Occupy Skagit

[fear_no_fish]

What do you guys think/feel about this?

Copied from other fishing bulletin boards:

On April 6, 2013 a number of people will be staging a protest over the closure of the Skagit River to catch and release season for steelhead which ran until the end of April. We would like to see WDFW reinstate this season. We feel the reasons WDFW used to justify the closure are flawed and the c&r season does little to no harm to the Skagit steelhead. Closing the river only serves to deny us of yet one more oportunity to fish. If you care to join us we are billing this little protest as "Occupy Skagit". The goal is to get as many people as we can to show up and "fish" the Skagit on April 6th. Nothing illegal, no hooks allowed. As one fisherman put it; "If WDFW is going to pretend to manage our fish, I am going to pretend to fish for them." This is a somewhat organized event. We are planning to notify certain media outlets and also show up at the commisioner's meeting the following week. Please join us.

[Steelheadin360]

i think its a great idea!

[RiverChromeGS]

Im down. Better be no bait allowed if they open it tho

[zefsidefishing]

TOSSIN JUST WEIGHTS FR DAYYYSS

[Bodofish]

I applaud the effort and I'm normally all over civil disobedience and letting elected officials know how I feel but I'm really sorry about this one. First we're talking about changing the minds of professional bureaucrats, they are not elected, they’re appointed. They have no reason to change their minds or listen to you. They control the law enforcement involved in watching the area of protest. I'm pretty sure no one cares if you stand on the side of a river and toss weights in, better have all the TV stations running video on hundreds of people. There is no money at stake, there will be no civil disruption. During the event it will be status quo. The biggest black eye of all is the name of the protest. Occupy anything gives you a black eye after the last few years events. To give your protest a name that aligns you with an organized group bent on property destruction is not a good way to get your agenda across. In my opinion you would be much better served protesting in front of your State Representative’s and Senator’s businesses and haunts. Picket the Governor and march on capitol hill. Those are the people who pull the bureaucrats strings, they are the ones who can change their minds.

Go git 'em boys!!!

[goodtimesfishing]

Good chance people will be sited for harrassing the fish. Sounds like a good cause though.

[Brat Bonker]

I heard it isn't even the wdfw that decides whether it should be open yet NOAA makes that decision. An expected return of 4000-5000 natives this year is alright but should be a little better, hopefully that number continues to improve.
Make sure to de-bard your no hooked pink worms

[Kockmandoo]

This is good! a catch and release selective gear fishery would likely have a 0% mortality rate on caught fish.

[bigskyx]

I see a lot of poor fish handling. Proper catch & release technique really needs to be stressed! The life of the fish above the photo op.

[fear_no_fish]

I see a lot of poor fish handling. Proper catch & release technique really needs to be stressed! The life of the fish above the photo op.

Its really sad how many post pictures online of fish out of water when they know better.
Yet they pull it out of the river and do it anyways, then post it online and say its okay because of this or that.
Lets just say i wouldnt mind holding them underwater for a glory shot, dont worry its okay, i know how to hold people underwater and release them unharmed!

[Bodofish]

I see a lot of poor fish handling. Proper catch & release technique really needs to be stressed! The life of the fish above the photo op.

I've got to agree 100%. As much as I would like to see more time on all the rivers, we have a crisous and have some serious repair to do on all our stocks. I don't normally fish C&R only on rivers for the simple fact that the fishing has been cut down to C&R because of the state of the natural runs. I'm all over bonking any fish if the run is healthy or it's a brat, I love to eat big trout. I'd love to play the blame game but my finger is getting plain ol worn out from pointing it.

I'll put it to all of you, make a commitment, start today and write your legislators and let them know how you feel about the state of our runs, gill netting, tribal fishing and derelict gear. So many topics and so many elected officials.
Make the commitment and write an elected official, four per month, that's one a week with a week off. I'm pretty sure once you get started you'll find out how easy it is. As an example I emailed a member of the house every week for the better part of a year. I printed everyone of the emails. After close to a year I took the stack and went to his place of business and re-introduced myself, he had introduced himself at my door while campaigning. When I asked him if he had received my emails he looked a little embarrassed. I handed him nine months of emails, he promised to fix the communication problem. I now receive an email from him letting me know that he has read it and what he is going to do about it. I don't always get the answer I'm looking for but he knows how I'm thinking. The squeaky wheel gets the grease and your elected officials will know how serious you are about fishing and our ecology. Be that guy that gets the most from your elected official.

[fear_no_fish]

From the face book page,

What is Occupy Skagit?

• A gathering on the Skagit River, April 6th in support of restoring the C&R season. The activity will involve 'fishing' without hooks in as many visible places as possible on the Skagit and Sauk; from the bridge at Concrete upstream to Bacon Creek on the Skagit, and upstream on the Sauk to the bridge at Darrington.
• This is a 'Wade In' Our purpose is not to disrupt traffic, be violent, disrespectful, trespass, harass, or engage in illegal activity of any kind...you know, just like when you go fishing.
• This is a parallel action to mesh with attendance at the WDFW Comissioners Meeting the following week in Olympia.

Why Occupy Skagit?

• At the time of the ESA listing of Puget Sound wild steelhead, it was generally acknowledged by NMFS that the most robust large basin population in the region was in the Skagit; in fact on its own it probably would not have been listed. After reviewing the evidence, it is our belief that a well managed, catch-and-release (C&R) season on the Skagit would not be inconsistent with the recovery of its wild winter steelhead.
• This will require a petition from WDFW to NMFS for a permit that establishes basin specific allowable impacts (as is currently being done with Puget Sound Chinook).
Who is Occupy Skagit?
• You are. If two people do it, no one will notice. If two hundred people do it, we hope to garner some attention. Sometimes you have to dump a little tea in the harbor to get noticed.

[fear_no_fish]

There are three ways to get involved.

1. Show up in Rockport at The Howard Miller Steelhead Park the morning of April 6th and join us in some faux fishing.

2. Show up the following weekend in Olympia at the Commissioner's meeting and voice/show your support.

3. Send us an email with your name and hometown and we'll carry them to Olympia for you. cr_skagit@yahoo.com

Anyone going to show up this weekend?

[RiverChromeGS]

There are three ways to get involved.

1. Show up in Rockport at The Howard Miller Steelhead Park the morning of April 6th and join us in some faux fishing.

2. Show up the following weekend in Olympia at the Commissioner's meeting and voice/show your support.

3. Send us an email with your name and hometown and we'll carry them to Olympia for you. cr_skagit@yahoo.com

Anyone going to show up this weekend?

i was gonna fish the Hoh, but since the weather might screw that up ill be there if i dont go to the coast!

[fear_no_fish]

John and me were supposed to go up but its not looking like we will be there.

[RiverChromeGS]

John and me were supposed to go up but its not looking like we will be there.

haha he told me you got a truck issue.

[fear_no_fish]

He told you i have truck issues? He must be have been drunk or something haha

[natetreat]

How did it go? I'm curious.

[fear_no_fish]

http://www.theoutdoorline.com/forum/vie ... b&start=10" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
or you check out the face book page.