Where do 40+ lb Chinook come from? (via PSF)

I think most Salmon fishermen on the south coast would be hesitant to release a 40lb + fish
as it's like winning a lottery.
Of course it all contributes to the shrinking gene pool of these slabs.
 
I totally respect your opinion spring fever, however read the posts from this summer after the slot was introduced in the JDF fishery. There was a pretty extreme backlash against it.

I would like to think a regulation like that for conservation purposes would be accepted, but that's not the sense I get from most posts on this forum. Most guys on the chuck are not very accepting of the catch and release concept. In freshwater catch and release has had high acceptance for many years, on the chuck I get the distinct impression most guys are very resistant to releasing there catch. Very different mentalities in freshwater vs the ocean from my perspective.
I agree that people won't like it but my point is that they may accept it more if all users have the same restrictions. In the case of the JDF fishery -there was one group and one group only had the slot; everyone else could keep those fish whether it was first nations in the Fraser or the rest of us adjacent to the JDF fishery. Not great optics and made people feel victimized and also made them feel that the fish they let go would be caught again by another group and not be saved for conservation purposes.
 
When I was younger in my twenties, I caught Tyees pretty regularly. Sometimes multiple, up to three Tyees in a day. I'm not talking about up in the Charlotte's, I'm talking about in very accessible fisheries like Vancouver and Port Alberni. I saw forties on the cleaning table every week in Alberni when I first started fishing there. Can't remember when I saw a true forty pounder last its been so long.

There will always be those who use the excuse that some other person will keep it, so why should I let it go. The aboriginal fisheries could never be forced to adhere to size limits, the commercial sector is doubtful, as it doesn't lend itself well to catch and release (other than com trollers). Basically there will always be an excuse for the people that don't accept the catch and release philosophy. It comes down to education to make the concept more widely accepted.

Of course I've caught my share of Tyees, so I don't have a problem releasing a big one. I know that's a hard sell to someone who may never see a Tyee but once in their life.
 
This comes up on here time to time and the impression I got was most longtime posters here would release a 40 lb salmon.
 
Unless the commercial and native fishers release them too I say no way
 
40 lb salmon aren't the best for eating in my opinion. Unless your gunna hang it on the wall, take a photo and release. But that's just my opinion.

Others can do what ever they are legally allowed to do. And feel good about it.
 
Unless the commercial and native fishers release them too I say no way

What a sad commentary on the future of such fish. The attitude that If others are allowed to kill them I better be able to too, frankly, disgusts me. I'm afraid with attitudes like that being all too prevalent these big fish have NO future. I have only ever caught one that big. It was at Langara about 15 years ago. It taped out at about 42 Lbs. Based on the stats above it was most likely a Rivers inlet fish. I took a couple of pictures and LET IT GO. I knew I would get my limit to take home of 20-25 lb fish as fishing was good, and really, what difference to my life was an extra 15lbs of meat in the freezer going to make? My conclusion was NONE, it would make no difference. I didn't say, well I should kill it because maybe a native or commercial or some other sporty further down the coast would get it. The fact was I DIDN'T KILL IT. That is what mattered. I had the thrill of it taking the cut plug, chasing it around around and finally bringing it in. Its that memory that I look back on fondly, not the meat. Conservation starts with individuals, and a change in attitudes. Changes in regulation will hopefully follow. I hope at some point you are able to see the bigger picture and not base your decisions on envy of what others might do.
 
The funny thing is! How many of the 20 - 25 lbs are really on the 4th year of a possible 5,6 or 7 year Chinook. Give that some thought!

Just saying!
Of course there are fish that size that are not in their spawning year caught. I fail to see your point if its meant as a defense for killing the big ones. If there were a way to tell which ones are going to stay out to sea I'd gladly put them back. However from a practical perspective I'm not a PETA type advocating shutting down all fisheries to definitively protect them. Its not a realistic objective. The chances of any given 20lber being from The Rivers Inlet rivers is small as there are many runs from northern BC to California going past with a large proportion of the fish in that size range, and there is a place for keeping reasonable numbers of fish you catch. However the chance a 40+ fish is from Rivers Inlet is well over 50%, and 100% chance its an older fish regardless of where it originated (quite a few on the list are from the Skeena) . You know what you are killing is likely part of a threatened population, or at least a diminishing part of the gene pool. So I remain unconvinced that the big ones should be killed just because some potential big ones are unknowingly killed as 20lbers.
 
What a sad commentary on the future of such fish. The attitude that If others are allowed to kill them I better be able to too, frankly, disgusts me. I'm afraid with attitudes like that being all too prevalent these big fish have NO future. I have only ever caught one that big. It was at Langara about 15 years ago. It taped out at about 42 Lbs. Based on the stats above it was most likely a Rivers inlet fish. I took a couple of pictures and LET IT GO. I knew I would get my limit to take home of 20-25 lb fish as fishing was good, and really, what difference to my life was an extra 15lbs of meat in the freezer going to make? My conclusion was NONE, it would make no difference. I didn't say, well I should kill it because maybe a native or commercial or some other sporty further down the coast would get it. The fact was I DIDN'T KILL IT. That is what mattered. I had the thrill of it taking the cut plug, chasing it around around and finally bringing it in. Its that memory that I look back on fondly, not the meat. Conservation starts with individuals, and a change in attitudes. Changes in regulation will hopefully follow. I hope at some point you are able to see the bigger picture and not base your decisions on envy of what others might do.
I also release most of my 40 plus fish now but what's the point if the other user groups don't? Like pissing into the wind
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Most people on their high horse about releasing big fish have in the past killed big fish. I don't think many of you realize how hard it is for someone that has never caught a tyee in their life to let the first one go.

Something needs to give to preserve this fishery, but we can't expect people to do it out if the goodness of their hearts.
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Most people on their high horse about releasing big fish have in the past killed big fish. I don't think many of you realize how hard it is for someone that has never caught a tyee in their life to let the first one go.

Something needs to give to preserve this fishery, but we can't expect people to do it out if the goodness of their hearts.
You are right, just from the opinions on this forum you can see many wont release them voluntarily. Certainly an American tourist, who make up the majority of the commercial lodge fisheries participants would be even less likely to let it go. Regulation will be needed with maximum sizes covering the Queen Charlottes, Hecate straight, QC sound and Norther Vancouver Island approaches and Rivers Inlet. Of course the operations in Rivers inlet will fight it tooth and nail as people being able to potentially whack a 70lb fish within sight of its spawning river is what they sell. No action is likely until the fish are almost gone. As usual the fisheries minister is an east coaster who could care less about West coast fishing issues in general, and this one issue is unlikely to get any attention. Maybe FishTofino's attitude of F#%* it, no one else is going to do it and just accept the demise of the hogs is the way to go as he is right, it is probably inevitable. Of course there are not Rivers Inlet fish on WCVI so Tofino fisheries wouldn't really be affected but measures targeted to protect Rivers Inlet fish anyhow.
 
You are right, just from the opinions on this forum you can see many wont release them voluntarily. Certainly an American tourist, who make up the majority of the commercial lodge fisheries participants would be even less likely to let it go. Regulation will be needed with maximum sizes covering the Queen Charlottes, Hecate straight, QC sound and Norther Vancouver Island approaches and Rivers Inlet. Of course the operations in Rivers inlet will fight it tooth and nail as people being able to potentially whack a 70lb fish within sight of its spawning river is what they sell. No action is likely until the fish are almost gone. As usual the fisheries minister is an east coaster who could care less about West coast fishing issues in general, and this one issue is unlikely to get any attention. Maybe FishTofino's attitude of F#%* it, no one else is going to do it and just accept the demise of the hogs is the way to go as he is right, it is probably inevitable. Of course there are not Rivers Inlet fish on WCVI so Tofino fisheries wouldn't really be affected but measures targeted to protect Rivers Inlet fish anyhow.
I think you have the wrong slant on Fish Tofino -I know Shawn lets go a lot of big fish but his point is basically that it ain't going to happen unless all user groups are treated the same and the fish you release to protect the species isn't in some purse the next day. Until we get rid of the seine fleet and go strictly troll where a release is feasible slots aren't really going to do much.
 
..Of course the operations in Rivers inlet will fight it tooth and nail as people being able to potentially whack a 70lb fish within sight of its spawning river is what they sell. No action is likely until the fish are almost gone. ...
Actually a number of the lodges voluntarily release the big ones. In addition, Duncanby (http://duncanby.com/) and Good Hope have kicked-in to open a new hatchery for the Wannock Chinook.
 
Actually a number of the lodges voluntarily release the big ones. In addition, Duncanby (http://duncanby.com/) and Good Hope have kicked-in to open a new hatchery for the Wannock Chinook.

Seems that hatcheries are little more than band aide solutions, and excuses to go ahead and destroy the remaining 'natural' fish to exploit other resources. Campbell River? Stamp River? both once self perpetuating systems of big fish, now stuggling to cling on to what little is left, regardless of 100's of millions thrown at them.
 
You need to do a lot of homework about the hatchery on the wannock as you appear to know little about it.




Seems that hatcheries are little more than band aide solutions, and excuses to go ahead and destroy the remaining 'natural' fish to exploit other resources. Campbell River? Stamp River? both once self perpetuating systems of big fish, now stuggling to cling on to what little is left, regardless of 100's of millions thrown at them.
 
Actually a number of the lodges voluntarily release the big ones. In addition, Duncanby (http://duncanby.com/) and Good Hope have kicked-in to open a new hatchery for the Wannock Chinook.
Not sure this one got released
Your right. The word hatchery scares me. I guess there are fish manufacturing hatcheries and then there are hatcheries.

There really isn't much difference. This one has a slick PR job with Rick Hansen being involved (I assume he is paid for it) lots of photo-ops bankrolled by the commercial operations up there. There main goal is to keep numbers of fish coming back stable no matter what. Like all hatcheries the goal is to pump out lots of what end up being genetically similar smolts. Subsequent interspawning of domesticated fish with wild ones ensures inbreeding and the genomes that took thousands of years to develop are narrowed. Smolts are selected for their ability to survive in in round plastic tanks from fry stage, and live in net pens and compete for food when its thrown in the tank or pen. The effects of hatcheries on wild populations and their ability to reproduce is well documented. Once a hatchery is established the wild run is doomed, and the hatchery can never be taken away as the gene pool narrows. They are NOT the salvation of wild salmon, they are the end of them. Its just one more assault on this unique run of fish.
 
Just as an aside when he went up there for photops a few years ago for his foundation
he caught a 60.5 lb fish. Here it is just before its release to spawn..........Hansenfish.jpg
 
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