[AnnaDraMoss]

I have quite a few relatives who are the lower river boys.
They would tell you they are smart enough Not to rely on gillnet fishing as their livelihood. Most of them are fighting for family heritage.
Even if they try to supplement their gillnetting with crabbing or whatever commercial fishery, it doesnt pay out for them.
They all have other full time jobs working in the woods, log truck driving, a couple of them are local school teachers and coaches, county roads.
It really is a part time hobby any more.
Things just are'nt like they used to be.

 

[roosevelt]

i have a hard time putting much credibility to this debate. i do understand it is on a sportfishing website, but it is very one sided. for me, i am certainly not pro commercial, and i can't believe gillnets are allowed in rivers...... but, i do think it's unfair to make it worse for the commercials just to make it better for us, we have plenty of fishing oppertunities in this state as sport fisherman, i have a hard time wanting to take money out of peoples pocket so i can fish a couple more days per year. i guess i am just feeling for both sides, because i live both. i make my living in commercial harvest, luckily my harvest has zero impact on any sport harvest, and is the most selective harvest of any fishery....i also am a sport fisherman 100+ days per year. what i'm saying is i understand both sides, i just think there is a much better alternative than gillnetting for the comercials to havest their share.:twocents:

 

[drano100]

Why don't you go to NOF and do something about it? I hear there's a big meeting tomorrow, you going?

What's the quality of a tribal caught summer up there vs one from the lower river? Same? I don't think so, I bet the the commercials also get more per pound vs the tribes. One might say than it would be easier for people to buy cause it's so cheap, but remember you get what you pay for. I certainly don't mind paying a little extra for quality.

Hmmm:idea: invite the tribes downriver to harvest some of their fish, with catch sharing they need to catch some in the lower river in April and May, not wait until June to find out if the run comes in.

 

[crabbait]

i have a hard time putting much credibility to this debate. i do understand it is on a sportfishing website, but it is very one sided. for me, i am certainly not pro commercial, and i can't believe gillnets are allowed in rivers...... but, i do think it's unfair to make it worse for the commercials just to make it better for us, we have plenty of fishing oppertunities in this state as sport fisherman, i have a hard time wanting to take money out of peoples pocket so i can fish a couple more days per year. i guess i am just feeling for both sides, because i live both. i make my living in commercial harvest, luckily my harvest has zero impact on any sport harvest, and is the most selective harvest of any fishery....i also am a sport fisherman 100+ days per year. what i'm saying is i understand both sides, i just think there is a much better alternative than gillnetting for the comercials to havest their share.:twocents:

Wow, someone has completely missed the point! It isn't about "our side" versus "their side". It is about trying to recover the ESA fish stocks. Returning fish are the seed crop for all future generations and gill nets are killing them indiscriminately.

Yes, there are many other factors in fish recovery. But harvesting the seed stock makes no sense at all. We all need to be fishing using the most selective methods available or we need to be off the river.

 

[Fisherdaddy]

Think $48,000 for a single boat in one salmon opener is a hobby?

If this is the case I would say not a hobby. This is why I asked.

 

[fergy61]

Think $48,000 for a single boat in one salmon opener is a hobby?

That's how they afford those great big houses on the river.
There are quite a few Longshoremen who Com Gillnet. Wonder what their annual income is?