Right on bob. Those were the best chum around and their flesh had a redder color. Now the run is terrible. I agree with RnG. In the Chehalis system I always try to get as many coho as I can before and after the height of the chum run. Much better table fare. I have eaten high seas bright chum in Alaska and they were somewhat better. I was on board a ship up there one time and the cook was a Portuguese fellow. We caught some chum and he baked one in some kind of Portuguese sauce and it was pretty good. I never got the recipe.

When I was stationed in Korea, 1959-60, went to the fish market in Inchon, the sea food that was being sold would make many puke.

Depends how hungry you are, Chum would look good compared to buckets of suckers, squaw fish from both the Wynoochee and the Chehalis, that I've watch being caught.

Years ago, I did the smoke chum bit....not my "cup of tea", so most chum are released by me.....unless I'm short of eggs.

GH folks, Gillie is home after being on the ventilator and in rehab. Word I got was it is slow going and the better news is he is still going!

This just came out from WDFW and this area is in Rochester area ( sorta ) and I thought some of you folks might find it interesting. Some of you anyway.


WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
1111 Washington St. SE, Olympia, WA 98501
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

May 8, 2020
Contact: Darric Lowery, Scatter Creek Wildlife Area Manager, 360-701-5145

WDFW seeks public input on management plan for Scatter Creek Wildlife Area

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) wants to hear from the community on a draft management plan for the Scatter Creek Wildlife Area located in Thurston and Grays Harbor counties. Public input is welcome through June 8. 

"We greatly appreciate and value input from neighbors, partners, and visitors," said Darric Lowery, wildlife area manager for WDFW. "Your feedback helps us craft a more relevant and attainable plan so we can make WDFW-managed lands better for both wildlife, and the community."

Consisting of six separate units, the wildlife area covers about 3,601 acres and is popular for hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, horseback riding, and hunting dog training.

The wildlife area encompasses portions of unique South Puget Sound prairies and oak woodlands, as well as aquatic, forest, and wetland habitats that support a variety of wildlife species, including the federally endangered Taylor's checkerspot butterfly and the threatened Mazama pocket gopher.

A local citizen advisory group helped develop the draft management plan, which will guide how the department makes operations and budgeting decisions on the wildlife area for the next 10 years.

The draft management plan is undergoing a 30-day State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) public comment period and is available on WDFW's website under "Management Planning" at https://wdfw.wa.gov/places-to-go/wildlife-areas/scatter-creek-wildlife-area.

WDFW staff had to cancel plans for a public meeting due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but incorporated some community input into the draft plan from a public meeting held in March 2019.

People can provide feedback on the draft plan on WDFW's website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/environmental/sepa/open-comments or by mail to Lisa Wood, SEPA/NEPA Coordinator, WDFW Habitat Program, Protection Division, P.O. Box 43200, Olympia, WA 98504.

WDFW is the primary state agency tasked with preserving, protecting, and perpetuating fish, wildlife, and ecosystems, while providing sustainable fishing and hunting opportunities.

 

Persons with disabilities who need to receive this information in an alternative format or who need reasonable accommodations to participate in WDFW-sponsored public meetings or other activities may contact Dolores Noyes by phone (360-902-2349), TTY (360-902-2207), or email (dolores.noyes@dfw.wa.gov). For more information, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/accessibility/reasonable_request.html.

Some have had concerns that the two pole endorsement was being eliminated for the Chehalis. It is not and the dates you can use two rods is August 1 through Dec 31. This link is to the document that kinda started the dust up and https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/wsr_20-10-115_0.pdf at pages OTS-2239.2 look for Chehalis #18.

I contacted Mike and he got right back with the following. Hope this calms things down.

Thanks for the phone conversation this morning. Glad we were able to figure out the two pole issue was a house cleaning issue and that two poles can still be used in the lower Chehalis. Two pole language was removed from WAC 220-312-020 because it is in the two pole endorsement WAC 220-220-160. Thanks also for sharing the information with those that are concerned.

Mike.Scharpf@dfw.wa.gov

Couple of folks asked if I knew how Gill was doing with his virus battle. Best I know is he is still recovering and as person said so hopefully he will be back fishing soon.

Well it is starting and it will be interesting to see play out. I am sure of one thing, the primary target for cuts will not be the concrete palace in Olympia.


WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
1111 Washington St. SE, Olympia, WA 98501
https://wdfw.wa.gov

July 28, 2020

Contact: Commission office, 360-902-2267, commission@dfw.wa.gov
Commission to consider budget cuts, legislative priorities, and Columbia River Salmon Policy during July 31 meeting
OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will provide direction on $31 million in proposed Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) budget cuts and agency legislative requests for the 2021 state legislative session during its July 30 to Aug. 1 on-line meeting.

The Commission will begin with wildlife and fish committee meetings at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 30, to discuss target shooting rules and CARES Act fisheries assistance, as well as hatchery policy language, non-native gamefish and fisheries policy, and an update on the Willapa Bay comprehensive review.

During the regular meeting starting at 8:30 a.m. on July 31, the Commission will consider an array of $30.8 million in budget cuts proposed for the 2021-23 biennium as the department submit reduction ideas to the Governor’s Office to prepare for an anticipated $9 billion shortfall in state revenue. In addition to the proposed budget reductions, the Commission will also discuss legislative priorities and new budget proposals as the department prepares for the 2021 Legislative Session. The Commission is planning to make final decisions regarding the budget reductions at their Aug. 21 commission meeting.

The Commission will also hear public comment on proposed amendments to the Washington Administrative Code pertaining to firearms and target practicing and the status of Mazama Pocket Gopher recovery. The Commission will also hear an update on public comments and schedule final action on the Columbia River Basin Salmon Management Policy C-3620.

On Saturday, Aug. 1, the Commission will be briefed on proposed hunting contest rule changes and the current scope and timeline to address cougar safety issues. Staff will also brief commissioners on proposed draft policy language revisions for Hatchery Policy C-3619.
The Commission will take open public comment Friday starting at 9 a.m. and Saturday at 8 a.m. To support COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, the meeting will be available to the public through webinar or conference call. For more information and to view an agenda, call 360-902-2267 or visit wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission/meetings. The meeting will be recorded and posted online.

The Commission is a citizen panel appointed by the governor that sets policy for the WDFW. WDFW is the primary state agency tasked with preserving, protecting, and perpetuating fish and wildlife and ecosystems, while providing sustainable fishing and hunting opportunities.

Persons with disabilities who need to receive this information in an alternative format or who need reasonable accommodations to participate in WDFW-sponsored public meetings or other activities may contact Dolores Noyes by phone (360-902-2349), TTY (360-902-2207), or email (dolores.noyes@dfw.wa.gov). For more information, see https://wdfw.wa.gov/accessibility/requests-accommodation.

Since the single largest budget line item is salmon hatcheries, maybe I'll make my pitch again that the Department conduct a hatchery by hatchery audit that compares each hatchery's cost relative to its contribution to catches by WA recreational salmon anglers. Most of the $87 million or so spent on hatcheries each budget cycle raises hatchery salmon to be caught in BC, AK, and WA commercial and treaty fisheries. Seems like a budget crisis would be a good time to choose to spend money on the hatcheries that return the biggest bang for buck to the constituents who pay the taxes and buy the licenses that keep the doors open and the lights on in the concrete palace known as the NRB.

+ berzillions.

Cut every program that mostly feeds someone outside of the State, maybe that will bring Alaska to the table. Or not. Either way, we'll save money and not really lose any fish.

Fish on...

Todd

P.S. They'll keep sending salmon to Alaska and cut steelhead hatchery funding.

I found the proposals and started a budget thread with a link to the proposal presentation. Should have done that first but had not found the document until a bit ago.

The Willapa Policy review still drags on and a virtual meeting is the 18th. This is the link to the Willapa Policy presentation for the public virtual meeting the 18th.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/wbpolicyreviewpresentation08182020.pdf

willapa-bay-policy-review is a link so you can participate_

https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission/willapa-bay-policy-review


This link is to the staff DRAFT: Comprehensive Evaluation of the Willapa Bay Salmon Management Policy C-3622, 2015-2018 such as it is.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/02157

Simply put the draft review is a lot of things including smoke and mirrors. To be blunt WDFW has made such a mess out of things that I doubt anyone could sort it out.

Maybe asymptomatic Covid has significant effects on some human systems, like brains.

This is a response to the press release that a Willapa Adviser sent to other Advisers and staff. Frankly folks I think comments to staff are a waste of your time and a better use of your time would be to direct your comments directly to the Commission.

From a Willapa Adviser:
After due consideration, I will not be participating in the virtual public meeting tomorrow night. I have decided my time would be better spent monitoring a batch of beef jerky in my smoker and considering the contents of the comments that I intend to provide in short order directly to the members of the Commission.

I do raise a point of contention with the press release language shown below. Ron Warren is quoted saying this policy review draft was "Developed with guidance from our Willapa Bay Salmon Advisory Group". As an Advisor who attended every meeting held, I don't remember the staff lead ever asking for or receiving guidance from the Advisors or other members of the public. To the contrary, when one Advisor sought to provide comments on the now infamous "white" paper that staff had released unforseen by the Advisors, he was publicly chastised and told his lack of education disqualified him from providing comments. It is important to note that this Advisor graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in oceanography and when combined with his career in the nuclear industry creates a resume that I believe would top any of the WDFW staff present. At that point the process ended and all activity went on behind closed doors and if any "guidance" was provided by Advisors the public was not aware such had occurred. The draft report recently released is simply an "in-house work product" that is the sole responsibility of WDFW.

I raise this point, not to create conflict, but rather to insure that no one reading the press release would envision that I approved of the review process utilized by the Department and more importantly, that I had participated in the drafting of this review document in any fashion. I therefore ask that this communication be placed into the record of these proceedings.

On a side bar, the draft created is 229 pages. By comparison, the Warren Commission Report on the assassination of President Kennedy was 366 pages. Besides length, the other similarity between these two documents is the controversy that will surely follow.

Respectfully,

Nice to see someone shed actual light on the process.

Well said by the Willapa Advisor quoted above. Sad, but well said.

I was told the virtual thing had three gillnetters and a couple of others. Best go right at the Commission as you can communicate with a stump with greater clarity than staff. That is a sad statement as I have been around the agency in one manner or another for 40 years.

They growing better stumps now???

Not to get in a pissing match with my favorite Eye Doctor and fishing friend BUT IT WAS WDFW, Tim Flint, that changed the way, from Aggregate to the current Chehalis/Humptulips segregated method of "dividing up the Grays Harbor Chinook and Coho".......Chum are still figured in the Aggregate by both WDFW and the QIN.

WDFW just "made the change" without telling the QIN, IMO this has caused hard feeling for about 20 years........

I suggest that NOF go back to the days of Aggregate handling of not just Chum but also Chinook and Coho.

The tribes are now the "big boys in the State", WDFW abused their authority and now we are left without ability for meetings to be open to the public and two different plans for how to divide the available fish in Grays Harbor.

If you want conservation, and maximum production from wild stocks, you manage each stock separately. Otherwise, aggregate and fish away.

This is the thing that is unusual. The QIN, Feds ( NOAA / PFMC all ) manage Grays Harbor to the aggregate. Only WDFW splits off the Hump and the separation was not for conservation but rather to enable a Rec bay fishery that was supposed to only pick what is left of the states share after other traditional fisheries. Didn't work out that way over the years.

DW let us not forget good old Tony in the mix as he was right there with ole Timmy!