Hi Gang,

New to the list, but a long time lunker. Looking to forward to learning a little from everyone and helping out to. I haven't fished for a couple years but decided it was time to get back into the swing of things....

Was looking at the regs for areas 11 and 13. I noticed there are no restrictions on Kings with the adipose intact. Am I going crazy or I am missing something here? I was under the impression at all wild Kings (or Blackmouth) had to be released. I saw a restriction for Coho, but nothing on Kings. Can someone clarify this for me.

Thanks,
PF

PhatFarm,
First off welcome to the board.
Second, interesting moniker, sure there is a good story behind that.
And as far as keeping unclipped Kings in the south sound, the reason behind this thinking (i believe)is that there are no endangered stocks in the south sound as far as Chinook go. Once you get south of the Cedar River and Shilshoal, the Chinook runs are either all hatchery or they are healthy, like the Green. The Nisqually may have Wild fish left that are healthy or no wild fish, i'm not sure. Other then that all the Nooks are hatchery, also the tribal hatchery on the Nisqually does not mass mark the fry released any way. And most state hatcheries did not start mass marking Chinook till just a few years back, and I do not think that his brood year will be marke. Hope this helps and once again, welcome.

NEN

I called Fish and Game on this very question the other day- 2 reasons, (1) the fish checker at PD had mentioned "wild" and "no-no" and (2) I was under the impression that there was a law passed stating that all wild Chinook had to be released and until the law was revised, this was still valid.

When I called the other day, the officer quoted the Marine Area regs... Well... I am going with keeping fish- nothing states otherwise.

Anyone have the "for sure" answer?

Downriggin'

What the regulation book says is the law...haven't seen any emergency regs posted so go with the book. See you all over there in bout a week.

The for sure answer is that it is that you can keep 2 nooks, clipped or unclipped. The wild runs of the south sound are gone, what keeps this area going is the 7 hatcheries. Not all of the fish get clipped so you can't tell whether it is a nate or not. I have spoken with the director of the Clear Creek hatchery on the NIsqually, his guess is that without the hatchery fish that his facility and the one across the river provide there might be 200 fish return to the Nisqually. The regs say 2 nooks period!!!
2 years ago we had put a pretty 20 lb fish in the box and were trolling the Slag Pile. We watched a guy in some big a$$ semi yacht hook and play a fish about the same size, he netted it and kept it hanging over the side. Next thing I know he is unpinning it and letting it go. We trolled by and asked why he did that and he looks at us and said "it wasn't clipped". Well after we told him there was no regs about clipped or unclipped in Area 11 his wife was ready to throw him overboard, I'll never forget the look on her face that day!!!
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff