When jigging on Saturday, my brother had a nice Blackmouth near the boat, it ran... then it REALLY ran. The line went slack. He reeled in half of the fishes face! A gill plate, empty eye socket, and mouth with the hook still embedded in the jaw. A sea lion emerged 50 yards away and started flipping it in the air.. I hate those damn things! A couple of years back, I had one knock a native silver right out of my hand, when I had it by the tail trying to get the hook out. My buddy and I still dont reach down in the water quite as quickly as before that incident. I hate those damn things.

I'm waiting for someone to loose and arm or hand to them on the LC. Seems inevitable when releasing a wild fish. Those buggers know when to hone in on a boat that has a fish held captive. Lost two springers right next to the boat below Cathlemet last year and saw several incidents where the sea lion grabbed fish while they were in a net. Scary...

I wish it were legal to shoot those damn things. They're not even native to Puget Sound. They didn't show up here until after their numbers rebounded in California. They're ugly mofos too. At least seals are cute and have always been here.

Arklier-
Actually the California sea lions are native to Washington waters. They breed in California but forage up and down the coast to
Alaska waters. They were uncommon in Puget Sound until populations rebunded following the enactment of the marine mammal protection act.

Tight lines
Smalma

same thing happened to me at shilshole. The sealions have taken my biggest blackmouth by far. Didn't see to many sealions where I was fishing in 8-2 on Saturday. A couple of blasts from an air horn seems to help.

I think they need to enact the marine mammal hunting act I am sick of them stinky sea lions too. Somewhere around the 4th of July ought to be a good time for open season!

One washed ashore full of bullet holes off of Johnson Pt. a few month ago by Nisqually. Poor guy seems to have died of lead poisoning! Caused a real stink.......

Although I have never had it happen I would never consider popping a Sea Lion because he yanked a fish from my line. I have seen Eagles take fish also, should we shoot them, or how about all the Bears.

Yeah, but bears and eagles don't usually hang around people, and they don't take the fish YOU just caught.

It would be real nice if we could just shoot them with rubber bullets to keep them away and afraid of man......I'm sure that some kayaker is going to be killed (if not already) by a sea lion pulling himself out "on a log".

Where are the tribal hunting rights when you need them?

My partner made a seal cough up a keeper by running him over in his SmokerCraft with a jet. Scared the crap out of him, but didn't hurt him and he was back stealing fish in a half hour or so. They chased him for 10 minutes or so, and finally caught up to him, ran him over, coughed up the fish and the fish fought like heck. Once he landed it, there was not a mark on it. I saw the whole thing from my boat, it was hilarious!

It isn't just the sea lions it's the seals as well. I have fished the sound for 25 years and until about eight years ago there wasn't much of a problem with the things. It's got so bad at Possession and Pt no Pt that they literally follow your boat like a herd of cattle. As soon as a fish hits your line they all dive. Some days are so bad it's best just to quit fishing vs feeding all your fish the damn things. They have also got to where they hide under your boat and wait for you to release shakers and then dart out and nail them as they swim away. They are just as much a problem for moochers as trollers. If anybody knows a sure fire way to deal with them let me know.

had one trying to jump in my boat last spring hit it with the motor trying to get away and it fell to the bottom. now I have a sea lion phobia. I wade all the time all year in the sound fly fishing and those damn things come from nowhere and just pop up 40 ft from ya and dive and I race back to the shore. I fish the most productive spots according to the tide and there are sea lions everywhere.

does anybody know if those transients orcas are still in the canal? or if they eat sea lions?

Well hell boys, I would consider fishing for Salmon among those Sea Lions the challenge of all challenges. I might just have to go give that a try. Once you hook them its always easy to get them in, this just might add some more sport to it.

I think just ignorantly shoot them and let the crabs eat them.

lead thrower, why so much love for the sea lions?

It is quite true that sea lions and especially seals will go for an easy meal. Even when fishing from a pier or dock, those darn things will grab your salmon. I've had it happen such that the second after I "hooked" a salmon at the surface, a seal or sea lion gobbled it right up.

I used to go smelt netting with my uncle and I always will remember the time when a monster sea lion made a big hole in our net.

I will be a devil's advocate and argue that marine mammal predation on recreationally valuable species is a perfectly natural occurence that doesn't warrant the shooting of seals or sea lions. Mind you, I'm no seal/sea lion lover, I've merely come to accept the fact that we must co-exist with them.

If we started killing seals and sea lions, the food chain would be disrupted. Orcas would be present in fewer numbers, so too would sharks due to decreased prey abundance. The theoretical result would be that salmon will rebound greatly. However, the oceans and streams can only support a certain amount of life before populations start to crash. When you eliminate a salmon's predators, then the salmon becomes the king of the sea and what starts happening is that the baitfish stocks start dwindling. Baitfish also play an important role in the food chain. They consume both phytoplankton(plants) and zooplankton(animals). If there are fewer baitfish, then there will be more plankton around. When phytoplankton dies, the process of decomposition sucks oxygen out of the water. So basically something that affects the top of the food chain will affect the bottom and vice versa. Nature has always found a way to adapt. Present salmonid predator populations are either balanced or in the process of balancing out. Taking the life of any creature has its consequences whether "good" or "bad". So take your pick, kill the marine mammals or leave them be. Either option will leave a profound impact.

Don't get me wrong, I feel sympathetic for anyone who has had his/her day broken all because of "that darn sea lion".

Maybe the Orca's need to start doing there job then!

I have only had a seal take a fish once... a long time ago.

Last year I fished Johnson's Pt quite a bit and there always 10-20 hovering around at all times. Never had one incident with fish caught. Maybe I didn't notice it.

One thing for sure. I like the seals around. It means bait or Salmon!

Downirggin'

rock hopper I agree with what you said but I think they need to thin out the seal and sea lions around here. theres a inbalance around here. seal eating sharks are not to common around here , most of the orcas around here eat salmon except those transients from alaska in the canal. those seals and sea lions need about a 75% cut in the population in inland waters. hopefully those orcas do there job. I know the nets in front of chico creek took a whole mess of them this fall.

Your right Downriggin! They are a clue... just like seagulls on th water for baitfish.... Very true,..Maybe we'll see an increase in transcient orcas around here with all the good food for them?!
Good Fishing, Darin
P.S. Sea Lions are a real pain -especially at man-made features like Ballard Locks --that really screws things up.