we have the technology and know how , scale sampling .etc. to know from a test fishery what percentage of the run are 1,2,3 or 4 year olds.
it comes down to does WDFW want us to know if the fish stayed out in the deeper, colder ocean due to the warmer water last year. my hypothesis is, yes they did. this years run appears to be robust , healthy and of a majority of the fish being larger 3-4 year olds. from the Canadian fishery 6-18 lbs fish being caught off Vancouver island and US sports fisherman's reports from the canadian side of the straight, all reports indicate we were screwed by the numbers politics. i fished Neah bay 7/1 2015 with water temps @ 57 degrees. This year 7/1/2016
water temps were @ 47degrees to 51 degrees. 10 degrees cooler. NOAA scientists i interviewed reported a diminished "blob" of warmer ocean water off the Pacific coast, which has probably given the fish the indicator to go, run. Thankfully, mother nature is trying to "fix,help" with colder water upwelling.

eye, Makah winter troll fishery was 19,559 Chinook. Anticipated catch total october to January, are you ready, 1600. 18,000 more fish than anticipated. Incidental Coho in catch anticipated, 1500. Totals, no data.

Didja all know the hatcheries give adult coho to tribes to distribute to their members? Do these go towards the count? I saw 4 totes, about 700 lbs each, go out in tribal pickup trucks. That was in 2 hours, at one hatchery, in one morning (So do the math).

By "give", I mean we pay for the hatcheries, staff, property, incomes, smolt release, sort and process for hatchery spawning, put them in totes...and the tribes simply pick them up as theirs.

For me to catch 10 fish as a sportie costs me about $250-300 into the economy. But the tribes only pay gas money.

AGAIN: WHERE ARE THESE FISH INJECTED INTO THE COUNT that gives 50/50 harvest?