The trollers who where targeting Kings had to pick up and move or stop fishing because they were killing to many Coho trying to get the kings. The good news is that the forecast seems way off and we are going to see a good Coho year. The bad news is we are going to watch the tribes extend their fishery while the rec. guys sit on the side lines....[Bleeeeep!]

fb,
Thanks for the report.

To go along with your report as well as what BU mentioned, the PS coho we were encountering prior to closures were very nice fish. July fish were way bigger then most the we encountered last fall.

Perhaps improved marine conditions and the death of the blob played a role in the size of this years coho.
We also saw lots of herring and sandlance this year which the resident fish were keyed in on. Haven't seen that many sandlance in a number of years.

Will be interesting to see what returns to the rivers ...and nets this fall while we sit on the sidelines.
SF

ijuns will net through sept. then come Oct wdfw will shut it down to sport fishers saying there's no fish..

WDFW closures, will hurt license sales.....many people are pissed at the way WDFW Region 6 handled the closure, then opener during the 2015 season.

2016 Net season, in 2C, Humptulips side, allows for retention of wild Coho. Wild Coho have not made escapement numbers in 21+ years, on the Humptulips. Blame needs to be shared by all that net or sport fish the bay and river. Coho in a net, dead fish.......Coho sport caught and released....high death rate. May be time to shut Bay/River, for periods of time during October - January to allow more wild Coho for escapement.

Time for WDFW to step up to the plate, no gillnets on Chehalis or Humptulip side.....force any gill netters to go to a plan B or just not net in these areas.

they will never step up!!!!!

Well the numbers crutch out that if the NT's did wild coho release the encounter ratio mortality was nearly the same but a bit more. R6 cut back NT net time a bit and did keep. Thing is every dead fish ( mostly ) will be counted rather than a phony release impact number that is not based on anything and is likely to result in underestimating the commercial impact. If one wants to argue no commercial time fine and head to the Legislature to change the law. One could argue many points on what R6 did in Grays Harbor this year depending on perspective but the keep on the 2C fishery is pretty much right on and stayed within GHMP guidelines..