Chinook fishing closes Monday in area 9 & 10

[chongo469]

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[rcthepirate]

Not very happy about this. The WDFW never ceases to disappoint. Suppose I'll get out and have one last morning at possession for the season.

[MotoBoat]

Not very happy about this. The WDFW never ceases to disappoint. Suppose I'll get out and have one last morning at possession for the season.

Although disappointing, I get things like this are necessary for fish management. But 2 days notice for a closure??? Daily salmon catch records are kept at key boat ramps, up and down the Sound. Unless catch numbers seriously spiked last week. There was adequate information indicating a early closure was likely, and more notice could have been given. Now, that I can say is where WDFW could hone there skills a bit.

[A9]

A) It's plenty of notice...

B) It wasn't about "catch numbers"....

[rseas]

The thing with this closure is they are preventing us from catching the fish that we pay for. If protecting the wild fish is the key reason for the closure then maybe enhance the selective fisheries requirement to include; knotless nets or maybe even single barbless hooks and reducing the limit to one fish. The WDFW News Release rule change notice indicates "Catch rates for hatchery chinook have been running two to three times higher than last year, and encounters with wild chinook are also way up," If this is the case, could it be because the overall numbers of returning chinook are way up? If they are I fear that the various hatcheries will have a serious surplus of fish and although some will be donated to various food banks and senior centers most will be euthanized and placed in the respective watersheds to provide additional nutrients for the different levels of aquatic life and wildlife. Increased hatchery returns do not result in an increase in hatchery production. The state and tribal communities determine the production levels of the various hatcheries, not the return size.

While fishing Area 9 my boat has caught a number of large wild chinook this year. Knowing our chances of hooking a wild fish appear to be higher than previous years I initiated my own selective catch program. I am only running single barbless hooks and typically have not been netting any of the wild fish. I also assure that the fish has recovered from the fight and is swimming strong before being released to swim away.

I hope my ramblings are not misunderstood because I do support the WDFG and know that overall they are working to better our fisheries and improve our experience as sportsmen. My concern in this case is based on the potential for surplus hatchery fish not being available to the sportsman who's license fees ultimately helped fund the hatchery programs.

[A9]

The thing with this closure is they are preventing us from catching the fish that we pay for. If protecting the wild fish is the key reason for the closure then maybe enhance the selective fisheries requirement to include; knotless nets or maybe even single barbless hooks and reducing the limit to one fish.

I hope my ramblings are not misunderstood because I do support the WDFG and know that overall they are working to better our fisheries and improve our experience as sportsmen. My concern in this case is based on the potential for surplus hatchery fish not being available to the sportsman who's license fees ultimately helped fund the hatchery programs.

Single barbless hooks already are the norm (and law in Puget Sound) and there is a wild chinook handling rule as well....

The closure also factors in the interaction of sub legal kings (also known as shakers) and the high mortality rates when they are released.....

Also, fishing license revenue is not the ultimate generator of $$, in fact of the total equation of the Fish and Wildlifes funding has a lot more to do with local, state and federal funding than people realize....

[G-Man]

A9 - I belive that rseas is implying that he is only using a single barbless hook on his rigs instead of a tandem rig as used with most hoochie setups. When using single point barbless hooks, I've yet to release an adult fish that doen't swim away strong unless it is hit by a seal first. It's the shakers that impale themselves though the brain that don't make it. I really can't fathom the closure while we have the barbless hook requirement in place. The only thing that I can come up with is that since the gill netters aren't selective, the State is concerned that a disproportionate number of native fish would be harvested were the season to remain open. That is assuming, of course, the same areas will be closed to all harvest to include the commercial/native american crowd.

[MotoBoat]

Unless less gear is deployed in the water because of the Chinook closure. I don't see the fish saving measure "keeping" a Chinook really solves. Probably more people fish for the incoming Coho. Although typical coho fishing takes place at shallower depths. That is not always the case. And I have caught a fair number of adult and juvenile Chinook, while Coho fishing.

And, I disagree that 2 days is adequate notices for the rule change. Just because the rule change is released to the generall public as a "Emergency rule change". I think the WDFW is taking advantage of email. Not everyone has a computer, internet connection, and liked themselves to receive the automatic emergency rule change by email,

Some of the Wild adult Chinook are Blackmouth, are they not?

[rseas]

A9 - I belive that rseas is implying that he is only using a single barbless hook on his rigs instead of a tandem rig as used with most hoochie setups. When using single point barbless hooks, I've yet to release an adult fish that doen't swim away strong unless it is hit by a seal first. It's the shakers that impale themselves though the brain that don't make it. I really can't fathom the closure while we have the barbless hook requirement in place. The only thing that I can come up with is that since the gill netters aren't selective, the State is concerned that a disproportionate number of native fish would be harvested were the season to remain open. That is assuming, of course, the same areas will be closed to all harvest to include the commercial/native american crowd.

G-man is correct, when running spoons, hoochies, flies or even herring in an area where I am hooking a large number of wild fish I typically run a single, single point barbless hook. Sure my boat may loose a fish here and there but when running a single, single point barbless hook the fight and release is much less stressful for the fish. Again I fully support the various WDFW regulations I would just like to know the science behind the Area 9 and 10 closure. Are we going to see the same for the South Sound, Areas 11 and 13?

[MotoBoat]

A9 - I belive that rseas is implying that he is only using a single barbless hook on his rigs instead of a tandem rig as used with most hoochie setups. When using single point barbless hooks, I've yet to release an adult fish that doen't swim away strong unless it is hit by a seal first. It's the shakers that impale themselves though the brain that don't make it. I really can't fathom the closure while we have the barbless hook requirement in place. The only thing that I can come up with is that since the gill netters aren't selective, the State is concerned that a disproportionate number of native fish would be harvested were the season to remain open. That is assuming, of course, the same areas will be closed to all harvest to include the commercial/native american crowd.

G-man is correct, when running spoons, hoochies, flies or even herring in an area where I am hooking a large number of wild fish I typically run a single, single point barbless hook. Sure my boat may loose a fish here and there but when running a single, single point barbless hook the fight and release is much less stressful for the fish. Again I fully support the various WDFW regulations I would just like to know the science behind the Area 9 and 10 closure. Are we going to see the same for the South Sound, Areas 11 and 13?

This is where A9 and I disagree. But, my suspicion is that the catch numbers collected daily, by the fish checkers at the Marine are boat ramps. Is the data that prompted the early closure for M9 & M10. I don't think M11 and M13 typically have as high a catch rate.

For the record, the catch data taken at the boat ramps, is everything you caught that day. Clipped or un-clipped, adult or juvenile. Chinook, Coho, pink, or chum. The only way for the WDFW to know how high the wild by catch of the sport angler is through daily collection of data, by the catch records collected at the marine are boat ramps. That said, there data is further backed by the WDFW test boat data, which fishes Salmon 5 days a week. In the Marine area of there choice, that presents there best chance of encountering Salmon.

I may have used the word: "quota" in past response's. But meant the data taken by the fish checkers at Marine area
boat ramps. When referring to the early closure of M9 & M10.

[G-Man]

The reasoning behind the closure is flawed. The State's goal is to get the wild fish population back to the point where hatcheries are no longer required. To do this, they also need to ensure that as many hatchery fish as possible are captured to keep them from spawning with the natives and this is where selective fishing shines. To keep the season open for coho, sockeye, chum and pinks further illustrates that the State believes that recreational selective fishing doesn't have a significant impact on adult wild chinook. If the sole reason is to protect wild juvenile fish, then a hook size restriction would be a much better solution as we all know that a young chinook will attack anything near them that appears wounded and can be found throughout the entire water column.

*grammar edit*

[MotoBoat]

The reasoning behind the closure is flawed. The State's goal is to get the wild fish population back to the point where hatcheries are no longer required. To do this, they also need to ensure that as many hatchery fish as possible are captured to keep them from spawning with the natives and this is where selective fishing shines. To keep the season open for coho, sockeye, chum and pinks further illustrates that the State believes that recreational selective fishing doesn't have a significant impact on adult wild chinook. If the sole reason is to protect wild juvenile fish, then a hook size restriction would be a much better solution as we all know that a young chinook will attack anything that near them that appears wounded and can be found throughout the entire water column.

Those are good point's. I was under the impression that Hatcheries were implemented for the known Salmon Migration issues that dams would create. That would be, several major "flaws" in there plan.