Seabeck, I hope you are right about a December fishery for coho in the Chehalis system . I talked to Larry Phillips (who is no longer with WDFW) last year about the lack of wild steelhead in the system in December and that it should be open for late timed hatchery coho during that month. He didn't seem to be very interested in having that fishery.
I hope you are right but I will believe it when I see it.

In November and December, Late coho are harvested 5 days per week in gillnets, they are affectionately referred to by our tribal friends as steelhead.

I think Summer Steelhead is starting out strong also, which could be another indicator of good ocean survival. From myself and friends catches have been better than the last few years. Could be from better than average available water but think overall things are turning around.

or wdfw actually planted the number of fish there suppose to for a change

If the late coho show in numbers sufficient to support a Tribal "steelhead" fishery, we will be allowed to fish in December. If they're off the water, so are we. Simple as that. SO, whether it's salmon or steelhead you want to fish for in December, pray for the late coho run to come in strong. Prospects look decent so far....

0/12/2022

James Losee, WDFW, Wild steelhead committee, probably many others have a very good idea about what's going to take place 12/01/2022.

I have emailed Losee, asking for a written plan for Wild/native steelhead/ in Region 6........... no response!!!!!! WDFW has, in general, a "black hole", where emails get filed into........

i called 3 different bio's from Region 6, and emailed the team directly, about the Puy and Carbon BS, zero response...

fvck the WDFW..

The Puyallup and Carbon are in Region 4. You might have better luck contacting the Region 4 office in Mill Creek.

I contacted WDFW and spoke with an employee who gave me the name of the biologist. I called left a very detailed yet respectful message and no response. From what is going on in the sound( area 11) it looks like its all about the 5 year plan for Chinook.

This is the best information I received on the other thread I started.


I remembered my login here... dumb luck.

For the answers on the Puyallup system, see the WDFW link below and expand "What is the difference between the 2022 plan and the 2017 plan?"


https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/puget-sound-management-plan
_________________________
Mike Gilchrist

they are region 6...

Counties served: Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Thurston

i had been in contact with Tara Livingood-Schott, but it seems she is no longer at the WDFW it looks like..

i emailed and called 3 biologist, as well as emailing the entire team at TeamMontesano@dfw.wa.gov, 2 weeks ago, and got zero response...

Stacie Kelsey will no longer be doing what she has been for the last couple decades either..

the WDFW is a joke..

i dont even care about fishing for Chinook in either of those rivers, im talking about Coho fishing in October and November, when there isnt even any Kings around...

they are also expecting a more abundant return this year as well, just like everywhere else in this state...

its not about a "plan", its about the tribes, and the whitey ran boats and all their lobbyist donations... thats why they arent answering me like Tara did.. they easily could have done what they do on the Green, which is release ALL Chinook...

NOPE, they close the entire river right when the hatchery Coho return and screw everyone....

fvck the WDFW..

General Evo. I too emailed them, they did get back to me, their reasoning is the big floods we had on the Puyallup system in 19/20 they expect less that 2000 adult coho.

I think that's [Bleeeeep!], but that's what the told me.

IF THATS IS THE CASE THERE SHOULD BE NO NETS IN THE RIVER PAST SEPTEMBER 30!
All about the co managing and conservation right? Doesn't 'Co" mean both party's participate in what's best for the fish?

No. 'Co' means the same thing as "in common" which means they get to take their share first and then tell us if we even get a fishery. It's not about what's best for the fish but what is best for the tribes and the seafood processing industry.

well they said no Coho were returning in 2019 and closed it then, the entire season, thats when i started emailing Tara first...

then, which i had eluded to in emails, they met escapement, and opened the river mid October, well a major storm came in and blew the river up over 6k CFS, and the whole run came through in about 3 weeks...

Voights gets a decent return of Coho, even the late wild fish, even after the 2009 floods (river was over 50k CFS in the Alderton area), they still came back just like always...

then, in 2020, we had a stellar Chum year, best i have seen it in over 10 years, Coho as well, i was hooking up to 15 a day at one point...

then, in 2021 they did it again, but changed it at the last minute and opend the river until November 30th..

you can go up past the mouth of the Carbon and fish the little Puyallup until January 15th, but cant touch the Carbon and lower Puyallup.. and there is no retention of anything up there either..

if someone told you it was because of the floods, and the WDFW has listed on their page until 2027 that this is the deal to protect Chinook, that right there tells you all you need to know..

they flat out lied, and caved to the tribes and lobbyists and are taking our fish, and giving them away...

thats the only explanation that i have for why they would do that... Coho arent Chinook, so whats the deal with protecting Coho and not Chinook?

also, their so called "fish redd counters", are god damn morons...

last time i talked to them, ( see them multiple times a year), they said that they had seen nothing, at all.. i had already hooked my 7th fish that morning, and it was like 9:30...

off down the river they went, vaping oil, and twirling around in their raft...

not counting or looking for sh!t...

Yeah that's On the Swing for you. His dad set him up with the job, a complete nepotism hire.

Damn bro you sound like a good fisherman! You should DM me for some collabz for my channel bro.

Evo,

My bad. Sorry. I was thinking the NIsqually separated Region's 4 and 6, not the Puyallup system.

Regarding the confusing seasons and regulations, WDFW simply does what the Puget Sound Treaty tribes tell them to do. WDFW does not work for the people who pay the taxes and buy the licenses that keep the doors open and the lights on at WDFW. WDFW works for the treaty tribes. The tail wags the dog.

"Defund WDFW."

Defunding begins with not buying licenses. Otherwise you just support their crack habit.