West Coast Commercial Troll fishery Report

capt hook

Well-Known Member
Not good . And has been like this since it opened.
Sporties at Thrasher do better.




From: Rusch, Bryan [mailto:Bryan.Rusch@dfo-mpo.gc.ca]
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2018 8:21 AM
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Area G update to May 28


Average catch over the last two days has been approximately 7 chinook per vessel, with 40 vessels hailed into the fishery. Total estimated catch to the end of yesterday is 10,447 chinook leaving 5,260 remaining to catch. A total of 1,035 boat days have been utilized since the start of the fishery on May 3 and 52 boats are hailed into the fishery this morning.


The fishery will close in all areas effective 23:59 May 31, 2018. I will provide a catch update on Thursday morning and then again after the fishery has closed and catch reports have been submitted.


Thanks,


Bryan Rusch
Resource Manager
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
3225 Stephenson Point Road

Nanaimo BC V9T 1K3
Phone: (250) 756-7294
Fax: (250) 756-7162Email: bryan.rusch@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
 
yeah that's horrible news,

What is going on? I also hear that Barkley Sound is absolutely lifeless right now!?

I think this year was predicted to be the worse because of the ocean bloob in 2015,2016, when this brood would of made their way to sea.
 
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What is going on? I also hear that Barkley Sound is absolutely lifeless right now!?
The Columbia river counts are about the same as last year for this time of about 90,000 including jacks passing Bonneville, and they are getting well over 2,000 per day passing through (although still 40% less than the 10 year average) so there should be fish moving down the west coast towards the Columbia. Averaging 10 per day for those commercial boats is not very profitable.
 
The Columbia river counts are about the same as last year for this time of about 90,000 including jacks passing Bonneville, and they are getting well over 2,000 per day passing through (although still 40% less than the 10 year average) so there should be fish moving down the west coast towards the Columbia. Averaging 10 per day for those commercial boats is not very profitable.

Absolutely, the data shows this is not a dire year as many predicted. The fishing in Barkley Sound has been fairly decent as well. On the east coast, this is one of the best Chinook years I can recall in recent times. Doom and Gloom is more popular than the truth it seems.

Perhaps one reason the Area G troll numbers are down is related to the fish running the edge along the structure where the troll fleet isn't normally fishing?
 
I need some of whatever you are taking. Hey it’s the 60’s again. Groovy.

I know of multiple people that have said the spring Chinook fishing on ECVI is the best it’s been in 30 years. Hats to blame that on “whatever your taking”. Perhaps for some reason, the early run is going east instead of west?

It’s also possible I’ve experienced some of this too.
 
I just got a first hand report from Barkley that in stark contrast to years before there are no whales, no birds, no bait balls and very few successful anglers out there right now. From last week. You're saying this is not true?
 
I just got a first hand report from Barkley that in stark contrast to years before there are no whales, no birds, no bait balls and very few successful anglers out there right now. From last week. You're saying this is not true?
I've been up there for 2 weeks now and have seen 2 pods of whales now, tons of birds, and bait has been pretty sparse but there has been quite abit down in the sound. And we've been getting into lots of springs so they are around.
 
I know of multiple people that have said the spring Chinook fishing on ECVI is the best it’s been in 30 years. Hats to blame that on “whatever your taking”. Perhaps for some reason, the early run is going east instead of west?

It’s also possible I’ve experienced some of this too.
Fished Grant's last weekend. Caught and released two hatch springs. Would they have been Columbia fish?
 
Alaska and the Pacific Salmon Commission made the by catch on the Alaskan Black Cod fishery mandatory to be counted against the Alaskan commercial quota.

The Biologists know exactly the Year composition and Origin representation of the Chinooks at sea as a result of the monitoring of the by catch through the winter commercial fishing season in the Gulf of Alaska.

There is a reason for the "sky is falling" alarm being raised now. The sky is in fact falling.

Whether it was warm water mackerel hammering the smolts on entering open ocean, or weather it was stress and disease because of the warm water, it really does not matter.

Lets hope that enough made it north of the warm water and evaded the commercial fleet, to make it back this year. Given the result, perhaps the commercial fleet will recognize the season is not economic, and will give up on some of their quota for a change.

Drewski
 
Just my two cents but I have been out in Barkley Sound for the last three weekends and have seen whales, sea birds, bait fish (on the surface), two sea lions and a few eagles. I've caught fish and I have seen others catch some too. I have also seen boats come back in skunked. The one thing I didn't like seeing was a plume of Sea lice that was about 4' x 4' and about 200 yards long.
 
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