38# Steelhead???

[arniejl]

My Dad guided for Steelhead for years and still lives in Forks. He just called me and told me about a supposed 38 pounder that the Quinault's got in a net. I found this picture, online, and in the thread it says that this is supposed to be the fish, but who knows for sure. It is a pig, no doubt!

[Brian253]

Yeah I seen a pic of two fish over 30 lb nates that the same goof pulled from the system... What a disappointment to see how much the "natives" care about the"native" runs dwindling away. Sad. Atleast he supports g loomis, they must make a sweet rape net!!

[goodtimesfishing]

sad

[Toni]

I thought I had seen that picture on a thread last year. I don't remember what forum it was.

[returnofthefish]

I agree with everyone else. Its sad that nate couldnt live and spread its good genes.

[natetreat]

Yea, I get a kick outta the irony. Apostles for native fish, they are the number one consumer of 'em.

[arniejl]

I thought I had seen that picture on a thread last year. I don't remember what forum it was.

That could be. I found this on a forum where it claimed to be the 38 pounder. Now, about 6 or 7 years ago, I seen a picture in Taholah, when I worked there, of a 35 pounder that they had gotten and I am wondering if this is that same picture. It looks familiar to me but that was some time ago.

[morrisR/T]

this is exactly the reason why rivers lke the green are closing early, absolutely no respect foe the fishery, we dmp money into state ran hatcheries, and they come in, net the fish, and then sell it back to us, and not to mention ruin our seasons

[natetreat]

Wow, that's such a beautiful fish. Such a shame to kill it when they're so rare. They shouldn't be allowed to net when those fish are in.

[Todd Rock]

My roommate posted that pic on gf.com like a month ago. One of our friends sent me that photo.

[A9]

Sad that everyone's racing to wipe out our native steelhead runs without even realizing it... Indians take them cause they are entitled to their share, and sportfisherman take their one per year because "otherwise the indians or seals" will get it....

[racfish]

Thats why I wrote that thread on Native retention. What good can we do as fishermen while the rest of the fishing world does not. Why release a 15 lber just to get caught in a net or chomped by a sea lion. Just dosent make sense.

[A9]

Thats why I wrote that thread on Native retention. What good can we do as fishermen while the rest of the fishing world does not. Why release a 15 lber just to get caught in a net or chomped by a sea lion. Just dosent make sense.

Racfish,
If we keep that mentality then all we will have to fish for in the future are hatchery turds.

Everyone justifies bonking their one native fish of the year because "if I don't, the indians or sea lions will get it." Wrong. Plenty of fish make it to the gravel. Not enough, but the blame game will never get anywhere. Commercials, Indians, sportfisherman, all blame one another and justify their take because "if everyone else is getting some, I'm getting mine too." It's a tragedy of the commons and until all parties understand the situation and work together, we will keep racing towards bonking the last salmon left. If people want meat, then they should target hatchery fish. I have no problem with whacking clipped fish.

Our duties as anglers include knowing and following the rules and regulations. I also think educating ourselves about health of runs and following sustainable fishing and environmental practices is equally as important. For example, I'm well aware of the severity of the decline of wild steelhead in Puget Sound rivers. I would never keep a wild steelhead. What's legal doesn't always align with what is moral/ethical.... I fish barbless almost exclusively now, regardless of regulations. I know what barbed hooks can do to fish, particularly juvenile salmon, ie "shakers." If I'm out looking to get a few dungies to go with my dinner, I won't keep a limit if I pull up a loaded pot; I'll keep my two and let the rest go. No need to waste anything.

We all have a responsibility to be proper stewards of our environment, and this goes beyond our fisheries.

[racfish]

First of all let me be very clear. I fish according to the regs. I never keep natives unless Im on the OP and you can keep 1 only. I have no problems with the rules. The rules only pertain to the sportspeople only. Thats what bums me out. I hate the one sidedness we deal with. To me its a case of reverse discrimination.
I agree with your fishing techniques . I lost two nice fat silvers 2 years ago to Sealions. I can deal with that. I fish Barbless hooks and to fish on my boat youd better be all legal. I ask to see license and punchcards before heading out.
We have laws and i dont break them.I just wish it wasnt so one sided.

[A9]

First of all let me be very clear. I fish according to the regs. I never keep natives unless Im on the OP and you can keep 1 only. I have no problems with the rules. The rules only pertain to the sportspeople only. Thats what bums me out. I hate the one sidedness we deal with. To me its a case of reverse discrimination.
I agree with your fishing techniques . I lost two nice fat silvers 2 years ago to Sealions. I can deal with that. I fish Barbless hooks and to fish on my boat youd better be all legal. I ask to see license and punchcards before heading out.
We have laws and i dont break them.I just wish it wasnt so one sided.

Rac,
I never said you didn't follow regs or weren't an upstanding guy or anything. All my points in my previous post were not directed at you or anyone in particular... Just saying if we want to better our fisheries and give sport-fishers a better reputation, we need to do our part.

I understand the current political mess of our regulations between sporties vs commercials vs tribal isn't ideal and too many fish are taken by commercials and tribal fisherman. We don't kill wild cows or chicken, every cut of beef or chicken wing is farm raised, which is why I think the commercial fishing industry should rely heavier on farmed fish.

But sitting here whining and taking our share of wild steelhead "because everyone else is getting theirs " doesn't help the cause. Get involved and attend meetings. Become a part of conservation minded groups and show up to the WDFW season setting events to be another voice for sportfisherman. As a fisherman it is my duty to be aware of the current state (not good) of fish runs and their health, so I would never kill a wild steelhead even if legal to do so, because I know the outlook on wild steelhead is nort good.

[racfish]

A-9 I wasnt sayoing you were targeting me. I was making it clear to all. I follow the rules whether I like them or not. Everything has a place and a reason in our ecosystems. Believe me Ive been chasing metalheads all my life. I would love to see our local waters flourish again like in the day. If natural predators take fish ... So be it. Thats Mother nature taking care of the problem. But when humans are involved be it Native American or commercial fisherpeople along with the Sportspersons then comes the destuction of land ,forestry,minning etc etc.. I guess what Im trying to say is. if there are 1000 persons harvesting fish and only 10 of them release then this is not a satisfactory solution. The odds are way against the survival. What we are doing is prolonging the life of a fish that is destined to being wiped out.
Do I know the solution. Maybe or maybe not. Unless 900 of that 1000 try to make a difference then in a very short time they will be extinct anyways.
I hope I made sense...

[A9]

I guess what Im trying to say is. if there are 1000 persons harvesting fish and only 10 of them release then this is not a satisfactory solution. The odds are way against the survival. What we are doing is prolonging the life of a fish that is destined to being wiped out.
Do I know the solution. Maybe or maybe not. Unless 900 of that 1000 try to make a difference then in a very short time they will be extinct anyways.
I hope I made sense...

Made sense. I agree, my little part that I do, probably won't have much of an impact because so many people aren't conservation minded....

Same thing in any voting/election type stuff. If you or I voted republican in the last presidential election it wouldn't have done anything since Washington voted democrat... Such little chance of having any impact. But if we spread the conservation mindset and promote the education of it to other fisherman, things will get better. If we can't see change, there won't be any. Which is why its sort of upsetting when the mods here delete comments or threads regarding native retention. If comments are censored, then trying to pass on the education to other fisherman is useless if it's just deleted.

[bigskyx]

Another dimension to this is catch & low impact release. Good on ya for using barbless hooks, I do also. I've been appalled at the treatment of fish after catch that I've witnessed here in WA. Dragging them up on the beach, flopping around in the rocks, covered in sand, then kicked back in the water and back to fishing. This is not the exception but all too common IME. A fish's slime coat is an extremely important protection that is easily removed by excessive handling(especially with dry hands or gloves) or any of the above mentioned improper handling. When this coating is removed they are easy targets for bacterial infection and parasites. I try not to touch the fish at all if I'm not keeping it. I mostly fish jigs and can usually just grab the jig head and free it. If it's stuck I grab the lower jaw and gently lock the mouth open. Something to consider and plan before you hook up.

[racfish]

theres an old Yiddish saying. "From your mouth to G-ds Ears" If you know what I mean. Like You I do my part. I live less then 100 yards off Lk Wa. I dont use systemics on my roses and flowers as not to polute the lake which is cancelled out by the jerk who does oil changes in the street a 1/2 a block closer then me.

[A9]

Another dimension to this is catch & low impact release. Good on ya for using barbless hooks, I do also. I've been appalled at the treatment of fish after catch that I've witnessed here in WA. Dragging them up on the beach, flopping around in the rocks, covered in sand, then kicked back in the water and back to fishing. This is not the exception but all too common IME. A fish's slime coat is an extremely important protection that is easily removed by excessive handling(especially with dry hands or gloves) or any of the above mentioned improper handling. When this coating is removed they are easy targets for bacterial infection and parasites. I try not to touch the fish at all if I'm not keeping it. I mostly fish jigs and can usually just grab the jig head and free it. If it's stuck I grab the lower jaw and gently lock the mouth open. Something to consider and plan before you hook up.

Well stated. Proper CnR tactics aren't exercised as often as they should be. Its also important to educate people on how to safely and quickly handle a fish. A released fish isn't necessarily going to live. Mortality rates depending on fishery/species vary... Minimizing that impact should be every ones goal.

I recently picked up a new knotless net more oriented for catch and release to replace the standard abrasive/knotted bag I had been using for salmon..... Almost everything that I net is kept; I try and release all fish boatside without touching them, but there are certain species and times where netting is necessary and even then I typically leave the net in the water so they don't get all wrapped up and twisted on the deck of the boat.... On my little lake boat I have had a rubber knotless catch and release net for all the bass and trout I catch, since I release them all.

Too often I see terrible fish handling on youtube or in person when I'm on the water and there's no excuse to treat a fish that way if you are releasing it....