Cowichan Bay Opening for coho

[fishhawk8]

Sooooo, as of Nov.1 all of Cowichan Bay is open to retention of 2 coho per day, 1 wild and 1 hatchery. I'm sure there'll be some chum around at that time too.

What I don't get is why are they allowing retention??? I had the understanding that the coho in this system are in decline. Further to this opening, they have reduced the legal size limit to 25 cm, again why???

I have been on the salt fairly frequently over the past two months and I have noticed a large incidental catch of grilse with a healthy mix of both springs and coho. Nearly all of which would have been between 25 and 30 cm with few, if any over 30 cm.

To allow this fishery, especially with the reduced size limit, certainly makes DFO appear to want to eradicate the coho from the Cowichan River. Sad to see. If they really wanted these fish to come back, the bay should remain closed.[V]

Hopefully, I'm wrong and there is sufficient escapement already, but I kind of doubt it.

Coho (Separation Point): Effective November 1, 2008 until December 31, 2008 in that portion of Subarea 18-8, inside of a line between Separation Point and Cherry Point, you may retain two (2) coho per day (hatchery marked or unmarked). Listed on 30/05/2008 FN0344

Coho: Cowichan Bay (Subarea 18-8) and portion of Satellite Channel (Subarea 18-7)
- Inside a line or westward of a line from the light at Separation Point to the
Triangular White Boundary sign on Hatch Point. Effective November 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008, the daily limit:
- for coho salmon (over 25cm) will be two (2) per day.
- The remaining portions of Area 18-7 and Area 18 will remain at 2 hatchery
coho over 25 cm per day. Listed on 23/10/2008 FN0805



Seafood, eat it, then catch more.

 

[highlights]

[xx(] Morons.

 

[nitnat_junkie]

why am I not suprised they would do this, crying shame [V]

 

[dynk]

why am I not suprised they would do this, crying shame [V]

I will be there every day pigishly filling my freezer

 

[KCW]

River is open for retention also, last year had lots of Coho

 

[Rum Buddies]

actually its been open inside the bay since oct. 21 and they have been opening it for the last couple of years. Last year I believe they had 15,000+ coho, the run is not in decline, its improving.

They open it because they know the pressure will be very slight, I was up there on saturday and there was about 4 other boats out - didn't see a single hook up btw. We went old school and only used bucktails, no luck.

 

[Degree of Freedom]

5 year old thread...that being said, nice to hear this run is healthy

 

[fshnfnatic]

Was just at the lower Cowy today. Stood off Black Bridge with my polarized shades and could see the fish stacked.
Just unreal. The flow is pretty low right now,so they're just staging. When we get some good rain,it'll be frikkin' pluged
with salmon. So good to see after some very lean years!

 

[twogone]

I grew up near Cow Bay and fished there regularly over 60 years ago. Last Friday I attended a 50 year class reunion and spent most of Friday afternoon in the pub looking out over the bay. It was a beautiful sunny day and I commented to a classmate that 60 yeras ago there would be at least 50 boats fishing out there and Coho jumping all over the bay. I did not see a single boat fishing or a single fish jumping on the afternoon of Oct 25th 2013 (and I only had 3 Guinnes). Cheers; twogone