Northwest Fishing Reports

While waiting on approval from NOAA before the "June 1st" opening and fishing can begin I heard some people talking that the steelhead driving at the ponds are gonna "disappear" like they will open the tube to the hatchery or something and that the poachers will get them. Can anyone give me some clarification about how that process works and if you think people will be poaching out there? Because besides the poacher problem to my knowledge I thought the steelhead just hangout near the hatchery creek and thats why people catch them easily.

Most of the talk is just out of frustration. There are going to be some "opportunities" lost if you want to think of it that way in terms of fish that inevitably will be taken by poachers, drive up past the hatchery, or (if the gates are open) drive into the hatchery itself, but that's just how it works every year and the amount of fish "lost" to those things in a two week period is pretty small potatoes compared to the whole of the run. There will still be fish moving up during the summer season, so no,you'll really not lose much in the way of Steelhead in general, but you are not getting as many days to try for them as before. At any rate, you can't do anything about it, so no use worrying about it. Just wait until we get the go ahead and make the rush with everyone else.

BentRod wrote:Most of the talk is just out of frustration. There are going to be some "opportunities" lost if you want to think of it that way in terms of fish that inevitably will be taken by poachers, drive up past the hatchery, or (if the gates are open) drive into the hatchery itself, but that's just how it works every year and the amount of fish "lost" to those things in a two week period is pretty small potatoes compared to the whole of the run. There will still be fish moving up during the summer season, so no,you'll really not lose much in the way of Steelhead in general, but you are not getting as many days to try for them as before. At any rate, you can't do anything about it, so no use worrying about it. Just wait until we get the go ahead and make the rush with everyone else.

I agree to disagree. Fish have been hanging around for a while in Reiter area. I fish the opener every year and the amount of fish taken can be phenomenal and anyone who fishes it on the openers knows that the first day it opens can be phenomenal while the days and weeks prior to can be called mediocre at best. As time goes by the fishing dwindles. For novice fishermen that is the day they are most likely to hook a steelhead since they haven't been harassed nor have they shot up the tube. Poachers that's an obvious problem that also occurs during the season. While I do hook into fish after the opener it will get tougher as the season goes on. So yes there will be steelhead to be caught through out the season if you put your time and effort like a lot of us do but don't expect it to be phenomenal by any means so that being said choose your days wisely because I know I will!!

Frankly I believe the fishing usually starts out well due to an abundance of fish in the system combined with the fact that they've not been subject to heavy fishing pressure. After the initial heavy bombardment at Reiter opening week, not only are a good number of fish taken, but the remaining fish are now educated. Delaying the opening date by a week or two isn't going to change that.
Just my opinion.

Thats what i was implying and totally agree with you bentrod. It all depends on who you ask and where you fish. Steelhead always are trickling in but with guys starting to poach they will spook a lot of fish that are already i. The system. All im saying is dont expect it to be lights out fishing as it would be on a regular opening day. Still worth the drive if you ask me as fish are still taken later in the season just gotta work em a little harder into biting.

As long as water levels stay up it should be all good.

riverhunter wrote:Thats what i was implying and totally agree with you bentrod. It all depends on who you ask and where you fish. Steelhead always are trickling in but with guys starting to poach they will spook a lot of fish that are already i. The system. All im saying is dont expect it to be lights out fishing as it would be on a regular opening day. Still worth the drive if you ask me as fish are still taken later in the season just gotta work em a little harder into biting.

So what exactly are we debating?

BentRod wrote:

riverhunter wrote:Thats what i was implying and totally agree with you bentrod. It all depends on who you ask and where you fish. Steelhead always are trickling in but with guys starting to poach they will spook a lot of fish that are already i. The system. All im saying is dont expect it to be lights out fishing as it would be on a regular opening day. Still worth the drive if you ask me as fish are still taken later in the season just gotta work em a little harder into biting.

So what exactly are we debating?

No debate just giving my answer/opinion to the original question posted about steelhead and the opener at Reiter from past experience.