What do you suppose the WDFW has in mind when they wrote the regulations this year for the HOH? Why do they allow the keeping of jacks? Do they consider this a target fishery or a potentially incidental reward to fishing for steelhead? Why tempt anglers to target springers by allowing possesion of jacks? Are they promoting cnr fishing for the springers? I don't think this their intent or is it? Signed........ Cunfused

I am beginning to develop a complex! The lack of response to my questions above would indicate that they are either uninteresting or awfull stupid to not warrant at least one response from the rest of you. Help me out!

Signed........ Still Cunfused

The state commonly allows the taking of Jack salmon. I believe the thinking is the jacks will eat the eggs and spawn with the larger fish, so they want them to be reduced when possible.

I am not a biologist

Thanks for your response smiles4you!

CNR, from experience Saturday morning is the worst time to post a topic. Many of the dudes that frequent this sight are on the river, so don't take it personally if it sits till Sunday night for responses. Anyway, I look forward to fishing for the Hoh's wild springers every year, even though these gems are very tough to catch. From experience, if you are consistently hooking springers in the Hoh when it opens for summer-runs and jacks, then 1) you're purposefully going for them 2) there's an awesome run happening (and it'll be opening soon because the tribal nets are hammering them also). Believe it or not the Hoh does have clipped summer brats. Punched my first steelhead on June 1st this season on the Hoh, under similar regulatory conditions. More of a concern, to me, is the amount of wild spawners still in the system, even in June. These poor guys (and girls) get hammered when the river is open for springers, traditonally on May 16th. Oops gotsta go....Sorry for half a post.

Peace Out...

Hello again, got the Honeydo's out of the way. Anyway, my point being for the above, the summer-run fishing is slow at best so I would welcome a spring jack to the fishbox. Also, I have the similar belief that the liberal limits for jacks are because of the reasons Smilesforyou highlighted. Needless to say, they are quite tasty also.

Fish and Wildlife is definitely not promoting a C&R season for these fish. Like I mentioned earlier, if you are hooking AND LANDING the Hoh's native springers consistently, you are targeting them. I use 8lb leaders while driftfishing and 12lb for plugs during the summer for the peninsula's metalheads. My Friday partner and I took three trips in June, before they reopened the river for springers, for summer-run steelhead. On all three trips we were the only boat on the river. We managed to land two clipped summer-runs and a bunch of native "others" (spawners, chrome winter(?) jacks, and one low-teens hen springer(?) that battled me hard). Yes, we incidently hooked one springer. "It" was sitting in the Allen Bar tailout. Yes, have hooked summer-runs here before, but definitely not your average springer hole on this river. I say "It" because neither of us got a close look. All I saw was a thick back come up and reflect the sun. It was a chromey-purple flash, indicative of a fresh springer. In any case it snapped the 12lb Maxima like thread and sent that Bloody Mary to Tadpolly heaven. From my experience the typical Hoh springer is slightly over twenty pounds and is always pissed-off when you set the hook, conversely the typical Hoh summer-run brat is about six pounds. So If I'm a fish cop I'd probably give guys running 20lb or more a ticket.

Howdy HOH> I was a little impatient wasn't I? Describing your excursions of last June reminded me of my past June outings more than a few years ago on the HOH. A variety of fish and elbow room to boot. Not to mention, the unbelievable tenacity of the spring king! Finally getting back into fishing and trying to get a feel for the restrictions, etiquette and to keep from being refered to on this site as "some idiot on the river last weekend". thanks for your insight.