...on the first day. 349,118 more to go.

Any predictions?

I don't think there is going to be enough sockeye for the sport fishery to open. Last year there was 1000+ fish on the first day and there was barely more than 350,000 fish for the season to open for 2 short days. But I really hope they would open it again this year

Ya, that sockeye count makes it hard to make a guess as to them opening the fishery up.

My estimate 349,999

How about this prediction: 50 million pink salmon heading back to the Fraser this fall!


BD

Ouch bobber, that makes my arm hurt!

Can you beleive these numbers??? That is one hell of alot of boats out on the lake.


Some Statistics from the
2000 Lake Washington
Recreational Sockeye Fishery
Number of sockeye inspected by WDFW samplers 6,319
Number of boat interviews conducted 3,650
Number of hours sampled at boat ramps 246
Number of boat counts (from ground) 52
Number of boat counts (from plane) 13

Days sampled July 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16
Days not sampled July 5, 7, 11, 12
Number of boat launches sampled per day 2
Top three boat counts (from aerial surveys) 7 AM on July 15 2,365 boats
6 AM on July 4 1,793 boats
9 AM on July 16 1,754 boats

Highest daily number of boats July 8 4,738

Highest daily number of anglers July 8 11,435
Top three sockeye catch per angler rates July 4 AM period 1.5 sockeye/angler
July 4 PM period 1.2 sockeye/angler
July 5 AM period 1.0 sockeye/angler
Highest daily number of sockeye caught July 4 15,116
Season total angler days 77,422
Season average sockeye catch per angler 0.8
Season total sockeye caught 62,237

Is this count maintained on a website somewhere? If so, will you provide a link?

July 16th we can try and intercept these Sockeye in the salt in area 9! Any saltwater sockeye spots/techniques anyone would be willing to share?

I caught my two off the west side of Whidbey just casting a pearl white buzz bomb. They sure hit hard!

Here you go, its on the WDFW website.

http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/fish/sockeye/counts.htm

Regarding techs, I'm going to try a few out this year - primarily trolling some bare hooks behind 5-10 dodgers. Do a quick search for sockeye and you will probably come across this topic from last year.

Sure would be nice if the number's picked up. We had a blast last year on the two day's.

How about an Est, 6 million+ Sockeye returning this year!!!!!!

5 weeks to go, not that I'm counting or anything

Little Fish,
Do you plan to troll red hooks behind the flasher? What is the recommended trolling speed, Slow?

G-Man have you installed your new gillnetphobic jet pump for this year? I've been hoping to escape up there for some quality flossing time this summer but it's not looking like it's going to be happening. Have fun filling your freezer with tasty vittles from the fraser.

Jeff - I don't have any real life experience fishing for sockeye in the salt so I will be experimenting to see what works. The general tech I've read about is to stack multiple dodgers on your downrigger wire.....or link several of them together. These dodgers are for attraction only. If using bare red hooks I plan on running them behind a dodger. I've also heard small pink/red lures work so will try those as well (both by themselves and behind a dodger).

Because I don't have any practical experience I'm going to experiment....starting slow and then increasing my speed.

The Mukilshoots will be netting hard and heavy in Shilshole to keep the counts down.

Thanks Little Fish:
I will be doing the same in area 9, so I will let you know what I lear and hope to hear from you if you have some success.

I'll have to wait until July 16th however.

Please tell me you are kidding???? We possibly get a couple days "if the run is healthy enough" but these [expletive] can net the hell out of them?
I will end my comment now, while I am still allowed on this board. You pro-tribes people can just pop in your Dances with Wolves tape and keep your comments to yourselves please.....

MC

MC -
The Dances with Wolves comment struck me as pretty darn funny, but seriously, don't you think just as many white guys would be doing the same thing if they had the chance?

You are absolutely right Jeff...... A large majority in this country would (Whites) and do plunder and abuse (Enron, MCI, Martha, etc.).
But.... I would at least say in the case of the Indians that they preach loving the land, being one with it, and being stewards of the land for the Great Being, etc., that their crimes against the resource is worse...... At least the scum-bag, screw their mom to make a buck, white people will admit they are out for #1 and will do whatever it takes to make their riches.
If the Indians would at least admit (a large portion of them) that they only cared about the money end of it I would not be so critical.
The Dances with Wolves thing is just a point. Great movie, good depiction of the terrible way the old ones were treated, but, mainly a way to keep the guilt alive in this country. With guilt comes sympathy, which then spawns special priviledge and consideration. Heck, look at what the Holocaust has, and continues to do for the Jewish people. They have been riding that wave for 60 yrs now with no let up in site.....

*Sigh* The madness will never end, as we are really no where near as intelligent as we like to believe.

MC

mastercaster,
Is this a fishing board or an outlet for the aryan nation?

Only 4350 fish as of 6/16 its not looking real promising that there will be a sport season.

Tp me the most upsetting thing about this fishery is the WDFW's insistance on at least 350,000 fish before they have any kind of season. I bet they could open the season for a 3 day weekend every year and the run would do fine. During the 400,000 fish years maybe 30,000 fish would be caught. If the run was 200,000 then 15,000 would be caught. In other words, every year the same percentage (say 7-8%) would be caught in one weekend and the remaining 93% would be left to spawn. Having a season only once every 6-7 years is a waste.