Well its official, the netting has begun. I was home at lunch and there were 2 big nets boats out there with tenderw working. Looks like its time to run and find a new spot!

Why, oh why do they have to net in Puget Sound?? Ugh.

We have to continue banding together and presenting a united sportsfishing front. We all know that there is far more economic value to a sports caught fish, so we have to keep sending the message to our legislators.

Join PSA, RFA...support the Sportsfishing PAC. It's our only hope to secure better fishing for sportsfisherman.

Are you sure they were netting? Tribes or commercials? I checked the WDFW site, and there is no commercial opening before the 18th.

Puget Sound Commercial Fisheries Hotline Message Number 9,
recorded, Friday, September 10th, 2004 at 7:30 PM.

A package of commercial salmon seasons and regulations was mailed to all Puget Sound commercial salmon license holders prior to May 3rd, 2004. If you have not received your commercial information packet please call the Department of Fish & Wildlife Fish Program at (360) 902-2700.

For the week of September 12th - September 18th, all areas are currently closed except as follows:

Areas 7 and 7A San Juans Islands and Point Roberts, will be open to reef nets 7:00 am to 7:00 pm daily continuously through November 13th. Chinook salmon must be released at all times. Chum and wild coho must be released prior to October 1st.

Area 7B Bellingham Bay will be open to gill nets using 5 inch minimum mesh size during the following periods:

6:00 p.m Sunday evening, Sept. 12th until 8:00 a.m. Monday morning, Sept. 13th
6:00 p.m Tuesday evening, Sept. 14th until 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, Sept. 15th
6:00 p.m Thursday evening, Sept, 16th until 8:00 a.m. Friday morning, Sept. 17th
Area 7B will be open to purse seines using the 5 inch strip from 7:00 a.m Monday, September 13th through 7:00 p.m. Thursday, September 15th.

Area 9A Port Gamble Bay will be open to gill nets and skiff gill nets limited to 600 feet in length and 60 meshes in depth using 5 inch minimum mesh size continuously through 8:00 pm October 30th. Chinook and chum salmon must be released from the net by cutting the meshes ensnaring the fish.

Area 12A Quilcene Bay waters north of a line from Point Whitney to the flashing light off Fishermen’s Point then to Fishermen’s Point on the Bolton Peninsula will be open for beach seine permit holders only 7:00 am to 7:00 pm daily. Monday through Friday each week through Friday October 1st. Only coho salmon may be retained.

I am positive they are netting. In fact their nets were set right up almost to the jetty. The tender was closing the loop as I watched.

Maybe the natives, maybe not. That I could not tell.

They are usually tribal. They used to anchor just off the south park and wait for you to start catching fish and then zoom out and start stringing their net right around you and give you that get lost look.

I was out today when the seiners were out there. There were two of them working right in front of the Marina. However, I came in around 10:00am...(restroom break) and I saw one of the boats come in a little bit behind me. He was totally loaded. He pulled right up beside bud's bait and hooked up a hose. It looked to me like he was pumping herring and water out of his hold into the holding pens at Bud's.

In addition I talked to someone leaving the bait shop this am before going out and they said that all they had was frozen bait.

My assumption is that he was netting for herring. Hopefully not salmon....... What do you think?