Most sport endeavors, hunting or fishing often have seasons, and the seasons are usually to protect the stocks in some form or another. Why should the chinook fishery which is endangered be any different. A couple of month break while the fish are developing and feeding aggressively makes sense, leave the little fish alone for a while so you are not shaking 10 or more off for every one keeper. Its not only the nearly dead ones that are the problem, but the ones that come up pumping blood, or had their mouth damaged, or have injuries you can not notice. These fish are going to swim away and die. The compiled data for sport fishing estimates about 12% "release" mortality (on the fish landed and released) , with about another 7% of "dropoff" mortality (fish that die due to predator removal or that are hooked, get off the line but are injured). So some of the fish you land are going to die, and some of the ones you don't land are also going to die. Between the ones landed but undersized and all the missed bites that can be a lot of fish in a day on these rearing grounds. For these juvenile fish the numbers could be higher. These are fish that have made it out of the river and estuary where most of the mortality has been shown to occur (from predation and disease) are large enough to feed aggressively, and have reasonable chances of surviving until they are ready to return to the river. Not fishing them during this time seems like a good idea.
Believe it or not, there are still some out there haven't gotten it yet; continuing on as we have in the past should not & will not happen. Until we all agree that we are going to have to change our fishing practices this uncivil disagreement will continue. We need to wisely choose our battles.
Here is a really simplified version of this issue:
Fish in the winter when most of the fish are small
Fish in the Summer when the fish are bigger
Today we can choose both.
Soon, somebody will decide for us which of the options (if any at all) we get. Get it?
How on one hand can you claim no science, no data and then right away say no impact. There isn't really a good winter spring fishery worth while around where I live so I could give to hoots about loosing it and would gladly offer it up as a contribution and have my poke at two decent springs in the summer.And yet another one from outside our area talking about shutting winter fishing down. With no science , no data, and not involved in the process. This is about the worst thread I have seen on this forum for a while. You guys from other areas are beating up anglers in area with small impact. Creating an issue that really doesn't exist, and making a pile of noise. I think it is shameful if you ask me. We all have way more important things to get through in all of our areas right now. Give your heads a shake.
Just curious Eric as the intent of this thread was not to “pick on” 1 area.....is there a winter Chinook fishery in Washington State?Believe it or not, there are still some out there haven't gotten it yet; continuing on as we have in the past should not & will not happen. Until we all agree that we are going to have to change our fishing practices this uncivil disagreement will continue. We need to wisely choose our battles.
Here is a really simplified version of this issue:
Fish in the winter when most of the fish are small
Fish in the Summer when the fish are bigger
Today we can choose both.
Soon, somebody will decide for us which of the options (if any at all) we get. Get it?
Just curious Eric as the intent of this thread was not to “pick on” 1 area.....is there a winter Chinook fishery in Washington State?
Just curious Eric as the intent of this thread was not to “pick on” 1 area.....is there a winter Chinook fishery in Washington State?
Yes there is but i haven't participated in it for 20 years, ever since i saw a trail of 4 lber's floating behind my boat no matter how gentle i was. I was also a river guide for 12 years and have a good idea about releasing fish.Is there a winter fishery in Tofino?
Yes there is Rollie but i kill a couple of yellow fins and call it a day. Not releasing them all morning.There is in Cabo!!
Yes there is Rollie but i kill a couple of yellow fins and call it a day. Not releasing them all morning.
You have no clue about me yet are keeping up the personal attacks.A bank fisherman/experienced guide from Tofino who slaughters fish two months a year is actually lecturing us on a winter fishery. LOLOL I will say something from fishtofino I was wrong about you. Your out for yourself and its apparent by your posts on here. Have a good day. Done with this thread.
I think we all agree that Salmon populations will never recover without a seal and sea lion cullAt a recent meeting it was disclosed that 30% of all juvenile Chinook salmon are predated on by seals. So if you really want to save young salmon and allow them to grow up to provide opportunity for all fishers and the whales...there is the best bang for the buck..pun intended. That is only the juvenile count, sea lions also take another large percentage of the adults. As their population continues to increase so will the consumption of these salmon...offsetting any effort on our part to reduce our take.