Bounty of small salmon creates Columbia River myst

"Jack" salmon, small chinook males that spend only a year in the ocean before returning to freshwater to try and spawn, are showing up in record numbers in the Columbia River. Scientists are puzzled about why this is happening and what it means.

BONNEVILLE DAM — In the world of salmon, size matters. That's because big male fish have the best chance of fending off rivals to stake out a prime spot on the spawning grounds next to fertile females.

So what's up in the Columbia River? Here, a record number of runt-sized males are surging upstream, a biological mystery that has stunned scientists and frustrated fishermen like tribal hoop-netter Frank Sutterlict.

As the spring run neared its May peak, Sutterlict pulled up his net in hopes of finding a big Columbia chinook, an oil-rich salmon weighing 20 or even 30 pounds. But in a frustrating replay of so much of this spring harvest, Sutterlict found only a small male that weighed about six pounds.

"It's just a little itty-bitty fish," said Sutterlict, a member of the Yakama Tribe. "It takes three of them to make a good meal for everybody."

These jacks are chinook males that spend only a year, rather than two to four years, at sea before returning to freshwater to try to spawn. Their final spring tally is expected to top 70,000, nearly triple the previously recorded high. The jacks likely will represent about a third of this year's chinook run.

During seven days around the May peak of the run, more jacks than
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Best Regards,
Capt. Jerry Brown
Columbia River Fishing
http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com
206-920-2428

Catch sturgeon, lingcod, trout during Free fishing Weekend

 

Anglers are reeling in sturgeon on the Columbia River, lingcod from Puget Sound and trout from lakes throughout the state. And, starting June 6, trout fishing will open on dozens of rivers and streams on both sides of the Cascades. 

Sound like fun? Washingtonians who are interested in fishing but haven't tried it have a perfect chance to do so during Free Fishing Weekend, scheduled June 6-7. 

During those two days, no license will be required to fish or gather shellfish in any waters open to fishing in Washington state. Also, no vehicle use permit will be required during Free Fishing Weekend to park at any of the 500 water-access sites maintained by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). 

"Free Fishing Weekend is a great time to revive an old hobby or to introduce friends and family to fishing," said Joe Hymer, a WDFW fish biologist. "Adults can introduce kids to fishing on a wide variety of waters around the state."

While no licenses are required on Free Fishing Weekend, other rules such as size limits, bag limits and season closures will still be in effect. (For example, no crab fishing will be allowed in Puget Sound during Free Fishing Weekend, because the fishery will still be closed as of June 6-7.) Anglers will also be required to complete a catch record card for any salmon, steelhead, sturgeon or halibut they catch that weekend. 

Catch record cards and WDFW's Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet are available free at hundreds of sporting goods stores and other license dealers throughout the state. The rules pamphlet is also posted at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm . 

Of course, fishing opportunities don't begin or end with Free Fishing Weekend. Those with a fishing license might want to gear up for salmon fisheries opening June 1 in several areas of Puget Sound.  Others can look forward to the first round of crab openings, set for June 18 in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu) and 13 (south Puget Sound). 

Anyone spending time outdoors should be aware that adult birds and animals - often with everything from ducklings to bear cubs in tow - are out and about now. Enjoy them from a respectable distance, and to avoid problems, take the following precautions:

• Leave wild babies alone to avoid conflicts with protective parent animals.
• Store picnic and camp food out of reach of hungry bears or other animals.
• Camp and hike only in designated areas and preferably in groups that discourage close encounters.

Best Regards,
Capt. Jerry Brown
Columbia River Fishing
http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com
206-920-2428

SW Washington Fishing Report

Salmon/Steelhead

Cowlitz River – Spring Chinook catches are spread throughout the river along with a few steelhead. 

Through May 13, a total of 1,250 adult spring Chinook had returned to the salmon hatchery.  Assuming the recent 5 year average, the adult return is currently tracking at 5,388 adults returning to the separator. The hatchery escapement goal is 1,250 fish.  The pre-season forecast was  4,100 adults returning to the Cowlitz this year.

Kalama River – No report on the steelhead fishing.  Through May 11, just two adults had returned to Kalama Falls Hatchery.  The hatchery escapement goal is 500.  The pre-season forecast was 900 adults returning to the Kalama this year.

Lewis River – Some summer run steelhead are being caught in the North Fork.  Through May 13, a total of 118 hatchery adult spring chinook were on-hand.  The hatchery escapement goal is 1,250.  The pre-season forecast was 2,200 adults returning to the Lewis this year.

Wind River – Boat anglers averaged just under a Chinook per every 3 rods while in the gorge bank anglers averaged 2/3 fish per rod when including jacks and fish released. Some early morning catch was reported by bank anglers near the Hwy. 14 Bridge.  Slightly less than half of the catch were jacks.    

There have been 76 adult and 16 jack chinook from Carson hatchery detected at Bonneville Dam as of May 13, 2009.  Applying the CNFH tag rate to the detections produces an estimate of 5,874 adult and 1,436 jack chinook through this date.  For comparison, the estimated run size on this date in 2008 was 5,116 adults and the final estimate in 2008 was 5,951 adults at Bonneville Dam.

The in-season projected adult returns for 2009, based on early, average and late timing data from 2000-2008, are 5,965, 6,278, and 6,879, respectively.  The 2009 run started slow, but appears to have nearly caught up with average run timing.  The final run size is likely to be between 6,000 and 7,000 adults.  The pre-season forecast was 6,900.

The PIT tag interrogation system at Shipherd Falls was downloaded in the afternoon on May 13, 2009.  There have been a total of four PIT tagged adult chinook detected in the fish ladder through this date.  Applying the tag rate produces an estimate of 309 adult chinook past Shipherd Falls as of this date.

Through May 18, just two spring Chinook had returned to Carson National Fishery Hatchery.  Those interested in daily counts should call 509.427.5905.   The counts will be updated each morning by 08:00, Mon-Fri.  In addition the sign on the hatchery's front gate will be updated each day including weekends by volunteers. 

Drano Lake – Including jacks and fish released, boat anglers averaged about ½ Chinook per rod while bank anglers averaged one per every 5 rods.  Half the catch were jacks. 

Through May 14, a total of 1,510 spring Chinook had returned to Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery.   The hatchery goal of 1,000 has been attained.  Trap has been closed since Friday May 8. 

White Salmon River – Has been hit or miss but bank anglers at the mouth are catching some spring Chinook.

Klickitat River – Bank anglers from Fisher Hill Bridge downstream averaged just under ½ fish per rod when including jacks and fish released.  Nearly 2/3 of the catch were jacks.  Effort is increasing with almost 30 vehicles here yesterday (Sunday May 17) morning. 

No report of any fish returning to Klickitat Salmon Hatchery.  Just 3 adults have been counted at Lyle Falls through May 5.  For Lyle trap data, see http://www.ykfp.org/klickitat/Data_lyleadulttrap.htm.

Latest Campaign News: Obama Administration wants a close look

 

Dear JERRY, Latest Campaign News Matt Daly of the Associated Press reported late last week that the Obama Administration has requested a 30-60 day pause in the salmon litigation schedule to take a closer look at details of the the federal salmon plan for the Columbia & Snake Rivers currently before Judge James Redden. We have posted the story below. As you know, this plan was produced in the final months of the Bush era so it certainly deserves a close look by the new administration! Salmon and fishing advocates are feeling encouraged by this development. We are confident that a close review by the Obama Administration will reveal an unlawful plan based on bad science that will weaken the Endangered Species Act and fail to protect or restore imperiled wild salmon and steelhead. What You Can Do This is good news! It suggests the Obama Administration wants to look at the science and may be interested in exploring real solutions that work for salmon, communities, and taxpayers nationwide. Phone calls, emails, and letters - these actions are working. Help us continue to show strong support for salmon recovery to the Obama Administration. Send a message via the link below and forward to friends and family: http://ga0.org/campaign/noaa/ Thank you for your help, -Jb Joseph Bogaard Save Our Wild Salmon 206.286.4455 x103 --------- Feds seek delay in developing NW salmon plan by Matthew Daly Associated Press Writer May 1, 2009 WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is reviewing a Bush administration plan for balancing the needs of people and salmon in the Columbia River Basin - a plan that has been criticized by a federal judge as doing too little to help salmon. In a letter Friday to a federal judge, the Justice Department said top officials in the Obama administration want more time to "more fully understand all aspects" of the plan that was sent by the Bush administration to U.S. District Judge James Redden in Portland, Ore. Redden had set an informal Friday deadline for the government to respond as it explores options in the case. Redden heard arguments in March in a longrunning dispute over how to balance Columbia Basin energy and utility needs with imperiled salmon and steelhead. Environmentalists have argued that salmon populations cannot recover without removing some dams, especially the migration bottleneck to Idaho created by four dams on the Lower Snake River in Washington state. Redden told the NOAA Fisheries Service at the March 6 hearing that their plan for balancing endangered salmon runs against electricity production on 14 federal Columbia Basin hydroelectric dams still needs work, particularly in the area of habitat improvement. Federal agencies have acknowledged that the dams threaten the survival of fish, but said that extensive habitat restoration, changes in salmon hatchery operations and plans to let more water pass through Columbia and Snake River dams should mitigate the problem. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration submitted a 10-year plan last year after others were rejected by Redden. Officials said the plan, called a biological opinion or bi-op, would help fish passing through the dams survive. Environmentalists sued, saying the plan did too little to restore salmon populations. Todd True, an attorney representing the National Wildlife Federation and other environmental groups, called the delay request encouraging. "It indicates that the leadership of the new administration wants to take a hard look at this biological opinion, and we welcome that look," said True, who works for the environmental group Earthjustice. Witt Anderson, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Portland, said the delay would give officials of the new administration time to familiarize themselves with all the issues in the complex case. Jane Lubchenco, the new administrator of NOAA, was among those attending high-level meetings on the case in recent days. "They want to take a look at all of it," Anderson said, including fish habitat, hydropower, salmon harvest and hatchery operations. "They recognize this is an interconnected system, and they want to look at all of that to get a good clear understanding," Anderson said. At the March court hearing, Obama's Justice Department defended the Bush plan, saying it will help the survival of fish. The plan has been backed by state governments in Idaho, Washington and Montana and by most Columbia River tribes - a new development in the long-running argument. Four Northwest Indian tribal governments - Yakama, Warm Springs, Umatilla and Colville - agreed to the plan, which committed the federal agencies to giving the tribes $900 million to spend toward salmon. The state of Oregon and the Spokane and Nez Perce Indian tribes have not backed the federal plan. Redden warned last year that he would give the job of restoring Columbia Basin salmon to an independent panel if the government failed again. He has not eliminated the possibility that hydroelectric dams on the Lower Snake River could come down if necessary to ensure fish restoration and survival. Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.  Tell-a-friend! If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for Save Our Wild Salmon. This message was sent to JTB1953@GMAIL.COM. Visit your subscription management page to modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile. To stop ALL email from Save Our Wild Salmon, click to remove yourself from our lists (or reply via email with "remove or unsubscribe" in the subject line).

SW Washington Fishing Report

Salmon/Steelhead

Cowlitz River - Some spring chinook are being caught on the lower river. Through April 29, a total of 524 hatchery adult spring chinook had returned to the salmon hatchery, matching one of the strongest starts in the past;20 years. In addition, the first arrival of new summer run steelhead have returned.

Anglers should note the south side of the river from Mill Creek to the Barrier Dam is closed to all fishing through mid June per permanent regulations.

Flows below Mayfield Dam on Monday May 4 are just over 5,100 cfs. Water visibility is over five feet. Flows are expected to drop to almost half in the next week.

Kalama River - From Chris Wagemann, WDFW Fish Biologist, on April 28; Adult fish trapping operations ceased for about a 1 1/2 months form January through mid February due to flood damage. This might help explain a poor early hatchery winter-run return of 220 fish to Kalama Falls Hatchery (KFH). These numbers are about 20% below the past eight-year average (1,097).

On the brighter side the late hatchery winter returns have been favorable with 868 having returned to KFH; this compares to the past eight-year average of only 358 fish. The increased return can be attributed to a better smolt plant and migratory survival.

Wild winter returns peaked this past week and to date, 640 fish have been passed upstream of KFH. This is about 50% of the past year average (1,113); It's expected another 200 wild winter fish will be passed upstream by the end of May.

Three wild and three hatchery;summer steelhead were passed upstream of KFH last week. These are the first returns of the 2009 run year. The first spring salmon were handled at KFH last week included one adult and one jack.

Overall the winter steelhead fishing was above average on the Kalama River for the month of March and the beginning of April. Steelhead fishing has slowed with many winter fish getting ready to spawn. However a few early hatchery summer steelhead are getting caught along with the occasional spring chinook. The adult salmon daily limit remains one fish until further notice.

Lewis River - Effort and catch is relatively light although a few more spring chinook were caught near the salmon hatchery late last week. Through April 29, just 16 hatchery adult spring chinook had been collected at the trap; however 8 new summer run steelhead had been trapped the previous week. The adult salmon daily limit remains one fish until further notice.