They do care about conservation; they just prefer to let us bear the burden.

Clearly. And the courts, so far, support them in that view.

Status quo, business as usual:

http://nwsportsmanmag.com/editors-blog/t...ton-ship-canal/

Release all live WILD Chinook..
-good luck Chinook!

I believe I read the same thing right here from smalma

"It is interesting how many salmon management experts are on this site and taking part in this thread.

I wonder how you folks would have fared say last year if you were in charge of the management of our salmon. As many of you no doubt recall the coho fishing this time of year last year was off the charts. The various beach fisheries were about as good as it gets and the creel checks also indicated exceptional fishing. Presumably if we are going to make early in-season adjustments in fish runs the sport catches are were we would likely look; with high catch rates (especially if there is substantial effort) would equate a large run (more fish??).

As you may recall the Snohomish forecast for wild coho (driven by record estimates of wild smolt abundances) was approximately 50,000 fish. By all counts the coho fishing last August and most of September was exceptional and the creel checks at Everett confirm that excellent fishing. Huge number of boats being checked with high catch rates. In fact in the last 30 years those kinds of numbers have been seen only twice. In both of those years the wild coho escapement on the Snohomish were in excess of 1/4 million spawners. Also keep in mind that the wild smolt numbers were 3 million and the parent escapement (the spawners that produced the 2015 adults was 130,000). Would you internet biologist updated the 2015 run size to something larger than 50,000???

Most of you seem more than willing to adjust this year's run size on much more shaky information - incidental angler reports and number of jumping fish. The harsh reality is that the only potential in-season coho model run size adjustments (especially for wild fish) require terminal net catches (tribal) in late September and early October to make any realistic update. Does anyone think with little harvest in front of the terminal areas that early returns might be skewed from past years?

The other issue is that folks seem to have problems with the 2016 forecasts. Again looking at the Snohomish wild coho where the 2015 escapement was 13,000 with a potential total runszie of between 18,000 and 26,000. Given that the ocean conditions in the spring of 2015 (the year that this years adults went to sea as smolts) was much the same as 2014 and the total number of wild smolts were less than 60% of the 2014 numbers (1.6 million verus 3 million) what would you have forecasted.

Anyone willing to offer up their 2015 updates or 2016 forecasts which surely would be substantially better than those produced be the co-managers?

Curt"

This is unacceptable.

Just call and ask Sunset Falls how their counts are looking? Those are real numbers.

Average (AVERAGE) fish size = 8 lbs. numbers are "promising".

Sad state of affairs. I guess I'm a glass half empty kind of guy, but this thread is a great example of why I just don't have much hope for the future of our salmon. First we're outraged the tribes are fishing on depleted stocks, and with the next breath we're demanding recreational openings up and down the sound. Can we really look at ourselves and say it's all about conservation? When Lake Washington opens in a week or so, how many rod hours will inevitably be spent getting OUR share? I'm not pointing fingers, I want to fish as bad as any of you, and chances are good I'd be out there too. Just a general observation that we're all going to be fighting over the last fish.

Wouldn't it be cool if recs could impose our own self restraint and principle and didn't partcipate in whatever the state throws our way?

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

September 8, 2016
Contact: Kyle Adicks, (360) 902-2664

Lake Washington to open for coho fishing Sept. 16

OLYMPIA – Anglers will have the opportunity to fish for coho salmon in Lake Washington starting Sept. 16, state salmon managers announced today.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) initially planned to keep Lake Washington closed to salmon fishing due to the low number of coho forecast to return to the watershed this year.

However, the number of fish passing through the Ballard Locks in early September indicates a much stronger run of coho than anticipated, said Kyle Adicks, salmon fisheries policy lead for WDFW.

Earlier this year, state and tribal co-managers agreed to consider allowing a fishery in Lake Washington if more than 10,000 coho were expected to return. The co-managers had projected a run of 4,414 coho to return to Lake Washington this year.

"We now expect far more coho to return than forecast to Lake Washington, allowing for some salmon fishing opportunity," Adicks said.

Tribal co-managers also plan to hold coho fisheries in Lake Washington.

The recreational fishery will be open Sept. 16 through Oct. 31, as it has been in previous years. Anglers can keep two coho but are required to release chinook and sockeye salmon. More details about the fishery are available on WDFW's fishing rule change website at https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/erule.jsp?id=1861

State and tribal co-managers also are evaluating the run of coho returning to the Green River. Similar to Lake Washington, the river has been closed to salmon fishing to protect coho.

WDFW and tribal co-managers likely will make a decision soon on whether to hold coho fisheries in the Green River, Adicks said. Any announcements on the recreational fishery will be posted on WDFW's fishing rule change webpage at https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/

By chance did anyone find out/observe how the "test fishery" went the past couple of days???

I'll find out tonight

Friends, Sport fisherman who ran from everett north, around the bait box on Possesion and shipwreck to Pt.Wells and all the other typical september Coho fishing areas(to see and document for themselves.) are reporting so many fish on the fish finders, unlike anything seen for years. especially north of the tulip bubble area near Spi-be-dah. straight out in the middle, thick,thick runs. all waiting for the rains to push them up river (or be gill netted)
this Bs management by our state is costing the local economy huge coin. Lets do some test fisheries immediately similar to Chinook test fisheries and lets see. open the sound now!!!
If the tribes get 3-weeks & 2-3 days per week, give us some days at least. I think the Sportees should do a one day protest fishery for coho C&R only. at least bring some attention to what the tribes are doing or not doing.

Good idea. When?

This is a no brainer, so it wont happen.

BINGO--we have a winner!!!

i say do it Saturday 9/ 17 en mass area 9, 10 & 11. everyone go out and troll with gear, no hooks. lets not risk our boats, lets just show of force the numbers of sports fisherman that are out there. its like we don't exist to the state fisheries managers. our whole state government from the governor on down mismanages absolutely everything they touch. when will it stop??

Boy, The water off Port Angeles sure looks fishy right now. Pretty sad that I'm one of the second class citizens of this state that cant go fishing.

I'm in, unfortunately though, I don't have a boat. But I will contact all the news agencies letting them know what's going on. I can also fish ( or pretend to) from shore or ride along if anybody participating has an empty seat.

Just a thought if you plan to organize a fish in.
Why not the weekend of the 24-25th rather then the 17th.
The 24-25th would have been the Everett derby. I'm sure some folks that work weekends may have requested vacation days to fish the derby prior to the announced agreements and closures.
If the derby was on, a lot of folks would have planned to be on the water that weekend anyway.
Just a suggestion.
SF