Youngs Bay ---CAUTION!

[BillH]

Youngs Bay is a new spring salmon fishing option for those of us who lament the closure of the Willamette River, but there are some things to consider. I fished it successfully Sunday and returned Tuesday, an off the bite day. The best option for boat launching is the Warrenton Boat Ramp although there are two boat ramps actually on Youngs Bay. The ramp at Tidepoint Grocery is absolutely CLOSED this year but the ramp at the "Yacht Club" is indeed open. Unfortunately, the Yacht Club ramp (next to the old Hwy 101 Bridge) is only usable on the upper half of the tide due to being mudded in. Many of us who attempted yesterday to take out at the Yacht Club at the top of the tide encountered a very ugly situation. With gillnetting opening today, the gillnetters were getting ready for their "season" and one boat, the "Bobby H" showed the ultimate in rudeness to all of us. This boat tied up a two lane ramp with a pickup truck blocking both lanes as they wound their gillnet from the truck onto the boats "reel" for at least 45 minutes!!!!! as 3 or 4 sport boats and a couple of other gillnetters waited their turns. I've never seen anything like it! Even the other gillnetters were angry! I'm not saying that all gillnetters are bad guys here, but I suspect there is an element of old timers such as the skipper of the Bobby H resent sport fishermen in general. Personally, I hope the old goat is unable to fish next year!

Keep in mind the possible boat ramp problems you may encounter if you fish Youngs Bay and be sure to check the schedule of off and on gillnet seasons before planning a trip as if the nets are in, there will be no channel to fish. Let's set an example of courtesy toward the gillnetters and one another at the local boat ramps in the Astoria area so that the majority of gillnetters will be on our side rather than act as did the skipper of the Bobby H yesterday.

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Bill Hedlund

[This message has been edited by Jennie@ifish (edited 04-19-2000).]

[Barnyard]

Bill - Do you think it'll be worth a trip after the commercial fishery is over?

[Deleted User]

Wisdom- I like your attempt to discourage more sportfishermen from joining you. I used to be like that; still am in some cases such as my exagerated scare off post for the early Wind R. bite. Gotta try to protect the ol' fishin' spots. -- As for the one sided vision of the commercial fishermen grumbling about sportsmen not paying a Youngs Bay springer tax, allow some thoughts from the other side. The state's agreement to essentially subsidize this fishery for springers & coho was predicated on allowing sportfishermen to share the fish because they personally help to subsiiidize it though license fees, state income taxes, and the boost to the local economy. And that's not to mention the much higher amount of financial support to produce springer & fall runs of Columbia R. (& off shore) fish stocks that the commercial industry has been netting, at a far greater rate per capita, to sell for money to fish buyers for years! Sportsmen don't get a monetary return for their investment; only guides and netters do while working in their prefered fishing environment (that nobody is forcing them to enjoy; & keep them from working inside a factory or wherever). I am getting tired of hearing only self-interest one sided 'tudes on the part of most resourse users throughout the NW. - Steve

[This message has been edited by RT (edited 04-19-2000).]

[Dennis Stewart S.M.G.S]

I'll be going out in between nettings a few times, I'll let you know how I do. Dennis

[Deleted User]

Wisdom- I usually reread a significant post before I respond to it. I just read yours again. Your disuation of anybody more than 25 miles away from fishing there was based on the premise that few fish would be available after the netters were done, and that has a sound basis. So please pardon my misinterpretaion of that last paragraph. However, three things were also in my mind when I wrote "protecting the ol' fishing spots"; that you have continued to fish this fishery for 4 years despite all the negatives you listed makes one wonder why, that a local guide just reported hooking 4 and landing 3 springers there the other day, and that Jennie didn't catch a springer in her attempts in the Willamette this season yet caught one right away the first time at Young's this season. While I see the obvious negatives, especially the netting, for sportfishing concerns, it does appear that there is something bringing people like yourself back to a limited area that they would just as soon not share. I agree with that idea. That's why the "protecting..." quote was pointed at myself, you, & others- not just you (& in a lighthearted vain). Just got to make it "suttle" like I did in my Wind/Drano negatives post http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif . - As for the commercial netters being adverse to giving up "their way of life" in the climate of years of continued overharvest of dwindling fish stocks, I feel badly for them. Honestly (if you knew me personally you would believe that). I also feel badly for the millions of people all over the country having to give up their way of life and jobs because of inevitable changes to resourse status, the environment, and within society's merger madness. They mourn, face reality, and get on with adapting to life. Your post protrays commercial netters as victims who "have continually had their livelyhood taken away form them". In reality, the RESOURSE has been taken away from them and all of us by the netters themselves along with all other fish decline factors. Your quote was "when the nets go in they mop up everything". There is also a contradiction between your 2 posts; your first says that the netters pay a per pound tax at the sale of their catch which matches that which the fish buyers must pay, while your second decribes this as a non-mandatory donation. You also said some of the participating sportfishermen make donations. And yet you suggest this to be a factor for poor netter attitude. Now I'm a bit confused! - Steve

[This message has been edited by RT (edited 04-20-2000).]

[This message has been edited by RT (edited 04-20-2000).]

[Barnyard]

Wisdom found your post most interesting. But to poo poo the historical overfishing of the commercial gill net fleet, as a cause for the decline in Salmon returns is dissenjenious at best..

[Deleted User]

Wise,
Just curious. Are you both a sportfisher and a gillnetter? Augment the net catch with hooked fish to sell? No accusation just trying to figure out your angles. The rt jpost didn't single out the netters for fish declines but combined them with all other fish decline factors. They have been a big factor even if not a big as the dams. Can't just dismiss that as Barnyard said! The things rt re'd are pretty much right on like most of his posts. Inst.

[Deleted User]

My my instigator, Im glad to see that you regard RT in a better light than you have in the past!

[Deleted User]

Gee Captain, what did I do before to upset the Instigator? (So I won't make the same mistake again- always open for suggestions). - Steve

[Deleted User]

Given the chance, netters can obviously leave few fish steaks for sportfishers to "chew" on. Puts more steaks into markets for non-fishers to chew on, but there is now plenty of both B.C. farm chinook and Atlantic farm salmon to augment the huge AK net fleets production to cover those needs without having to net dwindling stocks around the NW (not talking about the "farmed" Young's fish- but elsewhere). BTW, despite our benign give & take Wisdom, I do appreciate your info & perspective on the situation. Thanks. And OK, you can have Y-Bay to yourself when the netters aren't there http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif . - Steve

[This message has been edited by RT (edited 04-22-2000).]

[Deleted User]

Wise,
Some of yur perspectives and takes are all the way to funny! You say that the netters have a bad attitude toward sportfishermen because only a few of them make monetary donations to this fishery even though they subsidize it through other costs. Then you post that these sportsmen have only caught 15 to 20 fish in 3 weeks! while the netters caught over 1000 to 1300 to sell for money in about 30 hours! Who in a proper mental state could get a bad attitude toward sportfishers for not donating money to buy more springers for the netters in that situation. WHere the hell do you get off defending that sort of idiom??? I don't know why some sportsers did make a donation in that case! Still can't see your angle of favorable understanding these a**holes after reading all these posts about the situation!! WHat you been eatin?

[Dennis Stewart S.M.G.S]

Wisdom,
I too appreciate your info. and perspective on the situation, but I'll guarantee you, when the nets are out, I'll be in the secret fishing hole too! Fished Youngs Bay the last two days, one take down,and no fish.But they are there,I seen them on the fish finder ><>, I seen the seals, but I couldn't catch'um,Why? Because "rarely do you actually get optimal conditions for fishing" The tides been pulling real hard the last couple of days,along with a little rain,and you get water the color of the mighty Mississippi,along with a 20 m.p.h.wind that pushes you out of a pretty narrow slot, and I'm eating chicken instead of salmon.But you know what?I'll be fishing it again today, and tomorrow, trying to catch these fish, just like Wisdom has been doing for the last 4 years( although I'm sure it won't take me 4 years to figure it out)Why? Because half the fun of fishing to me is the challenge of catching those "difficult" fish,the thrill of fishing would be very short lived if all the fish were easy to catch,maybe the same with Wisdom?Instigator,take a chill pill man!Who would donate money to the net pens? Me! And a few other people I know. Not to put more fish in a commercial net,but to put more fish in my boat.May the best fisherman win!!!!
Dennis

[Barnyard]

Wisdom would you agree that nets take the generally larger and healtier Wild & hatchery fish?

Guess I shoulda started a new thread but I don't want to beat it to death(If I haven't allready)