Getting nervous!

[Eglseder]

Well, I will spend my summer hiking and fishing alpine lakes in god's country! Way more beautiful and secluded anyways..also the trout fishing is amazing! This just makes it easier to focus on that instead of trying to do everything haha! Just think of the potential this has for amazing fishing next year or the year after!! Could be a great thing...no need to get down on ourselves

[Larry3215]

I know - Im cross posting....

PSA Protest Rally!

Just got this from the PSA guys....

We need you to support our RALLY FOR FISHERIES EQUALITY this Thursday, May 5, in Lacey starting at 11:30AM! We will be meeting at NOAA's office, located at 510 Desmond Drive SE in Lacey.
Rally for Fisheries Equity and Fairness
This year's salmon season setting process fell apart when WDFW and the Puget Sound treaty tribes failed to reach agreement. As a result, we were told that neither group would be allowed to fish until either an agreement was in place or a federal permit was issued by NOAA. To date, neither of those have happened and yet the treaty tribes are commencing commercial gillnet fisheries that impact endangered salmon populations.

At the same time, all Puget Sound recreational salmon fisheries - including fisheries in Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish - are shut down with no sign that federal officials plan to take action. This is a slap in the face to the nearly quarter million recreational anglers who make Puget Sound sport fisheries a $100+ million industry!It is uncertain if NOAA will allow any non-tribal fisheries this year. We need you to help us put pressure on NOAA to approve non-tribal fisheries and restore balance to Puget Sound salmon management.

This is your chance to show up and let our federal fisheries managers know how you feel. We need your help to:
Restore fairness and equality in harvest sharing - consistent with the Boldt Decision;
Provide transparency to a broken co-management process;
Hold our federal government accountable for properly managing our fisheries;
Continue our role as leaders in common sense conservation of our marine resources.

Please show up and let your voice be heard! Make sure any signs or statements are positive and respectful - key messages include fairness, transparency, and cooperation - hallmarks of the rule of law and co-management.

What: RALLY FOR FISHERIES EQUALITY
When: Thursday, May 5, at 11:30 AM
Where: NOAA's Lacey office (510 Desmond Dr SE)

PSA, CCA, Fish NW, NMTA, Everett Salmon Steelhead, Snohomish Sportsman Club, Outdoor Line a coalition of recreational anglers sent a joint letter to Governor Inslee and our Congressional delegation urging them to engage in the issue.
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[Blunatic]

You guys realize what is probably coming next year..( or whenever they reopen for salmon)?....I am guessing there will be a major price hike on the fishing licence if you want to fish for salmon and you probably wont be able to buy a second catch card, along with new gear restrictions....just for starters.

[Let's_Go_Fishing!]

Starting to wonder if Olympia is as anadromous as sea run cuts. Wish their motivation for closures would spawn out *lol*

Geezus I'm pissed about this whole thing. All I want is a little CnR for trout and steelies. But, you know there will be people keeping em' anyway if its open.

There goes all my summer plans... soooo yeah Bass and SRC's it is.

Not to mix it up further, but most of the marine areas in Puget Sound have SRC's as a CnR fishery.
Yeah, I get it, I fish for them as well. But the rationel seemed to be that it was like you were "targeting"
Coho/rezzies, etc. and if a SRC came along it was considered bycatch, and obviously we are releasing them anyway in accordance with reg.

So... My question is, if you have no legal reason to beach fish for salmon, are we legit to call SRC our bycatch?
(I'm not calling you out at all, Ian, I am a little confused on this myself.
The whole fly community onviously targets SRC, but I always saw it as a gray area--calling it bycatch.

[AJFishdude]

I keep checking the emergency rule sections and can't find a body of water mentioned in the release, Lk WA, Lk Sammamish, Sky, Skagit with a closure listed? Just an oversight or delay by wdfw? I thought that made it official.

Go check out the WDFW page now, everything is specifically listed out. I was wondering the same thing too though; checking closures and not seeing anything except that generic post listing a few places where you could still fish. All of the closures appear to be up now though, and it it is pretty severe.

[AJFishdude]

So... My question is, if you have no legal reason to beach fish for salmon, are we legit to call SRC our bycatch? (I'm not calling you out at all, Ian, I am a little confused on this myself.
The whole fly community onviously targets SRC, but I always saw it as a gray area--calling it bycatch.

The way I read it is that salt water fishing where you are targeting SRCs continues as normal...I would just say to make sure that it is very clear that you are targeting trout and nothing else, which should be obvious by your gear selection. Just yesterday I was out fishing the salt with what was very clearly trout gear and a WDFW officer came by checking people who were clam digging and he didn't even say a word to me.

With these incredibly comprehensive closures, assuming they last all summer and fall, I am pretty much going to be forced to fish SRCs in the salt, the Snoqualmie above the falls (very very happy they didn't close that too...which would have been ridiculous), and a number of remote lakes I have been wanting to get to.