2017 Noosack thread

[Nick]

As was pointed out earlier in this thread as river fishermen we are the last user group for salmon harvest, so we do end up getting the shaft so to speak in some ways. This isn't the fault of tribes, but I'd say is more on WDFW and other states departments of fish and wildlife to correctly manage the stocks so that there is enough to go around. Tribes are also the last user group to get their shot so it isn't fair to single them out as the sole source of the state of salmon stocks and the lost fishing opportunity we all suffer.

Don't get me wrong, as a non-native angler I'd like nothing more than to be able to go out and catch a few salmon in the river but I also respect the treaty rights of native american tribes and think that blame should be assigned where due in a time of crisis such as this.

Before the tribes even have a shot at their allocation (50%) of the fish, salmon have to contend with commercial fishing, sport groups in the salt, international waters fleets, and sport anglers in the rivers (combined the other 50%). And that's just harvest.

On top of that warming oceans (lower productivity), pollution, habitat degradation, increased predation from sea lions/terns/etc in areas where human interaction has given them an easy meal. I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

I'd love to see more use of selective harvest methods and maybe just maybe some sort of plan to fix this thing before the salmon disappear. Native bashing isn't going to help.

[BhamBankster]

Very well spoken Nick.  However, I have to side with the argument that a seven, or even six-day-a-week net fishery by the Tribes is taking it too far.  Especially when if what 8ball is saying, is true.  Whether or not they let the pinks go, I do not know; but killing pinks while targeting coho and kings is in nobody's best interest.  I respect the rights of the Tribes, but wish they took a more collaborative approach to when and where they harvest fish.  There are Tribes on the Olympic Peninsula who only net Monday-Thursday; completely pulling all nets for three days a week.  Why not take that approach???  Giving away "extra" fish at a car dealership is completely absurd. (Not sure if this is the case with the latest giveaway, but I heard it was the case in the past.)

I understand we are all in this together.  We are the end user in what is a nearly impossible life journey of the salmon we are fishing for.  But as far as helping the salmon that actually do make it into the river, I believe that limiting the netting of fish to less days than what is currently allowed is the best step we could take.  Single-hook fisherman/woman are not the cause of the current state of salmon populations.

[JimA]

 While agree with some of what's been said, the atlantic fish debacle and Inslee giving them the go ahead to capture as many as you can opened the door for them even more so.   In the end they are only hurting themselves.

  I was at the boat launch as well on Tuesday, and watched them string a net all the way across the river under the bridge.    Pretty disheartening. 

[Nick]

Overall it is a frustrating situation. My point was mainly that we should try to look at the whole picture, so as not to focus solely on the endpoint (river netting) that's right in front of our eyes, since that harvest is only one of the things effecting stocks. I don't disagree that things could be done better. The over catching and then 'give it away' of the extras scenario seems insane though, if that's actually what is going on. I don't know the origin of or story behind those fish though so don't want to jump to any conclusions.

I agree that some sort of collaborative effort to let some fish spawn and be available to sports anglers would be great. And yeah, selective methods to allow the depressed (aren't they all?) stocks up would be great.

[thechemist]

Its hard to fault them when there is a non-treaty commercial fishery going 7 days a week in area 7. But it does seem like the tragedy of commons is playing out on the Nooksack.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/tribal/2016-17agreement.pdf

[8ball]

South fork opening!
Not one silver caught by anyone at end of the road. Few kings and pinks swimming around.
Something is really wrong somewhere in the system. Lots of fishermen in the morning. Most all gone by noon.
What is the problem? I have always limited opening day.
Ideas???

[dj2loud]

South fork opening!
Not one silver caught by anyone at end of the road. Few kings and pinks swimming around.
Something is really wrong somewhere in the system. Lots of fishermen in the morning. Most all gone by noon.
What is the problem? I have always limited opening day.
Ideas???

Better get used to it, Nets were in the river the entire pink season... I can assure you that the coho that were in the river that we were catching prior to september 1st are all but gone or spawned out... Hell i had 6 coho in one day on August 22nd..... ( Gut tells me that fish were in nets long before they even had a chance to make it to spawning grounds.... ) From watching the netters for the last month the only thing they have been keeping is COHO and KINGS.....  I'm so frustrated by the whole thing we as sport fisherman should not buy a single fishing license until the WDFW get this straightened out... It's time to go commando and eliminate the problems once and for all......   Not one coho or pink salmon has made it to the kendall creek hatchery, there is definitely something wrong ....

[Nick]

Has anyone been out and actually catching anything? Been seeing tons of vehicles at the bridge access near Deming, but haven't seen any reports. Seems busier than normal...wondering if that's due to river closures elsewhere.

[brandonweeda]

Sunday hit that spot at 6 am and from 6-8am out of all 15 or so guys on the bank didn't see a single thing landed. Went up to the Meat hole at the SF hatchery and saw zero fish, two guys, and one of them caught a native steelhead. I released it for him. The thing must have been 27 inches long but it had the girth of a stocked trout. Kind of sad to see it in that bad of shape, but it swam off with a lot of energy.

[Deli Dill]

Overall it is a frustrating situation. My point was mainly that we should try to look at the whole picture, so as not to focus solely on the endpoint (river netting) that's right in front of our eyes, since that harvest is only one of the things effecting stocks. I don't disagree that things could be done better. The over catching and then 'give it away' of the extras scenario seems insane though, if that's actually what is going on. I don't know the origin of or story behind those fish though so don't want to jump to any conclusions.

I agree that some sort of collaborative effort to let some fish spawn and be available to sports anglers would be great. And yeah, selective methods to allow the depressed (aren't they all?) stocks up would be great.

All true. It's worth noting, though, that the 50 percent allocation is NOT strictly observed, as the state maintains that ESA considerations are the driver these days more so than the Boldt Decision (although it would be difficult to prove that for those of us who live on the Nooksack, for many of the reasons stated here.) Also, when the 50-50 consideration is being made, it's an overlay for the entire North of Falcon catch, not individual river systems. In other words, certain rivers might give up a lot more than 50 percent on a local level to one side or the other to effect the overall distribution. And yes, it can reasonably argued that the 'Sack historically has helped pump up the overall tribal numbers substantially. Sports anglers here routinely pay for sport catches made elsewhere. A sport fishery on the Nook is a sacrificial lamb. Has been for a long time.

[WALL-E]

I have not been on the Nooksack yet because of the heavy netting, figured its hard for fish to make it that far.  I can tell you that there are a lot of springs and the occasional coho on the Chilliwack/Vedder.  I have been hitting it everyday this week, for my staycation, and the fishing has been good.  I got two hatchery coho today and more springers than I could handle.  It's been pretty crowded but if you hike around you can find some solitude.  Also, dirt bags on the lower river are up to their old tricks by breaking into peoples rigs, that time of year. 

[8ball]

Another day on the upper south fork.
Did not see one fish.
Went to confluence and there were a few old fish splashing around.

[dj2loud]

Surprisingly I made it out after work yesterday for about 30/45 minutes with 3 hookups, all hatchery fish... Managed 1 of those 3 to the bank and it was a hatchery coho about 13", I'm not sure if it was a jack or a fish that hasn't gone out to the salt yet, it was very healthy fish caught ABOVE the 1st net there at the deming bridge at nugents corner.. Caught on a 50/50 2/5 oz pen-tac bc spoon drifted..... Silver/blue, silver/green and silver/orange didn't get bit..... Saw one other fisherman out there but nothing caught... Looks like the commercial fisherman there at the bridge have really destroyed the area, Lean-too still set up, tarp on the ground, nets and rope on the shoreline, burned out van seat, etc...... I really wish fish and game and the state would start fining these pricks for the shit they leave on the river.... I have been trying to get river junkies to come and set up a river clean up along the nooksack but I don't think they are avail ( they tend to clean up lower rivers down south... Not their fault.....

The net in the water was filled with rotting fish again, this time IN THE WATER.....

[cohojake]

Yeah, I also have encountered tiny coho jacks on the Nooksack.  I'm pretty sure they at least hang out in the estuary before returning.  I released one August of this year at Hovander that I'm pretty sure was under 12 inches, and was unclipped.  I'm pretty sure if you kept that jack it would have great quality meat just like a bigger coho (just tiny bones).

[Nick]

Actually managed to get out yesterday for a couple hours. Had to try to get out before the rains hit! Managed two hatchery fish, both caught on jigs.