The Online Source for Washington Fishing Information
New regs----Important---You might want to read this!!!!
Washington's proposal to eliminate or modify Columbia River Warm Water regs including small mouth bass.
Subject: Washington's proposal to eliminate or modify Columbia River WW regs.
Read what Washington State is proposing on sections of the upper Columbia and Snake. If it passes, it could be proposed for the rest of the river.
Here’s a link to Washington’s proposal
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/rule_proposals/comments/prop...
The website includes information on proposed rules that WDFW fishery managers recommend move forward for further review and public comment, as well as information on proposals not recommended for further consideration.
Craig Burley, fish management division manager for WDFW, said people can submit comments by using a new online form available on the website.
“The ability to submit comments through the website is one of several changes we have made to the process to make it more user-friendly,” Burley said.
The public meetings will run from 6-8 p.m. and are scheduled for:
- Oct. 1 – WDFW’s Spokane Office, 2315 North Discovery Place, Spokane Valley.
- Oct. 2 – WDFW’s Ephrata Office, 1550 Alder Street NW, Ephrata.
- Oct. 4 – WDFW’s Mill Creek Office, 16018 Mill Creek Blvd., Mill Creek.
- Oct. 9 – WDFW’s Vancouver Office, 2108 Grand Blvd., Vancouver, Wash.
- Oct. 10 – Montesano City Hall, 112 North Main Street, Montesano.
- Oct. 11 – East Valley Fire Station, 2003 Beaudry Road, Yakima.
The public also will have an opportunity to provide testimony on the proposed rule changes during the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission’s January meeting in Olympia. Check the commission’s website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/) for the specific day and time.
The commission, which sets policy for WDFW, is scheduled to vote on the final sportfishing rules package during a meeting in February.
WDFW is recommending nearly 70 sportfishing rules proposals move forward for public comment, including proposals that would:
- Remove the daily catch limit for channel catfish and the daily catch and size limits for bass and walleye in portions of the Columbia and Snake rivers and their tributaries to assist with recovery efforts for salmon and steelhead. A second option under that proposal would also remove existing limits for those fish, but restrict anglers to three bass larger than 15 inches in length and one walleye larger than 24 inches in length. The proposed changes are designed to increase the harvest of abundant bass, walleye and channel catfish, which prey on juvenile salmon and steelhead that are listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Thanks
Stilen.
Views: 1101
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Big Steve on
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Keith,
If they quoted the yakima river study which was done in the mid 2000's, the only thing they proved was that small smallmouths forged heavier on smolts. The study showed that the bigger the smallmouth got the less they preyed on smolts, which makes sense.
One of the studies I read done below john day that was done in the 90's, showed that 79% of smolts were taken by pikeminnow and only 9% were taken by smallmouth. Walleye took like 12%.
If they wanted to increase the limit on smallmouth on the yak up to say 12 inches, I'd be all for it. The yak, all the way up to prosser is LOADED with small smallmouth. The problem I have is the taking of the big females in spring, which I know already happens by the bank anglers up the yak, but to legalize taking as many as you want would affect the fishery.
I also saw a headline for a new study just published this week that showed capturing endangered species salmon and then taking them to a hatchery and raising the smolts there, then releasing them did not effect that strain of salmon and that the survival rate of the smolts released were higher then wild raised smolts. This should be looked into by WDFW before they negetively affect the warmwater species we love to chase.
Kinda funny that with over a quarter of a million people in this area, they didn't a public meeting here?
Steve
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Permalink Reply by Steve Hastings on
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This is likely your Last Chance to comment on this topic this weekend in Olympia. There is a public hearing on Friday at 2:10pm specifically regarding this issue. http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings/2013/02/agenda_feb0913.html. I've attached the summary document. There are clearly many flaws in this, including but not limited to the fact that about 15 miles of the waters they targeting are shared with Oregon.
If you have time to go on Friday during the Public Hear, its time to put up or shut up and I think we've probably been too quite on this. This is easily consider the best smallmouth waters in Washington and consistently considered a Top 5 Fisher for Smallmouth in the US. I will be there Saturday to comment in the open comment period due to work Friday. Hope to see others there.
Steve
- Attachments:
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feb0913_08_summary.pdf, 3.9 MB
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Permalink Reply by Phil Mehrtens on
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Definition of " Washingtons proposal " DONE DEAL THERE DOING IT! Definition of "Public Meeting" Acting like they give a crap about your feelings! Its great to know that our tax money is spent on such a GREAT IDEA that will never work!
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There's an article in the January Bass Times about this very subject. It seems that the National Marine Fisheries Service is "encouraging" WDFG to remove all limits on the Columbia and Snake and its trib's. And they are argueing against the alternate proposal of lifting all limits but resricting harvest to three fish over 15 inches.
The NMFS regional administrator, William Stelle Jr., even states in the article they don't know the impact of predation by these species on salmon and steelhead. And he also said "The extent to which a regulation change will affect the harvest of these species and thereby reduce predation rates on at risk saalmon and steelhead population is uncertain."
Blah,Blah, Blah, Killem all and lets see what happens.
Ahhh Government
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