Lets wait on Bonneville pool

[No Wishin Just Fishin]

Oregon and Wash FandW are considering opening the bonneville pool for springers. There are 2 reasons for us to show up at the meeting and impress on them NO NO NO!!!

1. All of the fish for Drano and the Wind are not clipped this year so it will screw up this fishing as You will be able to keep fin clipped only.

2. The number of fish caught will count against the numbers in the lower river, probably causing an earlier closure below the Dam.

Jim Martin and His crew a couple years ago did the same stupid thing on the Willamette. under the assumption we needed to get used to releasing fish for a year. What a crock.!!

Next year tall the fish from White Salmon and the wind will be clipped, so it makes more sense to hold off a year on the Bonneville pool. They also need to study what this will do to the season below the Dam. I urge anyone to send emails to the WDFW and the ODFW concerning this issue.

As Phil Leshowitz of the RFA says "wait until 2005, one more year isn't going to kill us.

Oh yes the fish caught in the pool will count against the sport allocation below Bonneville as well.

[Up-4-Air]

I see it a little different.

When I read the article in the Columbian I was thinking about a couple places I would like to fish in the Bonneville pool. Sounded like most opposition was from the enforcement point of view. How do they seperate a non-fin clipped fish caught in the pool (illegal) from a non-fin clipped fish caught at Wind River? (legal) Who's problem is that? Is it mine? With a near record run of fish going up the Columbia, I would like the opportunity to fish different places. If you don't mind the below Bonneville quota being affected next year why worry about it when there is such a large return expected this year?

[wetonwhite]

been wishing for this for years dont care for the crowds and know of a few sweet spots. if f&w shut it down a littel early so be it will take my chances with fins vs no fins to be able to fish the whole thing and not play bumper boats at wind and drano

nowishin: sure you mean littel white, as the big white has no plans of cliping in your life or till the damns gone which ever comes first :tongue:

[finclipped]

I want the upper river folks to have a shot at the fish, but making it a fin clipped only fishery at the Wind will really chap some people. It really comes down to a choice, do you want the option of fishing the whole river for clipped fish or the option of fishing the confined area around Wind and Drano for unclipped fish.

Tough decision, but I would like it to remain as is and move to a fin clipped fishery when the returning adults are clipped.

[Jignfloat]

Wow!!! this is going to be interesting....I too, would love to fish the pool, however, I can see both sides. One more year wouldnt hurt, but yes, it is hard to let a record run slip by again. Sure would be nice to launch at Hood RIver and run across to troll off the mouth of the White Salmon.... :whazzup:
Russ

[Mrdorkfish]

It sounds to me like they would open up the Bonny Pool for finclipped fish....not hurting any regulations set on Drano or the Wind, Hatchery fish are for harvest anyway...aren't they?? If those fish make it over the dam they should only have a positive impact on wheather or not to keep the lower river open...If high numbers get over Boneville they are more likely to keep it open and even allow us to fish for those Summer Chinook again. If the bulk of the run hasn't gone over...it's a game of red light green light till it does.

MrDorkfish [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

Some guy named Louis

[No Wishin Just Fishin]

There will be no enforcement problem as Drano and the Wind will have to be clipped fish also, and they wont all be clipped until next years return.

[chromebright]

As someone who lives smack dab in the middle of this pool, I am not going to agree with you "No Wishin Just Fishin ". So what if you have to release a few fish at the Wind and Drano. How is that going to hurt the run? It won't. I would personally like to be able to fish out of my boat near where I live. If I have to release some fish, good for the fish. There are more than enough springers to be kept, but there are not enough spots to fish. Who likes crowding in the Wind or Drano with another 100 boats? Not me. If it goes against the sport allocation that is only fair. Why do we not have the same right to catch fish as those below Bonni? Sounds to me like you just don't want the lower river closed any sooner because of the upriver catch. That is not fair to us.

[ 01-30-2004, 11:59 AM: Message edited by: chromebright ]

[No Wishin Just Fishin]

Chrome bright You are certainly entitled to your own opinion, and because of where You live I can understand it. BUT, would one more year reaaly hurt anything? The gentleman at the hatchery on the wind tells me that 90% of the fish returning this year will not be clipped.I personnally do not mind the boats at the mouth of the wind, although Drano is a little crowded for my blood, and should be for the bankies only at the west end. I fished the Bonneville pool back in the years that it was open for Springers and I know alot of places to ambush them, so I would like it open also. I am just saying, lets have a little patience and wait until next year when they will all be clipped.

[chromebright]

Are you sure about that 90% number? That was not the number that I was told would be clipped this year. If it really is 90% I can see how it would be a problem if they won't allow you to keep non clipped fish "Inside" the wind and Drano. BUT on the other hand why should we not be able to fish above Drano? It really comes down to an enforcement issue and whether or not they want to try and manage it or just close it to all.

I honestly don't really care. I have the most fun fishing for springers off the bank. If it is open I will go out in my boat around here, if not they will still be where they always are. I too would hate to see it turn into a mess and become more of an issue that it needs to be.