[tag-a-long]

If you hadn't heard!!!!!!


Chinook fishing to open on Columbia

Statesman Journal
June 10, 2003

With a second year of good summer chinook returns, officials for the Oregon and Washington departments of Fish and Wildlife have decided to open a summer chinook sport fishery beginning Monday on the Columbia River.

Biologists estimated earlier this year that 87,600 adult summer chinook would enter the Columbia River.

That would be the second-largest run since 1969. In 2002, 129,000 summer chinook entered the Columbia in June and July.

The Columbia River was open to summer chinook fishing in 2002 for the first time since 1973.

Historically, summer chinook were known as “June hogs” because of their large size.

The season allows fishing for adipose fin-clipped summer chinook and adipose fin-clipped steelhead from June 16 through July 31.

The open area is from the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line near Astoria upriver to the U.S. Highway 395 Bridge near Pasco, Wash.

The daily bag limit is two adult fin-clipped salmon or steelhead, and five fin-clipped jack salmon. The bonus season is designed to allow 85,000 summer chinook migrate above Bonneville Dam from June 1 through July 31.

Biologists will monitor the season to ensure that deaths of wild, native summer chinook are less than 1 percent of the total run.

Wild summer chinook destined for the Snake River are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.

 

[Fshklr]

This is still the june 16th opener?

 

[Artwo]

Fshklr,
Yep, that's what it says................

"The season allows fishing for adipose fin-clipped summer chinook and adipose fin-clipped steelhead from June 16 through July 31."

JK

 

[timinthegorge]

Hmmm..... I feel a head-cold coming on..... Next Monday!

YeeeeeeHaaaaaa!!!! It's going to be a great summer!!

Oh, and don't forget, that's both salmon AND steelhead opening the 16th on the Big River!

My goal is to have a two salmon, two metalhead kinda day up here in the Mid-Columbia.... It'll be tough, but somebody's got to do it.... :dance:

[ 06-10-2003, 02:17 PM: Message edited by: timinthegorge ]

 

[Mojo]

Tim,
As far as keeping goes..."The daily bag limit is two adult fin-clipped salmon or steelhead, "

 

[finclipped]

Mojo, not in Washington. You can keep two Salmon and two steelhead. I have never been so lucky though.

 

[Miss B Haven]

Be careful of where you are on the river. The regs say (for Boundary waters) you can fish the whole river with a license from either state but you must follow the regs of the state who's water you are in. :depressed:

 

[jokester]

Yeah, I think the Oregon regs are a little messed up. Why can't you keep 2 salmon AND 2 steelies like Washington, instead of just 2 fish period?? :whazzup:

jokester

 

[mrfish48]

Can someone tell me where in the washington regs
it states you can keep 2 chinook and 2 steelhead???

 

[Nodakr]

Now to really throw in a monkey wrench!!What IF you have a ore. and wash. lic.?? Are you aloud to tag 2 of each on your wash.tag,instead of using your ore. tag????

 

[skahorse]

Miss B Haven,
If that's the case... Does that mean, as an Oregon licensed fisherman, do I get to follow Washington Regs and keep 2 and 2 if I am in Washington water?

(always looking for loopholes... :grin: )

 

[Miss B Haven]

That'a pretty unclear now isn't it skahorse (what's a skahorse anyway). I've thought the same thing. Most of the time they try to keep the regs the same to avoid this. (Sturg/Salmon season/Sizes etc).
I think the issue in this case is that WA does not consider Salmon a game fish and it's a different tag (food fish) than Steelies (game fish).
No way would I keep 2 of each on an Oregon tag. But - if you were to have a WA tag the regs also say that you can launch and land on either shore.
Fortunatly- I'll never have to worry about it. First, catching 2 of each in the river would be a feat beyond my skill. Second, no way I want or need 4 in one day. :cheers:

 

[Chacal]

I never was very good at math.... :shrug:

I WILL BREAK THE DROUGHT THIS SUMMER EVEN IF I HAVE TO DIVE INTO THE RIVER WITH A KNIFE BETWEEN MY TEETH AND STAB ONE OF THOSE CHROME BULLETS!


Sorry...long day.