I wonder if WDFW plant numbers are legit? Could they lie?....Yes, to keep us buying in? Who audits the hatcheries? I had a friend thats retired hatchery employee that used to never follow policy or follow guidlines on numbers. Just dump all they raised. Number resrictions did not exist. Needless to say, fishn was fn awesome. I always have to say, if you plant numbers fishn will be good! If you don't, well here we are, and this isn't the only system that is having problems. Been on the mainstem "C" few times already, with limits there and good numbers showing. No "A" runs yet and are decent sized so they are going somewhere down low. Retired Kalama bud has not landed one yet and would have half dozen already. Talk there is whats up? No answers, even from the checkers. Concern is another [Bleeeeep!] season. Something is up and I don't buy survival, habitat and the other BS.
Ken I, did you whitness 60,000 Wynoochee summer steelhead planted in 2012? Or do you base your comments on some print out the Manager submits? I'm just curious if the WDFW posted hatchery plant number system has any validity any more.

I did better then witness it, I'm the FHS4 at Lake Aberdeen Hatchery, since 1999. Started rearing Steelhead my 1st day with old Dept. of wildlife, in 1982. Stop by sometime, if you're in the area.
Ken

Legit? In so far as this particular plant goes…..yes.


The fact many systems with summer fish here on the coast seem to be taking a dump so far could indeed be some marine survival variable we have no control over. Nothing more, nothing less. The Nooch has had a good track record for returns for many summers. Some years, you just end up with a dud. We have to deal with it, fish anyway or move on to something that gives us more satisfaction.

I, for one, am enjoying thinner crowds albeit with fewer fish. I'll gladly play those cards with fewer guides and less overall pressure. The Nooch could use a break.

Eric:

I agree with all you say............maybe I will sign up to substitute????? I don't think so !!!!!!!!!!!!!

4:40 a.m.-----another late start.....maybe today??????

Lord RG if you had any familiarity with WDF&W's hatchery program you would understand just how far out in the wilderness you are. There are several ways to get the actual release estimates close including electronic counters, which was my favorite. When fish program did away with large overages on the egg take the extra fish being released went away as did the hedging on the book numbers. The extra eggtake had always been about insurance in numbers if something went wrong during rearing to make production goals not boosting adult returns. The mountains of forms and paper work that a hatchery must fill out all feed into each other so other than a little adjustment for math, messing with numbers be it returning adults or releases, just does not happen on a large scale let alone any area where the feds & tribes are involved with ESA.

Never been afraid of kicking the holy crap out of WDF&W as they royally deserve it for making this ugly mess with fish in this state. As a friend says "who was in charge when the SS Washington Salmon ran aground" and it sure as hell was not the citizens then or now. It helps though to make sure one has things correct before blasting away.

DrifterWA: I certainly won't argue with a guy with that kind of time on the water! Wow. I hope my retirement is that fishy.

See you out there sometime, good luck, I hope the fish are just late.

TedR:

I was born in Seattle, raised in Kent and then teen/high school years in Redmond. Fishing has always been something I enjoyed.....Redondo Beach, Tacoma in different areas.

Met wife, during the Seattle World's Fair, she was from S. Dakota. We were both working but I wanted to go to college. Her folks still lived in South Dakota.....so I went there for my college degrees. When I was applying for work, at that time, my choices were Seattle, Port Angeles, Longview, and Aberdeen. Got map out......Aberdeen had the most rivers, plus Ocean.....so that's where I worked 1968 - 97.

I was here before the Bolt ruling, when gillnetting was done only for salmon, and the netting was done by end of October. The Wynoochee had no dam on it, steelhead limits on Humptulips was 3 steelhead, Wynoochee, Humptulips, Satsop, Chehalis, Upper Quinault and others were full of native steelhead.....lot's of fish 25+.

Economy was great....mills running 24/7, jobs everywhere........now, well everything changes......not so good in Grays Harbor......lots of changes in salmon and steelhead numbers, compared to the old days....most numbers are way down.

If not for the summer run fishing, locally......many people couldn't afford to do much fishing for salmon and steelhead, during the summer months. I like the ability to be able to fish, almost year around.....without driving more than 7 - 10 miles.

Its a "on going battle" to make sure the fisheries we have....don't get cut any more. Lot's of wars being fought, right now.....to make sure sports fisherpersons get a chance during the salmon months. Summer run steelhead has been on the "cutting block" more than a few times....I hope never, really a good program for the dollars invested.

June 17, 2014

3 fishermen, 1 boat......

finally the stink is off.......only fish hooked, never saw any others, no sea lice on this one.....barbque gets a workout tonight.....

Good to see a dead fish from the nooch finally. I hooked up once above the 7400 earlier...thats all I have seen or heard of being touched.

Thx for the explanation/clarification. Just stating a few facts about surplus fish being released and not accounted for on paper. Imo could happen the other way. In a Democracy, its always good to question.

Thursday June 19, 2014----4 a.m. - 7:15 a.m.

3 fishermen, this a.m., 2 of us have fished every morning since opener.

I "tuner" put in, has been fishing 7400 line to WB. Caught a fish, opening day.....nothing since. Had been fishing driftboat but upper river is getting low, some dragging involved, that's why he was using pontoon today and hoping he'd find fish in lower end.

3 of us.....back to what has been the normal.....NO FISH !!!!!!!!

RG with WDF&W it ALWAYS best to question as WDF&W has history of cookin the books. Now this is one that was around a few years back concerning release numbers. It was not that they purposely put out wrong numbers but rather the smolt released had a problem so 500k could be the correct number of fish but if the health is such that only 1/3 survive the fresh to salt transition then one could & should question the accuracy. So a released smolt is not necessarily 100% healthy as planting forms do not identify the fishes historical and present condition.

I got nailed with BKD for several years and the Pathologist estimated that one release of 700k had a infection rate of 40% of the population which meant in real terms that 700k was 420k of a viable smolt. The other side of it was we got a great return as we had very high & colored water on the out migration and reasonable ocean survival resulting in a adult return almost what 700k normally produced.

Friday, June 20, 2014

2 of us this morning......cast and watch bobber go, repeat.......change jigs, repeat the process.............NO FISH, again!!!

No fish rolling, no fish when looking off the bridges, mmm just don't understand.

2 boats put in........and 2 went up the valley, not much boat traffic.

Drifter, are you fishing the same spot everyday? We floated from cross over to black creek on Tuesday and went one for three on divers. Saw only a few fish in passing water that we couldn't get to go. Normally you'll see anywhere from 8-12 fish if your looking well. Just seems to be a slow year so far. Nice mot having a ton of boats on the river tho. Hoping to do it again next week week.

Eswan:

No drift boat, no pontoon, 73 years old, had knee replacement.....I fish the same spot every morning.

This is the 1st year, that on June 20th.......where there has not been 1 fish taken from this hole. Now I don't know if the "hole lights up", from 8 a.m. on BUT when I drive out and look......11 a.m. - 2 p.m. and around 8: p.m. at night......no one fishing AND not seeing fish.

If I was a "newbie" then maybe I don't know what or where to look. More than a few people that read and post on PP, know me.....have seen me catch fish......have handed off rod, to others......agree with many on here.....hatchery fish should die.

I agree with the "ton of boats" not being there.....also after opening day, all up and down the river.....just less people!!!!

WTG....on 1 for 3...... way above average.........

No ones questioning that you know where and how to get em. I have fished around you on the chehalis and Satsop for silver's and again on the nooch for winter runs. Just curious if you were fishing one particular spot or a few. First few weeks of July is always when we do best for summers. Hopefully things will pick up a bit.

Saturday June 21, 2014

7 of us this morning........NO FISH.....Hi lite of the morning....seeing the different floats fishermen use.

No boats went down from the 7 of us. 2 boats went up the valley, 1 went on west side of river.

Maybe tomorrow ?????????

Sunday, June 22, 2014

4 of us this a.m., No fish for any of the four. 2 boats put in, heard 3 boats go up the valley. 2nd boat to put in, had 2 teenage kids in boat....1st cast above us, bobber down.......1st fish to be caught in this area. Pressure on river is down.....understandable, just not many fish.

Hope fish are late???? Could be a long season with out more fish showing up.

Oh well, Chehalis opens August 16th, this year.....give me a chance to work on some of the early hatchery non-biter silvers.

Im assuming the slow fishing you are experiencing is from a plant of just 60k smolts if I read wdfw site correctly?? If the Nooch doesn't have a large run of wild fish and your fishing is dependent upon the return of 60k everyone could be in for a long season, especially on the lower end where the fish don't stage or hold up.

Its great you are out hitting it everyday. That's what a steelheader has to do when things are slow

Monday, June 23, 2014

3 fishermen, NO FISH CAUGHT....no boats, even had 1 plunker at the boat ramp.

Dry spell for the regulars, continues.....

Maybe tomorrow?