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WDFW seeks public comment on liberalizing limits for bass, walleye, and channel catfish, and updates to game fish rules

Hello Fellow Bass Community Anglers ,

As many of you are already aware our "elected" state officials are looking to some serious changes on our freshwater fisheries by removing Limits of Bass . Therefore I wanted to provide everyone with some content about the topic and ask from everyone to either Send letters to the State and express your feed back or Either come out to join the WSBF at the briefing meeting being held in  Olympia on October 19th

@9:30 (see times below & web link 

Every letter matters and everyone attending the meeting matters !! 

9:30 AM

16. Implementation of House Bill 1579, and Freshwater Gamefish Rule Housekeeping - Briefing, Public Hearing

Staff will provide the Commission a briefing on rules liberalizing bag limits for walleye, bass, channel catfish, and freshwater gamefish in order to reduce the predation risk to salmon smolts.

 

Public Comment – This Item Only

Staff Report - Steve Caromile, Inland Fish Program Manager, and Craig Burley, Fish

Management Division Manager

https://wdfw.wa.gov/node/110210

These rule changes are being required of us by the passing ofSecond substitute house bill 1579 this past legislative session.  Specifically, section two of the bill.  This bill is carrying out recommendations from the Governor’s Southern Resident Orca task force, as it relates to Chinook abundance.

 

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions on the bill or the proposed rule changes, but more importantly, please feel free to provide comment on the bill either online at the link provided below, at one of our public meetings in the next few weeks, or at the Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting in October.  Your comments matter.

 

Please read the news release below, and feel free to disperse it to others so that they have the opportunity to provide comment if they wish.  The proposed list of lakes that will be affected by this regulation change is attached.

 

Steve Caromile

Warmwater Fish Program Manager

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

1111 Washington St SE

Olympia, WA 98501

 

Office: 360-902-8315

Cell:     360-481-4319

 

NEWS RELEASE

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

September 17, 2019                                   

Contact: Steve Caromile, 360-902-8315

 

WDFW seeks public comment on liberalizing limits for bass, walleye, and channel catfish, and updates to game fish rules

 

OLYMPIA – Earlier this year, the Washington Legislature passed Second Substitute House Bill 1579, which directed the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to “adopt rules to liberalize bag limits for bass, walleye, and channel catfish in all anadromous waters of the state in order to reduce the predation risk to salmon smolts.”

 

WDFW is now asking for public input on a proposal to eliminate harvest restrictions for bass, walleye, and channel catfish in certain waters statewide, as well as on proposed updates to freshwater game fish rules.

 

The language in HB1579 was passed in part to implement the Governor’s task force recommendations meant to increase abundance of Chinook salmon, benefiting the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population. It would affect lakes, streams, and other waters throughout Washington.

 

Meetings on these proposals will be held at the following locations:

 

Mill Creek: 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 24, at WDFW’s Mill Creek office, 16018 Mill Creek Blvd.

Olympia: 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 26, at the Natural Resources Building, Room 175 A, 1111 Washington St. SE.

Ridgefield: 6 to 8 p.m., Monday, Sept. 30, at WDFW’s Ridgefield office, 5525 S 11th St.

Ephrata: 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 1, at the Grant County Public Works Department, public meeting room, 124 Enterprise St. SE.

Spokane: 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 2, at WDFW’s Spokane office, 2315 N. Discovery Pl., Spokane Valley.

 

To review and comment on the proposals, visit WDFW’s website athttps://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/season-setting/. The public can comment on the proposed rules at the meetings or online through Oct. 17.

 

The public is also invited to comment on several proposed updates and corrections to game fish rules around the state, including some that were previously updated during the rule simplification process in 2017.

 

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission also will hear testimony on these proposals during its Oct. 18-19 meeting in Olympia. For the specific day and time, visit the commission’s website athttps://wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission.

 

The commission, which sets policy for WDFW, is expected to take action on the proposals at its meeting in December. If the commission approves these changes, the rules will take effect in early 2020.

 

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is the state agency tasked with preserving, protecting, and perpetuating fish, wildlife, and ecosystems, while providing sustainable fishing, hunting, and other recreation opportunities.

 

Persons with disabilities who need to receive this information in an alternative format or who need reasonable accommodations to participate in WDFW-sponsored public meetings or other activities may contact Dolores Noyes by phone (360-902-2349), TTY (360-902-2207), or email (dolores.noyes@dfw.wa.gov). For more information, seehttps://wdfw.wa.gov/accessibility/reasonable_request.html.

 

Dez Ruffin (WSBF President

Views: 473

Replies to This Discussion

Thanks for posting the info Dez.

yessir , Thank you for caring and showing support brother 



Dana Steiner said:

Thanks for posting the info Dez.

I watched the comments online. Sure seems like the WDFW could not care less. Not hopeful for the bass in this state. It’s a shame that the best fishery in this state will be ruin for an unrealistic goal.

Unfortunately the big picture for the future of bass fishing in our state is getting darker and darker, but regarding the implementation of House Bill 1579 I felt more confident after the commission meeting than I did before it. I hope that with continuous communication with the leaders of the fisheries division of WDFW we can have this not result in the eventual and possible demise of Bass in 146 of our lakes!

Doug Jorgensen said:

I watched the comments online. Sure seems like the WDFW could not care less. Not hopeful for the bass in this state. It’s a shame that the best fishery in this state will be ruin for an unrealistic goal.

Updates :

I encourage every angler to please come out and help support our opposition to HOUSE BILL 1579 ! 

We have tried our very best to work with W.D.F.W in hopes of creating a new proposal that would prevent the removal of fishing limits on our Lakes state wide .

Long story short , The outcome of these conversations/non-actions has resulted into the WDFW Presenting a "NEW" proposal . They "claim" that their newest proposal was modified to address the concerns received by us anglers via public comments,Letters & Calls etc . However they failed to mention that the proposal was suppose to a joint effort of the W.D.F.W working directly with the special interest groups (W.S.B.F & BASS CLUBS) in which never took place !  They didn't keep their word as promised or instructed ! 

However, We still will have one last opportunity to Voice our stance at the Decembers meeting in Bellingham prior to the final vote taking place. 

I have a link below that we give you the option to review the newest proposals directly on their website 

https://wdfw.wa.gov/node/114622

Place & location info below : 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2019

FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION MEETING
December 13-14, 2019

Holiday Inn & Suites Bellingham
4260 Mitchell Way Bellingham, WA 98226 - Room Chuckanut 

F*#k em and f*#k the WDFW. I'll be there Saturday because the Liberal ass kissing approach has not worked.

I was really hoping that you would come out and support the cause brother.

Hell Yea Man !!! Thank you Dana  

FIGHT, FIGHT , PROTECT THE BITE 



Dana Steiner said:

F*#k em and f*#k the WDFW. I'll be there Saturday because the Liberal ass kissing approach has not worked.

Throw a couple extra bucks in your wallet, I might need some bail money.

BigBass Dez said:

I was really hoping that you would come out and support the cause brother.

Hell Yea Man !!! Thank you Dana  

FIGHT, FIGHT , PROTECT THE BITE 



Dana Steiner said:

F*#k em and f*#k the WDFW. I'll be there Saturday because the Liberal ass kissing approach has not worked.

Say Less Brother !! i cant speak for others , But i got your back all day Sir 



Dana Steiner said:

Throw a couple extra bucks in your wallet, I might need some bail money.

BigBass Dez said:

I was really hoping that you would come out and support the cause brother.

Hell Yea Man !!! Thank you Dana  

FIGHT, FIGHT , PROTECT THE BITE 



Dana Steiner said:

F*#k em and f*#k the WDFW. I'll be there Saturday because the Liberal ass kissing approach has not worked.

Did anyone make it, how'd it go?

Did anyone make it, how'd it go?

NOT GOOD. I want to make this clear, the WDFW is not our friend. I hope that as a passionate group of warm water fishermen, we send the WDFW the same message in the future. There are many way's to make life difficult for the WDFW, use your imagination. For the record, Craig Burley is a total douche bag and like Governor Inslee, needs to be removed from any political office or position.

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