http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/do/newreal/jul2903a.htm

Considered a "success". I bet almost as many non-clipped were killed as clipped.

Some fuzzy math:
If it took on average 10 kings released in order to keep 1 that would mean approxiamtely 35,000 kings were caught and released. Even if mortality were 1% then 350 non-clipped kings were killed. Using my own experience this year of almost a 10% mortality (2 of 22 one for sure dead and the other bleeding pretty good) would mean 3,500 non-clipped kings were killed and completely wasted.

I think you mean areas 5&6 not 4&5

Oops! That's what I meant.

I just saw that too and was planning to post it. It's too bad that it's closing as I'm heading out for the weekend of the 8-10.

There should still be plunty of coho and pinks though. And I will still have fun releasing them.

stlhd-

The math is a little fuzzy. In area 6 from what I've seen in the times I've been out. The wild to clipped ratio was more like 3 to 1. I can also tell you that I never saw a boated fish released, and most of us didn't use nets to release those with an adipose. ( I noticed a few netting and keeping them in the water to release...) Also in PA most people were fishing in the traditional blackmouth areas rather than crusing the kelp. This would mean that even less of the migratory kings were being caught. I wont speak for the sekiu zoo.

I absolutely guarantee it was a success by any standard if you like to fish. I for one will be looking forward to the next time they open it. Hats off to whoever pushed this summer fishery through in area 6, weve been getting screwed for a long time.

I also suspect that this closure in area 6 is just temporary. I'm guessing that they are just playing it safe with the numbers. They sit down look at the data, and decide theirs about 1000 left... There really hasn't been that much pressure around here.

For me it was more like 1:1 wild to hatchery - even had several days where I released hatchery fish so I could keep having fun :p . I never even had a bleeder, although that was likely becuase I avoided using bait - caught them all on a coyote. Probably because I was limiting so early every day I never even got checked - they probably would have closed the season earlier if they had been watching me . Too bad about the timing as I was going back on the 6th and 7th with the nephews, but we'll just target coho and humpies to get them lots of action anyway. I did good, my punch card is almost full . Oh cr@p, that'll cost me $10 now

I'll be there this weekend, with a goal to finish out the first punchcard. Sekiu has been good to me on Silvers, but I only caught 5 kings, all wild, all in one day, out of 100+ fish to the boat. (I'm not griping, it was fun fighting them.) Hopefully I get a chance to tag a 10 or 12 pounder. I'm not greedy. One keeper would be nice.