MA 11 Chinook fishery closes midnight Saturday

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2:19 PM (20 minutes ago)

to me

WDFW FISHING RULE CHANGE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov

August 24, 2018

Hatchery chinook retention to close in Marine Area 11

Action: Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island) will close to the retention of hatchery chinook salmon beginning Sunday, August 26.

Effective date: 12 a.m., Aug. 26, 2018.

Species affected: Hatchery chinook salmon.

Location: Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island), excluding year-round docks and piers.

Reason for action: Preliminary estimates indicate that anglers have harvested over 95 percent of the summer quota through Aug. 23.

Additional information: Anglers may continue to retain 2 hatchery chinook salmon (excluding year-round docks and piers) through 11:59 pm, Saturday, Aug. 25. Anglers may also continue to retain 1 chinook salmon (wild or hatchery) at the year-round docks and piers listed in the 2018-19 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet. Anglers fishing in the marine area or from the docks/piers may also continue to retain hatchery and wild coho as part of the 2 salmon daily limit.

For more information, anglers should consult the 2018-19 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet available online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/.

Anglers can check WDFW’s website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports_plants.html for the latest information on marine areas that are managed to a quota or guideline.

Information contact: David Stormer, Puget Sound recreational salmon fishery manager, (360) 902-0058; or Mark Baltzell, Puget Sound salmon manager, (360) 902-2807.

What’s going on here?

First we lost Tuesday and Wednesday.
Then back to 7 days.
Then limit increase to 2.
Now closed for the season? Sept 30th?

Jake,
My guess is they figured the bulk of the Chinook are just about pushed through. Increasing the limit ensured that the quota could be caught with efficiency. They could probably have left it at one and stretched out the season, but the catch ration would drop significantly. If the goal was to stretch it out a long as possible through the peak season, then they actually got something right. Coho are ramping up and the timing is just about perfect to switch tactics and chase them exclusively.

If the bay needs a closure make it so.

IMHO there are still MA 13 fish moving through since Canada laid off some fisheries to feed the orcas.

The Western shoreline fishers from Pt Richmond South to the bridges mainly intercept MA 13 bound chinook.