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Sport and commercial anglers hook big returns
Buoy 10 fishery picks up faster than usual; big catch boosts North Coast economy
By CASSANDRA PROFITA
The Daily Astorian
Commercial gillnetters had three blockbuster salmon openers on the Columbia River this month, and the Buoy 10 sport fishery is picking up fast.
Fishery managers were expecting the commercial fleet to catch 5,300 chinook in three nights; instead they landed close to 9,300.
"That's a big haul," said John North, fishery manager for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. "It's a good sign of abundance. At Buoy 10, things are picking up pretty quickly. There's fish around everywhere."
Jim Wells, a gillnetter and president of the gillnet organization Salmon for All, said the chinook commercial boats landed were 23 to 24 pounds, on average.
"They're big fish - and a lot more than I've ever seen for that early in August," he said. "More than all of us have ever seen that early. I think it's going to be a good run."
Wells estimated 140 gillnet boats brought in $600,000 to $700,000 altogether in three openers, and the boost to the lower river economy was easily $2 million.
The fishing might have been a little too good, he said; the boats exceeded their limit on lower Columbia River tule chinook and will have to make up for it later in the season. But on the other hand, catching those fish early means the boats can get a better price from processors, about $3 a pound. Later in the season, the quality of the tules degrades and the price plummets to more like 50 cents a pound.
"It was good economically to catch them on the front end," he said.
The Buoy 10 sport fishery has picked up faster than usual, with boats catching lots of coho and also good numbers of chinook. Buoy 10 opens Aug. 1 every year for Columbia River fall chinook and coho; it's open from Buoy 10 at the mouth of the river to Tongue Point. The bag limit is two salmon, only one of which may be a chinook. The fishery doesn't usually heat up until a few weeks into the season, but this year the fish are biting early.
"It's definitely above average for this time of year," said Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife fish biologist Wendy Beeghley. "It's mostly coho, but chinook as well."
The 10-year average for the return of Columbia River fall chinook adults is about 500,000; this year, fishery managers are expecting 532,900 adult chinook to return to the river.
Last fall, 471,000 adult coho returned to the Columbia; this year, managers are expecting to see 703,100.
Based on an expected catch of about 10,700 chinook, the Buoy 10 chinook fishing season is scheduled to continue through Aug. 31 or until the management guideline is met.
The large expected return of coho salmon this year means anglers can expect the coho fishing season to continue through December. ODFW will increase the bag limit at Buoy 10 to three coho per day on Sept. 1. The department expects anglers will catch up to 119,000 coho at Buoy 10.
The Columbia River steelhead run is a big one too. On Tuesday, a near-record 18,671 steelhead were counted swimming over Bonneville Dam.
"That's a huge number," said North. "There's lots of steelhead."
As of Sunday the ocean sport fishery in the Columbia River area had reached 61 percent of its coho quota and 68 percent of the chinook guideline.
"We're expecting another big week this week," she said.
Beeghley said within the next couple weeks, managers might have to look at transferring allowable catch from other areas to the Columbia River ocean area. But it might be a tight fit, she said, because "it's great everywhere."
Buoy 10 fishery picks up faster than usual; big catch boosts North Coast economy
By CASSANDRA PROFITA
The Daily Astorian
Commercial gillnetters had three blockbuster salmon openers on the Columbia River this month, and the Buoy 10 sport fishery is picking up fast.
Fishery managers were expecting the commercial fleet to catch 5,300 chinook in three nights; instead they landed close to 9,300.
"That's a big haul," said John North, fishery manager for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. "It's a good sign of abundance. At Buoy 10, things are picking up pretty quickly. There's fish around everywhere."
Jim Wells, a gillnetter and president of the gillnet organization Salmon for All, said the chinook commercial boats landed were 23 to 24 pounds, on average.
"They're big fish - and a lot more than I've ever seen for that early in August," he said. "More than all of us have ever seen that early. I think it's going to be a good run."
Wells estimated 140 gillnet boats brought in $600,000 to $700,000 altogether in three openers, and the boost to the lower river economy was easily $2 million.
The fishing might have been a little too good, he said; the boats exceeded their limit on lower Columbia River tule chinook and will have to make up for it later in the season. But on the other hand, catching those fish early means the boats can get a better price from processors, about $3 a pound. Later in the season, the quality of the tules degrades and the price plummets to more like 50 cents a pound.
"It was good economically to catch them on the front end," he said.
The Buoy 10 sport fishery has picked up faster than usual, with boats catching lots of coho and also good numbers of chinook. Buoy 10 opens Aug. 1 every year for Columbia River fall chinook and coho; it's open from Buoy 10 at the mouth of the river to Tongue Point. The bag limit is two salmon, only one of which may be a chinook. The fishery doesn't usually heat up until a few weeks into the season, but this year the fish are biting early.
"It's definitely above average for this time of year," said Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife fish biologist Wendy Beeghley. "It's mostly coho, but chinook as well."
The 10-year average for the return of Columbia River fall chinook adults is about 500,000; this year, fishery managers are expecting 532,900 adult chinook to return to the river.
Last fall, 471,000 adult coho returned to the Columbia; this year, managers are expecting to see 703,100.
Based on an expected catch of about 10,700 chinook, the Buoy 10 chinook fishing season is scheduled to continue through Aug. 31 or until the management guideline is met.
The large expected return of coho salmon this year means anglers can expect the coho fishing season to continue through December. ODFW will increase the bag limit at Buoy 10 to three coho per day on Sept. 1. The department expects anglers will catch up to 119,000 coho at Buoy 10.
The Columbia River steelhead run is a big one too. On Tuesday, a near-record 18,671 steelhead were counted swimming over Bonneville Dam.
"That's a huge number," said North. "There's lots of steelhead."
As of Sunday the ocean sport fishery in the Columbia River area had reached 61 percent of its coho quota and 68 percent of the chinook guideline.
"We're expecting another big week this week," she said.
Beeghley said within the next couple weeks, managers might have to look at transferring allowable catch from other areas to the Columbia River ocean area. But it might be a tight fit, she said, because "it's great everywhere."
