Tribes now netting Lake Washington proper

[irishrogue]

Report from a buddy out there that 1 boat is setting up, and as many as 4 others are en-route.

An unintended consequence of sharing fishing reports, with detailed locations of schools and waypoints, is that ANYONE (including Tribal Fishermen) can read them. Please at least consider that when/if you are posting.

[Gonefishing]

I can confirm the presence of 2 tribal net boats. One was in Moss Bay and the other was inside Yarrow Point. I don't think they needed to read some fishing report on some online site or Facebook - likely wouldn't have hurt either. They have the same numbers running through the locks that everybody else has. I'm sure a math formula can be used to figure out roughly where they should be on any given date. Having electronics doesn't hurt either. However, the last few days has been a case of a lot of circus jumping coho. Lots of fish its seemed were jumping in Moss Bay this afternoon. We saw fish scattered at various area but for the most part they were lock jawed. Saw a beautiful but dark salmon landed, this was just before the tribal boat arrived at Moss. For a little bit it looked like an altercation between a sports fisherman boat and the tribal boat would occur.... but it didn't. And yes I'm not happy with the tribal net in the lake when they already have the locks locked up with nets and the dip net thing in the ladder.

[irishrogue]

I'm trying to get the pics from my buddy, but he said seven distinct boats fishing tonight -- hunts point to moss bay, covering virtually all the water.

[BARCHASER10]

Page 25 of LOAF (List of Agreed Fisheries) allows treaty netting if the Coho count goes over 10,000 into Lake Wa, which it is has. LOAF is an annual NOF doc that specifies the allowed fisheries for commercial and rec. I suspect the tribes are drooling to get a shot at the salt too, but it is hard to get any count on the salt, obviously.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/tribal/2016-17agreement.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[irishrogue]

BarChaser: Interesting indeed. That said, it's hard to feel like there is real "cooperative management" going on in this fishery in any way. Consider that the tribes have 4 miles of narrow/private fishery in the cut, and we have access to the lake only. Their harvest #'s have not been shared, but data I saw says the Muckleshoots got ~700+ fish on the FIRST DAY they fished... I will wager that exceeds sport harvest for the last 2 weeks.

Under those circumstances I think the idea that they get to deploy nets in the one place we get to fish, and do so right thru the trolling lanes (which they did this morning), it's sure hard to feel like there is *any* semblance of cooperative management at all.

[Mike Carey]

I wasn't aware of the 10k fish rule, interesting. A friend told me he thought the lake numbers are now over 25,000 fish. Anyone have the most recent number?

Agreed, it's unfortunate the tribes focus in on an area that sport anglers frequent. As to your other point, I think that the tribes are well aware where the fish are. I doubt they are pouring over angling reports and then saying "let's go there". The coho are there because that's where they always are, year after year after year. If nothing else you only have to spend a few minutes to see where the fish are jumping. It's pretty obvious.

We can conclude that the bulk of the run is in the lake since the tribes aren't dip netting the fish ladder.

I do have a question.

Does anyone know how deep the nets go under the surface?

[irishrogue]

Chart on WDFW ballard locks count says 17.5K thru the 25th, figure 500 per day after that and you're looking at 20K. I'm reasonably confident the Suquamish tribe has netted another 5K+ in front of the locks so a 25K run is certainly possible at this point.

Our "half" would be something like 10 thousand fish, of which I bet we have at least 300 (three HUNDRED) by now. Beyond insulting that the Mukleshoot tribe netted the lake IMO. That their nets cut right through the reasonable trolling lines for those fishing today is icing on the cake.

[The Quadfather]

Man, what a drag it is reading this. Considering I do not salmon fish the rivers, and I have not had direct experience with being effected by any Puget Sound netting... This will be the first time I am being directly effected by tribal netting, etc.
( I have arranged to fish lake WA. on Oct 9th)

So, my question is, does anybody know what their schedule is for setting nets? I usually read that on the rivers sporties seem to know what the tribal netting schedule is. I'd love to plan around this for lake WA.

[Mike Carey]

For sure, anglers will never harvest our "50%" because our methods are not nearly as effective as gill nets.

I did talk with a friend this evening who told me he thought the nets extend about 20 feet down. Meaning despite how dismal it looks there should still be a good amount of fish that don't get netted. He also mentioned some other areas in the lake that are hold fish. They aren't all sitting in Moss Bay.

May be time to do a little prospecting. Think any place you can find underwater pinnacle structures.

[Mike Carey]

Man, what a drag it is reading this. Considering I do not salmon fish the rivers, and I have not had direct experience with being effected by any Puget Sound netting... This will be the first time I am being directly effected by tribal netting, etc.
( I have arranged to fish lake WA. on Oct 9th)

So, my question is, does anybody know what their schedule is for setting nets? I usually read that on the rivers sporties seem to know what the tribal netting schedule is. I'd love to plan around this for lake WA.

PM sent

[tooboocoo]

Last time I saw an Indian net in Lake Washington was about 12 years ago. It was on Webster Point and was full of rotting Salmon and a few smallmouth.

[Bodofish]

Bales of straw will fix a lot of netting problems. Well, for sport fishermen...........

[BARCHASER10]

LOAF page 25. The way I read it the tribes can start fishing week 40 (week beginning 9/25) and keep fishing through week 47 (w/b 11/13) and they can fish 5 days a week during that period. Since they cant fish the salt (yet) they will prob concentrate on Lake Wa. The gill nets don't get all the fish but the fish availability starts getting pretty low. That's what happens in the C when the nets go in. I think gill nets tend to spook the fish too. I have a hip problem so I wont go out for Silvers at all this year. I should be fixed up by next year when hopefully we get back to normal.

But as for the tribes, they own the salmon fishery, we just get to rent it now and then. That's just the way it is.

Man, what a drag it is reading this. Considering I do not salmon fish the rivers, and I have not had direct experience with being effected by any Puget Sound netting... This will be the first time I am being directly effected by tribal netting, etc.
( I have arranged to fish lake WA. on Oct 9th)

So, my question is, does anybody know what their schedule is for setting nets? I usually read that on the rivers sporties seem to know what the tribal netting schedule is. I'd love to plan around this for lake WA.

[BARCHASER10]

There is a tribal net schedule but for some reason it doesn't cover Puget Sound fisheries.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/tribal/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[rseas]

An unintended consequence of sharing fishing reports, with detailed locations of schools and waypoints, is that ANYONE (including Tribal Fishermen) can read them. Please at least consider that when/if you are posting.

I have thought long and hard about whether or not I would reply to this post. I fully understand the frustration with the tribal fisheries but your beef should be with the state government. The tribal fisheries are legal and by law one is not allowed to interfere with the fishery.

I truly believe that the sports fisherman gets the short straw but there are still fish to be caught and finding them will make you a better fisherman. Lake Washington is a big lake, there are many places that will hold fish, you just have to find them.

I have been fishing Lake Washington for salmon and other fish since I was in my teens (40+ years). The tribal fisheries are nothing new, ever since the late 70s we have shared the lake with the tribal fisheries. Blaming the netting on people who post fishing reports is misdirected. Back in the 70s we did not have the internet, websites, cellphones and certainly did not have online fishing reports. Even with the absence of internet technologies there was still a tribal fishery.

Back then the average boat may or may not have had electronics, probably did not have downriggers and you actually had to learn a given body of water. You would read the weekly fishing report in the local rag, study charts and if you kept one, review your log book. After launching, armed with your knowledge of the area you planned to fish and the weeks research you would begin your adventure. If you caught fish all was good but many did not. If you had electronics it is likely your only return was the bottom, no arches to tell you where the fish were. No GPS, fog or no fog you used a compass and line of sight to navigate. You had to work to catch your fish. To be honest the open sharing of fishing information has benefited each and every fisherman on this and many other websites.

When I am lucky enough to get out fishing I always post a detailed fishing report. I hope that they have and will continue to provide other fisherman the information they need to enjoy a given fishery. I don't think that any one of us wants to give up our easy access to fishing information, I know I don't.

[BARCHASER10]

If you look at the LOAF, its pretty obvious what happened. Just a few moths ago, the WDFW and the tribes were in a big shootout. The WDFW wanted to allow a low quota summer Chinook rec fishery in the Straight and MA 9. But the tribes, mostly the Muks, said no so the WDFW had to throw them a bone. The chosen sacrificial lamb was the Lake Wa/Samm Silver run. It is well suited for that purpose since it is mostly hatchery fish and the size of the run can be measured easily through the count at the Locks.

The Skagit has a small tribal net fishery but none of the other rivers do except for minor C&S nets.

That's life in the Judge Boldt world!

[irishrogue]

Guess what? They're returning, and for two straight days this time. Setting Tuesday @6pm, and will fish non-stop until Thursday at 10am.

Sorry, this is insane. Everyone who thinks we're "co-operatively" managing this resource is an apologist. We, and they, know they've taken vastly more fish than sporties, and they have plenty of opportunity to dip and/or net the locks and cut. It is insulting to have them back interfering with our opportunity.

RSEAS: Due respect, but I'm not blaming the netting on anyone here--so go reread the post, you'll find phrases encouraging thoughtfulness when posting details like "Please" and "consider" and "unintended consequences". So you might try dialing back the drama, nobody is against sharing knowledge--but consider each situation uniquely--and this year and this season is certainly unique.

[kiyus]

Where are you getting the netting schedule from? That would be very helpful in planning a trip.

[salmonkiller]

Where are you getting the netting schedule from? That would be very helpful in planning a trip.

X2

[BARCHASER10]

Off course the nets are back in. Just read the LOAF, the link is above, page 25. In Lake Washington the LOAF says the tribes can start fishing week 40 (week beginning 9/25) and keep fishing all the way through week 47 (w/b 11/13) and they can fish 5 days a week during that period if they want to! The LOAF is an important document that sets all seasons for both sides.

They can net when they want to for five days a week if they want to. Like I said above this is the deal the WDFW made with the tribes in order to have a summer Chinook fishery.

Personally, I think the WDFW needed to do this deal so there was a summer Chinook fishery. Otherwise there would have been no summer Chinook fishery on the Straight and fishing resorts in places like Sekiu would have went broke.

There is something new about the tribes. After Judge Boldt all during the 80's and 90's the tribes were just not that aggressive and we got better seasons as a result. Over the last few years the tribes have become a lot more aggressive about their "rights" under Boldt. They will probably get more aggressive still as shown by their refusal to be part of the NOF process this year. I don't know what process there will be next year, if there is one.

Give up on Lake Wa Silvers. It is toast. Get your boat and gear ready for MA 8-2 and 9 Blackmouth which opens 11/1.