In order to get that large they need a food base in the lake. Zooplankton. Then, fit stocking levels to food supply.

I’m fine with it. Plant more fish dang it. Hatchery Wild Coexist. Stop worrying about that mythical Unicorn absolutely pure native wild Steelhead. Are they ? We’re they ever ? Do Salmon & Steelhead stray and spawn in other streams than the stream they came out of ? They got to other rivers some how. Maybe it was close encounters.

Were they ever?

Were they ever what exactly? Let's see how goof troop this can get.

The hot hens had sex with many males before leaving the salt.
Often they were pregnant long before they randomly chose a stream to swim up.

Only The state of Washington could screw it up.

Why the hate on "collage" people LOL? All they do is collect and analyze the data (and yes, that DOES require education beyond what you can learn from fishing). The folks on the top floor are the ones who decide what to do with it. Granted, they're a bunch of college-types too, but my point is that the decisions made don't always reflect the opinions of those on the ground.

At the end of the day, WDFW Director is a political appointment. That means his or her judgment is subject to political influence. Those making the most generous contributions to governors' political campaigns tend to end up being the most influential. That's why WDFW decisions don't always (or often) "jive" with all their stakeholders.

12/16/2020

Well, here we are, mid December and boat launches on the Satsop, the Chehalis, and the Wynoochee, when I check, are almost empty.

Tuesday drive around, showed 1 jet boat rig at Fuller, no rigs at Satsop launches, highway or West Fork, and 1 drift boat waiting to take out on the Wynoochee at Black Ck.

WDFW goal to protect wild steelhead is having an affect on these rivers, "even though historically wild fish enter these river much later in the fishing season".

What most of the "still wet behind the years" WDFW personnel don't know is that the Wynoochee and the Satsop were late returning native steelhead. I moved to Grays Harbor in 1968, the steelhead season was until 4/30.....spring vacation time I could fish anywhere on these 2 rivers and catch/release many chrome bright steelhead over 20 pounds.....probably hooked and broke off fish, many pounds larger. The more amazing thing, many times not see another fisherman.

In the 60's, 70's, and even the 80's there were NO NETS in the Chehalis river after the hatchery run salmon season was done, not that the QIN couldn't net, they just didn't.

and now the Hump hasn't meet escapement goals on wild coho in 20+ years but yet the nets are in sunday noon till friday noon,, november through december !!!

Wonder what happen to the wild coho?

The educated and elected ones failed many many years.

It's the Habitat

Yup.

The habitat in the big concrete building.

It's money. Follow the money.

Until we end market fishing, hands will be in the cookie jar fighting over the last Unicorn steak.

I do get the feeling it's about the money. As long as WDFW continues to get the revenue from taxpayers and fishing license buyers, while working to benefit parties who provide very little of the revenue and none of the license revenue, what incentive is there for WDFW to work for us?

The WDFW mission statement needs to be re-written in the enabling legislation.

So often I think government is about the path of least resistance. Just get by with the least amount of conflict or work. Too many snaggers, shut down the river rather than enforce the law. Tribes threaten to sue, give them what they want. Someone threatens to sue, just give the person what they want. I first saw this with the parks department. People vandalize the bathrooms, lock them up or remove them. Never mind that only .1% of the population is the problem, it is just easier to shut something down than actually do something about a problem.

It's not just the path of least resistance, though I think it's connected to that...if there's no funding to actually fix the problem, then you just lock the problem up.

Fish on...

Todd

I agree with Todd about the general lack of money. There are problems with how it is allocated but how long has it been since the access areas had working, stocked restrooms? Maintenance at hatcheries was/is regularly deferred, and so on.

Some of the priorities seem warped, to me. Way back when the state /tribal negotiations were among a relatively few people, not half the agency. It used to be, though, that folks were generalists. Now, we have specialists but very narrow specialties.

Not "save the fish and habitat" funding money. Front end market fishing money.

We ended market hunting and look at we are today. Correlation does not equal causation, but c'mon.