Latest info not looking like sunshine and roses......

[Jakefish]

Looks like we are playing the information game again. Olsons website has a spread sheet that shows seasons for Chinook and Coho in Puget Sound. I don't know if this is official or what? It seems to show that MA 8 and 9 will be closed for Coho. 10 will be open on a "selective" basis. Click on the spread sheets and they will get bigger so you can read them.

https://www.facebook.com/MasonsOlsonRes ... page_panel" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is very useful, now we just need the same page for pinks. It looks like the Skagit, including the Cascade, will be completely closed to coho, and the Nooksack will be clipped fish only again this year.

[Gonefishing]

Pretty much everything reported yesterday as our Puget sound season was what I expected after hearing that while Coho numbers were likely to come back up a bit in 2017 (but not much)... the 2017 Pink numbers was not expected to be good and the fish will likely be on the smaller side. At least we will see a coho season in the sound in some areas vs virtually none last year.

[Larry3215]

Just got this email

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

April 11, 2017
Contacts: Kyle Adicks, (360) 902-2664;
Michelle Dunlop, (360) 902-2255

Washington's salmon fisheries set for 2017

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Washington anglers can expect a mixed bag of salmon fisheries this year with slightly increased opportunities in the ocean, seasons similar to last year in the Columbia River, and continued restrictions in Puget Sound.

The state's 2017 salmon fishing seasons, developed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and treaty tribal co-managers, were finalized during the Pacific Fishery Management Council's meeting in Sacramento, Calif.

In recent years, unfavorable environmental conditions, such as warm ocean water and drought, have reduced the number of salmon returning to Washington's waters, said Kyle Adicks, salmon policy lead for WDFW.

"We're in the third year of a multi-year downturn in salmon returns," Adicks said. "Similar to last year, we faced significant challenges in crafting fisheries."

With low returns of coho and wild chinook expected back to several rivers, fishery managers are limiting opportunities in some areas to protect those fish. The most severe restrictions will be in Puget Sound marine and freshwater areas, where the forecast is for extremely low returns of "key stocks," such as Skagit River coho and Nooksack River chinook.

"We made some difficult decisions this year in order to protect weak salmon stocks," said Adicks. "However, we worked with constituents to preserve fishing opportunities where it made sense."

Anglers fishing for coho in Puget Sound marine areas will have improved opportunities in areas 9-13 while those fishing in areas 5-8 will see closures or will be limited to openings that align with chinook seasons. That's still an improvement from last year, when only Hood Canal and south Sound were open for coho fishing. Rivers such as the Skagit and Stillaguamish also will be closed to coho fishing this year.

Opportunities for chinook fishing in Puget Sound marine areas are somewhat similar to last year with a few more closures in the winter. Marine areas 9 (Admiralty Inlet) and 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) are scheduled to be open from July 16 through Aug. 15, like in 2016. However, both areas have higher catch quotas that should provide better opportunity.

Anglers will have limited opportunities to fish for pink salmon in Puget Sound due to projected low returns of pinks this year. There are no "bonus bag" limits for pink salmon in 2017.

In the Columbia River, anglers will see salmon fisheries that are similar to last year. The popular Buoy 10 fishery opens Aug. 1 while the chinook fishery on the mainstem from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to the Hwy. 395 Bridge will be open from June 16 through July 31 for hatchery summer chinook and sockeye.

Anglers fishing Washington's ocean waters will be able to retain chinook, as well as coho salmon in all four marine areas, as compared to 2016 when coho retention was limited only to Marine Area 1. Salmon fisheries get underway daily in areas 1 (Ilwaco), 3 (La Push) and 4 (Neah Bay) on June 24 and on July 1 in Marine Area 2 (Westport).

Information on recreational salmon fisheries in Washington's ocean waters and the lower Columbia River is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, where notable changes to this year's Puget Sound sport salmon fisheries also can be found. Details on all recreational salmon fisheries will be provided in the 2017-18 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet, which will be available in late June.

For information on tribal fisheries, contact the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (http://nwifc.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).

[dj2loud]

Same news on WDFW site, Northwest treaty tribes is silent on the info as well, After talking to a family member ( who is native) and not blood family, he's skeptical that the sporties are even gonna be able to fish the nooksack at all... He claims that tribal was fighting to close the runs to all, but WDFW said no way.... Where this is just hear say from him, this wouldn't surprise me after the number last year..... I WON'T buy anything this year... WDFW won't see a dime from me.....

[Juniah87]

Crazy, I wish I knew this was a possability when I purchased my licensing this year, there is no way I would have purchased a combinatin license if I knew this was happening. Makes you wonder about that huge push the WDFW made to entice people to purchase their licenses early this year, do you think it was because they knew this news was coming down the pipeline later in the year and wanted to advertise before it hit? That's super shady...

[Toni]

Crazy, I wish I knew this was a possability when I purchased my licensing this year, there is no way I would have purchased a combinatin license if I knew this was happening. Makes you wonder about that huge push the WDFW made to entice people to purchase their licenses early this year, do you think it was because they knew this news was coming down the pipeline later in the year and wanted to advertise before it hit? That's super shady...

Of course they knew. Or at least some of the employees knew. I don't know who does the advertising and if they connect with other WDFW employees. It has been on facebook and in fishing forums that people are saying they were not going to buy licenses. I stated on facebook that I was not buying a combo this year and he, a WDFW employee, tried to convince to by saying I could go to different areas to fish not my area 11...

[JoshH]

Crazy, I wish I knew this was a possability when I purchased my licensing this year, there is no way I would have purchased a combinatin license if I knew this was happening. Makes you wonder about that huge push the WDFW made to entice people to purchase their licenses early this year, do you think it was because they knew this news was coming down the pipeline later in the year and wanted to advertise before it hit? That's super shady...

Of course they knew. Or at least some of the employees knew. I don't know who does the advertising and if they connect with other WDFW employees. It has been on facebook and in fishing forums that people are saying they were not going to buy licenses. I stated on facebook that I was not buying a combo this year and he, a WDFW employee, tried to convince to by saying I could go to different areas to fish not my area 11...

And for me, as a kayak angler, I am not hauling my kayak to those open areas. 8-1 and 8-2 are perfect areas for a kayak angler, plus they are minutes from me, actually 8-2 can be in the water in actual minutes.

Still can't decipher if 8-1 or 8-2 will be open for pinks.

[dj2loud]

Isnt it funny how they say go fish another area, well hell isn't that funny, but didn't you think to ask if he was gonna pay your gas bill for having to travel 4 hours to another area? Why is it that i should have to travel all the way down to kelso, chehalis or even further to the columbia when i have a perfectly good river 15 min away ( nooksack ) and 30 min away ( skagit) and 45 min away ( stillaguamish) but somehow there aren't any fish in it so WDFW are limiting or closing them all together? That what chaps my ass.... Hell i'm thinking about paying JONB to take me out in BC cause WASH RIVERS SUCK....

[Jakefish]

Isnt it funny how they say go fish another area, well hell isn't that funny, but didn't you think to ask if he was gonna pay your gas bill for having to travel 4 hours to another area? Why is it that i should have to travel all the way down to kelso, chehalis or even further to the columbia when i have a perfectly good river 15 min away ( nooksack ) and 30 min away ( skagit) and 45 min away ( stillaguamish) but somehow there aren't any fish in it so WDFW are limiting or closing them all together? That what chaps my ass.... Hell i'm thinking about paying JONB to take me out in BC cause WASH RIVERS SUCK....

I do most of my fishing in BC even though I grew up in Lynden and now live in Bellingham. Only in the past couple of years have I started fishing the Skagit, Cascade, Samish and Nooksack, and only when stuff isn't really happening up north.

I spend most of my time on the Vedder/Chilliwack river, no secret, it is the busiest river in BC and for good reason. When there are openings, I will also fish the Fraser as far up as Hope. I have fished other Fraser tributaries in the past, but generally they are not worth the much longer drive - that and I am scared of a particular rive since my dad and I almost drowned there a few years ago. I know there are a couple other systems north of Vancouver that are fished heavily, and have some unique fisheries (earlier coho and pinks), and you can find info on those systems online, but the early coho fishing is really tough, and the early pink fishing is nothing unique - the Snohomish is closer and just as early with bigger fish. Sure Nooksack pink fishing is convenient, but those fish are tiny with pale meat anyway. I won't cry if I can't fish the Nooksack in August.

I usually don't catch any fish in BC until mid-September, but if I wanted to drive up there for pinks, it would be a couple weeks earlier. PM me if you want any more specific info.

[Juniah87]

How much does a non-resident fishing license for rivers in BC cost annually? That actually sounds like a great idea, even though it's a bit more of a drive from the Seattle area.

[Jakefish]

Canadian license fees (freshwater) are here: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/licences/#Basic Additional fees for salmon and steelhead are here: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/licences/#Conservation Prices are in Canadian dollars, and you can purchase your license online and print it at home. I only fish freshwater, and I haven't fished Steelhead in years, so it is $80 plus $30 for salmon, so $110 Canadian, or about $83 today.

Canadian saltwater licenses are managed and sold by the Canadian federal government, not the province. This is needed for fishing in tidal portions of rivers as well (as defined in the regulations) - it is different from WA where you can normally fish all the way to the river mouth with a freshwater license. If you are looking for chrome pinks in BC, you will have a hard time finding them outside of tidal waters.

It can be harder to land keepers in BC - all rivers are single barbless hook regulations, and all coho must be fin clipped (but not Chinook from most rivers, as generally the only places you can keep them they are introduced stock).

[Juniah87]

Thanks for the info Jakefish. I'll definitely look into this this year. Not sure if I will have the time and money to make it that far north this year, but it's a great alternative to what we are facing through the DFW in our state.

[dj2loud]

How much does a non-resident fishing license for rivers in BC cost annually? That actually sounds like a great idea, even though it's a bit more of a drive from the Seattle area.

OMG are you serious? ------- Kidding!

I actually drive to seattle 6 days a week to work at the heath building ( swedish hospital campus ) from Maple falls! 3 hrs down work 8, 3 hrs back daily! 107+/- Miles one way... 801 broadway........ logged over 21,900 miles in 5 months.....

I so want to hook up with someone that goes north to BC... If anyone wants to go pm me or better yet hit me up on my cell.... JON B moved north from everett i believe.....

[Juniah87]

I can make it even more incredulous, I used to live in Everson, not even 10 minutes from the border crossing, and the only time I've ever been in Canada was during a fishing charter trip, we crossed international waters while bottom fishing

I used to have a killer commute like that when I started working for my first job at WDFW, at Cedar River. The hatchery was in Covington, and I lived in Poulsbo. Then factor in rush hour through Tacoma.... I also worked at a tech company in Bellevue while living in Lake Stevens. And went to grade school in Shoreline while living in Lake Stevens It's not so much the distances in our state, but the friggin traffic.

Sorry for the offtopic post

[Jakefish]

If you go regularly, it is worth getting a Nexus pass or enhanced driver's license. The enhanced driver's license lets you use the Nexus lane when returning through the Sumas crossing on the weekends. This can save an hour or more when returning on weekend afternoons.

Especially if you are fishing on the Vedder, be careful where you park your car. There have been a lot of break-ins lately, and in the past many WA cars were targeted and vandalized. One afternoon in October a few years ago, the border agent speaking to us on our return was surprised our tires WEREN'T slashed. Apparently 25 or so other vehicles weren't so lucky.

Anyway, when my Dad is too tired from fishing Saturday, I sometimes need a partner on a Sunday. I leave from Bellingham.