Bruce,
5 years ago how many rivers had a heathy run of wild steelhead. How many rivers today have a heathy run of wild steelhead

Cool, Bob,

Good luck tomorrow, keep us posted on what's going on down there.

Thanks for the support, Eddie, believe it or not, it helps a lot. Better be careful, though, or you might join the uneducated, elitist, separatist, anti-fishing, PETA-pocketed, socialist anti-American, fish killing, sportfishing hating group that exists behind the scenes, playing all its opponents off each other for personal sport and gain.

Muahh-ah-hah-ha-ha

Conspiracy abounds! CNN reports a run on tin foil in Washington towns near rivers!


Fish on...

Todd

Bruce- You and other avid supporters of harvesting wild steelhead have done nothing but make "blanket statements" opposing the new CnR rule. I urge you to read and understand Todds last couple of posts then reply with factual information. (Again Bruce sorry to single you out but your the most "emotional voice" around here. It deserves such responses)


I want to hear both sides. From an techinical point of view, I have yet to see a good solid factual, scientific based post on why rentention of wild steelhead SHOULD still be allowed.

So again I ask, those in favor of retaining wild steelhead, are you able to form an educated factual post? Not a "he said she said, I once talked to a guy, heard of a guy" post. You make yourself look like a fool when posting pure emotional jibberish.


Phish

Eddie -

For what it's worth - I did get the same answer from Susan at the Commission when I complained about the new "fish out of water law" - but that, as they say, is another thread.

JK

Eddie and NWMallard,

That is the standard response that you get, because you're hearing from the Commission's executive secretary (who, by the way, has a very tough job and does a very good job at it).

She does, however, pass all the messages on to the commissioners, and they do read them.

It would be nice to be able to easily contact them directly, but they do get it if you send it to the secretary.

Fish on...

Todd.

Whew! After reading all these posts, it makes the overall picture a little clearer when it comes to the Wild Steelhead future. Bottom line is there is still a ton of work to do, BUT we are headed in the right direction(although some cant break the conspiracy block). Lots of really good and insightful information...

Thanks to Smalma, Salmo, Todd, and others...Oh, and Mr. Vedder for "telling it like it is"

I dont know how you guys put up with the few knuckleheads that contradict everything you say.

If everybody would get on the same page, we could kick the left n*** off the commercials and buy out the tribe and have plenty of fish to catch.

About hatcheries....Who wants them ?? If we could get the nets out, and somehow improve ocean conditions(food supply), there would be ample "REAL" steelhead (10-25#ers) and no hatchery turds. Never gonna happen though, desighner steelhead hatcheries are probably the safest and smartest bet for now...
Holy crap, im starting to ramble and get emotional...goodnight

I still remember the mid 90's when the rivers in this state were closed to retention of wild fish due to unsatisfactory returns and I also remember the solitude and absolutely fantastic fishing I got to enjoy personnelly ,could it happen again? Man I sure hope so that is my agenda and again i say WOW, can you feel the love!!!

Phish,
Did you read this thread or are you just jumping on the Todd bandwagon.Most of the people that have posted against this ban like Bruce and myself are not for killing wild steelhead.Were the ones that are saying to do the right thing and the best thing for the wild fish.Which is to CLOSE the river when the native fish are in it.Thats the BEST way to protect them.The ones that are for this rule are not truly 100% for helping the fish because they think there is acceptable mortality.There is no such thing as acceptable mortality.In over twenty years of fishing for steelhead I havent killed a native fish and whys that because I dont target them I give them the respect they deserve.But a bunch of you guys want to label anyone thats against this rule a nate killer or meat whore.I KNOW I wont kill a native steelhead in my life time.Can you C&R guys say the same.Thats a BIG NO.As long as you get to keep fishing your happy.

Hey Todd, need an aspirin?

Yea, I think it's pretty funny Duroboat when I get labeled a "meat head". I've been fishing all my life and have never not once bonked a wild steelhead, yet I'm the "meat head".

Sometimes I think they don't even read my posts. We're just "meat heads" rambling on and all we want to do is bonk wild fish.

Better hurry and close this thread....

Well now you know how Todd feels!

Come on 400!!!!!

Duroboat- those are exactly the posts im talking about. Again, slowly, read my post. See what you come up with.

No bandwagon here. Its called making your point. Ive yet to see yours backed up.

Phish

Wheeeewww!

A 1am post!

Duroboat, and Bruce,

If you really feel that people who are advocating CnR and/or WSR are only killing steelhead...

Where were you BEFORE this regulation?

Were you spouting the same stuff before?

Organizing and making testimony and furthering your agenda?

Why are you coming out of the woodwork now?

Was it less a problem for you before? If not, why is it more of a problem for you now?

Be a part of the solution by taking part...don't sit on the sidelines and b!tch about it. Which is what you're doing now.

Where were you when you had your chance to chime in on it for the last several years?

As I've said before, rather than b!tch about it, use it as an example of how sportsmen can get together and make things happen.

Do it yourself, don't complain about the fact that someone else did.

I'm kind of sorry that I and the WSC don't further your agenda (well, not really), but you have every opportunity to make your agenda known, and you haven't until now.

Go ahead and organize all the legal beagles and scientific brain powers you have that make wild steelhead release a bad thing, write some papers, give testimony, and get your own agenda some attention.

Otherwise, just troll on the internet and complain about groups that have got together and got their agenda forward.

I know from experience that doing nothing is a lot easier, but also a lot less effective.

It's up to you.

Fish on...

Todd.

Todd ~ Since it was not published in the 2004/2005 rule change purposal and WDFW kept saying that it would not be considered. I did not think it was an issue. Had I known, I would have been all over it and you know that is a FACT.

This was not public knowledge until Friday and now that I am speaking out about it, you don't like it. You'd rather label myself and others as cry babies that sit around a do nothing but bitc**.

You guys keep asking for our science.But have you seen me dipute the science you have posted.NO!! Its the same science that you are using . But you come up with its ok to kill some nates if you get to keep fishing.I come up with leave the nates alone and stop harrasing and killing any of them.Which method would be better for the fish??Which would result in a faster rebuilding of the native runs?

If hatchery fish are in the system with wild fish meatheads will kill them. The average fisherman in this state is no better than the tribes. They want their share. I have personally witnessed two people here that flossed slamon this fall on local rivers. They posted their pics here. They have been on several threads against flossing. I think the drive to get pics and be in the " Clique" is more important than the resource. The justifaction to freinds and family for all the hours spent fishing is more important as well.
So I say if a system is at a cetain sustainable point and CnR mortality will not impact it leave it open. If it's even close or questionable close it and send them Bass fishing.

It would be better for ALL fish if we didn't fish for them, including hatchery brats. So it seems that there are some that seem to think that if there isn't enough wild steelhead to have a kill season the river should be shut down.

"In over twenty years of fishing for steelhead I havent killed a native fish and whys that because I dont target them I give them the respect they deserve.But a bunch of you guys want to label anyone thats against this rule a nate killer or meat whore.I KNOW I wont kill a native steelhead in my life time.Can you C&R guys say the same.Thats a BIG NO.As long as you get to keep fishing your happy."

You just made the C&R crowd very happy with that post...

Which one of these is true:
1) You are the best fisherman in the world. You are so good, that before the fish strikes, you know if it is native or hatchery. Then you pull your bait away before the nate can bite it. Truely impressive!! Please start up some classes to teach the rest of us this valuable skill!!
2) You are the worst fisherman in the world. In over 20yrs you have never caught a native steelhead while targeting hatchery fish. Or maybe you are just lucky? Unlucky?
3) Or, like most of us, you do incidently hook native fish now and then, and release them to 'do their thing'.

If number 3 is true, either C&R was 100% successful, or you did inteed kill a few native fish in those 20 plus years - intentional or not. Sounds like you and a few others are convinced that your efforts to release these wild fish unharmeed was VERY successful. Maybe I missed your point? Please clarify...

The key word is sustainable. If 10k wild returning fish is enough to sustain or grow the pop of a system and 11k fish come back you could have a C&R season. If the mortality rate is less than 1000 fish as a product of catch and release. It makes no sense to have a C&R season if a system is not meeting recovery goals. Does not matter how the fish are killed in my opinion it needs to have shutdown limits to insure recovery.