Powerbaiters are the "NO BRAINERS" of the fishing world. They know not the habits
and food their prey feed on nor anything about the ecology of a lake. Their ignorance is
part of the reason they find it easier to litter the landscape and lake bottom with their line
and garbage and beer cans. They are certainly NOT sportsmen as their main objective seems to be to fill a bloody bucket with dead trout to take home to freezer burn or give the neighbor to freezer burn.
Yes I believe there is a valid place for powerbait....it is with the children who lack the knowledge
to know better and need fast action to keep up their interest.
And what of catch and keep fisheries, you ask? Well if you didn't ask I'll pretend you did anyhow!
They have their place too....in our poor quality waters where the ecology of the lake is not capable
of sustaining large fish populations. I estimate this is no more than 40-50% of our waters,less in E. Wash.
For an education on this issue get a copy of the Canadian trout fishing regulations. You will see with a little reading that 40-50% of their regulated lakes have restricted limits of 2 fish,1fish,or strict C&R
To manage rich lakes like Jameson and Spectacle and Wannicut on a put and jerk out basis is a
SIN. I spoke with old timers in Grand Coulee who say that Jameson for example had large populations of #5 to #10 pound trout in the days when the road was a dirt rut and few fished it.
With proper regulation of C&R, it could again produce such trout as the scuds and chironomids are still in there.
Those of you who percieve your trout fishing as a SPORT vs. a poor quality welfare meat program
need to get a lot more vocal with your F&G Department. More and more people want to catch
sporting size trout and will sacrifice" eating their sport" to gain large fish. We should have a larger voice in F&G Dept. and mainly a LOT MORE WATERS WITH QUALITY REGULATIONS AND BAIT BANS AND POPULATIONS OF LARGE TROUT.