Ron had the right slant on it, but the message was received wrong. The Columbia Wildlife Refuge is managed for ducks and geese. Next year the impact of some of this years changes will be realized. The Hamptons, along with some others are switching from a March 1st opener (which it's been for years) to an April 1st opener. The reason for this.... early ducks returning. Beats me what those early ducks are. Only ones I've seen over there early are mergies and cormorants.

Ducks are also the reason some of the lakes are closed in the middle of the year.

These lakes are on the CWF only.

P.S. Before you think I'm against ducks, I have last years stamp, a bunch of decoys, steel shot and a 3 year old Lab.... and I'm on the refuge forum... but I also pay attention to new proposed rule changes for eastern WA lakes. Next year almost all, if not all, of the CWF is going to an April 1st opener.

The Hampton lakes were always real good just after the ice went off. One time I had a stringer of trout I caught (on a teeny little spinner and an ultralight rod) that the smallest was 1.5 pounds and the biggest was 3.5. Fishing like this was the rule the first couple of weekends.