Skokomish

[sealegs]

amazing amount of drama at that river. I might want to take it off my wish list.

[skagit510]

I rest my case. Unfishable for civilized folks. Needs to be cleansed of idiots.

[mizm05]

This is the only reason I go there. And I fish next to all types. I just fish my way (not ripping every 2 seconds), keep my mouth shut, and make small talk with the guys next to me if they are friendly...which most guys have been. I have seen the worst of the worst as far as fishing goes, but that's on them, it will catch up with them. I'm not going to start anything.

All this being said, I don't care where I'm going for the day, as soon as I step out of the front door of my house, my 2 best friends, Smith and Wesson, tag along.

[mizm05]

And there are holes on the lower river in the tide water where you can also free drift eggs with maybe a split shot or 2 spaced along the leader. That's what I'll be doing when I go back. I try to venture down below any snagger lines to get fish that are still willing biters before they run the gauntlet. On the lower river, you gotta time the tides. It becomes unfishable when the water gets real high. And last weekend as we were waiting on high slack tide to shift to outgoing tide, 2 seals came swimming right up the middle of the river! And jelly fish, and sculpins. LOL and it was actually pretty cool...the water is brackish down low, so you could see the swirls in the water from where the saline water was mixing with the fresh water. I had time on my hands obviously. LOL

I like fishing the lower tide waters because you can get the bright chromers before they get spooked by the gauntlet that's waiting for them.

[skagit510]

This just in. A buddy of mine showed up at my work. He fished the skok this morning. He witnessed a little angler on angler enforcement. Apparently there is a group called HOG, harvest oriented anglers. My buddy talked to a couple members. They are underground but collect dues, meet, and have a newsletter. He was shown one of the news letters. They were born out of opposition to wfc and NFS. They use dues money to fund different projects like renegade hatcheries and running game cams, and enforcing litter/poor fishing ethics. My buddy says they are a bit rough but determined group bent on sportsmen policing and taking ownership of their sport. I may not agree with their methods (my buddy says quiet, direct and to the point) but I admit I admire their can do attitude and the fact they are doing something they feel is right. I say go for it HOG. by the way their hatchery practices are broodstock.

[primetime]

This just in. A buddy of mine showed up at my work. He fished the skok this morning. He witnessed a little angler on angler enforcement. Apparently there is a group called HOG, harvest oriented anglers. My buddy talked to a couple members. They are underground but collect dues, meet, and have a newsletter. He was shown one of the news letters. They were born out of opposition to wfc and NFS. They use dues money to fund different projects like renegade hatcheries and running game cams, and enforcing litter/poor fishing ethics. My buddy says they are a bit rough but determined group bent on sportsmen policing and taking ownership of their sport. I may not agree with their methods (my buddy says quiet, direct and to the point) but I admit I admire their can do attitude and the fact they are doing something they feel is right. I say go for it HOG. by the way their hatchery practices are broodstock.

More Malcom X than MLK Jr. haha.

[natetreat]

This just in. A buddy of mine showed up at my work. He fished the skok this morning. He witnessed a little angler on angler enforcement. Apparently there is a group called HOG, harvest oriented anglers. My buddy talked to a couple members. They are underground but collect dues, meet, and have a newsletter. He was shown one of the news letters. They were born out of opposition to wfc and NFS. They use dues money to fund different projects like renegade hatcheries and running game cams, and enforcing litter/poor fishing ethics. My buddy says they are a bit rough but determined group bent on sportsmen policing and taking ownership of their sport. I may not agree with their methods (my buddy says quiet, direct and to the point) but I admit I admire their can do attitude and the fact they are doing something they feel is right. I say go for it HOG. by the way their hatchery practices are broodstock.

Wow, now this is the sort of thing that is going to f up everything for everyone. I assume that they don't have the facilities to fin clip fish, so they're going to end up wild, and spawn with natives. Criminal intimidation over some BS gripe over flossing? Felony transport of an endangered species? Bucket biologists are a scourge. If they spent half the time and money showing up to commission meeting and funding studies that prove what we all know about hatchery fish and their minimal impact on native fish, they could actually have a positive impact. A bunch of petty criminals over reacting to something that has been around for a century. I'm all for picking up trash and calling in poachers, but come on, just get over it already. If we start doing this, then say good bye to any opportunities that we have left. Say goodbye to Puget Sound, say good bye to our OP solitude, because once these rivers get shut down, that's where everyone is headed. Think it's bad on the Skok now? Just wait. As we lose opportunities, we pack anglers in on fewer and fewer rivers.

[toxicavengr]

This just in. A buddy of mine showed up at my work. He fished the skok this morning. He witnessed a little angler on angler enforcement. Apparently there is a group called HOG, harvest oriented anglers. My buddy talked to a couple members. They are underground but collect dues, meet, and have a newsletter. He was shown one of the news letters. They were born out of opposition to wfc and NFS. They use dues money to fund different projects like renegade hatcheries and running game cams, and enforcing litter/poor fishing ethics. My buddy says they are a bit rough but determined group bent on sportsmen policing and taking ownership of their sport. I may not agree with their methods (my buddy says quiet, direct and to the point) but I admit I admire their can do attitude and the fact they are doing something they feel is right. I say go for it HOG. by the way their hatchery practices are broodstock.

Wow, now this is the sort of thing that is going to f up everything for everyone. I assume that they don't have the facilities to fin clip fish, so they're going to end up wild, and spawn with natives. Criminal intimidation over some BS gripe over flossing? Felony transport of an endangered species? Bucket biologists are a scourge. If they spent half the time and money showing up to commission meeting and funding studies that prove what we all know about hatchery fish and their minimal impact on native fish, they could actually have a positive impact. A bunch of petty criminals over reacting to something that has been around for a century. I'm all for picking up trash and calling in poachers, but come on, just get over it already. If we start doing this, then say good bye to any opportunities that we have left. Say goodbye to Puget Sound, say good bye to our OP solitude, because once these rivers get shut down, that's where everyone is headed. Think it's bad on the Skok now? Just wait. As we lose opportunities, we pack anglers in on fewer and fewer rivers.

I have to agree, vigilante justice on the rivers will not have any kind of happy ending. Someone coming in enforcing rules without any kind of official authority will probably get someone assaulted or killed..... As someone else mentioned Smith and Wesson, lots of people are packing, and at some point somebody may feel threatened by what they deem a"Fake" game warden and draw their weapon thinking they are defending themselves against a thug

[mizm05]

That was my first thought. The Skok is a precarious river to be doing that on. If they get made by the snagger groups, that ain't gonna be pretty.

I have a concealed permit and carry everywhere I'm legally allowed to...but I'm also a very laid back guy and hope I never find myself in a situation where I have to defend my life. I think MOST (not all) guys on the river that carry, are pretty level headed and responsible. The ones who are not "stable", are the reason I carry.

[skagit510]

Are you ready for a fishing organization that represents you. Are you sick of closures and wfc pandering? Wish there was something you could do about it?............. There is! Join HOG today. Harvest oriented game fishers is the lobby group you've been waiting for. We collect dues, send a newsletter, meet secretly, and use funds to accomplish our goals. This year we opened four, count em four renegade hatcheries. We also are policing the skok for man piles and unethical behavior. HOG takes a hard line on poachers and uses whatever means necessary to enforce game laws and get compliance. You see HOG isn't hampered by government regulation and oversight by pussies. HOG is made up of real american sportsmen like you. So come on down, pay your dues, and catch HOG today.


The above is copied from their letter. The representative who spoke to my friend said they clip 100% as the idea is fish for harvest. I'm not saying I agree but good for them taking the bull by the horns. Revolution is messy business I guess. Lol. I mean how much change have you effected by going to meetings Nate. Not saying this approach is right I'm just showing what I know. I've yet to form an opinion here. My buddy has joined. He says they were quite charismatic and well educated, well spoken people. He said they were courteous, fearless, and got compliance. Kind of an ask, tell, promise thing.

[toxicavengr]

Are you ready for a fishing organization that represents you. Are you sick of closures and wfc pandering? Wish there was something you could do about it?............. There is! Join HOG today. Harvest oriented game fishers is the lobby group you've been waiting for. We collect dues, send a newsletter, meet secretly, and use funds to accomplish our goals. This year we opened four, count em four renegade hatcheries. We also are policing the skok for man piles and unethical behavior. HOG takes a hard line on poachers and uses whatever means necessary to enforce game laws and get compliance. You see HOG isn't hampered by government regulation and oversight by pussies. HOG is made up of real american sportsmen like you. So come on down, pay your dues, and catch HOG today.


The above is copied from their letter. The representative who spoke to my friend said they clip 100% as the idea is fish for harvest. I'm not saying I agree but good for them taking the bull by the horns. Revolution is messy business I guess. Lol.

Does anyone else see a problem with the part about,... "uses whatever means necessary"

[toxicavengr]

I can't help but ask..what jurisdiction do they follow. do they get permission to enter private property or do think they can trespass to"enforce rules"? Something tells me that they are not going to attempt to police and enforce rules on public or state owned land only?

Secret Meetings?
Renegade Hatcheries?
Not hampered by gov't regulation?
Policing .....for man piles and unethical behavior?

[Brat Bonker]

I like how people think they can't catch fish on eggs in between rippers lol what a joke, I proved that wrong today, came down to a gravel bar watch guys ripping in a hole for a little bit then they all decided there were no fish in it so they took a break, mean while me and a buddy slide in with bobber and eggs, first cast I hook a nice chrome unfortunately lost it tho but still ended the day with one small one. I do this kind of stuff all the time, especially on "slow" days like today when not that many fish for the rippers to get any so you coax them out of logs with bait, only prob is al the jacks that are in there

[mizm05]

And no oversight by "wussies". Kind of gives it a certain tone right there. They are gonna start a ruckus trying to confront "man piles by any means necessary" on the Skok! I want to be far away from that confrontation...I don't want to catch the cross fire. Some of those guys who fish the Skok ain't "right" if ya catch my drift.

This sounds like a bad deal. Asking for trouble.

[natetreat]

I'm going to forward that letter to WDFW enforcement, I'm not going to argue this anymore.

[skagit510]

Do you have a copy? Only reason I ask is that I don't want to be on the bad end of any hog retaliation. There's a gathering tonite in Tacoma, I'll see if I can dig up the details. Could you at least not mention my post or where you got the info as I'm not sure how safe those guys are.

[jd39]

I'm going to forward that letter to WDFW enforcement, I'm not going to argue this anymore.

Forwarding that HOG note to WDFW enforcement when WDFW enforcement, or lack thereof, is what helped get HOG started.
Almost comically ironic, couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.
Well if they show as much interest in HOG as they do snaggers, they have nothing to worry about.

[jonb]

I am in awe reading this thread, the level of ludacris radical behavior over some fish. Whoever this hog group is should be locked up. no need to stoop to committing crimes to catch some fish, if there are too many poachers/snaggers on the skok, FISH ELSEWHERE! There are 1000s of fantastic fishing opportunities around wa state. If the salmon arnt doing well there, and the river is sucky this year try fishing the salt or a lake instead. This level of drama reminds me of something one would see on jerry springer... just ridiculous...no where in the usa have i seen such despair in a sport that is supposed to be fun, and ive fished every corner of this great nation from ny to florida to here and in between.

[primetime]

The meeting is at a strip club. I can't stop laughing!!!

[gfakkema]

There's no way this is real. Topics to be discussed from the supplied link...

Violator assault methods and evoking provocation
Techniques for vehicle immobilization, temp/permanent and tools required

Bring dollar bills and make sure weapons are properly concealed.

This is almost too funny to be real.... right?