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Would you support a statewide Wild Steelhead C&R fishery and Why?

  • Yes

    Votes: 67 84.8%
  • No

    Votes: 8 10.1%
  • Undecided

    Votes: 4 5.1%

Would you support a statewide Wild Steelhead C&R fishery and Why?

3K views 32 replies 25 participants last post by  Jerry Metcalf 
#1 ·
Please tell us why you made the choice you made.

Thank you
 
#5 ·
I voted yes but am not really sure what I voted for. Like all the initiatives we vote on around here, your proposal was a little ambiguous.:) Since I don't fish the OP, as far as I'm personally concerned the state is already C&R on wild steelhead anyway. I am resigned to the probability that it will truly become statewide C&R on wild fish as far as the sport fishery is concerned as and when things go downhill on the OP. I release all wild salmonids (not just steelhead) I catch in this state, so I personally already "support" a statewide C&R on fishery on wild steelhead. Why? Seems like wild fish are under enough pressure from myriad factors that they could use one less factor to worry about (i.e., getting bonked by me for the smoker, barbecue, frying pan, etc.) I'd jump for joy if the natives left wild fish alone too, but the fact that they don't wouldn't persuade me that I shouldn't forego harvesting wild fish. Conditioning one's support for sport C&R wild steelhead fishery on other user groups behaving themselves seems, shall we say, rather unenlightened. Now, if you have any good ideas for how to get natives on board for statewide C&R on wild steelhead, I'm all ears.
 
#6 ·
I would and I would like to see the fine for breaking law and keeping a wild fish unreasonably large like $2k.

If the system is changed to this I would also like to see an extra tag specifically for steelhead so people cant incidentally target them. I would like to see a sizeable portion of that extra fee put directly into improving habitat.
 
G
#7 ·
how about go singapore style, cut their hand off if they poach! I certainly would support a state wide C&R. While some at management agencies might say abundance wouldnt rise much, you dont know until you try and close them to harvest. Problem is, the only rivers harvest is still allowed in also have native gill net fisheries that take an unreasonably high number of fish in my opinion.
 
#10 ·
I voted no. I don't like blanket laws and think such things as C&R regulations, harvest levels, seasons, etc. should be set on a case by case or river by river basis. Personally I would release all wild steelhead no matter if it were mandatory or not. My poll was not to find out what your personal choices are as much as to see if you would support a law that mandates all wild steelhead be released in the state and no I am not suggesting this be used as a means to open currently closed fisheries.
 
#12 ·
Statewide C&R.

The idea of 'blanket laws' sounds like a copout in many ways. Do we really value wild steelhead or not? If almost all historic runs are gone, but a few are 'strong' (according to who?), do we wait until the remaining runs are nearly wiped out before making then C&R as well?

Who does wild steelhead C&R really hurt? Guides? Business? Bubba's freezer?

Our regs are as bad as the tax code. We complain that they are too complex out of one side of our mouth, then complain if there is a 'blanket law' that does not take a spefic little creek, fish species, or salt water zone into consideration. Keep the regs simple. No fin, it goes back. No second guessing and no excuses ("officer, I thought it was OK to keep 6 native steelhead on this river???????").

Then we ban together and go after the nets...
 
#16 ·
I think Statewide C&R would be great but more important is more FINES AND JAILTIME. I still see poachers ALL THE F'ING TIME and I still see drift boats with bonked wild steelhead ALL THE F'ING TIME.

The real problem are the people that don't give a $&#$&# what the law says because they believe it is their right to kill these fish. Until there are some serious penalties handed more frequently, I don't think the impact will be much.

Oh, and how about a DETAILED explainer of C&R and its proper practice, history, water temps, fish physiology et cetera in the REGs. Wouldn't it be nice if people were educated in a way that makes them appreciate rather than simply losing their rights and having no idea what it is about? The later just pisses them off and probably leads to more bonking.
 
#19 ·
My local river: Nooksack

Poaching is rampant even by fly fishers who think catch and release is fine! The worst though are drift boats who think I am "one of them" that will let me in on their secrets if I ask nicely.

How many bonked wild steelhead do you think are hiding under a blanket of ice and beer in those boats. It is A LOT. This year I even heard guys complaining about the shitty hatchery run as a justification for taking something, anything, home. I heard one guy ACTUALLY say, "It doesn't matter what it is. Its goin' in the pickup." at a plunking hole......Not to mention the impact on dollies....

I can't even talk about this stuff without getting super worked up. I have been volunteering for Nooksack Salmon Enhancment for a decade and care a lot about this river only to see a lot of the locals treat it any way they want.

I haven't even mentioned the Gorilla-Meth-Netters that pop up mostly in the off season.

However, I have met some great bait chucking gentlemen on the river and had a good time with them so I won't make generalizations.
 
#20 ·
Even though I'm in Oregon, I voted yes. The majority of our rivers (the Rogue from 1-1 to 4-31 being the exception that comes to mind - max of 5 unclipped fish) are already C & R for 'wild fish' now.

That said! Until you get enough 'badges' out there to ENFORCE the ban you're 'pissing in the wind.' All be it I'm repeating myself, game checking (fish) is one of the main duties of the Oregon State Police. "You call, they HAUL."

Fishing the Rogue since the mid-1990's I can truthfully say I've never seen anyone from the State Game dept ... save for when I went into there office for something. OSP? All the time; you can tell the fisheries guys, all drive white 4x4 PU's.
Fred
 
#23 ·
You can have a CnR all you want and the people that obey it are the honest ones. And sometimes I wonder about them. There is no way this can be enforced.

Remember when they closed down all the rivers in the Wenatchee area. Nobody went broke over there. That would be a good area for this but you just can't enfoece it. I just wonder how many Steelhead are caught and kept durning the Whitefish season on the Wenatchee River.

Jim
 
#24 ·
Yes. the number of people (both from in state and from states rather far away) now going to the Forks area rivers so they can bonk the single wild fish they are legally allowed to each year has gotten to be ridiculous. In my opinion, it is past time to have year-round CnR on all steelhead rivers.

And it matters not to me if the NA's adopt it or not because if sports fishers don't kill their half of the "surplus fish", there will be more fish spawning and available anyway. Besides, the federal courts gave the NA's the "right to fish" and the state can do nothing about that since it would take federal court action to overturn Bolt, something that is not going to happen. It is time we get over this if the NA's can kill wild steelhead, so should we and help keep what is left instead of bonking them and further depleting their numbers.

As far as poaching, it happens whether there is CnR, closed seasons, or the current single wild fish/year retention. Poachers don't care, all they want is fish in the freezer or BBQ.
 
#27 ·
Anyone who has not joined the Wild Steelhead Coalition and is serious about protecting steelhead should go to the website ASAP an sign up. Also, it is important to remember that even with catch-and-release of wild steelhead there is still a percentage those that do not survive the recovery process. They represent harvest.
Les Johnson
 
#30 ·
A wild steelhead is too majestic an animal to kill, period.

Period.
I agree completely and I have said the same countless times but don't you think we are a rediculous group of people when we can say and believe this and yet harass the crap out of these fish?
 
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