What if ? You could go fishing anywhere, anytime, and any way you wanted to? Catch... you can't have a hook. Blasphemy! I know it sounds crazy, but thinking out of the box here. My thought focus is on river Steelhead. Waters are closed, especially in PS due to ESA listings and low numbers,...so it's said. That has kept us recs off our local streams for years, even for C&R. That has forced lengthy hazardous travel and crowding on what left that is open for opportunity. My proposal is to open everything all the time, except specific sensitive areas, but you can't fish with a hook. Only get the take. Afterall, isn't the tug the drug? If I could go to my local river and fish for a bite, that could satisfy my need. This is MY need, and maybe many others? Even bait, bite tug tug, maybe a roll or a jump, then comes off. I know it's not conventioal thinking but, at least on the water, and really not affecting the fish, other than getting them to strike. I don't need to land and bonk any Steelhead any more, but would love that take! I understand how it could become an enforcement nightmare. But I could be statisfied by the opportunity and might be something that could work for the future. Pipe dream maybe, but I'll put it in my pipe and smoke it! Comments please!

You'd need to get Tug's answer on this. My guess is that, while legal today it will be illegal tomorrow if lots of folks do it. I know there have been "fish-ins" that were legal in that no hook was used. But, I think harassment might be the route for issuance of a citation. It sounds like a fun idea but I think it would be quashed.

No, don't set a new precedent with a far lower bar. We need to find a way to hold manager's accountable.

A few years ago I considered doing the same thing however most wardens would interpret targeting of aggressive fish as harassment, especially if it's during spawning season. At least that's the conclusion I came to so I decided it wasn't worth the gamble or the fine.

Should it be legal to do so? Sure, why not? Except for all PS wild steelhead being ESA listed, and that part in the ESA that prohibits "harassment" of listed species. Occupy Skagit did it, but only after notifying WDFW and under the watchful eye of WDFW LE, and at a time and place and conditions where the probability of any actual harassment were low.

I haven't reviewed the actual WACs for many years, and you can't rely on the accuracy of the pamphlet. Years ago, "if the line was in the water, you were fishing".

I have no problem with anyone that wants to go "fishing" without hooks, but if your proposal is to make everything "grab-only," then no way. Maybe fighting and landing fish can be hard on them, but if the intent is to release them anyway, I don't see that much more harm in using barbless hooks in a C&R fishery.

Sure, we have lots of reasons for going fishing, but at the end of the day, fishing is about catching fish, right? If it comes to a point where we can only fish for empty grabs, I think I'll wish the real hardcores the best and find a new hobby.

I heard someone say as an alternative to fishing, you could mount a fighting chair in the back of a pickup and troll a porkchop for catch and release stray dogs. It has merit, but releasing a pitbull might be a little sporty. "Gotta nice little cocker spaniel last night. Nineteen and a half incher. Musta weighed ten pounds. Fought like crazy!" (boneless porkchops only to reduce injury)

You could also C&R feral cats. We already have mouse patterns to start with. Some nice sparrow, towhee, or Junco are needed.

Now we're thinking"OUTSIDE THE BOX"! Great idea.

This.

Ever since joining this board 25 years ago, this is all I ever hear from anglers - to set the angling bar lower and lower and lower and lower.

Said it then and will keep saying it now:

Anglers love to lean their heads back and cut their own throats deeper and deeper and deeper.

Eventually, anglers will just cut their heads off. Sadly, this won't stop them. It will just be a bunch of headless morons running around flogging the waters with no hooks.

As for alternatives, I've always been a big fan of C&R bird hunting. It's either that or golf.

I've been frothing at the mouth during the low water we had, not able to wet a line in beautiful conditions, in my local river. Retired, I just want to cast in my back yard before I die. Is that to much to ask? If everything was closed, which is getting closer all the time, guides, and many of you, would sell your soul to get on the water.

It's obvious to everyone that we've lost almost everything in the way of opportunity . We could, however, practically own our state regarding fishing especially salmon and steelhead if we could ever get together, but we haven't and we won't. PSA doesn't agree with CCA, and Trout Unlimited is a shadow of what it was. The fly guys have great organization, but they are after trout.. Ten bucks apiece from each of us salmon steelhead guys would raise two to three million dollars for lobbyists. I now too many who just bitch about our plight, but contribute nothing. I'm closing in on eighty and have done my share. Personally I think that CCA is the way to get what most of us want and that we should keep PSA as a fishing club.

“ As for alternatives, I've always been a big fan of C&R bird hunting. It's either that or golf.“


Easy for you to say, as the birds have never had to fear your wing shooting skills.

Pull !

Although I have occasionally successful I have found that most game animals are safest when in front of me in clear view.

As a kid, I shot at everything that was legal as when I first went pheasant hunting I was too young to need a duck stamp or any extra stuff other than a license and CA tags. After about three years of hunting with this group I dropped a bull Sprig. Heard one of the guys yell "He hit one!".

Return to barbed hooks.

Keep the encountered legal fish to retain. Done for the day!

Bring things back from where they should have never left.

The fallback position to retaining all that is brought to hand will result in waters being closed unless all species present have harvestable fish. So, right now, the listed char and steelhead would keep the streams they are in closed because they are there 24/7/365.

If there needs to be a conservation closure? It should apply to all impacts on harvest.

Perhaps the commercial factory boats are a contributing factor to the downturn of steelhead through the harvest of squid and pollock?

Also, man has made the pinnipeds population greatly increase.

Oh, we are allowing building in the flood plains. So now when it rains greater flows scour the riverbeds.

The burden should be spread to all user groups to educate the masses.

I have no problem with spreading the burden to all impacting activities, especially all fisheries. Still, if there is a conservation concern fishing should close on them. I should add, though, that there are ways to design fisheries, such as floating lines/dry flies that prevent encounters with species near the bottom.