Someone explain the the regs for area five please!!! The release says "July 1-Sept 30: 2 fish, 1 chinook (22" min); unmarked coho and chum release, chinook retention permitted beginning July 8 and continuing until 2000 fish quota is taken, afterwords, release chinook." According to this very unclear wording you may retain 1 chinook begining July 1. The other way to read the reg is that you may not retain chinook until July 8.
Any Ideas as to what exactly the reg is from you smart guys out there? I need to get my spot at Olsons reseved for the first day of the king season but I don't know which dang day it is!!!
I hate it when they try to get so darn fine in their regulations. If you don't want people to catch kings before the 8th then don't open it until the 8th, if its OK to catch kings on the 1st then open it on the first and set the quota and don't mention the 8th.

I interpret the wording to mean that you can keep up to 2 hatchery coho starting July 1st, no Kings. You can keep 1 hatchery coho and 1 King or 2 hatchery coho starting July 8th until the King quota of 2000 is met. After that, back to 2 hatchery coho per day, no Kings, until the end of September.

I'll be there on Sunday the 7th through Wednesday the 10th! Yippee!!!

I am very happy the Elliott Bay fishery is extended. About da** time!

I am not very happy having to wait until July 1 to fish Area 11. Last year it was open June 1.

Nice to see the return of a two chinook (two salmon) a day bag limit for Buoy 10.

Easy Limits,

Yea, I hear 'ya about the Area 11 dates, but...

You know, it wasn't all that long ago that Area 11 was year round fishing. Those days seem to be over, at least for the forseeable future. My guess is that the ESA listed White River spring chinook are the reason that the date is pushed back. Looking back 3-4 years at the weather and the flooding we had, it will be interesting to see how many natural spawners do make it back this year with the closure in effect.

The WDFW had this on the website concerning the season setting decision, "We need to protect all populations of chinook in Puget Sound, and this fishing plan provides that protection. White River spring chinook concerns proved to be especially challenging, and led to the closure of fishing in May and June in the Tacoma area," said Pat Pattillo, WDFW's salmon policy lead.

Here's a link to a lengthy, but informative White River plan from the Department of Ecology. The history of the fish is at the begining of document, pp. 15-17.

White River Chinook

Yo Cat',
Lookin' forward to some after work nook' chasin' this summer!!! May not make the Sekiu opener but I'm sure we'll knock som out down our way!!
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff

Yo Jeff! Right on man, can't wait! I'll be fishin' locally starting the 1st through the 4th of July weekend. Should be a good opener with the 3 month closure coming to an end.

Easy Limits, you're right on about the Elliot Bay thing too. That's been more of a 90/10 split the last few years with all of the test fisheries/sport opportunities they've been having. Hopefully they'll leave a few more around this year for the sport contingent.

Any predictions on the Neah Bay openner starting 5/25 as far as the quantity or size of the King run at that time? It sounds real promising... I'm planning on being there in that window.

Seacat,

Thanks for the info! I did not even know the White had a run of Chinook.

This just means the ol' boat will see one month less of salt water this year. I guess that can be a good thing.

Not sure about this but I heard once that the White (Stuck) and the Cedar river were once tributaries to the Green River. The Stuck was diverted with the formation of the Mud Mountain dam into the Puyllaup drainage. If this is true then are the Stuck springers actually of wild origin? Or is this a case simlar of what the Feds were trying to do to listing of the Dechutes (olympia one) kings as endangered. Those fish were one of the eariest hatchery projects in the state. If anyone has any valid info or history I'd be curious. Just looking at the lower stretches of the White river makes me think it's man made.

I know the Cedar once use to be the Black River before the Corp of Engineers got a hold of it. So fish in the Cedar are not native as everyone wants us to believe.

Read this article for more info.