Springer season

[dawhunt]

O.K. ,here's the word,I just left the wdfw meeting an hour ago.We'll be able to fish for sure thru sun. of this week.There going to reevalute the run on thurs. of this week.If the run starts picking up we'll be able to fish longer.How much longer ???,it will be on a pretty much day to day fishery,after Sun.They have decided the run is late and should start picking up.If it doesn't we're out !!.We need to hope and pray that the fish counting at the dam picks up ALOT !!!.It was a pretty good meeting as meetings goes,they were hit pretty hard at the end about there #'s and gillnetters.But all in all it was a good meeting.But as normal if the short end of the stick comes around we'll get it.They were also informed by a very respected person that we would not be very happy if they took us out and then let the gillnetters get what we didn't that the sport fisherman are tired of this and wouldn't put up with it again.In just about those words,This same person brought up the facts that there #'s on catch and release were way off.As many of us know that spend a lot of time on the water the ratio between kept fish and released fish(natives) is a lot stronger toward the native side while they said it was about a 50/50 split.I know that the last week I fished, out of 8 or 9 fish 7 or 8 were released.I talked to a friend that hooked 6 fish at Bonniville last weekend and everyone of them were nates.I wish the news was better but it isn't very good at all.If the fish count goes down and not up we're done untill hopefully it goes back up.SORRY :hoboy:
Bob :depressed:

[ 04-23-2002, 01:50 PM: Message edited by: dawhunt ]

[jet]

Thanks Bob for the update.

Jet~~~

[FM2]

I just spoke with Steve King at ODFW and he confirms what Bob said (I wasn't doubting Bob, just reenforcing) and Steve went on to say the Willamette is not affected by this development, only the Columbia. There had been reports about the Willamette being involved but it is not.

According to Steve the count over the dam yesterday was 4500, but he said the water flows were up again so this could be a reason. He also thinks the run is late and is optimistic the run will increase.

[Phish_on]

I'd say an abundance of wild fish IS "good news."

[wetaline]

an abundance of wild fish is good.... but an abundance of unclipped hatchery fish that must be released is frustrating... still fun to catch though

[BUGLEMAN]

Originally posted by wetaline:
an abundance of wild fish is good.... but an abundance of unclipped hatchery fish that must be released is frustrating... still fun to catch though<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Actually an abundance of unclipped hatchery fish is pollictics. Most of those fish are paid for by our $ and it is in the Indians interest to not clip them.

[dawhunt]

Bugleman is absolutly right !!!!
If those fish of there's are not clipped they shouldn't be allowed to catch them either :(I believe there being funded by the government(us) to raise them,if we can't catch them they shouldn't either..
Bob :mad:

[NAUTI-NOTIONS]

Question:
if a closure was to take place, wouldn't it be from Bonny down stream and remain open above Bonny to Mcnary dam?

[dawhunt]

YES,it would remain open above Bonniville.
Bob