Bad news comes early--- coho declines again

[dj2loud]

http://nwsportsmanmag.com/headlines/bum ... -forecast/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Guess we should all avoid this fishery this year---

[JoshH]

That is a real bummer .... something inside me though says their numbers are crooked. I think since they over-shot last year and are making up for it this year by under estimating, by a lot.

Am curious to see what they say about Sockeye for Skagit/Baker.

[Larry3215]

That really sucks but isn't surprising. Nothing has changed as far as how they manage the fishery so declines are still the main item on the menu for the foreseeable future.

I bet the return for kings will be down as well.

[dj2loud]

I may consider not fishing the Nooksack this year at all, even though its so close to my house here in maple falls... Not to beat a dead horse again but 97 days of straight netting by the tribes this past year aren't helping the system for years to come.....

Went down to Whatcom creek today and the tide was out.... didn't even pull my rods from the bed of my truck..... maybe start freshwater fishing for BASS again in the lakes...

[BlakeP]

That's pretty disappointing news I don't really fish Puget Sound rivers but the runs on the rivers I do fish will also likely be poor again this year. This last coho year was one of the worst I've ever seen, I still did okay but for the amount of time and effort I put in, it was very poor. Was really hoping this year would redeem last season, guess it's just gonna be another big disappointment. I think I'm just gonna put effort into Steelhead all summer and fish for late summer runs instead of bothering with Coho this fall... Or we could always hope they have the numbers wrong...Maybe.

[BARCHASER10]

SeattleTimes article today sez pretty much the same thing. Do not look good for Coho this year. The Times article also mentioned a poor showing for Fall Chinooks is expected.

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-new ... the-ocean/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[4steelhead]

I believe it's beneficial to sport anglers for the forecast to be conservative. The tribes get the first 50% of the allotted catch. If the run comes in larger than forecasted, emergency rules may increase angler opportunity.

[Ian Horning]

We've gotta manage these fisheries better. Honestly with number like this, commercial/sport pressure should be kept to an absolute minimum. NO retention in the rivers, and TINY commercial quotas if ANY. Seriously, with two low runs back to back, the stocks are bound to be terrible in years upcoming as well. We need every adult returning salmon possible. 20,000 fish in the Snohomish system is abysmal. Just three years ago it was over 200,000.

Sportsmen have to agree on this! We simply cannot exhaust our fisheries any further. Soon our coho will turnout like our steelhead have; from 60,000-90,000 in the Stilly 100 years ago, to ~600 today.

Action, people, action. No just hoping it gets better.

[dj2loud]

The article quoted *** While average Skagit coho returns over the past decade tally more than 50,000 fish, preliminary estimates have put the 2015 returns at about 5,600 fish — the lowest since record-keeping began back in the 1960s Sounds like the WDFW and the Tribes have been over inflating the numbers for years and its finally biting them right in the Keisters.... Still to this day I cannot believe they allow commercial netting and tribal netting in ANY OF THE RIVERS !

[Larry3215]

Its politics. There is nothing WDFW can do about the tribes but ask nicely. Same with the FEDs. The tribes can do what they want, so we have to hope they get it together on their own.

We sport guys take a tiny % of the total catch. Even if we stopped fishing completely, it would have little to no effect on returns.

That leaves commercial fishing. Those guys pay the politicians to vote in the rules that they want.

We need to let the political idiots know that we are not happy. Unfortunately, unless we can get a large number of people to scream with us, we will be ignored. We are too small a base to offset large campaign contributions.

[BARCHASER10]

Hopefully, the warm water bubble is short term. The Silver run has been very good in Puget Sound for the last 5-6 years. We limited my boat about 12 out of 15 trips last Fall. Never did get skunked but they sure were small fish! We got two in the 8's, some that were 6-7 but lots that were 3-4. They were healthy looking fish, just small. Hope for the best!

Sports always finish last, just the way it works, I don't like it, just have to accept it.

[jonb]

There are 3 things that need to happen to help the salmon/steelhead runs in washington.

1.) close all retention for anadromous salmon/steelhead, this way the natives/commercial fisheries will have to stop aswell. 50% of 0 is 0. i also think all waters should open to c&r fishing, even those that are currently closed. (we'll have to do something to curb poaching)

2.) buy back the private land immediately on the banks of our rivers and begin habitat rehabilitation. Set this land aside as a natural wildlife refuge.

3.) remove as many dams as can be done without causing the economy to crash.

All of these things will hurt washingtons economy in the short run, but in the long run, the rivers will thrive and washingtonians can have a realistically sustainable fishery for future generations, along with upgraded land access for recreation and possibly tourism created by the world class fishery washington would become.

Or we could all continue to selfishly plunder this resource into the ground as is until there are no more salmon then plunder the next resource until earth is uninhabitable... As for me im done fishing washington rivers, ive moved to heaven ahem i mean british columbia. Lol

[Larry3215]

I think you are on the right track with those suggestions but I foresee potential problems

1) Not likely unless the politicians stop taking bribes - aka campaign contributions.
2) Republicans are too cheap to spend the money and Dems are too worried about rights.
3) We are already short on having enough power for the people who live here now. Unless people are willing to build a bunch of atomic plants to replace the dams or stop having babies, its not gonna happen.

[dj2loud]

Or we could all continue to selfishly plunder this resource into the ground as is until there are no more salmon then plunder the next resource until earth is uninhabitable...

Which is more likely to happen before anything else gets achieved-

-- man vs nature and nature is loosing......

[jonb]

Larry the sad part is i 100% agree with you, my suggestions wont happen because no one with power will take it seriously, there is no immediate profits for the rich and powerful. Politics will ruin america and not just the fisheries. And overpopulation is definately something we should all take seriously too. Im SOO glad i moved to canada...

[dj2loud]

My wife said no more babies at 40, so we are buying a dog instead........ Good call Maranda, good call.... Now if I can just find a way to use the pup and claim as a dependent that would be nice......

[strider43]

That is a real bummer .... something inside me though says their numbers are crooked. I think since they over-shot last year and are making up for it this year by under estimating, by a lot.

Am curious to see what they say about Sockeye for Skagit/Baker.

I agree and I will say this is like any other data today; what results are they looking for, who is gathering the data? Most data today is so severely flawed by junk science or specific motivation that its hard to put any stock in it. I have heard record breaking years predicted for Coho many times only to have a "standard" run of fish.

[NWBoater45]

I am an average Joe fisherman that has been fishing Washington waters all my life...lets just say that is 30+ years. I have seen banner years and have seen years they have closed fishing. No one more than I would love to see nets out of the rivers. But the thing is, as in banner years or poor years nets have always been there. I personally don't point the finger just at the nets (but also know they do their damage). I have done a little brown bag research and have yet to find if any organization has done a similar study. With my history of fishing on these waters one thing always seems to correlate with poor runs. Most aren't going to like this but it seems the year or two AFTER an El Nino we have down years. I think with the BLOB hanging off the coast the last two or so years has really impacted the smolt population in the ocean. Here are my thoughts. This seems to translate more on the coho runs then on the king runs. I think this has to do with when they enter the ocean, how long they are there and migration routes. Coho leave the river systems at about 18 months. They migrate to the ocean from what I believe is about an average size if around 6". So I am guessing by the time they reach the ocean they are 8, 10 maybe 14". Hmm seems like a perfect size meal for a tuna. They then stay out there for 2 to three years. So for this years(2016) fish, what showed up off our coast about three years ago as they migrated out. Yup the BLOB. What did the BLOB bring besides warmer water? Thousands and thousands of hungry tuna along with other ocean predators. So as this years Salmon as smolts migrated out to the ocean they have no choice but to travel right through the path of the tuna which is only what 20 - 25 miles off shore and in some cases closer. From the maps I have seen coho don't migrate out as far as Chinook. I might even guess they are feeding on shrimp and squid in the same areas tuna. Maybe tuna have turned there taste to salmon smolts instead of squid. If you look at it on the surface the squid fishing in Puget sound has been incredible the last couple of years. With the tuna chasing salmon there is less salmon chasing squid means banner runs of squid. Coincidence? Maybe. But Mother nature has a way with having a little fun with us as well.

OK now for my RANT:
Yes we have done everything mankind can do to F* up our salmon runs, gillnetting (thank gawd we got these idiot off the water), nets across the rivers, dams (time to take a few down and let California figure out their own electricity), dikes (why should we be protecting idiots who want to live in a flood plane?), and last but not least (did I say idiots?) we need to make changes with the political f* heads that run this state (I would say Oregon as well). When was the Boldt act signed? 40+ years ago!!!!! Time for a change. Why should 3% of the population get 50% of the salmon (let alone of anything)? How does that math work? Do F*n tell me it is to fee their families!!!! I was driving though the Tulalip Nation last year and what did I see? Oh a road side stand selling King salmon for $5.00 a pound on the TN land!!!! So not only are they raping the rivers they are making a profit off it as well. OK I am done......as fishermen(woman) we need to get our voices heard. Gary Krein of All Start Charters said he never sees the average Joe fisherman at State meetings that divvy up the catch or talk about seasons. It is time to change that!!!

[bassplayer17]

Nw boater 45 jfyi those kings you saw being sold on the tulalip rez came from their OWN hatchery

[spokey9]

Even if they raised those fish in their own hatchery, they still are only entitled half (or the negotiated percentage with wdfw) of any returning fish over the escapement number. Also tribal hatcheries receive federal (and sometimes state) funding to augment the tribes expenses. So we still end up paying for those fish as well.