I can only imagine how or where you guys are getting your info on the Muckelshoots Test Fishery in The Bay. I have been asked and agreed to board the tribal enforcement boat to monitor the tribes activity on the bays test fisheries. I have done this for a few years, and when not on board a boat i have met the boats at the shilshole dock, where their fish are sampled by multiple agencies. WDFW,Tribal,Federal. The boats are not allowed to leave elliott bay without checking in with the biologist,who is on the enforcement boat.The boats cannot stop anywhere enroute to the shilshole docks.they come in almost all at once, and they are boarded and checked by enforcement. During the test fishery they are checked multiple times for any violaions of their gear,locations,set times,etc.

The test fishery is conducted by 5 boats and a couple of back-ups in case of problems with a boat in the fishery. 1 boat is at the west waterway, 1 boat is at the east waterway,1 boat is out in front of the boat launch and barge, 1 boat is at inner duwamish head, and 1 boat is over by the marina below magnolia. The nets go in at set time 8:00pm on a set day, most times it is a wednesday. The nets pull out about 6-8am. This is done about three weeks in a row, it can change depending on the run timing. The first test fishery may bring 60-120 fish, the second time can usualy get them about 300-900 it can vary, the third one is the best most years. I have never heard or seen a test fishery go over 2,500 fish thats all 5 boats together. some years i have seen less than half of that taken. The boats are paid a set fee I think it is about 500$, The fish then go to a pre determinend buyer with a portion of the fish kept for tribal family members and the rest are sold to cover the cost of the fishery. I will bet my left and right testicles that not one tribal boat can hold more than 1,000 fish at best. A 10,000 fish load would bring a gill netter at the usual prices about 90,000$ for a nights work on eliott Bay. You must be smoking some thunder bud. When the big numbers of fish are taken it is during a full blown net fishery after the test fishery has given results supporting a net fishery. These include netters in the river, tribal boats from the Suquamish tribe and all the muckelshoot boats.

I think any tribal fishery that takes 10,000 fish out of the bay is a blatant slap in the face to the sports fishermen, citizens of this state, and all the places that would of made money from those same fish being given to the rod and reel folks LIKE ME. I AM A HARD CORE STEELY AND SALMON CHASER. I think the numbers given to us and allowed to the tribes has always been a joke, I have had shouting matches with Pat Patillo at WDFW, Dick Geist WDFW, and they have no balls at all and give this fishery away every year for fear of litigation with the now nicely funded tribal fishery,and their legal council. Dont blame the tribe for going after the most fish that they can when most times their data supports the net fisheries, be pissed at the state for not going to war for this fishery that can produce hundreds of thousands of dollars to the local community. If you want to ***** about things then get the real info first. To complain about something that is not even true only shows the tribes that we do not care enough to seek out the real facts that could lead to a change of policy in this important fishery.

No Spell Check Available Sorry

Welcome Getsnapper - Great 1st post, I hope you have brought some light to this subject, certainly I can understand exaggeration when it comes to "test fisheries". I am very interested in knowing the truth. Do you think that WDFW has a record of the fish tickets on their web site? Anyone?

Nice post....thank you for the information.

Since you've put a little thought into this, if we were to do something....what do you recommend? Signed petition amongts EB fisherpeople, legal defence fund mass email campaign?

Well then i guess the stste doesn't have there facts straight either, was there the morning after is supposly happened got the info straight from state people??????????