LIVE Show Topics- Skagit Steelhead, Fishing/Hunting Under Attack, Resolution 8208, Season 6 Show #4

[@NorthweSteelheadJunkies]

WDFW can absolutely have a 100% wild broodstock program under the umbrella ESA listing as a conservation based program that will also allow 50% pHos vs only allowing 30% for an integrated program. Its mind blowing this agency has its head stuck in the sand.

[@jero1918]

Thanx and thank you senator Wagner.

[@johnhobbs7697]

I'm sorry but I don't think I catch and release fishery on the Skagit or the Sauk is a good idea You better believe the tribes will be in there for the killnet fishery. Those rivers will get pounded by sports fishermen also. How many times do you think those fish will get drug off their redds and still be able to spawn?

[@kalebsheridan9017]

It's only open for a two sections, my guess is the steelhead only move through the open spots and spawn up river..

[@FishHuntNorthwest]

The recreational fishery is definitely not on recognized spawning grounds. The Tribes will have a percentage of take that is equal to our impact, according to the agreements between DFW and the co-managers. The entire plan can be found on-line. This link is the breakdown of Tribal percentage of impact... images.app.goo.gl/hyU1bRJc2d9puFKn7

[@johnhobbs7697]

Do you think that wdfw an agency that has mismanaged Those runs into a low percentage of what they used to be is capable of making those decisions? The point there being they need to change their way of thinking let those precious wild run genetics build up and only open it when the runs are truly healthy

[@johnhobbs7697]

@@FishHuntNorthwest I will give you a prime example wdfw mismanagement for years they said that 50% of the wild steelhead spawn in the skykomish river from Sultan down and they had a catch and release Fishery on that same stretch. How is that run of wild fish doing now? Then we can talk about the Chum run on the skykomish used to be lots of fish until wdfw let commercial Fisheries over Harvest them and now that run is not healthy. I personally talked to a commercial fisherman that told me that wdfw allowed a 7-Day a week net schedule on those Chums and now the run is hurting imagine that.

[@FishHuntNorthwest]

John, I get it. There has been a ton of mismanagement over the years Commercial overharvest on so many fisheries by Non-Tribal and Tribal. The Tribes almost wiped out the Chum in Grays Harbor with over harvest for several years. The market was the roe. They had to stop fishing on them for several years and the past few seasons they have really rebounded. Puget Sound Chum numbers are still down in a number of locations. The Skykomish Broodstock program will hopefully help bring numbers back to parts of Puget Sound. The harvest rates on Wild Steelhead for the Skagit Steelhead historically were much higher. Hopefully the approach now with percentage based quota or impact will allow for the run to continue to grow, but I am skeptical. It hasn't worked in the past all too well. I think the recreational impact will be less than 3%. I guess time will tell..