Columbia River Fishing

Money Can't Buy Time to Save Salmon

2009-11-04T09:32:00.001-08:00

More money might result in more projects to replace culverts that block migrating salmon in Washington state but would not cut the time it takes to make each fix, a transportation official testified Monday.

Paul J. Wagner, environmental services biology branch manager in the state Transportation Department, testified Monday in U.S. District Court that the estimated number of state highway-related problem culverts has grown from 350 in 1994, when the first survey was completed, to 1,800 when the latest estimate was completed in 2007.

The difference reflects the addition of rivers, creeks and streams with steeper slopes to the estimates, Wagner told Judge Ricardo S. Martinez. The first survey covered only those with gradients up to 7 degrees while the latest goes up to 20 degrees.

Subtracting about 200 fixes that have been made since the state's culvert program began in 1991 and culverts that would be of little benefit to repair or replace, about 800 remain on the to-do list, he said.

In a trial that began last Tuesday, 19 Native American tribes are asking Martinez to order a drastic speedup in replacing culverts that block salmon from potential spawning grounds and their offspring from the ocean.

The case is a spinoff of 29 years of litigation over tribal fishing rights based on mid-19th century treaties. State lawyers argue that a culvert speedup would give short shrift to other vital efforts, including habitat restoration, hatcheries, harvest controls and changes in hydroelectric dam operations.

Regardless of funding, it takes at least four years from scoping – determining which actions, effects and concerns will be addressed in a project – to improve or replace a culvert to meet fish passage requirements, Wagner said.

More money won't speed up that process, he added, "We'll just be able to do more projects at the same time."

John C. Sledd, a lawyer for nine of the tribes, suggested that fixing culverts would benefit salmon more than other efforts.

"Our goal is to correct priority salmon barriers," Wagner replied. "We hope that would increase salmon production. We don't have a way to determine" how that work compares in effectiveness with other approaches.

Gillnets more harmful than culverts

2009-11-04T09:28:00.001-08:00

Fixing culverts to propagate expanded fish runs is a foolish waste of taxpayer dollars when taken to the extreme.

The major problem with expanding fish runs and securing their survivability is the use of gill nets. The major players, commercial fishers and tribes, have committed large amounts of money to elected officials impeding resolution of the problem. The by catch of the gill net fishery means that wild and non-target fish under the Endangered Species Act will not flourish. The act is not observed by commercial fishers.

The solution to the problem has been known for a long time. The tribes on the upper Columbia River recently began using seine nets to selectively harvest tagged fish. This reduces cost per fish and gives a win-win solution to all fishers by allowing wild and non-target stock to escape. Evidence the large pink runs.

In the case of tribal rights, fishing in usual and accustomed manners is the use of fish traps and other methods, not gill nets. Allow tribal fishers and other gill net fishers on the rivers to use this method. The harvest quantities agreed to would not change, but the numbers and types of fish released would. Wild and other protected non-target fish would be released instead of being killed.

This doesn't mean stopping the replacement of culverts. Just use the time and money more judiciously. What is needed here is a true win-win for fish and man.

Ideas for designated commercial harvest fish runs

2009-11-02T18:00:00.001-08:00

Years ago, Weyerhauser was in the fish business. According to SG
they dropped it, because of preharvest by sport and commercial boats.

if we had a goal... To maximize commercial harvest in specific rivers, while not competing with tribal or sport harvest. Hopefully the tribes would go along with splitting the harvest with sport only fishing.

Although this might never get to a viable point, I have wondered for a while about using creeks, or small tribs to use as a commercial harvest open farm style operation, similar to the weyerhauser approach or the Tulalup tribe set up, that operates two hatcheries on their reservation. If the creek or river has no viable wild run to damage, and we could make this work on a multi river arrangement, you get the nets out of salt and you make it a non tribal commercial operation and keep the sports on other watersheds.

Instead of clipping, they just put a small tag, to identify strays. Have a spring, fall or continuous run whatever species, kings or silvers. Then run a trap or weir, nets near the mouth and let the commercial harvest take it all, and run the facilities. In some respects, a processor could do the entire operation, cutting out the independent harvest. But make it private with state oversight. Work it into the Canadian Alaska US treaty where commercial harvest at sea would be eliminated for [at least these] salmon, so they arent preharvesting each others fish. (future operations might form in BC and Alaska given similar extinct runs). Other factors would have to look at limiting number of licenses and methods for commercial boat harvest if any were to continue in Alaska waters. But, one goal would be to work around losing 60 plus percent of the columbia river fish to alaska and Canadian commercial harvest. Would have to eliminate harvest of herring and sardine, but not limited to those species to increase food supply. Sport harvest of herring or smelt etc like in the cowlitz etc would be ok, so some bait needs would be met.

Now, instead of saying it wont work or just saying no, lets brainstorm the various factors that would make it work. If its done well, it could compete with farms and relieve wild fish from commercial harvest, reduce state subsidies for multiple hatcheries to support the commercial fishing industry. What if... it could eliminate commercial harvest in the columbia.

Let the ideas fly. If they did a year round egg box program of one species, would they have silvers or chinook come back all at once or throughout the year for that type of commercial harvest?

Keep in mind, the tulalups have two hatcheries on the reservation. I guess they net the bay, but as long as they leave wild fish alone in the rivers, it seems like a win, if they dont interfere in the sport fishery on those tribs.

I think there are enough rivers to go around, that designated rivers could go a long way to eliminating harvest conflicts with the tribes and the sport fishery, thereby maximizing interest in sport fishing(in combination with a workable recovery plan. We might even have the option of switching rivers over from hatchery supplements to wild fish only, on a gradual basis, to transition sport harvest to other rivers, rather than eliminate four or five rivers in a geographical region, putting pressure on other systems, or killing business in a no fish zone.

So, we would need stream candidates and look at the ramifications of a wild run remaining or not, or nearby river, that would generate a lot of strays. Look at hatchery facilities not being used now, or due to close and methods of harvest. Perhaps beginning with the criteria, needed to make a project work.

Im guessing the alternative is more of the same, with more restrictions and allocation fights in the midst of shrinking budgets.

New Rule Proposals for Rockfish in Puget Sound

2009-11-02T17:58:00.001-08:00

Better take a look at the proposals and make your comments. The general concept is included in the current fishing regulation proposals in case you might have missed them (see item #10). Included in the proposal is that would put a 120' (20 fathom) limit on all fishing in Puget Sound except for salmon.

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

October 19, 2009

Contact: Greg Bargmann, (360) 902-2825
WDFW seeks public comments on
Puget Sound rockfish conservation plan

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is accepting public comment through Nov. 19 on a new draft conservation plan for rockfish in Puget Sound and has scheduled four meetings to discuss the plan with the public.
The draft conservation plan is the preferred alternative among several presented in a draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which is required by the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).
The DEIS and draft conservation plan are available on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/management/rockfish/ . Those who would like a copy of the plan on a compact disc or in print can call (360) 902-2844.
The draft conservation plan provides the framework for new strategies and actions in areas including fisheries, monitoring and education to conserve and protect rockfish populations in Puget Sound. Three species of rockfish in Puget Sound – bocaccio, yelloweye and canary rockfish – currently are being considered for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Comments can be submitted by email to SEPAdesk2@dfw.wa.gov , by FAX to (360) 902-2946, or by U.S. Mail to: WDFW SEPA Desk, 600 Capitol Way N. Olympia, WA 98501-1091.
In addition, people can submit comments, as well as discuss the draft plan with WDFW staff, during public meetings scheduled for:
• Oct. 29 – From 7-9 p.m. in Mill Creek at WDFW's Mill Creek office, 16018 Mill Creek Blvd.
• Nov. 2 – From noon-2 p.m. in Friday Harbor in the Commons Room at the University of Washington's Friday Harbor laboratory, 620 University Road.
• Nov. 4 – From 7-9 p.m. in Olympia in room 172 of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. S.E.
• Nov. 6 – From 4-6 p.m. in Port Townsend in the Raven Room at Skookum Inc., 385 Benedict St.

The Toxic Nightmare

2009-10-13T12:39:00.001-07:00

Wow, I was totally surprised by this.......

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

Would you brush your teeth with Drano?
Would you shampoo your hair with Anti-freeze?
Would you soap your body with oven degreaser?

Well, you probably are!!!
The illness and disease caused by these toxic petro-chemicals are at epidemic levels.
This 4 minute video is a "must see" for all who care. Especially those with children or grandchildren.

Click here to view
the four minute video.

SW Washington Fishing Report

2009-08-05T21:39:00.001-07:00

Salmon/Steelhead

Cowlitz River – Summer run steelhead catches are improving around Blue Creek. The first Cowlitz coho of the fall has returned to the salmon hatchery.

Last week, Tacoma Power recovered 405 summer-run steelhead adults, 83 spring Chinook adults, 18 jacks, 223 Chinook mini-jacks, one coho salmon adult, three sockeye and one chum salmon during five days of operation at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator.

During the week Tacoma Power employees released 22 spring Chinook adults, 16 jacks and one coho salmon into the Cispus River above the mouth of Yellow Jacket Creek, and 202 spring Chinook mini-jacks into Riffe Lake at Mossyrock Park.

Through July a total of 1,890 hatchery summer run steelhead had returned to the salmon hatchery. In comparison, 4,308 fish had returned at this time last year.

River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 3,180 cubic feet per second with a visibility of over 13 feet on Monday, August 3.

Kalama River – No report on angling success. A half dozen fall Chinook have return to the traps to date. In addition, 1,615 hatchery and 174 wild summer run steelhead had returned to Kalama Falls Hatchery through July. This compares to 781 hatchery and 155 wild fish at the same time last year.

Lewis River – No report on angling success. A total of 2,314 hatchery summer run steelhead had returned to the trap at Merwin Dam through July. This compares to 5,096 fish at the same time last year.

Wind River – Boat anglers are catching some steelhead. There were a handful of boats here yesterday (Sunday Aug. 2).

Drano Lake – Including fish released, boat anglers averaged nearly a steelhead per rod. About 45 boats were observed here yesterday.

White Salmon River – Boat and bank anglers are catching some steelhead. Approximately 25 watercraft were found here yesterday.

Buoy 10 – Slow on Saturday's opener though some coho were reported caught yesterday.

Lower Columbia from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam – From July 27-31 we sampled 465 bank anglers with 101 steelhead and 1 jack Chinook. In addition, we sampled 64 boat anglers (30 boats) with 23 steelhead. Just over 60% of the steelhead caught were kept.

The lower Columbia is very low and warm. At Bonneville Dam yesterday, average flows were 137,000 cfs and water temp 74 degrees. The recent 10-year average is 158,600 cfs and 70 degrees.

This year's steelhead counts at Bonneville Dam are very similar to this time last year – 140,731 vs 147,970 fish, respectively.

Bonneville and The Dalles pools – Boat anglers in Bonneville Pool and bank anglers in The Dalles Pool are catching some Chinook and steelhead.

John Day Pool – No effort for salmonids was found there last week.

Sturgeon

Lower Columbia from the mouth to the Wauna powerlines – Catch and release through the end of the year.

Lower Columbia from the Wauna powerlines to Bonneville Dam – Catch and released through September.

Walleye and Bass

John Day Pool – Including fish released, boat anglers averaged over 1.5 walleye and 4 bass per rod. The majority of the walleye were kept.

Trout

Last week Council and Takhlakh lakes were planted with 3,768 and 4,023 catchable size rainbows, respectively.

Skate Creek and the Tilton River – Both are scheduled to be planted with two thousand catchable size rainbows this week.

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

SW Washington Fishin

2009-07-26T21:43:00.001-07:00

Anglers with constraints on their time will have to choose their fishing days carefully in the weeks ahead. Those ready to go right now will find good - and improving - fishing for hatchery steelhead from the lower Columbia River to the Bonneville Pool tributaries. They might want to consider, though, that the sturgeon fishery in the estuary has been extended for three more days, July 24-26. Then again, those who wait until Aug. 1 can fish for salmon at Buoy 10 and any number of other waters opening for fall salmon fishing that day.

"Now is the time to make plans about where to go, where to stay and where to moor your boat," said Joe Hymer, a WDFW fish biologist. "A lot of fishing opportunities will be opening up in the coming days, and a lot of anglers will want to get in on the action."

Summer steelhead fishing has continued to heat up - along with water temperatures - on the mainstem Columbia River and tributaries stretching upstream to the Bonneville Pool. Boat anglers fishing between Rocky Point and Bonneville Dam averaged one fish for every two rods during the week ending July 19. Bank anglers netted a fish for every four rods. The best catch rates were observed from Kalama downstream and in the gorge, where 178 bank anglers pulled in 53 steelhead and released 56 others July 21.

On the Cowlitz River, boat anglers have been reeling in hatchery steelhead from Mission Bar to Blue Creek. As daily steelhead counts continue to climb at Bonneville Dam, success rates have has also picked up at Drano Lake and on the White Salmon River.

In all areas, anglers may retain only hatchery steelhead with a clipped adipose or ventral fin and a healed scar. "The good news there is that the proportion of marked, hatchery fish below Bonneville has increased in recent days," Hymer said.

Rather hold out for sturgeon ? With 2,400 more fish available for harvest under the area guideline, the sturgeon fishery in the Columbia River estuary has been extended for another three days. In a joint action July 21, fishery managers in Washington and Oregon agreed to reopen the fishery Friday through Sunday from July 24-26 between the mouth of the Columbia and the Wauna powerlines near Cathlamet.

That action follows a similar six-day extension approved for mid-July. "Fishing was generally good, but we didn't get the turnout we expected because a lot of anglers decided to fish for salmon off the coast," said Brad James, another WDFW fish biologist. "That left room for some extra fishing days."

Salmon will no doubt loom even larger in anglers' minds by the time that fishery wraps up. Starting Aug. 1, the fall salmon season will open on the Columbia River from Buoy 10 to the Hwy. 395 Bridge in Pasco and on a lot of tributaries in between. More than 700,000 coho are expected to enter the Columbia River this year along with nearly 533,000 chinook, generating high hopes for the upcoming fall salmon fishery.

"This year's coho return to the Columbia is expected to be largest since 2001," Hymer said. "Add an above-average chinook return to that and you have a pretty favorable outlook for fall salmon fisheries."

A major focus of anticipation is the Buoy 10 fishery near the mouth of the Columbia River, where fishery managers are planning for a catch of 10,700 chinook and 119,100 hatchery coho. During the month of August, the daily limit will be two salmon (but only one chinook) or hatchery steelhead or one of each. All salmon other than chinook and hatchery coho must be released. Barbed hooks will be allowed.

The north jetty is open for fishing seven days per week when the Buoy 10 area or Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) are open for salmon fishing.

The daily adult catch limits are the same for anglers fishing from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line to Bonneville Dam, where fishery managers are planning for a catch of 15,100 chinook and 1,900 coho. Fishing rules for these and other areas are described in WDFW's Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs ).

Hymer said fall fishing rules for area tributaries, also described in the pamphlet, reflect both the expected size of this year's coho return and the transition to mark-selective chinook fishing in those rivers. "The rules are basically designed to protect wild chinook, while giving anglers a chance to remove as many excess hatchery fish from spawning areas as possible," he said. "Rules regarding release of wild adult chinook and jacks vary, because some hatcheries began fin-clipping fish earlier than others. So we're still a year or two away from the day when all returning chinook will be marked."

Below is a summary of the new rules that will be in effect on various tributaries to the Columbia River starting Aug. 1:

Bonus hatchery coho retention: Anglers may retain up to six hatchery adult coho on all lower Columbia tributaries with hatchery programs, including the Cowlitz, Deep, Elochoman, Grays (including West Fork), Kalama, Klickitat, Lewis (including North Fork), Toutle (including Green and North Fork) and Washougal rivers. Last year, the Cowlitz River was the only system with a daily limit of six hatchery adult coho.
Release all wild chinook: Anglers must release all chinook (adults and jacks) on the Elochoman and Kalama rivers, where mass-marked fall chinook that are two, three and four years old will be returning this year. Very few five and six year-olds are expected, so this regulation provides additional protection for wild chinook adults with a minimal loss of sportfishing opportunity for older unmarked hatchery fish.
Release wild chinook jacks: This rule will be in effect on the Cowlitz, Toutle (including Green and North Fork), Washougal, Wind and White Salmon rivers, plus Drano Lake. Two and three year-old mass-marked fall chinook will be returning to the Cowlitz, Toutle and Washougal rivers, while two, three, and four year-olds will return to the Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery. Some strays from various hatcheries also can be found in the Washington tributaries above Bonneville Dam.
Hatchery chinook strays on the Lewis River: Anglers may retain stray hatchery chinook on the Lewis River and North Fork Lewis through September. While no fall chinook are released from Lewis River hatcheries, some stray tules are found in the system.
Boat angling restriction on the North Fork Lewis River: This regulation, which applies to the Cedar Creek area, will be delayed until October to give anglers greater access to the large number of hatchery coho expected to return to the river. The restriction on boats will still take effect in time to protect wild fall chinook, which are expected to return in improved numbers but just above the minimum escapement goal.
Grays and Elochoman rivers open Aug. 1: The starting date for fall salmon fisheries has been moved up to allow anglers to catch early arriving fish, particularly Select Area Bright fall chinook that stray into the Grays River.

Meanwhile, sturgeon fishing has been slow from the Wauna powerlines to Bonneville Dam, and will switch to catch-and-release during August and September. Catch-and-release fishing will open Aug. 1 in the area from Marker 85 to the deadlines below the dam, which has been closed to protect spawning sturgeon.

Reiter Ponds opens July 18th

2009-07-15T16:33:00.001-07:00

Action: Opens the Reiter Ponds section of the Skykomish River to recreational fishing.

Effective date: 8 a.m., July 18, 2009.

Species affected: All game fish, including steelhead.

Location: Skykomish River from 1,500 feet upstream to 1,000 feet downstream of the Reiter Ponds Hatchery outlet.

Reason for action: The Reiter Ponds Hatchery has collected enough summer steelhead broodstock to meet production needs.

Other information: Public access through the Reiter Ponds Hatchery opens at 6 a.m.

Information contact: Aaron Bosworth, Region 4 Fish Manager, (425) 775-1311, ext. 101.

Fishing in SW Washington

2009-07-15T15:28:00.001-07:00

Salmon/Steelhead

Cowlitz River – At the barrier dam, 14 bank anglers kept 2 adult Chinook and released 1 jack.

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam – Last week we sampled 700 bank anglers with 163 steelhead, 3 adult and 4 jack Chinook, and 4 sockeye. In addition, we sampled 143 boat anglers (65 boats) with 35 steelhead and 1 adult and 1 jack Chinook. Overall, just over half the steelhead caught were kept. Adult Chinook must be released through July.

During the Saturday July 11 flight, a total of 541 WA and 200 OR bank anglers plus just over 200 boats were counted. Over half the WA bank anglers were counted in the Longview-Cathlamet area. Boat effort was spread throughout the river.

The Dalles Pool – Some summer Chinook and steelhead are being caught by bank anglers.

John Day Pool - Angler effort for salmon continues to decline. No salmon/steelhead were observed in the catch. For the season anglers have retained 4 adult and 56 jack Chinook plus 8 sockeye.

The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) met on Monday July 13, 2009 and updated the Chinook and Sockeye run sizes. The updated summer Chinook run size is 55,000 at the river mouth. This is based on average counts from now through July 31 at Bonneville and an estimated below Bonneville harvest of 5,000 Chinook. Pre-season forecast was 70,700 fish. TAC updated the sockeye run size to 185,000 at the river mouth. This forecast is based on an average run timing curve. Pre-season forecast was 183,200 fish.

Sturgeon

Lower Columbia mainstem from the mouth to the Wauna powerlines – Nearly all of the charter boat anglers had their one-fish limit. Private boat anglers averaged a legal kept per about every 4 rods. Bank angling was slow. The average still remains about 40% of the fish caught were of legal size.

Approximately 280 private and 4 charter boats were counted during the Saturday July 11 flight.

White sturgeon may be retained July 17-19. Fishery managers will review the catch data after July 19 to determine if additional fishing opportunity is available under the 15,529 fish catch guideline for this year's fishery.

Lower Columbia mainstem from the Wauna powerlines to Marker 85 – Outside of the gorge, effort was generally light.

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

Sturgeon Fishery in the Columbia Estuary Extended

2009-07-08T19:18:00.001-07:00

OLYMPIA - Anglers will get at least six more days to catch white sturgeon in the Columbia River estuary, beginning July 10.

Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon announced the joint decision July 7 after assessing catch data for the fishery.

By the states' action, anglers will be allowed to catch and retain legal-size white sturgeon Friday through Sunday from July 10-12 and July 17-19 between the mouth of the Columbia and the Wauna powerlines near Cathlamet.

Those additional fishing days are designed to give anglers an opportunity to catch 4,100 sturgeon still available for harvest by the recreational fishery when the regularly scheduled season ended July 5, said Brad James, a fish biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). The catch guideline for that season was 15,529 fish.

"The sturgeon catch was a little below average for the season," James said. "That left room for some extra fishing days."

As during the regular season, the daily catch limit is one white sturgeon, with a fork-length measurement of 41 inches to 54 inches. All green sturgeon must be released. Fishery managers will review the catch data after July 19 to determine if additional fishing opportunity is available under the catch guidelines.

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

Fishing in SW Washington

2009-07-04T17:03:00.001-07:00

Salmon/Steelhead

Cowlitz River – Spring Chinook continue to be caught by bank anglers at the barrier dam while boat anglers are catching steelhead around the trout hatchery.

Last week, Tacoma Power recovered 20 spring Chinook adults, 13 jacks, and 112 summer-run steelhead during five days of adult fish collection efforts at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator. During the week Tacoma Power employees released two spring Chinook adults and 12 jacks into Lake Scanewa above Cowlitz Falls Dam.

Cowlitz River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 6,120 cubic feet per second on Monday, June 29. Water visibility is ten feet.

Wind River and Drano Lake – Today (June 30) is the last day to fish for spring Chinook.

Lower Columbia mainstem below Bonneville Dam - Last week we sampled1,461 bank anglers with99 adult and22 jackChinook, 37 sockeye, and 47 steelhead.We alsosampled605 boat anglers (256 boats) with62adult and 6 jack Chinook, 2 sockeye, and 12 steelhead. Success was best on the opener and slowed as the week progressed.

Through June 28, an estimated 16,771 angler trips have produced 1,360 adult Chinook kept and 419 released plus 873 sockeye kept and 57 released. Adult Chinook may be retained on the lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam through July 5.

Effort was high last Saturday with 711 boats and 614 WA and 343 OR bank anglers counted

The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) met yesterday and downgraded the adult summer Chinook run size from the pre-season forecast of 70,700 to 58,000 fish. However, TAC did not change the sockeye pre-season forecast of 183,200.

John Day Pool - WDFW staffinterviewed 41 salmonid anglers in the John Day Pool. Anglers reported harvesting 3hatchery jack chinook and released 2 hatchery origin adult chinookand 1 wild adult chinook.

Bonneville Dam upstream – Adult Chinook (adipose fin clipped or not) may be retained beginning tomorrow (July 1).

Sturgeon

Lower Columbia mainstem from the mouth to the Wauna powerlines – Charter boat anglers averaged just over a legal kept per every other rod while private boaters averaged one per every 5.7 rods. Bank anglers were catching a few legals. About one-third of the fish caught were keeper size. Overall success was better earlier in the week.

Just over 500 private boats and 20 charters were counted during the Saturday June 27 flight. White sturgeon retention is scheduled to re-open July 2-5.

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

Skykomish river salmon fishing to close

2009-07-01T15:34:00.001-07:00

Starting Sunday (July 5), anglers will be required to release any chinook salmon they catch on the Skykomish River, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.

The new rule, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, prohibits the retention of chinook from the Lewis Street Bridge in Monroe upstream to the Wallace River, the only portion of the Skykomish River currently open to salmon fishing.

The rule change does not affect fishing for hatchery steelhead and other gamefish on the Skykomish River.

Low chinook returns to the Wallace River Hatchery prompted WDFW to close the river to chinook retention to help ensure enough salmon make it back to the hatchery to meet spawning goals, said Annette Hoffman, regional fish program manager for WDFW.

If it later appears spawning goals will be met at the hatchery, WDFW may re-open the fishery, said Hoffman.

Anglers can check for updates on the department's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm

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

Save Cowlitz River Steelhead

2009-06-29T17:14:00.001-07:00

The Washington State & Wildlife commission on friday july 10th 2009 will hold a meeting at 1:30pm to decide on public policy reguarding HATCHERY REFORM. It will affect COWLITZ RIVER STEELHEAD as it will further empower those behind the The Cowlitz river managment plan to DO AWAY WITH HATCHERY STEELHEAD on The Cowlitz river.

PLEASE ATTEND THIS MEETING IN OLYMPIA AT

Natural resourses building
1111 Washington St. SE
Olympia washington 98501

Show up by 8:00 AM and be ready to speak at the scheduled public input time of 8:30 AM. We dont belive the meeting at 1:30 will be open for publis input. THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!!

This public policy and the cowlitz river fish managment plan will significantly impact the future of the Cowlitz river summer and winter steelhead by severly restricting the number of fish raised and released. The word is summer run Steelhead will be dicontiued in less than 6 Years!

The Steelhead program has been an important part of the local communities of Centraila,Chehalis, Toledo, Salkum,Castle Rock and longveiw for generations. Its is also a signifgant contributer to Washigtons economy as people travel from all over the state and nation to fish the Cowlitz river for these fabulous sport fish.

The Hatchery Reform Policy and the cowlitz river fish managment plan must be changed so it recognizes the Cowlitz River and similar rivers which have dams that eliminate accses to critical spawning habitat and play a major role in Washintons economy are set aside for hatchery production.

WE ask that all of you get involved in this issue, write a letter or send an email to the commissioners to EXPRESS your desire to have the Cowlitz River Hatchery Steelhead preserved and improved.

Please make the following points:
the department under the prvious leadership has not listened to our concerns reguarding the Cowlitz river. We would appreciate a new look at our concern

The cowlitz river should remain a hatchery production river system because of the dams limiting access to spawning habitat. Hatchery production is part of a NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT with TACOMA POWER FOR DESTROYING THE RIVER. Economies depend on these agreements!

Cowlitz river summer and winter steelhead fishing generates millions of dollars for small local communities and the state of washington. This area depends on these hatchery programs and the state benefits significantly.

Hatchery reform should focus on the rivers that have the capacity and habitat to support wild fish runs.
Bonneville power has credible studies that wild fish passage by the the Cowlitz river dams is a losing battle. " it wont work"

The Cowlitz River can play a "KEY" role in restoring wild fish runs by creating less pressure on other rivers where we are attemting to restore wild runs. People need a place to fish and our economy needs the revenue it generates.

Idaho has demondstrated it can plant millions of hatchey reared steelhead in the clearwater and Salmon rivers and still maintain healthy wild populations. Why can Idaho have strong hatchery returns and millions of dollars in economic benefits and we cannot?

The new director should review the history of our Cowlitz River Fisheries and the philosophical managment approach the department has taken on the Cowlitz river for the last 15 years. We hope a new vision and direction can be achieved that benefits all interests and restore the economic benefits of the Cowlitz.

PLEASE CONTACT THE COMMISSION

There are several new commissioners that need to hear about the Cowlitz River.

Contact info

Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission
600 Capitol way north
Olympia,Wa 98501-1091
Phone: 360-902-2267
Fax: 360-902-2448
Email commission@dfw.wa.gov

Find the Hatchery Reform policy and other related documents@: www.wdfw.wa.gov/commission/

Please attend or write guys this is just one river with many more to come

Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting

2009-06-29T17:02:00.001-07:00

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet July 10-11 at 8:30 a.m. in room 172 of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. S.E., in Olympia. The Commission establishes policies and regulations designed to preserve and protect our state's fish and wildlife, as well as our natural habitat. The Commission is also charged with monitoring the performance of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) as it implements the goals, policies and objectives established by the Commission. The public is invited to attend and provide testimony on issues of concern.

The Commission is set to take action July 10 on a new policy aimed at advancing conservation and recovery of wild salmon and steelhead populations. The proposed policy calls for coordinated reform of the state's approach to harvest management and its hatchery operations based on the recommendations of the Hatchery Scientific Review Group. A public hearing on the draft policy was held in June.

On July 11, the Commission will review progress to date in the nationwide search for a permanent WDFW director. Public advice or comments on the candidate search will be welcomed following that discussion.

The Commission is scheduled to consider adoption of proposals to:

Reauthorize through 2010 a pilot program that allows cougar hunting with the aid of dogs in counties that meet specified criteria.
Allow recreational license dealers to charge 50 cents to process documentation and collect additional data associated with migratory bird hunting.

WDFW staff will provide briefings for the Commission on several other issues, including special trapping permits; deer and elk damage claims; and regulations governing commercial crab-fishing on the Washington coast.

Three new commission members, recently appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire to fill vacant positions, will join the nine-member panel at the July meeting. The three new members, all appointed to terms ending Dec. 31, 2014, are:

David Jennings, of Olympia, who works at the Washington State Department of Health in the division of environmental health. Jennings is the past president of the Gifford Pinchot Task Force and the Black Hills Audubon Society.
Rollie Schmitten, of Leavenworth, who works as a marine resources consultant. Schmitten previously served as director of the Washington State Department of Fisheries, director of the National Marine Fisheries Service and as deputy assistant secretary of international affairs for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Brad Smith, Ph.D, of Bellingham, who serves as Dean of the Huxley College of Environmental Studies at Western Washington University. He previously served as director of the Office of Environmental Education at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and was a research fellow for Environment Canada and the Canadian Fish and Wildlife Service.

On July 11, ethics training and orientation sessions regarding the laws and rules governing Commission operations will be provided to Commissioners. The public is welcome to attend these presentations.

The agenda for the two-day meeting, along with additional information about these issues, is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings.html .

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

Take a Test Drive today!

2009-06-29T14:30:00.001-07:00

Take a Test Drive today!

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Phone Number: (206) 920-2428

Email Address: jdbrown@columbia-river-fishing-guide.com

Columbia river sturgeon report

2009-06-23T16:06:00.001-07:00

Lower Columbia from the mouth to Wauna powerlines –
Catches improved with charter boat anglers averaging a legal kept per slightly better than every other rod while private boaters averaged one per every 3.5 rods. Bank anglers were also catching some legals.

Based on the 2006-2009 Joint State agreement and catch during 2006 through 2008, a total of 15,529 fish are available for 2009 fisheries below Wauna.
Seven-day/week retention fisheries were adopted for January 1-April 30 and May 9-June 28, and daily for July 2-5, 2009 based on this available harvest.
Harvest estimates include 1,125 white sturgeon kept during January through May which is about 67% of the cumulative catches through May in both 2007 and 2008.
Catch rates in June started out slow, but improved as the season progressed, averaging 288 fish per day through mid-June, compared to 210 fish per day in early-June 2008 and over 340 fish per day in early June 2007.
A majority of the catch has been landed on the Oregon side where effort and catch rates have been higher. Sampled catch in the non-charter fishery during June averaged 0.9 fish per boat on the Oregon side and 0.5 fish per boat on the Washington side.
Catch during June 1-14 is about 4,000 fish, bringing the year-to-date total to about 5,125 fish, leaving a balance of about 10,400 fish for the remainder of 2009.
Catch rates can improve quickly in June, making it difficult to make accurate catch projections for the remainder of the scheduled season. Catch in this fishery during late June and early July averaged 644 fish per day in 2007 and 504 fish per day in 2008.
The projected balance provides for an average catch of about 575 fish per day for the 18 days remaining in the scheduled season.
Staff will continue to monitor the fishery and will provide another update this week

Bounty of small salmon creates Columbia River myst

2009-05-31T20:00:00.001-07:00

"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
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009279676_salmon30m.html?syndication=rss

_________________________

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

2009-05-31T08:22:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-18T20:37:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-05T10:09:00.001-07:00

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.

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SW Washington Fishing Report

2009-05-04T22:48:00.001-07:00

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.

SW Washington Fishing

2009-04-25T19:32:00.001-07:00

Cowlitz River - 165 bank anglers kept 11 adult and 3 jack chinook and 4 steelhead plus released one adult chinook. 88 boat anglers kept 2 adult chinook and 25 steelhead plus released 2 adult chinook and 1 steelhead.

Lewis River - On the mainstem Lewis, 6 bank anglers kept 1 steelhead while 10 boat anglers had no catch. On the North Fork Lewis 10 bank anglers and 8 boat anglers had no catch.

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Last week we sampled 3,396 private boat anglers (1,415 boats) with 613 adult and 75 jack chinook plus 13 steelhead. We also sampled 698 bank anglers with 52 adult and 7 jack chinook and 5 steelhead. Overall, 561 (84.4%) of the 665 adult chinook caught were kept. Based on Visual Stock Identification, 466 (91.0%) of the 512 adult chinook sampled were upriver stock.

Weekend boat effort was down slightly from the previous week while the number of bank anglers were up. 2,709 salmonid boats and 1,372 bank anglers were counted during the Saturday April 18 flight. On Thursday April 16, a total of 1,945 boats and 676 bank anglers were counted, almost identical to the previous weekday flight.

J and L Guided Sportfishing Report

2009-03-30T22:25:00.001-07:00

J and L Guided Sportfishing Report

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Last week we sampled 1,890 boat anglers (864 boats) with 214 chinook and 3 steelhead plus 339 bank anglers with 6 chinook. Overall, 173 (78.6%) of the chinook caught were kept. Based on Visual Stock Identification, 141 (89.3%) of the chinook sampled were upriver stock.
Based on Oregon's sampling, the catch per unit effort for chinook is running about 70% of last year's. Effort, however, is significantly higher with 1,400 salmon boats counted on 3/21 vs 900 on 3/22 last year.
During March 1-15, an estimated 16,400 angler trips resulted in 560 Chinook kept (and 170 released).
The recreational fishery downstream of Hayden Island is open 3 days per week (Thu-Sat) and is scheduled to remain open through April 18. The recreational fishery from Hayden Island upstream to Bonneville Dam is open 4 days per week (Wed-Sat) and is scheduled to remain open through April 22. Fishing for hatchery steelhead and shad is open only on those days open to fishing for spring chinook.
Through March 22, only 63 adult spring chinook had been counted at Bonneville Dam. The recent 10-year average is 1,250 fish. Water temperature is a cool 42 degrees and flows yesterday were a low 122,800 cfs.

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Lower Columbia below Bonneville Fishing

2009-03-30T22:16:00.001-07:00

Last week we sampled 1,890 boat anglers (864 boats) with 214 chinook and 3 steelhead plus 339 bank anglers with 6 chinook. Overall, 173 (78.6%) of the chinook caught were kept. Based on Visual Stock Identification, 141 (89.3%) of the chinook sampled were upriver stock.

Based on Oregon's sampling, the catch per unit effort for chinook is running about 70% of last year's. Effort, however, is significantly higher with 1,400 salmon boats counted on 3/21 vs 900 on 3/22 last year.

During March 1-15, an estimated 16,400 angler trips resulted in 560 Chinook kept (and 170 released).

The recreational fishery downstream of Hayden Island is open 3 days per week (Thu-Sat) and is scheduled to remain open through April 18. The recreational fishery from Hayden Island upstream to Bonneville Dam is open 4 days per week (Wed-Sat) and is scheduled to remain open through April 22. Fishing for hatchery steelhead and shad is open only on those days open to fishing for spring chinook.

Through March 22, only 63 adult spring chinook had been counted at Bonneville Dam. The recent 10-year average is 1,250 fish. Water temperature is a cool 42 degrees and flows yesterday were a low 122,800 cfs.

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

News from J and L Guided Sportfishing

2009-03-22T18:35:00.003-07:00

J and L Guided Sport Fishing Newsletter

Steelhead, Spring Chinook and Sturgeon Fishing

In This Issue

Early Spring Fishing

Sturgeon Fishing

New Outdoors Site

Columbia Springers

Cowlitz River Steelies

1 Million Coho

29# Hoh steelhead

Spring Chinook Fishing

Here in Washington Chinook Salmon Fishing is King and is our #1 specialty . From late March through May its Spring Chinook Fishing time. Also known as "springers", we target the Columbia River from Bonneville dam to Buoy 10 and the Lewis River. With fish ranging from 12 to 25 pounds and 30+ trophy fish being caught every year, these chrome bright Chinook Salmon hit the hook hard and fight, fight, fight. Light tackle provides a test for the angler and a feel for the fight.

http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com

May/June Sturgeon

A typical day Columbia River Trophy Sturgeon Fishing and keeper Sturgeon fishing will provide multiple hook ups with limits of sturgeon for everyone. The Wild White Sturgeon are becoming known for their awesome fighting ability and high action with some fish reaching 12 feet in length.. The Columbia River has a stable and healthy population of white sturgeon helping you fulfill your Sturgeon fishing dreams!

http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com/sturgeonfishing.htm

Team J and L Outdoors

I have partnered with YTB Travel as a Referring Travel Agent and have developed my own website as a credentialed travel agent that will allow you to book your fishing travel efficiently and securely online.

Even if you didn't get the chance to venture out this past season the website is always available to satisfy your upcoming vacation travel needs and showcases cruises, golf, spa and honeymoon packages, along with all-inclusive vacation packages.

www.white-river-travel.com

Additionally, we have added a page for world-wide fishing and hunting trips

The website address is: www.teamjandloutdoors.com

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Aisle 19 Shopping

Checking out anywhere else just doesn't make sense. When shopping online always remember to start at Aisle 19, shop from over 600+ stores, search our daily deals section, save money and earn cash back on your everyday purchases. The stores in Aisle 19 pay us to bring them online shoppers. Rather than keeping all that money, we encourage you to "check-out" at Aisle 19 by sending you a cash back check for your Aisle 19 purchases.

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www.shopwithjtbonline.com

Greetings!

Anglers eager to catch spring chinook salmon are reeling in an increasing number of early arrivals in the lower Columbia River. Sturgeon and smelt seasons are open, despite cold water conditions, sturgeon fishing has been picking up on the lower Cowlitz and Willamette rivers. Some late-run steelhead have begun to show up in the Cowlitz and Kalama rivers, and the bulk of the run should arrive any day this month.

Spring is weeks away, but Team J and L is already gearing up for the season starting mid-March. After all, spring chinook salmon are beginning to enter the Columbia River and by late April springers will be in the Lewis, Kalama and Cowlitz rivers.

Columbia River Springer Season

The bulk of the spring chinook run isn't expected for several weeks and team J and L starts fishing on March 25th

"This is the shakedown time for the spring chinook fishery". It's a good time to get your boat and gear in order and pick your spots before the crowds arrive. Catching fish is a bonus at this point in the fishery."

There is a high likelihood of both good fishing and large crowds this year, when nearly 300,000 upriver spring chinook are expected to return to the Columbia River. That would make this year's run the largest since 2001, and the third largest since 1977. The first spring chinook of the season to cross Bonneville Dam was counted March 3.

Dates Team J and L have remaining to fill for this awesome upcoming season are:

March 25th, 26th, 27th, & 28th (open boat all dates)

http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com/salmonfishing.htm

Cowlitz River Fishing

The fishing on the Cowlitz has picked up a lot compared to earlier this winter. River conditions have improved slightly.

Last week Tacoma Power recovered 15 Coho adults and five winter-run steelhead in five days of seperator operations at Barrier dam.

Tacoma Power employees released 5 coho salmon adults and 11 winter-run steelhead into the upper Cowlitz River at the Lake Scanewa Day Use Site, and they released four coho salmon adults into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton during the week.

Most of the anglers a concentrating the Blue Creek area as hatchery water has been running thru the outlet pipe by the boatramp now for a few weeks.

Columbia River Coho run Forcasted to exceed 1 million

A return of more than one million Columbia River coho salmon - the largest run since 2001 - is expected to brighten fishing prospects this year from the Washington coast to the Upper Columbia River.

North of Falcon and PFMC meetings, which will determine the final 2009 salmon seasons. The meetings are set for:

March 16 - Columbia River fisheries discussion, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Vancouver Water Resources Education Center, 4600 S.E. Columbia Way, Vancouver, Wash.

Record Steelhead?

You are looking at what might be one of the largest steelhead ever caught on a fly. It almost certainly will be an IGFA record for 8kg tippet if verified.
Mr. Peter Harrison caught the slug on the Hoh river in Washington state just last Friday. He was fishing a double handed rod, swinging flies. Apparently after a long drawn out battle he brought the fish to shore only to find out it was bleeding profusely from the gills.

Mr. Harrison stated, "My intention was to let it go, having first measured the fish, but it was bleeding quite heavily from the gills. As it seemed likely not survive the ordeal, and because it was the fish of a lifetime, I decided to take the fish. In 10 years of fishing Washington state rivers this is the first fish I have ever taken, of any kind, from a river."
On the bank a couple of boats pulled up and the measured the fish. One said 31 pounds. One 32 pounds. Hours later they managed to get it to a certified scale and by then it had lost fluids and blood. It read 29.5 pounds, still seemingly breaking a record set 24 years ago on the Skeena in BC.

"I certainly have bittersweet emotions. The elation of hooking a giant fish and beaching it but real trauma and actual stress about killing the fish. I am still upset at that part, believe you me I did not do it lightly. Emotionally I am scarred, I still have knot in my stomach over the whole incident. That has led me to ask myself the question: isn't it time that all wild steelhead be released? After all, if they lived long enough, and evaded seals, net's and hooks, all those smaller wild steelhead that are killed each week, would stand a good chance of growing up to be a large size too."
If true, I say good on ya mate. You did your best. You were throwing flies. You wanted to release the fish and you actually gave some thought to it.

What would you do? Pursue an IGFA record or leave the fish in the river where some say it belongs.

Team J and L vote: Leave the fish in the river where it belongs

---------------------------------------------------------

What's left to decide? Book A Trip for Lewis Spring Chinook or Columbia river keeper Sturgeon. Call us now as spots fill fast when the bite is on. Don't miss out on a memorable fishing day with the area's top Washington fishing guide.

Looking forward to fishing with all of you this spring and summer.

Sincerely,

Capt. Jerry Brown
J and L Guided Sportfishing

Do You Feel Lucky?

Make Friday The 13th Your Lucky Day!!!

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Buy your trip for Summer Steelhead fishing on the Cowlitz; Spring Chinook fishing on the Lewis or Cowlitz river; June keeper sturgeon fishing in Astoria; Trophy sturgeon in the Columbia River Gorge; Kings & Silvers at Buoy Ten; Pinks on the snohomish

The choice is yours.

Pricing is $175.00 per person with a minimum of 2 people per trip.

Sale begins on Friday march 13th and ends Sunday March 15th

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Team J and L Open Springer Fishing Dates

2009-03-22T18:35:00.001-07:00

J and L Guided Sportfishing Open Dates on the Columbia

Springer Dates Available

I have had some cancelled dates for the 2009 Springer Fishery on the Columbia River.

Dates: March 25th, 26th and 27th

April 2nd, 10th, 16th and 17th
List Price: $175

J and L Guided Sportfishing
3930 A ST SE #305
Auburn, Washington 98002
206-920-2428

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Aisle19 Invitation

2009-02-08T15:28:00.001-08:00

This is Jerry Brown.

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Let me know if you have any questions.

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

Fishing in SW Washington

2009-02-04T15:42:00.001-08:00

Fishing: The lower Columbia River Basin can be hard on anglers in early February when nice weather beckons but good fishing can be hard to find. Sturgeon and smelt seasons are open, but fishing has been slow due in part to frigid water temperatures. Some late-run steelhead have begun to show up in the Cowlitz and Kalama rivers, but the bulk of the run usually doesn't arrive until later in the month.

So what's an angler itching to get outdoors to do?

Digging razor clams is one option. Evening digs have been approved Feb. 7-8 at Long Beach and Feb. 6-8 at Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks. As with previous openers, digging will be allowed only during the hours between noon and midnight. Evening low tides during the dig are 3:55 p.m., Friday, Feb. 6 (-0.1 ft.), 4:50 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 7 (-0.4 ft.), 5:39 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 8 (-0.6 ft.).

"There are plenty of clams and the low tides are early enough for folks to dig during daylight hours," said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager.

But fishing for lake trout may be the best bet for anglers who want to feel a fish tug on their line. At Klineline Pond, for example, 47 bank anglers recently took home 91 catchable-size rainbows, plus a couple of broodstock rainbows weighing up to 5 pounds apiece. WDFW also stocked Klineline with 1,500 catchables Jan. 26, and Battleground Lake got 150 broodstock rainbows early this month. Spearfish Lake in Klickitat County got 30 broodstock lunkers along with 1,100 catchable-size rainbows, while Horseshoe Lake in Cowlitz County got 30 broodstock rainbows and 1,500 catchables.

"Those trout should offer up some really good fishing," said John Weinheimer, a WDFW fish biologist. "Fishing on year-round lakes really starts to improve throughout the region when the weather warms up like this." For a complete listing of weekly trout plants throughout the region, see WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/plants/weekly/ .

Smelt dipping also may improve as water temperatures increase, but there were few signs of success during the last Saturday in January, said Brad James, another WDFW fish biologist. For updates on the fishery, check the weekly smelt report on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/creel/smelt/index.htm .

The Cowlitz River is open to smelt dipping from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. each Saturday through March 28, with a daily catch limit of 10 pounds per person. All other tributaries to the Columbia River in Washington state are closed to smelt fishing until further notice.

This is also the time of year when thousands of anglers start to look forward to fishing for spring chinook salmon, which usually start to arrive in significant numbers in March. (The first springer of the year - a 28 pounder - was reportedly hooked and released Jan. 31 in the Willamette River.) According to a recent projection, nearly 300,000 spring chinook are expected to return to the river this year, which would make the run the third-highest on record.

However, fishing seasons have not yet been set for the fishery because of a disagreement between the fish and wildlife commissions of Washington and Oregon over a catch-sharing plan for recreational and commercial fisheries. The fishery is currently open downriver from the Interstate 5 Bridge under 2008-09 rules while the two commissions continue working to reach an agreement.

2009-10 Sportfishing Rule Meeting

2009-01-28T18:32:00.001-08:00

OLYMPIA - The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider adopting a proposed package of sportfishing rule changes for the 2009-10 season during its Feb. 6-7 meeting in Olympia.

The commission, which sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), will convene both days at 8:30 a.m. in Room 172 of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. S.E., Olympia. Commissioners also are scheduled to attend an annual meeting with Gov. Chris Gregoire on Feb. 5 at 11 a.m. in the Governor's office.

During the Feb. 6-7 meeting, the commission will consider adopting more than two dozen sportfishing rule proposals, which were developed with public input and discussed at the commission's November meeting. No additional public testimony on the rules will be taken at the February meeting.

One proposed rule would change the annual opening day of fishing on some streams from June 1 to the first Saturday in June. Other proposals would replace the non-buoyant lure restriction with a new anti-snagging rule, create a new Marine Protected Area in a portion of Saltwater State Park and change the daily limit of salmon and steelhead in the mainstem Columbia River to two salmon or two hatchery steelhead or one of each.

More details on those and other proposed rules are available on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/rule_proposals/ .

The commission also is scheduled to consider adopting a North of Falcon policy, which would provide direction to fishery managers in defining annual salmon fishing seasons in Washington's waters.

In other business, the commission is scheduled to hear briefings on:

Timber salvage and thinning operations in 2008 at the Olympic and Johns River wildlife areas.
A pilot grazing program, which uses managed livestock to maintain and enhance habitat conditions for wildlife.
Salmon management, including hatchery production, in the Grays Harbor watershed.
Eyes in the Woods, a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to fish and wildlife stewardship.

The commission also is scheduled to discuss various topics, including the spring chinook season on the Columbia River and next steps for the bi-state Columbia River Fish Working Group.

For more information about future commission meetings, visit WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings.html .

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

Cowlitz River Fishing

2009-01-22T10:35:00.001-08:00

Winter steelhead , Hymer said the early run came in at about half the size of last year's run. One bright spot was the Cowlitz River, where 1,800 fish returned compared to 850 last year. "We weren't sure whether this year's run was strong, or just early," Hymer said. "The escapement numbers indicated it was just early."

He remains hopeful that the late run to the Cowlitz and Kalama rivers, which usually peaks in February, will make a better showing. Fishing is already starting to pick up on the Kalama, where anglers have been averaging a few steelhead per boat. "There are still early hatchery winter fish being caught, but the wild fish are starting to show in the catch, with a couple of nice fish in the upper teens reported," said Chris Wagemann, another WDFW fish biologist. "The late hatchery or winter brood fish are contributing to the catch and should continue with the wild fish into April."

Hymer reminds anglers that all wild steelhead with an intact adipose fin must be released. That is also the case with chinook salmon on the Cowlitz, Kalama and Lewis rivers, although marked hatchery chinook may now be retained in those water, as described in the Fishing in Washington regulation pamphlet. "There aren't a lot of spring chinook around just yet, but reeling in a keeper hatchery fish could definitely brighten up someone's day," Hymer said.

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

New Washington policy approved for Columbia River spring chinook

2009-01-16T20:18:00.001-08:00

The Washington Fish and Wildlife commission today approved a new management policy for Columbia River spring chinook salmon designed to promote conservation of wild fish while providing stability for sport and commercial fisheries.

The new five-year policy is consistent with catch-sharing provisions recommended by a joint subcommittee of the Washington and Oregon fish and wildlife commissions, while also providing some additional early-season commercial fishing opportunities sought by the Oregon commission.

But with differences remaining between the policies adopted by the two states, the commissions must still find common ground on several issues before they can develop new regulations for the jointly managed fishery.

Both states' commissions based their new management policies on objectives recommended by the Columbia River Fish Working Group, a bi-state panel that includes three commission members, two fishery managers and several citizen advisors from each state. Those objectives call for providing:

A conservation "buffer" to maintain a low risk of exceeding impact limits on wild salmon listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).
A high probability of an uninterrupted 45-day sport-fishing season on the lower Columbia River in March and April.
25 percent of the sport fishery's allowable impacts to fisheries above Bonneville Dam.
A stable commercial fishery in off-channel "select areas" such as Deep River in Washington and Youngs Bay in Oregon.
Commercial fishing opportunities in the mainstem Columbia River in March and April.
Sport and commercial fishing opportunities in May if the run is large enough.

Because the upriver spring chinook run includes wild fish listed for protection under the federal ESA, the fishery is managed under rules that limit mortality rates for wild fish from .05 percent to 2.7 percent of the run.

Under the catch-sharing policy recommended by the bi-state Working Group and adopted by the Washington commission, 65 percent of those limited "impacts" would be allocated to the sport fishery and 35 percent to the commercial fishery.

But in a departure from the Working Group's recommendations, the policy approved by the Oregon commission in December approved a base rate of 55 percent for the sport fishery and 45 percent for the commercial fishery to boost the commercial share of the catch.

As a compromise measure, the Washington commission reconsidered the size of the early-season "buffer" - the portion of the mainstem commercial fishery that will be delayed until the size of the run can be verified by an in-season assessment. By reducing the buffer from 50 percent to 40 percent, Washington's policy would increase the early-season commercial catch in the mainstem Columbia River by an estimated 1,400 fish.

According to a recent projection, nearly 300,000 spring chinook are expected to return to the river this year, which would make the run the third-highest on record.

Under Washington's new policy, anglers are expected to catch 22,300 of those fish from Bonneville Dam downstream and 7,400 above the dam. For commercial fisheries, 7,800 spring chinook would be available on the mainstem Columbia River and 6,300 in off-channel select areas.

Meeting via conference call, the Washington commission also:

Extended the previous management plan for summer chinook salmon by one year. Consistent with Oregon's policy, that plan includes a 50-50 allocation formula for sport and commercial fisheries below Priest Rapids Dam.
Elected Commissioner Miranda Wecker chair and Commissioner Gary Douvia vice-chair of the commission through Dec. 2010. Wecker, who has served on the commission since March 2005 and as vice-chair since January 2007, succeeds Commissioner Jerry Gutzwiler, who was elected chair in January 2007. Douvia has served on the commission since January 2007.

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

Carbon River Re-opend for Fishing

2009-01-16T14:00:00.001-08:00

Carbon River re-opens for angling

Action: Effective immediately, the Carbon River will re-open to angling, reverting back to seasons listed in the 2008-09 Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet. This action will allow retention of surplus hatchery steelhead on the river.

Effective dates: Immediately

Species affected: All gamefish.

Location: Carbon River, tributary to the Puyallup River, in Pierce County.

Reasons for action: Re-opening the fishery will allow anglers to selectively harvest hatchery steelhead, thereby reducing the genetic and ecological competition between hatchery and wild fish.

Information Contact: Hal Michael, 360-902-2659 Hal.Michael@dfw.wa.gov

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

10 Ways To Tell You Might Be A Redneck Fisherman

2009-01-14T11:25:00.001-08:00

10 Ways To Tell You Might Be A Redneck Fisherman

You might be a redneck fisherman if:

1. Your mother has "stink bait" on her birthday wish list.

2. You have the local taxidermist's number on speed dial.

3. Your dentist gave up asking you to quit biting fishing line.

4. You've ever cleaned crappies in your living room.

5. You've ever had to turn your pickup around because of bridge clearance restrictions.

6. You have more than two fishing buddies named Bubba or Junior.

7. You brought your fishing rod to Sea World.

8. Your kitchen doubles as a bait shop.

9. You consider "Cabela's Spring Fishing Catalog" deep reading.

10. Your boat is worth more than your house.

Flooding caused damage at some fish hatcheries

2009-01-12T16:19:00.001-08:00

A look at how the recent flooding has impacted Western Washington hatcheries:

Soos Creek Hatchery: Facility was still flooded Thursday but water was dropping rapidly by Friday. One drum screen is inoperable. It still is unknown if there was a loss of fish. Staff will be unable to trap steelhead broodstock — the facility gets the bulk of the Green River stock.

Voights Creek Hatchery Complex: The half-million coho eggs were OK as of Thursday, but everything else has been lost. Houses are in good shape and no damage to personal property was reported. Damage was still being assessed on Friday. Water is 3 feet deep outside the hatchery building and slowly beginning to recede. Yearlings are alive with backup pumps.

Puyallup Hatchery: Spring pond above the upper intake has received significant filling with sand and sediment.

Arlington Hatchery: No change but stable conditions as of Friday. Staff was working on moving 80,000 catchable and jumbo trout to safe ponds at Arlington and Whitehorse.

Reiter Pond Hatchery: Intake is holding. Given the conditions, facility is operating normally.

Tokul Creek Hatchery: Facility is holding 150,000 juvenile steelhead. Staff is working on re-establishing flow with portable pumps and re-plumbing well pump to supply emergency water.

Wallace River Complex: Water in incubation building wasn't causing damage.

Issaquah Hatchery: Residence Number 1 (closest to hatchery) has 3 feet of water in the basement. Lost furnace and water heater.

Samish Hatchery: Flooding and large deposit of debris. A large log jam formed just above and at the gravity intake on Friday Creek. Flooding threatened pump intake. Water flows increased in the Samish River and threatened pump intake on the river. Maintenance staff removed debris from Friday Creek and gravel from the Samish intake.

Cowlitz Hatchery Facilities: No damage to report.

Elochoman Hatchery: Four feet of water in the last occupied residence basement. Coho in J pond are likely lost. Access was limited or impossible.

Grays River Hatchery: High water, but facility and fish are OK.

Speelyai Hatchery: Spring chinook were moved on Wednesday; kokanee were released early; temporary pumps were put in place to pump water to rainbow trout remaining on site. Intake breeched. All fish except for catchable rainbow and derby fish have been moved off station. Currently maintaining one screen and operation intake. Working on cleanup by Friday, and repairing intake dam. Removing water treatment building. Domestic water will be established next week.

Lewis River Hatchery: Debris problems inside creek near rearing pond.

Kalama Falls Hatchery: Extremely high water. May have liberated all of the 350,000 late coho. So far, everything else is OK.

Fallert Hatchery: Foot of water, but everything is OK.

Lewis/Merwin Facilities: No problems.

Gobar Pond: Can't gain access to facility.

Goldendale Hatchery: Wind damage to the roof of one on-station hatchery residence.

Toutle Hatchery: Sandbagged for protection. Pump damage likely.

Minter Creek, Hupp Springs, Coulter Creek, Dungeness, Hurd Creek, Elwha, Bogachiel and Sol Duc hatcheries: All facilities were reporting intake issues.

Forks Hatchery: Water level dropped and all is well.

Satsop Springs Hatchery: River was backing up into adult holding pond. Water had broken through the dike in a couple of places. No contact with staff as of Thursday.

Bingham Hatchery: Water ran around hatchery building, sand bagging kept water from getting into the building. All is well.

Mayr Bros Hatchery: Damage to roadway to adult trap and to fence around trap. Staff will evaluate once water is lower.

Lake Aberdeen Hatchery: Septic line was fine; water was up to bridge stingers.

Humptulips Hatchery: All is well.

Nemah River Hatchery: All is well.

Naselle Hatchery: Staff spent a lot of time keeping ahead of muddy water in the incubation room. Everything else is fine.

Eells Springs Hatchery: Stable. Cut off due to slide over Eells Springs Road and Skokomish River flooding.

Skookumchuck Hatchery: All is well.

McKernan Hatchery: Stable.

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

Massive flooding has negative impact on young salmon survival

2009-01-12T15:52:00.001-08:00

Hitting the rivers to go fishing is at a standstill for days to come, but many are wondering about young salmon survival because of massive flooding.

"This is an especially bad situation like the flooding that happened in [November] 2007, and we're having the same problems of scouring eggs on spawning grounds, and loss of juvenile fish survival," said Jeff Haymes, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist. "It seems like now we're getting these 100-year type floods every other year, which is not good. These floods will dig a big hole for several years.

"This was supposed to be a La Niña kind of year, and then it snapped back to something like an El Niño weather pattern, at least for the time being."

Some of the severe impact on fish survival is in Southwest Washington.

"The worst damage happened from Woodland north in places like Chehalis, Kalama and Kelso," said Joe Hymer, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist. "Depending on the salmon species, and when and where they spawned, I am sure it will have an impact.

"We had fairly low water conditions this past fall so some fish probably spawned in the main river channels and that will make those eggs in the gravel more vulnerable. The local hatcheries on the Lower Columbia got drilled pretty hard, although it sounds like they survived, but it was nip and tuck for a while."

The situation around Aberdeen and Grays Harbor looked grim as well.

"Everything was flooded like the Wynoochee, Satsop and all the smaller rivers," said Scott Barbour, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist. "Most of the coho and chinook redds are down in the gravel, and I imagine there would be some scouring of eggs. There are still [migrating] coho to come, but this will do damage to chinook redds for sure. It is pretty nasty."

Locally, it appears that the outlying areas of Seattle got slammed, and likely damaged some salmon and steelhead spawning grounds.

"This kind of situation is lousy for the spawning beds, and for all the chinook and sockeye eggs that are in the gravel," said Steve Foley, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist who assessed the Cedar River. "I heard the hatchery is going to be OK at Landsburg."

While the hatchery at Landsburg escaped substantial damage, the Lower Cedar juvenile fish trap was lost and then recovered from Lake Washington with some damage. The other trap in the Lower Cedar River was taken out of the water with some damage.

Further north, it looks like some rivers could feel the loss of future salmon runs.

In general, these types of floodwaters don't do much good for young chinook, steelhead and coho," said Brett Barkdull, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist who covers areas from Skagit River north to the Canadian border. "It displaces the juvenile fish, and gets them stranded in places where they shouldn't be. What affect it will have on them in the long term and how much loss is hard to say at this point.

"The Nooksack and Stillaguamish got hit pretty bad, and this is going to really have impact, mainly on chinook and chum there. And to some extent the coho may get away a little better because they tend to spawn in smaller streams."

Barkdull pointed out that the Upper Skagit River escaped flooding problems, and all the northern hatchery facilities were doing fine.

"I talked with our hatchery complex manager and we survived at all the facilities, and the fish are alive and doing fine," said Barkdull of the Marblemount, Baker, Kendall, Whatcom Creek and Lake Whatcom hatcheries.

Other local hatcheries may have taken a worse hit from this latest storm.

"The Tokul Creek [Hatchery] was a mess, they're taking it hour by hour, and we're looking at releasing [150,00 juvenile steelhead] early," said Annette Hoffman, a state Fish and Wildlife fish program manager. "The staff [at the Arlington Hatchery] had some concern, but were working hard on their issues, and were planning on moving fish to other ponds for the time being. They planned to release [some 80,000 trout] early into local lakes if necessary."

The Whitehorse Hatchery was pretty much an island. The Soos Creek Facility took on a considerable amount of water, and there was also some issues at Voights Creek as well.

"It doesn't sound too great for our hatcheries and this may bring on high mortality losses along with low releases in the future," said Chad Jackson, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist.

Flooding caused damage at some fish hatcheries

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

Orientation meetings for Master Hunter applicants

2009-01-12T13:52:00.001-08:00

Best RThe Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and its Master Hunter Advisory Group are offering orientation classes in February for those interested in enrolling in the 2009 Master Hunter program.

The orientation meetings will focus on the Master Hunter program application process, requirements for certification and the role of the master hunter. Participants may apply for the program after the meetings and will receive packets and study materials to take home, said Mike Kuttel, WDFW Master Hunter policy lead. No pre-registration is required.

The following meetings are open to the public and will be held:

Feb. 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the West Valley Fire Department in Yakima,
10000 Zier Road. Take the Nob Hill Blvd. exit off I-82; turn left onto 72nd Ave. and right onto Zier Road.
Feb. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council headquarters in Spokane, 6116 North Market Street.
Feb. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m. in Room 172 of the Natural Resources Building (NRB) in Olympia, 1111 Washington Street, off Capitol Way. Directional signs are posted in NRB parking lots.

The Master Hunter program is a voluntary program sponsored by WDFW. Formerly known as the Advanced Hunter Education program, the new Master Hunter program has been redesigned to promote the highest standard of hunter ethics and help ensure continued hunting opportunity in the future. Master hunters participate in controlled hunts to eliminate problem animals that damage property and/or threaten public safety. In addition to providing certification, the program emphasizes safe, ethical, responsible, and lawful hunting practices.

The deadline for enrolling in the 2009 Master Hunter program is March 31. Details on the program and enrollment procedures are available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/masterhunter/ . egards,
Capt. Jerry Brown
Columbia River Fishing
http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com
206-920-2428

Commission asks negotiators to seek common ground on spring chinook plan

2009-01-09T17:55:00.001-08:00

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, meeting via conference call, today authorized continued negotiations with Oregon fisheries officials on a joint catch-sharing plan for spring chinook salmon fisheries on the lower Columbia River.

The commission, which sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), authorized three of its members as well as top department managers to work with their Oregon counterparts to find a consensus recommendation on the issue.

Differences between the two states emerged on an allocation plan for sport and commercial fisheries last month, when the Oregon commission approved a formula that would provide a larger share of the harvest to commercial fisheries than the one recommended by a bi-state subcommittee of both state commissions.

Known as the Columbia River Fish Working Group, the subcommittee includes three commissioners from each state, along with fishery managers and citizen representatives who serve as advisors.

Agreement on an allocation plan is essential, because the two states jointly manage spring chinook fisheries on the lower Columbia River. Nearly 300,000 upriver spring chinook salmon are expected to enter the Columbia River this year, which would make it the largest run since 2002. The fishery is open now, although spring chinook do not begin to arrive in significant numbers until mid-March.

The Washington commission asked members of its negotiation team to report on their progress by Jan. 16, when the issue of a new management plan for spring chinook will be back on the commission's agenda for possible approval. The public will be able to listen to that meeting, set to begin at 8:30 a.m. via conference call, on speakerphones at WDFW offices in Olympia and Vancouver, Wash.

The Olympia office is in the Natural Resources Building, Room 172, 1111 Washington St. S.E. The Vancouver office is at 2108 S.E. Grand Blvd. More information about the Jan. 16 meeting is available at (360) 902-2267.

Today's meeting, originally scheduled as a two-day session in Olympia, was conducted via conference call because of weather-related transportation problems. Working through an abbreviated agenda, the commission:

Deferred action on electing a new commission chair and vice chair until the Jan. 16 conference call. Those two-year leadership positions have been held by commissioners Jerry Gutzwiler and Miranda Wecker, respectively, since Jan. 2007.
Heard public testimony on policy direction for the North of Falcon season-setting process for 2009 salmon fisheries. Written comments can be submitted on the policy through Jan. 30 to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA, 98501-1091.
Received briefings on Gov. Gregoire's proposed budget for 2009-11 and a new analysis of the economic value of recreational and commercial fisheries in Washington state.

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

Floods force evacuation from WDFW hatcheries

2009-01-08T17:00:00.001-08:00

Flooding, heavy rainfall and high winds prompted evacuation of staff from one hatchery and have damaged other Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) facilities throughout the state.

Staff at the Voights Creek Hatchery in Pierce County left the site early Wednesday morning on orders from the local fire department as the Carbon River approached historic flood levels, said Ron Warren, WDFW hatcheries division manager.

"I believe this is the first time we've left a facility totally on its own, but the rising waters were threatening the safety of our employees," Warren said. "The water was so high that chest waders were required to get in and out of the hatchery building."

While staff were able to move major equipment to a dry site, 1.6 million fry chinook, 780,000 yearling coho, 1 million coho eggs and fry, and 150,000 yearling steelhead remained at the hatchery, Warren said.

"The forecast calls for drier weather this weekend so I hope we'll be able to get back in soon to assess the situation and begin cleaning up," he said. Warren said damage to the facility from last November's storm cost the department approximately $30,000.

Flooding and high winds have also caused damage at other WDFW facilities throughout the state. At the Goldendale Hatchery in Klickitat County, 60 mph winds tore the roof off one hatchery residence Tuesday, allowing rainwater to enter the building. No one was hurt, but persistent high winds prevented staff from making repairs.

Other hatchery facilities affected by rising water and flooding conditions include:

Soos Creek Hatchery in King County, where staff have moved fish and equipment to protected locations.
Arlington Hatchery in Snohomish County, where a rechanneled creek jumped its banks and entered the hatchery grounds..
Elochoman Hatchery in Wahkiakum County, where high water flooded a hatchery residence and reduced access to fish ponds.
Forks Creek Hatchery in Pacific County, where a spring intake overflowed and washed out the access road.
Spokane Trout Hatchery in Spokane County, where a spawning pond cover and rearing-pond bird netting collapsed due to heavy snow loads.

Warren said other operations have also reported damage and once weather permits, the department will do a complete assessment.

"The entire state's been affected," he said. "WDFW employees will continue to monitor facilities and work to protect state resources."

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

Meeting Closed due to Weather

2009-01-07T16:58:00.001-08:00

Due to extreme weather conditions across the state, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting scheduled for Jan. 9-10 will not take place as planned. Instead, the commission will meet at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 9 via telephone conference call to discuss future scheduling of key agenda items.

The commission, which sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), will discuss - but not take action on - proposed fishery management plans for Columbia River spring and summer chinook salmon. That discussion, set to occur early in the Jan. 9 conference call, will include consideration of when to schedule commission action on the two fishery management plans.

The public can listen to the commission's Jan. 9 conference call via speakerphones at WDFW offices in Olympia and Vancouver, Wash.:

Olympia: Natural Resources Building, Room 172, 1111 Washington St. S.E.
Vancouver: 2108 S.E. Grand Blvd.

A public hearing was held on management plans for spring and summer chinook salmon during a commission meeting Dec. 13 in Olympia. Other discussion items during the Jan. 9 conference call may include:

Gov. Gregoire's proposed budget for the department in 2009-11.
An analysis of the economic value of recreational and commercial fisheries in Washington state.
A pilot-grazing project on lands owned by WDFW in Asotin County and a separate partnership, established under the Wild Horse Coordinated Resource Management Plan, with landowners in Kittitas County.
The status of a timber salvage and thinning operation on portions of the Olympic and Johns River wildlife areas near Grays Harbor.

Questions about the change in meeting plans may be directed to Susan Yeager, executive secretary for the commission, at (360) 902-2267.

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

Commission to consider adopting plans for Columbia River chinook fisheries

2008-12-31T13:41:00.001-08:00

OLYMPIA - The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider adopting new fishery management plans for Columbia River spring and summer chinook salmon during a public meeting scheduled here Jan. 9-10.

Those plans, which include guidelines for allocating sport and commercial harvest opportunities for the popular chinook fisheries, will top the commission's agenda Jan. 10, the second day of the two-day meeting.

The first day of the meeting will be devoted to briefings on a variety of other issues, including a pilot grazing program on lands owned by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Gov. Gregoire's 2009-11 budget proposal for the department.

The public meeting is scheduled to get under way at 8:30 a.m. both days in Room 172 of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. S.E. on the state Capitol Campus in Olympia. An agenda for the meeting is available on the commission's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/com/meetings.htm .

The commission, which sets policy for WDFW, held a public hearing earlier this month on new guidelines recommended for Columbia River spring and summer chinook fisheries by a bi-state subcommittee established in conjunction with the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. The subcommittee addressed conservation buffers as well as management objectives for both sport and commercial fisheries.

But the Washington commission delayed action on those guidelines after the Oregon commission approved a plan to direct a larger share of the spring chinook harvest to commercial fisheries than recommended by the bi-state panel.

The Washington commission will again address the management policies for Columbia River spring and summer chinook after receiving briefings on several other issues on the first day of the meeting. Issues scheduled for discussion Jan. 9 include:

Gov. Gregoire's proposed budget for the department in 2009-11.
An analysis of the economic value of recreational and commercial fisheries in Washington state.
A pilot-grazing project on lands owned by WDFW in Asotin County and a separate partnership, established under the Wild Horse Coordinated Resource Management Plan, with landowners in Kittitas County
The status of a timber salvage and thinning operation on portions of the Olympic and Johns River wildlife areas near Grays Harbor.

The commission will also hear public testimony on a policy proposal addressing the North of Falcon season-setting process for 2009 salmon fisheries. est Regards,
Capt. Jerry Brown
Columbia River Fishing
http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com
206-920-2428

2009 Sturgeon Season Cloumbia River above Wauna

2008-12-24T16:05:00.001-08:00

Action: Allow retention of white sturgeon only on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from January 1 through July 31 and from October 1 through December 31. Sturgeon may be caught and released, but not retained, Sundays through Wednesdays and during August and September.

Only white sturgeon between 38-inches fork length and 54-inches fork length may be retained per permanent rule.

Effective date: Jan. 1 through Jul. 31 and Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2009

Location: The Columbia River and tributaries from the Wauna powerlines near Cathlamet upstream to Bonneville Dam.

Species affected: White sturgeon

Reason for action: The regulation is consistent with Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission guidance for 2009 Columbia River sturgeon management. The dates for retention of white sturgeon are based on the 2009 seasons adopted at the joint state hearing on December 18, 2008. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission had previously adopted the 38-inch fork length minimum size limit and the 54-inch fork length maximum size limit on February 1, 2008, for implementation January 1, 2009.

Other information: Catch and release fishing is allowed seven days per week except the area from Bonneville Dam downstream to Navigation Marker 85 is closed to all fishing for sturgeon from May 1-July 31.

White sturgeon retention on the Columbia River and tributaries below the Wauna powerlines reopens to retention seven days per week from January 1 through April 30 per permanent regulation. The new 38-inch to 54-inch fork length size limits also apply to this area. The area below Wauna is scheduled to close to retention May 1 through May 8, then reopen to retention seven days per week for the periods May 9 through June 24 and July 2-5. The minimum size limit for this area is scheduled to switch to 41-inches fork length May 9. Retention of green sturgeon is prohibited.

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

2009 Smelt Season set for Washington

2008-12-24T16:03:00.001-08:00

Species affected: Smelt

Effective dates: Jan. 1 through March 31, 2009

Action (1): Open seven days a week, 24 hours a day

Location: Columbia River

Daily Limit: 25-pound daily limit

Action (2): Open Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Location: Cowlitz River

Daily Limit: 10-pound daily limit

Reason for action: A Level 1 fishery was adopted in accordance with the Washington and Oregon Eulachon Management Plan. Abundance and productivity indicators project a weak return of smelt for 2009. This rule is consistent with WDFW Hearing action of December 18, 2008.

Information contact: Region 5 Office (360) 696-6211

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

Columbia River Sturgeon Season Set for 2009

2008-12-23T20:55:00.001-08:00

VANCOUVER, Wash. - The 2009 sport fishery for Columbia River white sturgeon will open New Year's Day under rules similar to those in effect this year, but with somewhat tighter catch limits below Bonneville Dam.

To compensate for high harvest levels during this year's fishery, catch limits will be 2,000 fish lower in the lower Columbia River and adjoining tributaries in 2009 under fishing rules adopted last week by fishery managers from Washington and Oregon.

The largest adjustment is in the area from the Wauna powerlines near Cathlamet upstream to Bonneville Dam, where anglers will be limited to 11,268 legal-size white sturgeon. This year's catch was estimated at 13,919 fish - 1,532 fish above the number allotted for that area.

To meet this year's lower guideline, anglers fishing that stretch of the Columbia River in 2009 will be allowed to retain white sturgeon only three days a week, rather than four.

"Three days of retention fishing was the norm for those waters until two years ago," said Brad James, a fish biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). "Also, while the new harvest guideline above the Wauna powerlines will be lower next year, it will still be higher than the number of sturgeon caught by anglers in 2006."

Farther downstream, fishery managers set a harvest level for 2009 of 15,529 white sturgeon for waters extending 40 miles from the Wauna powerlines to Buoy 10 at the mouth of the Columbia River. That allocation is up from last year, but slightly below the three-year average guideline of 16,000 fish.

Next year's harvest guidelines for both areas of the lower Columbia River are designed to bring the catch into line during the fourth year of a sturgeon-management agreement between Washington and Oregon, James said. The new catch limits were adopted following a decision by the fish and wildlife commissions of both states to extend the management agreement for 2006-08 through 2009.

James said anglers who fish for sturgeon in the new year should be aware of a new rule adopted by the two state commissions that will base official size limits for white sturgeon on "fork length" measurements, rather than the total length of the fish. The new size limits, which take effect Jan. 1, are based on the distance from the tip of a sturgeon's nose to the fork in its tail, making it easier to measure thrashing fish.

As in previous years, anglers in all areas will be limited to one legal-sized white sturgeon per day and five per year. Anglers must release all green sturgeon, a separate species listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Fishing seasons established for the 2009 white sturgeon sport fishery on the Columbia River and adjacent tributaries are as follows:

Buoy 10 to the Wauna powerlines: Fishing for retention of white sturgeon is open seven days per week from Jan. 1 to April 30, from May 9 to June 28, and from July 2-5 or until the harvest guideline is reached. From Jan. 1 to April 30, the fork length of retained sturgeon must be a minimum of 38 inches and a maximum of 54 inches. From May 9 to June 28 and from July 2-5, the fork length of retained sturgeon must be a minimum of 41 inches and a maximum of 54 inches. Catch-and-release fishing is allowed May 1-8, June 29 to July 1, and July 6 to Dec. 31.
Wauna powerlines to Bonneville Dam: Fishing for retention of white sturgeon is open three days per week (Thursday through Saturday) Jan. 1 through July 31 and Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. The fork length of retained sturgeon must be a minimum of 38 inches and a maximum of 54 inches. Catch-and-release fishing is allowed Aug. 1 through Sept. 30 and on days when retention is prohibited. All fishing for sturgeon will be closed from May through July in the sturgeon spawning sanctuary downriver from Bonneville Dam 5.5 miles to Navigation Marker 85.
Above Bonneville Dam: Fishing for retention of white sturgeon opens seven days per week Jan. 1 until individual catch guidelines are met in the Bonneville, The Dalles and John Day pools. In the Bonneville Pool, the fork length of retained sturgeon must be a minimum of 38 inches and a maximum of 54 inches. In The Dalles and John Day pools, the fork length of retained sturgeon must be a minimum of 43 inches and a maximum of 54 inches. Catch-and-release fishing is allowed after the guidelines are met in all three areas above Bonneville Dam. All fishing will be closed from May through July in two spawning sanctuaries located below John Day Dam downstream 2.4 miles and from McNary Dam downstream 1.5 miles.

Catch guidelines for areas above Bonneville Dam to McNary Dam will be evaluated in January, but are likely to remain the same as this year for Bonneville Pool and for John Day Pool. The population in The Dalles Pool appears to be on the rebound and the population may be healthy enough to allow managers to relax the guideline for 2009, James said.

The fishing periods will be reassessed in June based on available catch data, and may be modified as needed James said. Any changes will be posted on the WDFW website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/ ) and distributed to the news media.

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

Sturgeon size limits will switch to 'fork length' measurement

2008-12-23T15:53:00.001-08:00

OLYMPIA - Starting New Year's Day, anglers fishing for sturgeon should find the big fish easier to measure for compliance with state size limits.

By mutual agreement, fishery managers in Washington and Oregon have agreed to base official size limits for white sturgeon on "fork length" - the distance between the tip of a fish's nose and the fork in its tail - rather than their full length.

That change is designed primarily to make it easier to measure thrashing sturgeon, which often run four to five feet in length, said Brad James, a fish biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

"In most cases, a legal-size fish under the old rules will still be a legal-size fish under the new rules," James said. "The method of measuring the fish will change, but the size of the fish retained by anglers will remain the same."

The main problem with trying to measure the total length of a sturgeon is that the top lobe of a sturgeon's tail is longer and more flexible than the bottom lobe, James said. "The new rule eliminates an element of subjectivity that has long been problematic for anglers and fishery managers alike," he said.

An illustration of measuring a sturgeon according to fork length is posted on the WDFW website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/sturgeon/index.html ).

Starting Jan. 1, both the minimum and maximum size limits for retaining white sturgeon will be adjusted to reflect the new "fork-length" measurement. As under current rules, a maximum size limit will be retained to protect large, breeding female sturgeon.

Under rules currently in effect for most waters of the state, anglers may retain only those white sturgeon with a total length of 42 to 60 inches. Under the new statewide rule, the new standard for legal-size sturgeon will be 38 to 54 inches, measured from a fish's snout to the fork in its tail.

The new 54-inch size maximum limit will be in effect statewide. However, as under current rules, minimum size limits will vary from the 38-inch statewide standard on certain stretches of the Columbia and Snake rivers. Effective Jan. 1, new size limits on those rivers will be as follows:

The mouth of the Columbia River upstream to Wauna powerlines near Cathlamet: New fork-length limit is 38 to 54 inches through April 30. (Old limit 45 to 60 inches.)
The Dalles Dam upstream to Priest Rapids Dam on the Columbia River: New fork-length limit is 43 inches to 54 inches. (Old limit 48 to 60 inches.)
The Snake River upstream to Lower Granite Dam near the border with Idaho: New fork-length limit 43 to 54 inches. (Old limit 48 to 60 inches.)

The new fork-length measurements will also take effect Jan. 1 for non-Indian commercial fisheries on the Columbia River.

While the Columbia River accounts for most white sturgeon caught in Washington state, James said the species is also the focus of active fisheries from northern Puget Sound to the bays and rivers along the Pacific Coast.

"Regardless of where people are fishing, these new size limits should make it easier for fishers to tell whether they should keep or release a fish," James said.

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

Puget Sound Crab Season to Close

2008-12-22T12:36:00.001-08:00

All areas of Puget Sound will close to recreational crab fishing at sunset Jan. 2, after which all sport crabbers licensed to fish for crab in the Sound will have 13 days to report their winter catch.

State fishing rules require that all sport crabbers submit catch reports for the winter season to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) by Jan. 15 - even if they did not catch any crab. The winter crab season runs from Sept. 2 to Jan. 2.

"Catch reports are an important tool in managing the Puget Sound crab fishery," said Rich Childers, WDFW shellfish policy lead. "We need to hear from everyone - including those who didn't catch any crab - because more information provides greater accuracy in estimating the catch and developing future fishing seasons."

To submit their catch reports, crabbers may either send their catch record card to WDFW by mail, or file their report on a special webpage on the department's licensing website. Catch record cards may be mailed to WDFW CRC Unit, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091. The online reporting system will be available Jan. 2-15 at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/ .

Sport crabbers who file their catch reports by the Jan. 15 deadline will be entered in a drawing for one of 10 free combination fishing licenses, which allow the holder to fish for a variety of freshwater and saltwater species during the 2009-10 season.

Puget Sound crabbers should also be aware of two important changes that will occur starting with the next crab season, Childers said. First, crabbers who fail to report their 2009 summer or winter catch will be required to pay $10 before a license vendor will issue a new catch record card for the 2010 Puget Sound crab season. Second, crabbers will have the option to decline receiving a winter catch card when purchasing their 2009 fishing license. This will help them avoid a fine for not reporting a winter catch, Childers said.

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

Fish and Wildlife looks to slash $30.5 million

2008-12-21T20:47:00.001-08:00

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife needs to cut $30.5 million as its part in Gov. Chris Gregoire's plan for closing Washington's $6 billion budget deficit.

Joe Stohrs, a department deputy director, told the Fish and Wildlife Commission on Friday the cuts amount to $8.5 million from the Wildlife fund and $22 million in general fund spending.

The Wildlife fund is mostly money from hunting and fishing license fees.

Department managers spent two days this week working on potential trims to the agency's budget. Those cuts include 157 full-time equivalent jobs.

Other specifics mentioned included ending the department's aviation facilities and loss of support staff for the master hunter and volunteer programs plus assistance to local governments.

Seven hatcheries were mentioned as possibilities for closure. Guy Norman, regional director, said the hatcheries are deep into the prioritized list of cuts, but includes Mossyrock hatchery in Lewis County.

Stohrs said some natural resource agencies such as the Department of Natural Resources or Department of Ecology get money from a variety of sources, but Fish and Wildlife's dollars come mostly from the two funds.

Gregoire made a campaign pledge for no new taxes, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife does not plan to ask for any fee increases.

Stohrs said the agency has identified eight different ways to increase fees if state lawmakers ask for suggestions, including a fishing license increase and a fee for using two fishing rods in designated waters.

The preliminary reduction plans strive to keep the agency's "core functions'' as whole as possible, he said.

In general, the plan favors regional staff over Olympia positions and line workers over managers, he added.

No action on spring chinook

The commission discussed but took no action on its differences with Oregon over the sport-commercial allocation of Columbia River spring chinook salmon.

Oregon favors a base sharing of 55 sport and 45 percent commercial, while Washington's proposal is 65 percent sport-35 percent commercial.

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

SW Washington Fishing Report

2008-12-20T20:28:00.001-08:00

Cowlitz River - From the I-5 Bridge downstream, 27 bank anglers had no catch.
From the I-5 Bridge upstream, 32 bank anglers kept 9 steelhead and released 9 steelhead and 4 cutthroats. 9 boat anglers kept 3 steelhead and 1 cutthroat
and released 12 steelhead "jacks" and 3 cutthroats. Most of the catch was
observed around Blue Creek.

Kalama River - 15 bank anglers released 1 steelhead while 4 boat anglers had no catch.

North Fork Lewis River - 45 bank anglers kept 5 steelhead and 1 adult coho and released 1 steelhead. 4 boat anglers kept 2 steelhead and released 1. Most of the effort and catch was observed around the salmon hatchery.

The North Fork Lewis River from Johnson Creek (located below the salmon
hatchery) upstream to the overhead powerlines opens to fishing from floating devices beginning tomorrow (December 16).

Winter and summer steelhead smolt stocking for 2007 is now available at: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/harvest/07-08/smolts.htm. The majority of the adult returns from these releases are expected during the 2008-2009 winter and
2009 summer seasons.

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

WDFW related article from today's Olympian

2008-12-16T21:17:00.001-08:00

The state Fish and Wildlife Commission has a boatload of huge tasks in 2009.

There's a big budget cut on the way. Wild salmon and steelhead runs continue to struggle. Limited numbers of hard-working Fish and Wildlife employees will have fewer resources to manage fish and wildlife populations on millions of acres.

Fewer hunters and anglers — Fish and Wildlife's core groups — are buying licenses and going afield.

But no task will be more important than selecting a permanent director for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The director sets the tone in the department — and is responsible for everything from managing elk overpopulations near Mount St. Helens to cougars — and, soon, wolves — to reversing the decades-long decline in wild salmon and steelhead runs.

The director also must improve relations with core Fish and Wildlife groups — especially anglers, and, perhaps to a lesser degree, hunters.

Poor public relations at the top

Former Director Jeff Koenings alienated many outdoors people during his 10 years at the helm of Fish and Wildlife.

It's difficult to find an involved angler — the kind of nutsos that drive long distances to meetings at their own expense — who feel as though Koenings listened to their concerns.

For example, Koenings advocated letting Columbia River commercial gillnetters kill more wild steelhead in nets set for chinook salmon.

This proposal didn't make sense to the thousands of sport anglers who volunteer for steelhead recovery programs and have seen runs plummet in many Columbia River tributaries.

Koenings was often curt — to the point of rudeness — with user groups that questioned Fish and Wildlife policy.

And, to be transparent, Koenings was rude and vindictive — and inaccurate — to me when I asked questions about smallmouth bass eating baby salmon on the Columbia River.

Washington's biggest fishing groups didn't shed a tear when Koenings resigned.

Even more telling: declining sales of fishing licenses shows anglers are tiring of mediocre salmon fisheries.

Know that Fish and Wildlife employees are respected throughout the state. Biologists, enforcement officers, scientists and others do miracles with limited resources — and many of them are skilled at talking with user groups and rallying volunteers to projects.

It's time that Fish and Wildlife's top brass acted more like their boots-on-the-dirt employees and reached out to anglers, hunters, wildlife watchers and other outdoor lovers.

The big search

Jerry Gutzwiler, chairman of the Fish and Wildlife Commission, said the search for a new director will begin in mid-2009, after the department learns how much money will be cut from the budget.

Acting director Phil Anderson says the Legislature may cut up to $40 million out of the $170 million of state funds that went to the department in the 2007-2009 budget.

Anderson not a likely choice

Gutzwiler said Anderson, a deputy director who is the interim director at least through June 2009, is probably not a candidate for the permanent position.

Anderson, a former Westport charter boat skipper who has risen through Fish and Wildlife since 1994 and is an expert on negotiating salmon fishing seasons, doesn't have a college degree.

"Basically, Phil has stepped forward to take on a role during difficult times," Gutzwiler said.

Anderson will focus on getting Fish and Wildlife through the Legislature's budget process in 2009, Gutzwiler said.

Anderson said he's not sure if he will apply for the permanent position — and he's too busy trying to convince the Legislature that Fish and Wildlife programs drive a big economic engine.

"I'm not ready to make that decision yet," Anderson said of applying for the permanent job.

Anderson is telling anyone who will listen that natural resource agencies, such as Fish and Wildlife, get a tiny chunk of the state's budget.

Yet, Washington anglers alone spent $550 million on gear in 2006 and another $335 million on fishing-related expenses, such as hotels, gas and other expenses.

It's time for the state's anglers — and hunters and wildlife watchers — to have a Fish and Wildlife director who listens, reaches out and brings back the frustrated folks who stopped hunting and fishing.

It's time for everyone to work together, and it will take an exceptional leader to make it all happen.

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

Columbia River Catch Sharing

2008-12-13T21:56:00.001-08:00

OLYMPIA - The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission today deferred action on allocating the catch of Columbia River spring chinook salmon between sport and commercial fisheries pending further discussions with Oregon's commission.

The delay followed approval of a plan by the Oregon commission the previous day to provide more fishing opportunities for commercial fisheries than recommended by a bi-panel created to develop a joint approach to the controversial catch-sharing issue.

Surprised by that action, Washington commissioners voted at today's meeting to delay action on both spring and summer chinook allocation plans until their next public meeting, scheduled Jan. 9-10 in Olympia.

The commission, which sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), did take action at their December meeting to:

Extend the appointment of Phil Anderson as WDFW's interim director at least through June 30, 2009. Anderson, who previously served as deputy director, was named interim director earlier this month after former director Jeff Koenings resigned after 10 years with the department.
Extend the current sturgeon-management policy for the Columbia River through 2009, providing fishery managers with a framework for setting next year's fishing seasons.
Update facility requirements for oiled-bird rehabilitation activities to reflect new technologies and best available practices.
Allow the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife two acquire two properties for wildlife conservation in Okanogan County and a right-of-way for bridge improvements in Yakima County.

According to a recent projection, nearly 300,000 spring chinook are expected to return to the Columbia River in 2009, which would make the run the third-highest on record.

The spring chinook fishery presents special challenges to fishery managers, both because the catch is highly prized by both sport and commercial fishers and because the run includes wild salmon listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), which tightly limits mortality rates for listed fish.

In the spring chinook fishery, harvest opportunities for hatchery-reared fish are based on keeping impact rates on ESA-listed fish within federal conservation limits.

To help develop consistent allocation policies, the fish and wildlife commissions of Washington and Oregon created the Columbia River Fish Working Group, a joint panel established by the commissions that includes three commission members, two fishery managers and citizen advisors from each state.

Under the base allocation recommended by the Working Group, the sport fishery would be allowed 65 percent of the impacts on wild fish and the commercial fishery 35 percent. Those shares would vary depending on the run size for the upper Columbia and Willamette rivers.

In a departure from that plan, the Oregon commission voted to allocate 55 percent to the sport fishery and 45 percent to the commercial fishery.

Other aspects of the plan recommended by the Working Group would provide:

A 35 percent conservation fuffer to minimize the risk of exceeding ESA limits on wild stocks.
A sport fishery of at least 45 days in March and April on the lower Columbia, with additional days through May consistent with federal conservation limits.
Stable fisheries above Bonneville Dam in the Columbia River and lower Snake River with 25 percent of the sport fishery's allowable impacts on wild fish.
A stable commercial fishery in off-channel "select areas" such as Deep River in Washington and Youngs Bay in Oregon.
Some commercial fishing opportunities in the mainstem Columbia River in March and April if the run size permits. If impacts remain, harvest opportunities will be maximized in May.

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

Latest Southwest Washington Sport Sampling Summaries

2008-12-12T21:51:00.001-08:00

Cowlitz River - From the I-5 Bridge downstream, 13 bank and 3 boat anglers had no catch. From the I-5 Bridge upstream, 42 bank anglers kept 1 and released 1 steelhead while 34 boat anglers kept 5 steelhead and 1 cutthroat and released one cutthroat. Steelhead kept were winter runs.

Last week, Tacoma Power recovered 1,215 coho salmon adults, 146 jacks, 198 winter-run steelhead, 118 cutthroat trout, ten summer-run steelhead, and one fall Chinook adult during seven days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator.

During this past week Tacoma Power employees transported a total of 630 coho adults, 40 jacks and six winter-run steelhead to Lake Scanewa above Cowlitz Falls Dam on the upper Cowlitz River, 106 coho adults, 12 jacks, one fall Chinook adult and six cutthroat trout into the Tilton River at Gust Backstom Park in Morton, 367 coho adults and 47 jacks into the upper Cowlitz River at the Skate Creek Bridge in Packwood, Washington, 28 coho adults and three jacks into the Cispus River above the mouth of Yellow Jacket Creek and recycled 221 sea-run cutthroat trout to the Interstate-5 boat launch.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife employees and volunteers transported a total of 168 winter-run steelhead to Kress Lake near Kalama, Washington during the past week.

River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 5,460 cubic feet per second on Monday, December 8.

Blue Creek (tributary to Cowlitz River) - In the creek, 6 bank anglers kept 3 steelhead and 1 cutthroat and released one cutthroat. Steelhead were summer runs

SW Washignton Fishing report

2008-12-12T16:51:00.001-08:00

Fishing: As winter steelhead runs continue to build in area rivers, WDFW will start planting lakes throughout the region with catchable-size and larger brood stock rainbow trout and excess hatchery steelhead that become available. Evening razor clam digs also are scheduled Dec. 11-14 at Copalis and Mocrocks and Dec. 12-14 at Long Beach and Twin Harbors. Digging will be restricted to the hours between noon and midnight.

Catch rates for hatchery steelhead were fairly low in the lower Columbia River Basin through the first week of December, but should improve after a good winter rain, said Joe Hymer, a WDFW fish biologist.

"We're getting a good early return to the hatcheries, but a lot of rivers are running low and clear," Hymer said. "Rain should improve fishing and help us determine whether this run is big or just early."

Through the first week of December, 743 winter steelhead had returned to the Cowlitz hatcheries, compared to 84 during the same period last year. Thirty-four boat anglers contacted in a creel survey that week caught five hatchery fish above the Interstate 5 Bridge, but 42 bank anglers accounted for just two fish. Sixteen anglers interviewed below the bridge had no catch.

During the first week of December, Tacoma Power employees transported 630 coho adults and six winter-run steelhead from the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery to Lake Scanewa above Cowlitz Falls Dam. They also moved 106 coho adults, an adult fall chinook and six cutthroat trout into the Tilton River at Gust Backstom Park in Morton, 367 coho adults into the upper Cowlitz River at the Skate Creek Bridge in Packwood and 221 sea-run cutthroat trout to the Interstate-5 boat launch.

Six bank anglers fishing Blue Creek caught and kept three summer-run steelhead, but catch rates were generally light on the Kalama River and the North Fork Lewis River. Returns to the Lewis River Hatchery were lagging slightly (408 compared to 489 last year), but about twice as many winter steelhead had returned to hatcheries on the Kalama and Washougal rivers through the first week of December as last year.

"It's still early in the run, but there's a chance of some good fishing once we get some rain," Hymer said. As always, anglers are reminded that any wild steelhead they intercept with an intact adipose fin must be released.

Carbon River closing December 15th, 2008

2008-12-12T16:46:00.001-08:00

Action: Closes the Carbon River to fishing.

Effective dates: Dec. 15, 2008, until further notice.

Species affected: All gamefish.

Location: The Carbon River from the mouth to the Highway 162 Bridge.

Reasons for action: The Voight's Creek Hatchery has been unable to secure sufficient eggs from returning hatchery winter steelhead to meet basin production goals. Closure of the fishery is needed to collect sufficient fish to meet egg take needs. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), in support of the Hatchery Scientific Review Group recommendations, intends to use locally adapted broodstock to support the Puyallup River system winter-steelhead hatchery program rather than importing eggs from outside sources.

Other information: When broodstock needs are met (approx. 150 fish), the fishery will revert to seasons as listed in the Sport fishing Rules 2008/2009 pamphlet edition, Fishing in Washington. WDFW will be organizing broodstock collection activities in order to more quickly acquire broodstock.

Information Contact: Hal Michael, 360-902-2659, Hal.Michael@dfw.wa.gov

Columbia Spring Chinook Meetings

2008-12-03T11:04:00.001-08:00

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider adopting new catch-sharing plans for Columbia River spring and summer chinook salmon on the second day of a public meeting scheduled Dec. 12-13 in Olympia.

The meeting, which will include several public comment periods, will be held on the first floor of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. S.E. An agenda for the meeting is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/com/meetings.htm on the commission's website.

Prior to that meeting, the Washington commission will meet Dec. 11 with the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in Portland to discuss recommendations developed by a joint working group for apportioning fishing opportunities for chinook salmon between sport and commercial fisheries in the lower Columbia River.

Key goals of the plan, which has not yet been finalized, are to provide greater stability for spring and summer chinook fisheries, while meeting conservation goals for wild salmon.

The joint meeting will be held from 12:30-3:30 p.m. in the Embassy Suites Portland Airport in the Oak Room, 7900 N.E. 82nd Ave. The public is invited to attend, but there will not be a public comment period at the joint meeting.

The Columbia River Fish Working Group was created by the two state commissions to develop policy recommendations on joint issues, starting with allocation policies for spring and summer chinook salmon. Three commissioners from each state serve as voting members, joined by top fishery managers and citizen advisors representing sport and commercial fisheries, as well as local communities, in Washington and Oregon.

The Oregon commission is scheduled to consider adoption of the group's recommendations on chinook salmon Dec. 12, a day after they are presented at the joint meeting.

In addition to possible action on a chinook-allocation policy, the Washington commission will consider proposals at its Dec. 12-13 meeting that would:

Extend the current sturgeon-management policy on the lower Columbia River through 2009.
Update facility requirements for oiled-bird rehabilitation activities.
Allow the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife two acquire two properties for wildlife conservation in Okanogan County and a right-of-way for bridge improvements in Yakima County.

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

SW Washignton Fishing Report

2008-11-26T17:14:00.001-08:00

Fishing: As Thanksgiving drew near, winter steelhead continued to move into tributaries to the lower Columbia, setting the stage for the unofficial start of the season. Meanwhile, anglers are still catching legal-size sturgeon below Bonneville Dam, although strong winds have made boat fishing in the gorge an on-again, off-again proposition.

Although the lower Cowlitz River has been running muddy, early birds were catching some bright hatchery steelhead and sea-run cutthroat below the trout hatchery. They also picked up a few hatchery coho , although that run is fading fast, said Joe Hymer, a WDFW fish biologist.

"The Cowlitz seems to be getting the most attention right now, but fishing for hatchery steelhead should start picking up soon in a number of tributaries to the lower Columbia," Hymer said. Good bets include the Kalama, Lewis, Washougal, Elochoman and Grays rivers, along with Salmon Creek in Clark County, he said.

Blue and Mill creeks, both tributaries to the Cowlitz, are scheduled to open for hatchery steelhead Dec. 1. Blue Creek also opens for hatchery sea-run cutthroat that day. Nov. 30 is the last day of the extended night closure/non buoyant lure restriction on the Cowlitz from Mill Creek upstream to the barrier dam.

Meanwhile, the Toutle River - including the mainstem, North Fork and Green River - will close to fishing for salmon and hatchery steelhead at the end of the day Nov. 30. It is also the last day of the extended trout season at Swift Reservoir.

Specific regulations for all those waters are described in the Fishing in Washington rule pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm . As always, anglers are required to release any steelhead without a clipped adipose fin.

During the third week of November, 186 winter steelhead found their way to the salmon hatchery on the Cowlitz River. During that week, Tacoma Power employees transported 1,122 coho adults, 106 jacks and two winter-run steelhead to Lake Scanewa above Cowlitz Falls Dam on the upper Cowlitz River. They also hauled 374 coho adults 47 jacks, 30 fall chinook adults and 18 cutthroat to the Tilton River at Gust Backstom Park in Morton plus more than 500 coho to the upper Cowlitz at Skate Creek and to the Cispus River above the mouth of Yellow Jacket Creek.

Like last year, WDFW plans to start planting surplus early run steelhead in Swofford Pond and Kress Lake in the weeks ahead, Hymer said.

The sturgeon fishery on the mainstem Columbia River is beginning to wind down, although bank anglers fishing below Bonneville Dam kept one legal-size fish for every 13 rods during the third week of November. Bank anglers also caught a few legal-size sturgeon in the Longview area, and in the lower Cowlitz River. "Sturgeon seem to actually like muddy water," Hymer said.

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

CR Springers 2009.... a preview of things to come

2008-11-22T14:50:00.001-08:00

#469177 - 11-20-2008 09:50 PM

Wednesday, November 19 | 3:54 p.m.
BY ALLEN THOMAS
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER
This much is clear: Both sport and commercial fishermen are unhappy with a proposed spring chinook catch-sharing recommendation for the lower Columbia River.

On Monday, the Columbia River Fish Working Group agreed on an approximately five-year scenario for dividing the harvest between the groups.

"We knew we weren't going to please,'' said Jerry Gutzwiler of Wenatchee, chairman of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission and a working group member. "We've got a finite resource and a big appetite for it.''

The working group included three commission members from each state. The six have been meeting monthly since September to develop a recommendation to their full commissions.

Arguably, their proposal is a small victory for sport-fishing interests, one that chips away at the commercial share under most circumstances.

The working group agreed on these four principles, in this order:

• The highest priority is a 45-day sport fishery in March and April.

• Next priority is protecting the off-channel commercial fishery in places like Youngs Bay and Blind Slough in Oregon and Deep River in Washington. Only a small number of endangered wild spring chinook stray into and are caught these spots.

• Allowing at least a little gillnetting in March or April in the lower Columbia is desirable if the run is large enough.

• The split among sports fishing is 75 percent downstream of Bonneville Dam and 25 percent upstream.

The four principles also are paired with an allocation matrix which factors in the strength of the upper Columbia and Willamette spring chinook runs when determining percentages. The sport share can range from 55 percent to 75 percent, depending on the forecasts for the two watersheds.

The base allocation is 65 percent sport-35 percent commercial. Sport allocation in 2007 was targeted to be 57 percent, and 61 percent in 2008.

Complicating the agreement is a 35 percent buffer early in the season.

State, federal and tribal biologists predict the spring chinook run each December, but the forecast is often off as much as 20 percent to 60 percent, with 35 percent the average, said Steve Williams of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The sport and commercial combined fisheries would be permitted harvest to no more 65 percent of the projected allowable catch, leaving the buffer until the spring chinook run can be updated by Bonneville Dam counts in late April or early May.

The buffer is to prevent exceeding federal Endangered Species Act limits on wild chinook harvest and catch-sharing agreements with the Columbia River treaty tribes.

But many details of the plan remain to be determined.

For example, the 45 days of sport fishing might be all of March and the first 14 days of April, or could be all of March plus Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in April, said Guy Norman, regional director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

How the remaining fish are shared after the late April-early May update also could vary.

Jack Glass, a Troutdale, Ore., fishing guide, said the proposal is similar enough to the status quo that it will be a difficult sell to sportsmen.

The shift in allocation is somewhat negated by the larger buffer, likely resulting in continued mid-April sport closures.

But the reaction of commercial fishermen is much stronger.

Robert Sudar of Longview, a fish marketer, called the proposal "a total sellout of our industry. I'm disappointed, but not surprised. It's a pitiful distribution of the resource.''

Jim Wells, president of Salmon For All, a commercial fishing group, said the netters catch in the lower Columbia, excluding the off-channel areas, could be as low as 3,000 spring chinook.

"We just don't see the fairness of this,'' Wells said. "People in the lower river are not amused.''

In nine years, the commercial share has gone from 50 percent to 35 percent or less, Wells added.

Commercial fisherman Brian Tarabochia said the recommendation is yet another example of the metropolitan area taking jobs away from rural areas.

The full Washington and Oregon commissions will meet Dec. 11 in Portland to receive the working group's recommendations and accept public comment. The Washington commission is scheduled to adopt a spring chinook allocation policy on Dec. 13 when the panel meets in Olympia.

Dan Edge, an Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission member from Corvallis, said he sees this proposal as about a five-year plan. In that time, the off-channel areas will be boosted with enough spring chinook to yield a 12,000 commercial catch.

Once that occurs, the plan would be to shift more of the main lower Columbia catch to the sport fleet, Edge added.

Spring chinook allocations are among the most bitter contentious issues in Northwest fish management. The fish will earn the commercials $10 a pound early in the season and fuel a huge sport fishery with accompanying tackle, bait and boat sales, plus guided trips.

Gutzwiler said this is the third time in four years the commissions have had to wrestle with Columbia spring chinook allocation. Every time, there are new twists and challenges, he added.

"This is where we are today and we're going to move forward,'' Gutzwiler said.

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

WDFW seeking nominations for candidates fishery committee

2008-11-18T21:59:00.001-08:00

Fishery managers in Washington and Oregon are seeking nominations for candidates to advisory committees that focus on sport and commercial fishing issues on the Columbia River. Nominations are due Monday, Dec. 15, 2008.

Members of the Columbia River Recreational Fishing Advisory Group and the Columbia River Commercial Fishing Advisory Group meet three to four times per year to discuss issues affecting salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and smelt fisheries.

The two groups advise fishery managers on such issues as structuring sustainable fishing opportunities, developing fishery management plans, minimizing sport/commercial gear conflicts and implementing annual marketing plans. Members are expected to provide input through the North of Falcon process for setting salmon-fishing seasons, Columbia River Compact commercial fishing hearings and joint state sportfishing hearings.

The committee members will be chosen by Oregon and Washington's fish and wildlife directors to represent recreational or commercial fishing interests in both states. The final membership will reflect all sectors of the two industries, including sport and commercial fishers, charters/guides, processors, equipment suppliers, retailers, ports and affected communities.

Any group or individual may submit a nomination. Nominations should include the following information: A resume with contact information and a statement that describes the nominee's fishing experience, interest in serving on the committee and ability to communicate with regional constituents. Persons nominating someone other than themselves also should include their own contact information.

All nominations can be submitted to WDFW by mail at 2108 Grand Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98661, by FAX at (360) 906-6776, or by email to TeamVancouver@dfw.wa.gov . Nominations must be received no later than December 15, 2008.

2nd Sportfishing Meeting

2008-11-17T16:21:00.001-08:00

An additional public workshop has been scheduled Dec. 9 to discuss how annual seasons are set for recreational salmon fisheries, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.

The workshop, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lacey Community Center, 6729 Pacific Ave., is a continuation of an earlier meeting that took place in October, said Pat Pattillo, salmon policy coordinator for WDFW. During the October meeting, WDFW staff discussed legal, technical and policy issues regarding the annual salmon season-setting process, known as North of Falcon.

"We're going to continue our discussion from the earlier meeting and talk about several other issues, including potential 2009 salmon fisheries and plans for expanding selective fisheries," said Pattillo.

Selective fisheries allow anglers to catch and keep abundant hatchery salmon - marked with a missing adipose fin - but require that they release wild salmon, many of which are listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Pattillo said WDFW is considering a third public workshop in February. That workshop would allow for a continued discussion of the salmon season-setting process and give department staff an opportunity to elaborate on potential 2009 salmon fisheries, he said.

Each year state, federal and tribal fishery managers gather to plan the Northwest's recreational and commercial salmon fisheries. This series of public meetings, usually scheduled from late February through early April, involves federal, state and tribal fisheries managers, as well as industry representatives and other citizens.

Fishery managers generally refer to the entire set of pre-season meetings as North of Falcon. The name refers to Cape Falcon in northern Oregon, which marks the southern border of active management for Washington salmon stocks.

More information about the North of Falcon process is available on WDFW's North of Falcon website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/northfalcon/index.htm .

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

SW Washington Fishing Report

2008-11-13T10:12:00.001-08:00

Winter-run steelhead are moving into Columbia River tributaries where anglers are still catching hatchery coho , but fishing success for both species depends a great deal on the weather. Rainstorms, followed by clear skies, have made stream conditions highly variable in recent days.

"The Kalama River has been running high and dirty, but fishing conditions could improve there and elsewhere if the rain lets up," said Joe Hymer, WDFW fish biologist. "Especially at this time of year, it really pays to check river conditions before you head out."

Thanksgiving traditionally marks the start of the fishery for winter-run hatchery steelhead , although the season is already under way on several tributaries to the lower Columbia River. On the Grays River, fishing for hatchery steelhead opens from the mouth to the Highway 4 Bridge on Nov. 15.

But the best bets for hooking up with hatchery steelhead or coho salmon right now are the Lewis and Cowlitz rivers, where dams help to moderate stream flows, Hymer said. On the Lewis River, anglers have been averaging about one hatchery coho for every two rods, although about half of those fish were released because they had turned dark. Some bright winter steelhead have also been showing up in the catch. Bank anglers had the best luck fishing near the salmon hatchery.

Bank and boat anglers are also catching hatchery steelhead - some weighing in the teens - downstream from the trout hatchery on the Cowlitz River. They are also still catching some hatchery coho, although that run is clearly winding down. As of Nov. 5, more than 47,000 adult coho had returned to the hatchery, already one of the top 10 returns to that facility on record. In addition, nearly 10,300 coho jacks were counted by that date, the second-highest return since 1990.

Sea-run hatchery cutthroat are also keeping anglers busy fishing below the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery. More than 4,700 cutthroat had returned to the salmon and trout hatcheries through Nov. 5, and more are still on the way.

The fishery below the trout hatchery is ideal for anglers who permanently use a wheelchair, because Tacoma Power built a fishing site specially for them at the hatchery outfall. The daily trout limit is five fish per day, with a minimum length of 12 inches. Most returning fish average 14 inches, Hymer said.

Anglers are still reeling in some legal-size sturgeon from the Wauna power lines upstream to Bonneville Dam, but the fishery - like the water temperature - is starting to cool down. Hymer suspects the action will shift to the area around the Willamette River, where higher water temperatures are more inviting to chilled sturgeon.

In October, anglers made 16,000 fishing trips to catch Columbia River white sturgeon and took home 3,000 legal-size fish, Hymer said.

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

Fish Advisory Group will meet to consider recommending Columbia catch-sharing plan

2008-11-06T16:24:00.001-08:00

OLYMPIA - A bi-state fisheries advisory group will meet Monday, Nov. 17 in Vancouver, Wash., to develop a recommendation on a catch-sharing plan for sport and commercial fisheries on the lower Columbia River.

Created by fish and wildlife commissions in Washington and Oregon, the Columbia River Fish Working Group will meet from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's Region 5 Office, 2108 S.E. Grand Blvd.

The meeting is open to the public, although no public testimony will be taken during the group's deliberations.

The group's first charge is to recommend a new plan for apportioning harvest opportunities for spring and summer chinook salmon between sport and commercial fisheries in the lower Columbia River.

The fish and wildlife commissions for Washington and Oregon will consider the group's recommendation at a joint meeting Dec. 11 in Portland. Each commission will take action on a joint catch-sharing plan at subsequent meetings.

Three fish and wildlife commissioners from each state serve as voting members of the advisory group. Non-voting members include two fishery managers from each state and a total of 10 citizen representatives from communities on both sides of the Columbia River.

More information on the Columbia River Fish Working Group is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regions/reg5/stakeholder/index.htm .

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

SW Washington Fishing report

2008-11-03T21:20:00.001-08:00

Salmon/Steelhead

Cowlitz River - Lots of Sea-run cutthroats are being caught around the trout hatchery while hatchery coho make up most of the catch on the lower river. Through October 29, almost 41,000 hatchery adult coho and over 2,000 hatchery sea-run cutthroats have returned to the hatcheries.

Kalama River - Hatchery coho and some steelhead are being caught with good catches at times. Overall, bank anglers averaged ½ coho per rod when including fish released.

Lewis River - North Fork has slowed in recent days although some coho are still being caught. Most effort and catch is at the salmon hatchery.

Drano Lake and White Salmon River - Light effort and catches at both locations.

Klickitat River - Some coho are being caught in the lower river but slow overall.

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers in the Camas/Washougal area averaged a coho kept/released per 2.4 rods. Effort and catches were light in the rest of the river.

Flight counts have concluded for the year and will resume in February. In addition, creel census will focus on sturgeon until next spring.

Bonneville Pool - Mouth of the Klickitat has slowed in recent days although boat anglers still averaged better than a coho per every 3 rods. Fish are showing more color with half of the fish caught being bright.

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

SW Washington Cowlitz River

2008-10-29T19:36:00.001-07:00

Hatchery coho salmon are providing most of the action on the lower Columbia River, although bank anglers fishing for sturgeon immediately below Bonneville Dam also continue to find fish.

The best bet for hatchery coho has been the Cowlitz River, where anglers have been reeling in lots of bright fish weighing up to 20 pounds, said Joe Hymer, WDFW fish biologist. Recent survey crews have counted up to 300 anglers fishing just below the barrier dam, which remains the hotspot on the river.

"Sometimes coho arrive with lockjaw, but these fish are biting on everything from lures to nightcrawlers," Hymer said. "Local tackle shops report selling loads of nightcrawlers."

The daily limit on most of the Cowlitz River is six adult salmon, only one of which may be a chinook (clipped or unclipped). However, all adult chinook must be released from Blue Creek to Mill Creek and unmarked jacks must be released throughout the river. The night closure rule and non-buoyant lure restriction from Mill Creek to the barrier dam has been extended through November.

SW Washington Fishing Report

2008-10-28T21:34:00.001-07:00

Salmon/Steelhead

Cowlitz River - This year's adult coho return to the salmon hatchery may become a new record. Through October 22, over 27,000 fish had already returned. Large fish up to 20 lbs. Large fishery effort: up to 300 bank anglers at the barrier dam. Even catching fish on night crawlers. Emergency reg will extend non-buoyant lure/night closure from Mill Creek upstream to the barrier dam for a month - at request of WDFW enforcement.

Kalama River - About 1 in 3 bank anglers had caught an adult coho. About half the fish were kept.

Lewis River - Bank anglers averaged almost ½ coho per rod when including fish released. A little over half the fish were kept. About a quarter of the fish kept were jacks.

Wind River - No report on angling success. Friday October 31 is the last day to fish for salmon.

Drano Lake - Light effort but some chinook and coho are being caught. Re-opens to fishing 7 days/week in November.

Klickitat River - No report on angling success. Per permanent rules, all chinook must be released from the Fisher Hill Bridge (about 3 miles above the mouth) upstream beginning November 1.

Yakima River - The Yakima fall salmon sport fishery came to a close on October 22. An estimated 502 adult fall chinook, 64 chinook jacks, 35 adult coho, and 47 coho jacks were harvested during this fishery. Total effort for the fishery was almost 10,000 angler hours. No steelhead were reported in the catch.

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - About a coho per boat in the Camas/Washougal area when including fish released. 38 of the 84 boats were found in that area during the Saturday October 25 flight. Bank angling effort was very light with just 9 WA and 10 OR bank anglers counted during the flight.

Beacon Rock upstream to Bonneville Dam closes to fishing for salmon November 1.

Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers averaged about ½ adult coho per rod. Most of the effort is off the mouth of the Klickitat where 65 boats were observed early Sunday morning (October 26). Trolling Wiggle Warts early then prawn/spinner combos later produced the bulk of the catch. About 90% of the fish were bright, late stock coho.

Ringold - The steelhead sport fishery from the Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco/Kennewick upstream to the wooden power line towers at the former Hanford town site opened Oct 1 (Ringold area fishery). This fishery is open for retention of Ringold Hatchery origin steelhead only as identified by an adipose and right ventral fin (ADRV) clip. All adipose clipped only and wild steelhead must be released.

A total of 314 steelhead were caught between Oct 20 and 26. They consisted of 112 Ringold origin steelhead (ADRV), 187 adipose only clipped steelhead, and 15 unclipped steelhead. WDFW staff sampled 28% of the angler effort this past week. Similar to weeks prior, a large percentage of the catch was adipose only clipped steelhead. Retention of adipose only steelhead will be permitted on November 1.

Bank anglers averaged one steelhead for each 7 hours of fishing. Boat harvest was slightly slower at 10 hours per steelhead.

Hanford Reach - The Hanford Reach fall chinook fishery came to a close on October 22. An estimated 6,861 boat trips were made to the Reach in 2008. A total of 6,986 chinook (5,630 adult 1,356 jacks) and 16 coho were harvested this season. Adult chinook harvest was roughly 11% higher overall in 2008 compared to 2007.

A new regulation was adopted in 2008 closing the Columbia River upstream of the Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco/Kennewick to Priest Rapids Dam on October 22.

SW Washington Fishing Report

2008-10-15T16:11:00.001-07:00

One in 3.6 boat anglers fishing the Columbia River Gorge upriver from Camas have been taking home legal-size sturgeon in recent days. Then again, hatchery coho salmon have also been drawing a lot of attention as their numbers mount above and below Bonneville Dam.

"This is prime time for sturgeon fishing below the dam," said Joe Hymer, WDFW fish biologist. "Sturgeon really tie on the feedbag at this time of year, as the water cools and they prepare for their dormant phase. People are catching some nice, legal-size fish."

Although boat anglers still have the edge, bank anglers fishing just below Bonneville Dam averaged a legal-size sturgeon for every 11 rods in a creel survey conducted in mid-October. Squid, sand shrimp, smelt, anchovies and night crawlers all work well as bait, Hymer said.

Meanwhile, coho salmon are moving into Columbia Basin tributaries in far greater numbers than expected. Fishery managers recently raised their annual run projection for late-run coho to 200,000 fish - a big increase from the 68,000-fish pre-season estimate. Counts at Bonneville Dam have increased steadily in recent weeks, now ranging between 2,000 and 4,000 a day.

Some of the best fishing has been on the lower and upper Cowlitz River, where the limit is six hatchery adults per day. Anglers have been doing well on the lower river at the barrier dam, Blue Creek and all the way down to the mouth of the river. The Kalama and Lewis rivers, where the catch limit is four hatchery adult coho per day, have also been thick with fish. The limit is also four adults per day on the Elochoman River below the Highway 4 Bridge, and two fish per day on the Washougal and Klickitat rivers - all good bets for hatchery coho.

But getting hatchery coho to bite can be tricky, Hymer said. "If you're on the water at the right time, it's possible to get your limit," he said. "But other times, especially after a heavy rain, they'll just barrel up the river without paying any attention to what gear you throw at them." Hymer reminds anglers that all wild coho with an intact adipose caught downstream from the Hood River Bridge must be released.

In the mainstem Columbia River, most fishing for hatchery coho below Bonneville Dam has been concentrated around Lady Island in the Camas/Washougal area. Above Bonneville, the mouth of the Klickitat River remains a popular spot, drawing 42 boats on a recent Sunday morning. Anglers have been averaging about one coho per boat, catching chrome-bright fish weighing up to 20 pounds. Any coho, adipose clipped or not, may be retained in the Klickitat and at its mouth since the area is above the Hood River Bridge. Oct. 15 is the last day for night closures and restrictions on non-buoyant lures in the Bonneville Pool. Drano Lake remains closed to fishing on Wednesdays during October.

If the coho aren't biting, Hymer suggests that anglers fishing the Cowlitz River consider shifting gears. "There's a dark black cloud of sea-run cutthroat pooling right below the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery right now," he said. "Those fish average about 14 inches long, and can really brighten up an afternoon, readily taking flies, lures, or bait." Anglers are required to release any wild, unmarked cutts they catch, but the vast majority of those below the trout hatchery are marked with a clipped adipose fin, Hymer said. "It may be the only hatchery run of cutthroat in the state," he said, noting that the trout limit is five fish per day with a minimum length of 12 inches.

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

Advisory Group will hold meeting

2008-10-08T18:07:00.001-07:00

OLYMPIA - A new bi-state fisheries advisory group will hold a public meeting Oct. 15 in Portland, Ore., to develop recommendations on a catch-sharing plan for sport and commercial fisheries on the lower Columbia River.

Created by fish and wildlife commissions in Washington and Oregon, the group will meet from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the conference room of the Oregon Institute of Technology, 7726 S.E. Harmony Rd.

The Columbia River Fish Working Group's first charge is to recommend a new plan for apportioning harvest opportunities for spring and summer chinook salmon between sport and commercial fisheries in the lower Columbia River.

The group met for the first time in mid-September, and will continue to consider various options for allocating the salmon harvest at its upcoming meeting in Portland. Its recommendations are due in mid-November, prior to a vote on a catch-sharing agreement by the full commissions of both states in December.

Once the advisory group has made its recommendations on an allocation plan, it will be directed to consider a broader range of Columbia River issues, including salmon recovery, selective fisheries and hatchery reform.

Fwd: J and L Hooksetter Newsletter-October

2008-10-08T14:14:00.001-07:00

Silvers are in the Cehalis River Now!!!

With the smell of Fall in the air and October just around the corner, its time to start pursuing Coho Salmon and several rivers.. J and L Guided Sportfishing is gearing up for Fall fishing on the Chehalis, Cowlitz, and Lewis rivers. With both summer steelhead and the Buoy 10 season over we are looking forward to being on the waters of Southwest Washington. Fall fishing for Coho is one of the best times for an angler in Washington.

The Chehalis river opens on October 1str and is the best bet for Fall Coho. Using light spinning rods and jigs we hook 15 to 25 fish a day in the calm tidal water of the river just outside on Elma, WA. October 1st thru the 15th an angler may catch 2 adult coho with only one being wild. Then on the 16th, all wild coho must be realeased. All Chinook salmon incidently caught will be released. Chehalis river coho are Big! Averaging 12 pounds with some as large as 18. Looking for lots of fight on light tackle Then this is your fishery. Call me today. Stop wishin and lets go fishin!!!

The Lewis river is aso a great bet specially if the weather "blows" out the Chehalis. Coho in this river are availble thru mid November and run 8 to 12 pounds. Hover fishing bait and small spinners is the way to go. The Cowlitz also is a good bet just above the mouth of the Toutle better known as "the lake". Trolling wiggle warts is the ticket on this section of the river. Fish can also be caught up at Blue Creek and Barrier Dam. Summer run steelhead are also available in the Cowlitz.

Additional information can be obtained online at http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com/ or by phone at 206-920-2428

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

Commission hears comments on mineral prospecting, briefed on 2009-10 sportfishing rule proposals

2008-10-06T17:20:00.001-07:00

OLYMPIA - The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission held a public hearing on proposed rule changes for gold panning and mineral prospecting activities and received a briefing on rule proposals for the 2009-10 sportfishing season during a public meeting here Oct. 3-4.

People interested in prospecting packed the meeting room, where the commission reviewed new amendments to state regulations for gold panning and mineral prospecting, activities that can potentially affect fish habitat.

During the meeting, several people asked the commission to adjust work windows to allow for better prospecting opportunities, while others called for an increase in restrictions in some areas to provide more protection for fish and fish habitat.

The new amendments were developed with input from a 17-member workgroup and written comments received from the public.

The commission, which sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), is scheduled to take action on final adoption of the rule changes during its Nov. 7-8 meeting in Olympia. Following the rule adoption, WDFW will publish a new Gold and Fish pamphlet for use beginning in 2009.

The proposed rules, along with information on how they were developed, are available on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/goldfish/mineral_prospect.htm .

In other business, the commission was briefed on rule proposals for the 2009-10 sportfishing season. WDFW is currently accepting public comment on the rule proposals, which affect various freshwater and saltwater fisheries around Washington.

Sportfishing rules currently under consideration include:

Replacing the non-buoyant lure restriction with a new anti-snagging rule (only one single-point hook, fish must be hooked in the mouth; applies to all species except it only applies to salmon and steelhead in a portion of the mainstem Columbia River);
Changing the annual opening day of fishing on some streams from June 1 to the first Saturday in June;
Creating a new Marine Protected Area in a portion of Saltwater State Park.
Changing the daily limit of salmon and steelhead in the mainstem Columbia River to two salmon or two steelhead or one of each;
Prohibiting the use or possession of live aquatic animals for bait in freshwater;

More details on those and other proposed rules are available on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/rule_proposals/ . People who would like to comment on the proposed rules can submit written comments by mail to WDFW Rules Coordinator Lori Preuss at preuslmp@dfw.wa.gov or 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA, 98501.

Comments mailed to WDFW must be received by Nov. 8.

The public also will have an opportunity to provide testimony, as well as written comments, on the proposed sportfishing rule changes during the commission's Nov. 7-8 meeting in Olympia.

During the October meeting, the commission also was briefed on:

Discussions under way with landowners, stakeholders and other interested parties regarding the proposed boundary adjustment for the Johnson/Debay Slough Game Reserve.
The history and development of WDFW's wildlife reserve system.
Proposed land exchange between WDFW and Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
WDFW's review and input on an upcoming public survey conducted by Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

For information about future commission meetings, visit WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/com/meetings.htm .

FW: 3 days until the e-Rally with T. Boone!

2008-10-04T20:32:00.001-07:00

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Friends:

Tuesday night after the next Presidential debate, we are going to host the largest e-Rally ever for energy independence!

On October 7 at 10 pm EDT, just before the Presidential debate ends, log on to PickensPlan.com to rally and show the politicians that we mean business!

We have their attention - but what you do right now matters more than ever. Click here to RSVP now to attend the Pickens Plan e-Rally on Tuesday night. You can also click here to leave a comment asking the two candidates to support the Pickens Plan.

During the debate the candidates will have their say. Now it's time for you to have your say. We will deliver your comments and the comments of everyone who attends the e-Rally to both Presidential candidates within 48 hours of the end of the Presidential debate.

Also, we need you to do one more thing - find one friend and ask them to attend the e-Rally with you. How big can we grow this e-Rally? How many Americans will join our New Energy Army and join this e-Rally for energy independence? Only you can answer that question!

We have tremendous momentum, over 13,000 strong joined our post debate chat for energy independence after the last Presidential debate. You won't want to miss this event! RSVP right now and forward this email on to a friend today!

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Razor clam season scheduled to open Oct. 16 at most ocean beaches

2008-10-01T17:45:00.001-07:00

OLYMPIA - The first razor-clam dig of the fall season will get under way Oct. 16 if marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today. Additional digging opportunities are planned through mid-December.

Three evening digs are tentatively scheduled at Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks Oct. 16-18, while Long Beach is scheduled for two evening digs Oct. 17 and 18. Digging will be restricted to the hours between noon and midnight.

Because the low tides for digging occur later in the evening, people should take lights or lanterns with them, said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for WDFW. He also recommended checking weather and surf forecasts before heading out.

Harvesters are allowed to take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 they dig, regardless of size or condition. Each digger's clams must be kept in a separate container.

A license is required for anyone age 15 or older. Any 2008 annual shellfish/seaweed license or combination fishing license is still valid. Another option is a razor-clam only license available in annual or three-day only versions. Descriptions of the various licensing options are available on the WDFW website at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov. Clam diggers are not required to display their licenses on outer clothing.

Ayres said that more harvest dates would be announced following the December opener.

Tentative opening dates and evening low tides in October are:

Thursday, Oct. 16 (8:30 p.m. -1.5) Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Friday, Oct. 17 (9:17 p.m. -1.5) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Saturday, Oct. 18 (10:08 p.m. -1.2) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks

In addition, WDFW has tentatively scheduled two other digs through December:

Thursday, Nov. 13 (6:27 p.m. -1.6) Copalis, Mocrocks
Friday, Nov. 14 (7:15 p.m. -1.8) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Saturday, Nov. 15 (8:04 p.m. -1.6) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Sunday, Nov. 16 (8:54 p.m. -1.2) Long Beach, Twin Harbors Copalis, Mocrocks
Thursday, Dec. 11 (5:23 p.m. -1.1) Copalis, Mocrocks
Friday, Dec. 12 (6:13 p.m. -1.5) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Saturday, Dec. 13 (7:02 p.m. -1.6) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Sunday, Dec. 14 (7:50 p.m. -1.4) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks

Beaches scheduled to open are:

Long Beach, which extends from the Columbia River to Leadbetter Point.
Twin Harbors Beach, which extends from the mouth of Willapa Bay north to the south jetty at the mouth of Grays Harbor.
Copalis Beach, which extends from the Grays Harbor north jetty to the Copalis River, and includes the Copalis, Ocean Shores, Oyhut, Ocean City and Copalis areas.
Mocrocks Beach, which extends from the Copalis River to the southern boundary of the Quinault Reservation near the Moclips River, including Iron Springs, Roosevelt Beach, Pacific Beach and Moclips.

Fall Fishing is underway!

2008-10-01T17:18:00.001-07:00

Fishing: The signs of fall are everywhere in the Columbia River Basin, and they aren't confined to falling leaves and chilly mornings. As experienced anglers know, this is the time of year when:

Catch rates for sturgeon start to eclipse those for salmon on the lower Columbia River.
Chrome-bright late coho start to take the place of early runs in the mainstem Columbia and its tributaries.
All or part of several key tributaries are closed to retention of chinook salmon to avoid interfering with spawning fish.

"This is truly a time of transition for area fisheries," said Joe Hymer, a WDFW fish biologist. "The summer season is morphing into fall, with a whole new set of fishing opportunities."

Salmon fishing in the mainstem Columbia River has also been holding up well between the lower end of Bachelor Island near the mouth of the Lewis River upriver to Bonneville Dam. In that area, boat anglers have been averaging one adult chinook for every six rods. Anglers there may retain up to two adult chinook salmon as part of their daily limit.

Anglers fishing the mouths of the Cowlitz and Toutle rivers have been picking up good numbers of hatchery coho, and those fishing the Cowlitz near the trout hatchery have been catching some nice sea-run cutthroat as well. Bank anglers fishing the North Fork Toutle have been averaging an adult hatchery coho for every two rods. The Lewis River has also been productive for hatchery coho, as has the Kalama River. Anglers must release all chinook salmon caught on the Lewis River and all adult chinook on the Kalama. The same is true for unmarked coho, which must be released in all fisheries downriver from the Hood River bridge.

Tacoma Power released 775 coho salmon and 96 jacks into the upper Cowlitz River at the Skate Creek Bridge over the Cowlitz River in Packwood, along with 287 adult coho and 23 jacks into the Cispus River during the week ending Sept. 28. In addition, 257 adult chinook and 138 jacks were released at the Ike Kinswa State Park boat launch at Mayfield Lake.

Trout anglers might want to try the Swift Reservoir on the Lewis River at this time of year, Hymer said. "The lake was planted late and the water temperature is cooling," he said. "This should be a good time to hit it."

Fishing for hatchery coho should pick up in the weeks ahead as more late-run fish move in from the ocean, Hymer said. "Late-run coho are showing up at the mouths of several tributaries to the Columbia River," Hymer said. "Once we get some rain, those fish will start moving and wind up in creels throughout those rivers." The Cowlitz and Lewis rivers are good prospects for late-run hatchery coho, he said. In addition, early run fish should be on the move in the Grays and Elochoman rivers after the next rain.

Above Bonneville Dam, boat anglers have been catching some chinook salmon, with most of the effort concentrated around the mouth of the Klickitat River. The Klickitat, both inside and outside the mouth, should remain good for chinook salmon as well as coho salmon in the weeks to come, Hymer said.

Plenty of salmon anglers have been fishing Grays Harbor (Marine Area 2.2) and the lower Chehalis River since the Sept. 16 opener, but the catch has been low, said Scott Barbour, WDFW fish biologist. "So far there have been one or two good days on the lower Chehalis, which is typical for this time of year," Barbour said. "Hopefully we'll get some rain to bring in more fish and move them upriver." While some adult coho are showing up, most of the fish have been jacks, he said.

Fishing on the upper Chehalis River is now under way, Barbour said. "Through Oct. 15, anglers may retain one wild coho as part of their six-fish daily limit, but all chinook and chum must be released," he said. Starting Oct. 16 only hatchery coho may be retained on the river.

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

SW Washington Fishing Report

2008-09-29T15:44:00.001-07:00

Salmon/Steelhead

Toutle River - Bank anglers are doing best in the North Fork Toutle, averaging about ½ adult coho per rod.

Cowlitz River - Hatchery coho are being caught around the mouth of the Toutle while sea-run cutthroats are being caught at the trout hatchery. In the upper Cowlitz, anglers are catching coho in Packwood while effort and catch was low in the Cispus.

Last week, Tacoma Power recovered 267 fall Chinook adults, 145 jacks, 2,871 coho salmon adults, 559 jacks, one spring Chinook adult, one mini-jack and two cutthroat trout during six days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator.

During the week Tacoma Power employees released 775 coho salmon, 96 jacks and one spring Chinook adult into the upper Cowlitz River at the Skate Creek Bridge over the Cowlitz River in Packwood, Washington and 287 coho adults and 23 jacks into the Cispus River. A total of 257 fall Chinook adults, 138 jacks, and 15 coho salmon were released at the Ike Kinswa State Park boat launch in Mayfield Lake.

River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 6,880 cubic feet per second on Monday morning, September 29.

Kalama River - Some hatchery coho are being caught. Adult chinook must be released.

Lewis River - Lots of effort around the salmon hatchery last weekend with bank anglers catching some hatchery coho, mainly adults but also some jacks.

Klickitat River - Bank anglers are catching chinook and some coho.

Lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam - Last week we sampled 129 anglers (including 54 boats) with 20 adult and 5 jack chinook and 11 adult and 14 jack coho. Overall, boat anglers averaged an adult chinook per every 6 rods based on completed trips. Boat anglers at the mouth of the Cowlitz are mainly catching adult coho while those in the Longview area are catching coho jacks.

No catch was observed from the bank and effort is low with just 24 WA anglers counted during the Saturday September 27 flight. However, nearly 300 boats were counted with the majority found upstream from the mouth of the Lewis except for a pod of 27 boats at the mouth of the Cowlitz.

Bonneville Pool - Boat anglers are catching adult chinook. Most of the effort has been off the mouth of the Klickitat with 30 boats counted there yesterday (Sunday September 28).

Hanford Reach - Anglers averaged 1 Chinook for every 18 hours of fishing, or one per every 0.8 boats. Best success came from the Vernita area were effort was highest.

An estimated 980 adult and 227 jack fall chinook were harvested this past week from an estimated 1,407 angler trips. A total of 2,841 chinook (2,121 adult 720 jacks) and 9 coho have been harvested this season. Harvest is 20% higher in 2008 than 2007.

Summer steelhead may be retained up to the Old Hanford Town Site (Wooden Power Lines) starting October 1. Fish must be adipose and right ventral fin clipped to be kept.

Sturgeon

Lower Columbia from the Wauna power lines upstream - Effort and catches are increasing. Boat anglers from Longview upstream averaged a legal kept per every 4.6 rods while bank anglers just below Bonneville averaged one per every 8.6 rods based on mainly completed and incomplete trips. Boat catches were spread throughout the river.

During the Saturday September 27 flight, nearly 150 boats and 258 WA and 219 OR bank anglers were counted. Heaviest effort was in the gorge but scattered all the way downstream to the Wauna power lines.

Chehalis River Salmon Opens Oct 1st-Next week

2008-09-28T14:52:00.001-07:00

After a short spurt of colorful recreational angling at the mouth last week, the Chehalis River opens for widespread salmon fishing next week.

The Chehalis, from the mouth at Grays Harbor to the Weyerhaeuser High Bridge above Pe Ell, opens on Oct. 1.

For the first 15 days, anglers may retain up to two adults, one of which may be a wild coho. Adult chinook and chum must be released. From Oct. 16 through Jan. 31 the mainstem remains open for hatchery coho, but wild coho, all chinook and all chum must be released.

The Skookumchuck and Newaukum will open for salmon angling on Oct. 16. As in the mainstem, only hatchery coho may be retained; adult chinook, wild coho, and any chum must be released.

As the Chehalis system opens, the Willapa season moves above the Highway 6 bridge and permits retention of up to two adult chinook and one wild coho in the three-adult limit.

Meanwhile, waters closing to retention of adult chinook on Oct. 1 include the Elochoman upstream from Highway 4, North Fork Toutle above the Kidd Valley Road Bridge, the Green River, the Cowlitz from Blue Creek to Mill Creek, and the Kalama from the gas pipeline crossing upstream.

Also closing for kings on Oct. 1 is the Washougal from the Little Washougal upstream and the White Salmon River above the posted markers above the Highway 14 bridge.

River anglers on the Cowlitz are catching some steelhead and hatchery coho, especially near the mouth of the Toutle, where the bag average was around two to three fish per rod this week.

On the Lewis, which is closed to the retention of chinook, anglers have been catching a mixed bag, keeping only coho.

Adult chinook must be released

2008-09-26T16:00:00.001-07:00

Action: Kalama River anglers must release adult Chinook salmon.

Species affected: Chinook salmon.

Effective dates: Sept. 27 through Dec. 31, 2008

Location: From boundary markers at the mouth upstream to the upper salmon hatchery.

Reason for action: Under permanent rules, adult Chinook must be released from the natural gas pipeline crossing upstream beginning October 1. However, the hatchery may not achieve its egg take goal, thus requiring an expanded closure for adult Chinook retention. Hatchery (adipose clipped) Chinook jacks remain available for harvest.

Other information: Daily limit is 6 salmon, of which no more than 4 may be adults. Release adult Chinook, wild Chinook jacks, wild coho, and chum.

Closed waters, gear restrictions, and night closures remain the same as listed in the 2008-2009 Fishing in Washington pamphlet.

Information contact: (360) 696-6211. For latest information press *1010.

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

Fwd: J and L Hooksetter Newsletter-October

2008-09-24T09:08:00.001-07:00

With the smell of Fall in the air and October just around the corner, its time to start pursuing Coho Salmon and several rivers.. J and L Guided Sportfishing is gearing up for Fall fishing on the Chehalis, Cowlitz, and Lewis rivers. With both summer steelhead and the Buoy 10 season over we are looking forward to being on the waters of Southwest Washington. Fall fishing for Coho is one of the best times for an angler in Washington.

The Chehalis river opens on October 1str and is the best bet for Fall Coho. Using light spinning rods and jigs we hook 15 to 25 fish a day in the calm tidal water of the river just outside on Elma, WA. October 1st thru the 15th an angler may catch 2 adult coho with only one being wild. Then on the 16th, all wild coho must be realeased. All Chinook salmon incidently caught will be released. Chehalis river coho are Big! Averaging 12 pounds with some as large as 18. Looking for lots of fight on light tackle Then this is your fishery. Call me today. Stop wishin and lets go fishin!!!

The Lewis river is aso a great bet specially if the weather "blows" out the Chehalis. Coho in this river are availble thru mid November and run 8 to 12 pounds. Hover fishing bait and small spinners is the way to go. The Cowlitz also is a good bet just above the mouth of the Toutle better known as "the lake". Trolling wiggle warts is the ticket on this section of the river. Fish can also be caught up at Blue Creek and Barrier Dam. Summer run steelhead are also available in the Cowlitz.

We are currently taking reservations for Chehalis, Lewis and Cowlitz rivers. Jet boat trips on the Columbia and Lewis rivers for 4 anglers are at a special price of just $580.00.

Additional information can be obtained online at http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com/ or by phone at 206-920-2428

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

Public workshop scheduled to discuss how recreational salmon fishing seasons are established

2008-09-23T11:01:00.001-07:00

OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has scheduled a public workshop Oct. 1 in Lacey to discuss how annual seasons are set for recreational salmon fisheries.

The workshop, which is scheduled during a meeting of WDFW's Anadromous and Marine Resources Sportfishing Advisory Group, will begin at 9 a.m. at the Lacey Community Center, 6729 Pacific Ave.

During the meeting, WDFW staff will discuss legal, technical and policy issues regarding the annual salmon season-setting process, known as North of Falcon, said Pat Pattillo, salmon policy coordinator for WDFW.

"We'd like to discuss North of Falcon with the sportfishing advisory group and anyone else interested in how the salmon seasons are established in Washington," said Pattillo. "Our hope is to help broaden the understanding of the process and receive some suggestions on how to make improvements."

Pattillo said WDFW is considering a second public workshop during a sportfishing advisory group meeting later this year. That workshop would be a continuation of the first meeting and also focus on potential 2009 salmon fisheries, he said.

More information about the North of Falcon process is available on WDFW's North of Falcon website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/northfalcon/index.htm .

Much of the lower Columbia River will re-open for Chinook

2008-09-18T18:44:00.001-07:00

OLYMPIA - Starting Saturday (Sept. 20), Columbia River anglers will again be allowed to retain chinook salmon they catch on a large section of the river below Bonneville Dam.

Encouraged by a new estimate of returning upriver bright chinook, fishery managers from Washington and Oregon agreed to reopen most of the area that closed to chinook retention earlier this week.

Under that agreement, anglers will be allowed to catch and keep an adult chinook salmon as part of their daily catch limit from the lower end of Bachelor Island, near the mouth of the Lewis River, upriver to Bonneville Dam.

The chinook fishery in that area will remain open until further notice, said Cindy LeFleur, Columbia River policy coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

"We’re pleased that this run is coming in so much stronger than expected," LeFleur said. "This season is turning out quite a bit better than we expected."

Earlier this month, tens of thousands of anglers fishing from Rocky Point up to Bonneville Dam caught 9,200 chinook during 16 days of fishing. LeFleur noted that the downstream boundary for the chinook fishery that opens Saturday has been moved above the mouth of the Lewis River to protect a weak chinook run there this year.

But upriver brights, returning to the Hanford Reach area and to the Snake River, are putting in a strong showing, LeFleur said. A technical advisory committee increased the estimated size of the upriver bright run to 212,500 fish, compared to the pre-season forecast of 164,400 fish.

New allowable catch rates for those fish, established in a new 10-year U.S. v. Oregon agreement, also contributed to the decision to reopen the fishery, LeFleur said.

That agreement, approved by a federal judge last month, allows non-tribal fishers to harvest a total of 11 percent of the upriver bright run, compared to 8.25 percent under the previous accord. Parties to the U.S. v. Oregon agreement include the states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho; federal resource agencies; and tribal governments.

"These runs have improved in recent years, and that fact is reflected in the new catch rates," LeFleur said.

The combination of strong returns and new catch rates may allow the states to open a chinook fishery in the lower Snake River in the coming weeks, she said. "If that occurs, it would be the first fall chinook opening we’ve had there in several decades."

Anglers can find updates on fisheries throughout the state on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov .

--
Thanks,
Jerry Brown
http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com
206-920-2428

White River Travel
http://www.white-river-travel.com

Make no mistake, wild steelhead rules haven't changed

2008-09-16T17:08:00.001-07:00

OLYMPIA - State fishery managers are again reminding anglers they must release any wild steelhead they catch on all but 11 Washington rivers - most of them on the Olympic Peninsula. The annual limit is one wild steelhead per year.

While those rules have been in place since 2004, the wording on this year's catch record cards apparently has caused some confusion, said Bob Leland, statewide steelhead manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

The new statement on the cards, used by anglers to report their annual catch, reads: "One Wild Steelhead Allowed On This Card."

"Some anglers are apparently under the impression the card allows them to catch and keep a wild steelhead anywhere in the state," Leland said. "It doesn't. The statement only applies where retention of wild steelhead is allowed."

As noted in the Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet , the only rivers in Washington open to retention of wild winter steelhead - and then, only during specific seasons -- are the Bogachiel, Calawah, Clearwater, Dickey, Hoh, Hoko, Pysht, Quillayute, Quinault and Sol Duc rivers on the Olympic Peninsula. The Green/Duwamish River, which flows into Elliott Bay near Seattle, is open to the harvest of wild summer steelhead in summer and fall.

All other rivers in the state are closed to retention of wild steelhead to protect weak runs of naturally spawning fish. Many rivers are, however, open to retention of hatchery steelhead, which can be identified by a clipped adipose fin.

Leland said the statement on the 2008 catch cards was added after the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission dropped the 30-fish annual limit for hatchery steelhead, giving anglers the option of purchasing additional catch record cards for hatchery steelhead. The new statement was added to indicate that anglers should report the catch of a wild steelhead on the first card, not subsequent cards.

"We'll work on the wording for next year's catch card to avoid any confusion," Leland said. "The message now is that the rules haven't changed in terms of where anglers can catch and retain wild steelhead."

Cowlitz River opens Sunday for chinook salmon fishing

2008-09-12T22:51:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER, Wash. - Starting Sunday (Sept. 14), anglers fishing the lower Cowlitz River may keep one adult chinook salmon as part of their daily catch limit.
The area open to chinook retention extends from the boundary markers at the mouth of the river upstream to 400 feet below Mayfield Dam.
With more chinook returning to the Cowlitz River Hatchery than expected, state fishery managers now believe they can open a chinook fishery and still collect enough fish to meet hatchery-production goals.
"This year's outlook has improved for Cowlitz River chinook," said Pat Frazier, regional fish manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). "We've been telling anglers we'd open the fishery if the count at the hatchery supported it, and it does."
Based on early returns and historic run patterns, the department now expects to meet its goal of getting 2,600 adult chinook salmon back to the hatchery, he said.
Starting Sunday, anglers fishing the Cowlitz River may catch and keep one adult salmon as part of their six-salmon daily limit, which may also include hatchery-reared chinook jacks and adult hatchery coho.
Adult chinook with or without a clipped adipose fin may be retained, but chinook jacks with an intact adipose fin must be released. Effective Oct. 1, adult chinook must be released from Blue Creek to Mill Creek.
Frazier noted that anglers fishing the lower Cowlitz River may also retain up to six hatchery-reared adult steelhead per day through Oct. 22, after which the limit returns to two fish per day.
"This is a good time to go fishing on the Cowlitz River," Frazier said. "Salmon are moving into the river from the mainstem Columbia and the daily catch limits are favorable. We're happy to be in a position to give anglers this opportunity."

SW Washington Fishing Report 8-4-2008

2008-09-04T21:01:00.000-07:00

Now that the Buoy 10 fishery is closed for the season, hundreds of Columbia River anglers have moved upriver to fish for salmon - including chinook - from Rocky Point/Tongue Point to Bonneville Dam. Fishing started fairly slow Sept. 1, but could pick up quickly in the days ahead if past years are any indication.
"The bite can pick up fast, because the run tends to move through that part of the river fairly quickly," said Wolf Dammers, a WDFW fish biologist. "Anglers who don't want to miss the peak of the run are advised to get a line in the water sooner rather than later."
Creel checks conducted during the second day of the fishery indicated catch rates of about one salmon - most of them chinook - for every one to two boats, Dammers said. Most boats, and there were plenty of them, were concentrated between Longview and Washougal, he said.
Through Sept. 16, anglers fishing between Rocky Point and Bonneville Dam may retain two adult salmon - of which only one may be a chinook - as part of their six-salmon daily limit. After Sept. 16, only hatchery coho may be retained in that part of the river.
Dammers reminds anglers that all chinook must be released this year on the mainstem Columbia River in the eight-mile fall chinook sanctuary area near the mouth of the Lewis River. That area is defined on page 79 of the Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm ).
Several tributaries to the Columbia River also opened for chinook fishing Labor Day. On the Elochoman River, anglers may now retain up to two adult chinook as part of their daily salmon catch limit. On the Toutle River System, which includes the North Fork Toutle and the Green River in Cowlitz County, anglers may retain one chinook per day.
Including hatchery coho, the daily catch limit on those rivers is six fish per day, of which four may be adults. Anglers may retain any adult chinook, but must release any chinook jacks not marked as a hatchery fish by a clipped adipose fin. Areas of those rivers open to retention of chinook are:
Elochoman River from the mouth to the West Fork.
Mainstem Toutle River from the mouth to the confluence of the North and Southfork Toutle.
North Fork Toutle River from the mouth to the deadline below the Fish Collection Facility.
Green River (Cowlitz County) from the mouth to the 2800 Bridge.
Salmon fishing also opened Sept. 1 on the Grays River (including the West Fork), but chinook caught there may be retained only if they have a clipped adipose and/or ventral fin. For more information on that fishery, check the Fishing in Washington rule pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm .
Anglers should also be aware of new rules adopted during the North of Falcon season-setting process to conserve chinook salmon in those and several other area tributaries, including:
Lewis River: Anglers are required to release all chinook salmon intercepted on the Lewis River, where wild chinook returns are expected to reach only about half of the 5,700-fish escapement goal. The requirement to release chinook is in effect in the Lewis River, the North Fork Lewis River and in the chinook sanctuary area on the mainstem Columbia River noted above. Fishing for hatchery coho and hatchery steelhead remains open, but fishing from boats is prohibited on the North Fork Lewis from Johnson Creek upstream to Merwin Dam to minimize chinook handling.
Cowlitz River: Anglers must continue to release all chinook - except marked, hatchery-reared jacks - because hatchery returns are not expected to meet management goals. Anglers may still retain hatchery steelhead and hatchery coho caught in both rivers.
Kalama, Washougal, Wind and White Salmon rivers, plus Drano Lake: Anglers may retain any adult chinook salmon on all or part of these waters, but must release any wild, unmarked chinook jacks they encounter. For specific area boundaries, see the Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm ).
In addition, the lower portion of Mill, Abernathy, Germany, and Coal creeks and Coweeman River will be closed to all fishing in September and October to protect spawning fall chinook.

NEHALEM RIVER FALL CHINOOK FISHING

2008-09-03T11:38:00.001-07:00

Nehalem River Fall Chinook Fishing!!! Oregon Coast

September means Fall Chinook on the Oregon Coast. With the Columbia Buoy Ten season now closed, its time to fish Nehalem Oregon a few minutes south of Cannon Beach.

Chinook Salmon on the Nehalem River average 20 to 35 pounds with fish being caught in excess of 50 pounds every September. Most fish are caught in the "calm" waters out in front of the town of Nehalem between the Hwy 101 bridge out to the river mouth or the "jaws" on the Pacific Ocean. Using 10' 6" Fetha Styx mooching rods, trolling is the show here with cut-plugged herring and large spinners in 8 to 25 feet of water making for a tremendous fight. We average 4 to 6 King salmon a day.

We are currently taking reservations for fishing trips on the Nealem river. We will be fishing from a large and roomy 25 foot Alumaweld Super Vee with a 200hp Yamaha Outboard. Prime dates are still available for September.

Also we are booking the October Coho fishery on the Chehalis, Cowlitz, and Lewis rivers. Don't wit for the fishing to get good, Book it now!

Catch rates, fishing reports, and fishing reservations may be obtained online at http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com or by phone at (206)-920-2428.

Also I have started an on-line travel company. Please take a look next time you're booking travel for a fishing trip with J and L Guided Sportfishing, ( aifare, hotels, rental vehicles) and if I'm the same or less, I would appreciate you booking with White River Travel rather than Expedia or Travelocity.

Salmon Fishing In Ilwaco will close

2008-08-16T00:53:00.001-07:00

Salmon fishing in Ilwaco
will close at 2 p.m. Aug. 17

OLYMPIA - Recreational salmon anglers will get a partial day of fishing off the south coast of Washington before the fishery closes for the season on the afternoon of Aug. 17.

The salmon fishery in Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco), which now runs Sundays through Thursdays, will be open Sunday, Aug. 17 from 12:01 a.m. through 2 p.m. After that, the fishery will be closed to retention of all salmon species, said Doug Milward, ocean salmon manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

The season is ending Sunday because the catch quota for coho salmon has been reached, Milward said.

Meanwhile, the Buoy 10 fishery at the mouth of the Columbia River will remain open seven days a week through Labor Day.

Other areas that remain open to salmon fishing include Marine Area 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores), which is open Sundays through Thursdays only, and marine areas 3 and 4 (La Push and Neah Bay), which are open Tuesdays through Saturdays only. Salmon fishing is scheduled to continue in these three marine areas through Sept. 13, or until quotas are reached.

This could affect all fishing in the Lower Columbia River

2008-08-06T19:28:00.001-07:00

Public meetings will outline
lower Columbia River hatchery changes

OLYMPIA - Modifications to salmon and steelhead hatchery operations on the lower Columbia River will be discussed at four public meetings this month in southwest Washington.

The public meetings will begin at 6 p.m. and are scheduled for:

Aug. 12 - Cathlamet: River Street Meeting Room, 25 River St., Cathlamet.
Aug. 13 - Longview: Cowlitz PUD, 961 12th Ave., Longview.
Aug. 20 - Westport: Westport Convention Center, 1600 N. Montesano Ave., Westport.
Aug. 21 - Camas/Washougal: Washougal Community Center, 1701 C. St., Washougal.

During the meetings, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) staff will outline hatchery production changes designed to help recover endangered and threatened wild salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia River, said Pat Frazier, regional fish manager for the department.

Many of those salmon and steelhead populations are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.

"These modifications are part of a broad conservation effort to re-tool hatchery programs in the Columbia River basin," Frazier said. "The goal is to change hatchery operations to support naturally spawning salmon and steelhead populations while continuing to provide sustainable fisheries that benefit communities along the lower river."

Despite the changes, the department will maintain 95 percent of the current lower Columbia River fall chinook production, as well as 95 percent of hatchery steelhead releases in the lower Columbia River, Frazier said.

The changes include closing the Elochoman Hatchery this fall to create a refuge for wild fall chinook on the Elochoman River, and shifting all steelhead and about half of the fall chinook production to the Beaver Creek facility. The wild fish refuge would be one of several refuges established for five populations of wild fall chinook - also known as "tules" - that spawn in the tributaries of the lower Columbia River.

The refuges are intended to benefit wild salmon and steelhead by minimizing the number of competing hatchery-produced fish on the spawning grounds, while still maintaining sustainable fishing opportunities, Frazier said.

Specifically, the changes would:

Shift steelhead production from the Elochoman Hatchery to a hatchery at Beaver Creek - a tributary of the Elochoman - to maintain current steelhead release numbers in the Elochoman River basin. The facility would be used to raise one million fall chinook for subsequent transfer to net pens in Deep River.
Reduce coho releases from hatcheries on the lower Columbia River by 15 percent, and establish four Columbia River wild coho refuges and four coho conservation programs.
Establish three wild steelhead refuges in the lower Columbia River.

Representatives from WDFW, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Columbia River tribes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries have been meeting the past several months to develop a conservation-based, system-wide approach to Columbia River hatchery production.

"This strategic re-alignment of our hatchery operations and production is part of that broad-based effort to restore naturally spawning salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia River to productive levels," Frazier said. "But other actions, such as restoring habitat, modifying harvest and improving fish passage at dams, also need to take place if we are going to succeed."

The modifications are consistent with the Lower Columbia River Salmon Recovery Plan and recommendations from the Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG), Frazier said. The HSRG is an independent panel of scientists established by Congress to evaluate salmon and steelhead hatchery operations in Puget Sound and coastal Washington.

--
Thank you,
Jerry Brown
Columbia River Fishing
Consider us for your next Fishing Adventure!
http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com

White River Travel
http://www.white-river-travel.com
206-920-2428

Buoy Ten Salmon Report

2008-08-06T19:12:00.001-07:00

Fishing: The Buoy 10 salmon fishery near the mouth of the Columbia River got off to a characteristically slow start Aug. 1, but is expected to pick up in the days ahead. Meanwhile, anglers continue to reel in hatchery steelhead from waters both above and below Bonneville Dam.

Salmon were scarce during the first few days of fishing at Buoy 10, but that's not uncommon for that fishery, said Joe Hymer, WDFW fish biologist. "Buoy 10 often starts slow, then ramps up quickly and peaks around late August," he said. "I expect we'll see a similar pattern this year."

To track the fishery's progress, anglers can check daily catch-sampling summaries posted on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regions/reg5/buoy10.htm . The site also includes links to area web cameras, along with marine forecasts and information on water temperatures and salinity.

Under this year's rules, anglers will have the entire month of August - plus Labor Day (Sept. 1) - to catch and retain chinook salmon 16 miles downriver from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line to the mouth of the Columbia. There's a limit of two salmon per day, of which only one may be a chinook. Wild coho, chum and sockeye must be released.

With 32 days to catch and keep chinook at Buoy 10, anglers should do considerably better there this year than last, when the retention season was limited to just 12 days, Hymer said. On the other hand, anglers will be required to release all chinook salmon intercepted from Rocky Point/Tongue Point to Bonneville Dam, except during a retention fishery set for September 1-16.

Fishing seasons for both areas were designed to conserve ESA-listed chinook salmon bound for the Lewis and Snake rivers, while focusing fishing effort on abundant upriver brights returning to hatcheries above Bonneville and wild fish headed for the Hanford Reach, said Cindy LeFleur, WDFW Columbia River policy coordinator.

"The goal is to target those healthy upriver hatchery stocks, which tend to bite well when they first enter the river," LeFleur said. "We're also expecting a strong return of chinook reared in net pens in select areas throughout the lower river."

In all, 376,800 adult fall chinook are expected to return to the Columbia River this year, compared to 219,600 last year.

Team J and L Fishing Goes to Kenai AK

2008-08-04T13:50:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I just wanted to shoot everyone an email letting them know that Team J and L will be fishing the Kenai River in Alaska the week of July 25th - August 1st, 2009. We will be fishing out of Beaver Creek and staying at Captain Bligh's Beaver Creek Lodge, http://www.captainblighs.com/.

Now for the exciting news, we have several spots open for fisherman to join Team J and L for the 2009 season on the Kenai. We are compiling an interest list. The price is $2500.00 for the week not including airfare. This will include lodging at the resort, 3 days guided fishing on the Kenai, 1 day fishing on the Kasilof river out of the driftboat, one day on the Kenai fishing for sockeye, and of course one day halibut fishing in cook inlet.

Please contact me via email asap if interested and for more details @ 206-920-2428.

Attatched are some 2008 Team J and L Kenai pics.

Columbia "Buoy Ten" Fall Salmon Fishing

2008-07-24T11:22:00.001-07:00

August means Fall Chinook. With the end of Summer Steelhead season, comes Fall King fishing on the Columbia, better known as Buoy Ten.

Beginning the first week of August, Approximately 376,800 fall chinook salmon are expected to return to the Columbia River at Astoria Oregon - up from 219,600 fish last year. This year's fishery should benefit from an estimated return of 86,200 upriver bright kings (URB's) - up from 14,600 last year - bund for the Spring Creek hatchery above Bonneville Dam. With water temps in the high 60's, these fish will come in and out of the Columbia river withthe tides.

We are going to target these fish out of the Warrenton Marina this year in the calm waters around the Astoria bridge both on the Washington and Oregon side of the river. The famous "Church Hole" and "Shipwreck" will produce limits of King Salmon. Trolling is the name of the game here. Using 10'6" mooching rods from Fetha-Styx, level wind Shimano Bantam 50 reels loaded with braided line, we will troll the Delta Diver Fish Flash combo along with various spinners and cut-plug herring.

Most of the fish will average 20 to 35 pounds with fish caught up to 50 pounds every season. We average 4 to 6 King salmon a day with limits of Coho being caught in late August into September.

We are currently taking reservations for fishing trips at Buoy Ten on the Columbia river. We will be fishing from a large and roomy 25 foot Alumaweld Super Vee with a 200hp Yamaha Outboard. Prime dates are available from August 20th thru September 10th.

Catch rates, fishing reports, and fishing reservations may be obtained online at http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com or by phone at (206)-920-2428.

Also I have started an on-line travel company. Please take a look next time you're booking travel for a fishing trip with J and L Guided Sportfishing, ( aifare, hotels, rental vehicles) and if I'm the same or less, I would appreciate you booking with White River Travel rather than Expedia or Travelocity.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Jerry Brown

J and L Guided Sportfishing

(206)-920-2428

http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com

White River Travel-YTB

http://www.white-river-travel.com

Columbia River Buoy Ten Fishery

2008-07-23T20:59:00.001-07:00

Chinook seasons get under way Aug. 1
with new options for Columbia River anglers

OLYMPIA - Columbia River anglers will be able to catch chinook salmon throughout August during this year's "Buoy 10" fishery, but will be required to release any chinook they intercept upriver to Bonneville Dam until Sept. 1.

Also, for the first time, mark-selective fishing rules will be in effect for chinook jacks on eight Columbia River tributaries, requiring anglers to release chinook salmon less than 24 inches long that are not hatchery fish marked with a clipped adipose fin.

Those are just a few of the new fishing rules that will take effect Aug. 1 on the Columbia River and its tributaries, where anglers can expect some changes from last year, said Pat Frazier, regional fish manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

"Anglers should make sure to review the current fishing rules pamphlet before they head out," Frazier said. "Run forecasts and other circumstances are different this year, and the fall salmon regulations reflect those changes."

The 2008-09 Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet is posted on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm .

One bright spot is the popular Buoy 10 fishery near the mouth of the Columbia River, where anglers will have 31 days to catch chinook salmon, compared to just 12 days last year.

This year's fishery should benefit from an estimated return of 86,200 chinook - up from 14,600 last year - bound for the Spring Creek Hatchery above Bonneville Dam, said Cindy LeFleur, WDFW Columbia River policy coordinator.

In all, 376,800 adult fall chinook are expected to return to the Columbia River this year, compared to 219,600 last year, LeFleur said. But to protect weak runs, including those listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), fishery managers adopted several new conservation measures during the annual North of Falcon season-setting process. New rules taking effect Aug. 1 will affect fishing in a number of rivers:

Columbia River from Rocky Point/Tongue Point to Bonneville Dam: Anglers must release all chinook except during September 1-16. This rule is designed primarily to conserve ESA-listed chinook salmon bound for the Snake River, while focusing the fishery on an abundant upriver bright stock returning to hatcheries above Bonneville and wild fish to the Hanford Reach.
Lewis River and fall chinook sanctuary: Anglers will be required to release all chinook salmon intercepted on the Lewis River, where wild chinook returns are expected to reach only about half of the 5,700-fish escapement goal. The requirement to release chinook will be in effect in the Lewis River, the North Fork Lewis River and in an eight-mile area of the Columbia River near the mouth of the river that is defined in the fishing rule pamphlet. Fishing for hatchery coho and hatchery steelhead will remain open, but fishing from boats will be prohibited on the North Fork Lewis from Johnson Creek upstream to Merwin Dam to minimize chinook handling.
Cowlitz and Toutle Rivers: Anglers must continue to release all chinook - except marked, hatchery-reared jacks - because hatchery returns are not expected to meet management goals. Anglers may still retain hatchery steelhead and hatchery coho caught in both rivers.
Kalama, Washougal, Wind and White Salmon rivers, plus Drano Lake: Anglers may retain any adult chinook salmon, but must release any wild, unmarked chinook jacks they encounter.

The mark-selective fisheries for chinook jacks reflect the fact that - for the first time - all chinook jacks returning to hatcheries in the Columbia River Basin are marked with a clipped adipose fin, Frazier said.

"The immediate benefit is that anglers will have a opportunity to catch and retain marked chinook jacks on a number of rivers and benefit wild runs," he said. "In fact, we want anglers to catch those hatchery jacks, because we want them off the spawning grounds."

Within a few years, all hatchery-reared chinook salmon - including adults - returning to the Columbia River will be identifiable through mass marking, Frazier said.

"That should be good news for anglers and salmon-recovery efforts alike," he said. "Once we can distinguish between hatchery and wild fish on the fishing grounds, we'll have a lot more options in structuring fisheries that are consistent with recovery efforts."

Team J and L Fishing Goes to Kenai AK

2008-07-13T08:03:00.001-07:00

Hello,

I just wanted to shoot everyone an email letting them know that Team J and L will be fishing the Kenai River in Alaska the week of July 25th - August 1st, 2008. We will be fishing out of Beaver Creek and staying at Captain Bligh's Beaver Creek Lodge, http://www.captainblighs.com/.

Now for the exciting news, we have one spot open for a fourth person to join Team J and L. Cost is $2500.00 for the week not including airfare. This will include lodging at the resort, 4 days guided fishing on the Kenai, 1 day fishing on the Kasilof river out of the driftboat, one day on the Kenai fishing for sockeye, and of course one day halibut fishing in cook inlet.

Please contact me asap if interested and for more dtails @ 206-920-2428.

SW Washington Report

2008-07-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

Anglers fishing for hatchery steelhead have been doing well on the lower Columbia River and several tributaries. During the first week of July, boat anglers fishing below Bonneville Dam averaged half a steelhead per rod, while bank anglers took home a fish for every 4.6 rods. Those fishing near the trout hatchery on the Cowlitz River did even better, reeling in a hatchery fish per rod.

"We're nearing prime time for hatchery steelhead fishing below Bonneville," said Joe Hymer, a WDFW fish biologist. "The catch is increasing and shifting to upriver fish, which are a little smaller but bright as a chrome hubcap."

Hymer reminds anglers that the catch limit for steelhead has been increased to six hatchery fish per day on the Cowlitz and North Fork Lewis rivers, where hatcheries have met their broodstock requirements. Three rivers - the Cowlitz, Kalama, and Lewis - have also reopened for retention of hatchery-reared chinook salmon, although steelhead now make up the majority of the catch in those rivers.

Hymer reminds anglers that wild steelhead - identifiable by an intact adipose fin - must be released throughout the Columbia River Basin. "Some anglers have asked why there is a box for wild steelhead on their catch record card if they can't retain them," Hymer said. "The answer is that wild steelhead can be retained on a dozen rivers in Washington - most of them on the Olympic Peninsula - but none of them are in this region of the state."

Both catch and effort above Bonneville Dam were light for hatchery steelhead through the first week of July, but that is likely to change in the next few weeks, Hymer said. He noted that a third of a million upriver steelhead are expected to return to the Columbia River this year, and the tally at Bonneville Dam has been increasing day by day.

"The water has been fairly high and cold, which might slow the fish from turning into the Bonneville Pool tributaries to cool off," Hymer said. "But with more than 2,000 fish now passing Bonneville in a day, the action should start picking up soon."

Independence Day

2008-07-02T16:35:00.001-07:00

Independence Day

Hello,

I just want to stop a minute and wish you a good July 4th! I hope your day includes a noisy parade and noisier fireworks. I think once in awhile we just need to cast aside our dull, grown-up personas and cut loose with our crazy kid personas! So get out there and waste your allowance on fireworks, get a little BBQ on your chin, get in the watermelon seed spitting contest, and put on that silly Uncle Sam hat.

In the spirit of the day, I did a little checking about the history of Independence Day. Guess what? They didn't tell us the whole story in grade school! In case you're interested, read on to find out what I discovered:

· The original resolution (to cut the apron strings from Mother Britain) was introduced to the Continental Congress on June 17, 1776.

· Then Thomas Jefferson and a willing committee put their heads together to polish up a formal writing for the grand announcement.

· The actual resolution was approved on July 2 but the Declaration of Independence (a separate document) was adopted on July 4, 1776.

· It took days, weeks, and in one case, years before all the signatures on the Declaration were in place. Thomas McKean didn't get his signature on the page until 1781!

· Exactly one year after the Declaration was approved, Philadelphia held a huge birthday party for the infant republic. But the first official (by legislative act) celebration was held in 1781 in Massachusetts.

Ok, friends, class is over. Eat, drink, and be merry! Independence is worth celebrating!

Sincerely,

Jerry Brown
Columbia River Fishing
Consider us for your next Fishing Adventure!
http://www.columbia-river-fishing-guide.com

White River Travel
http://www.white-river-travel.com
206-920-2428

Cowlitz River Steelhead Limit Increased

2008-06-30T13:23:00.001-07:00

VANCOUVER, Wash. Starting today, anglers may once again keep hatchery-reared chinook salmon they catch while fishing on the Cowlitz, Kalama, and Lewis rivers in southwest Washington.

Also today, the catch limit for steelhead will increase to six hatchery steelhead per day on the Cowlitz and North Fork Lewis rivers.

Pat Frazier, regional fish manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), said fishing rules for those rivers can be liberalized now that it appears enough fish are returning to meet hatchery production goals.

"Spring chinook returns have been nip and tuck this year for some hatcheries," Frazier said. "But after a late surge of fish, it now appears that the hatcheries will get the fish they need for broodstock."

In recent weeks, anglers have been required to release any chinook salmon they caught on the Cowlitz, Kalama, and Lewis rivers in response to lagging returns.

Under the new rules, anglers will be able to retain six salmon including two adults per day on designated portions of those three rivers through July 31. On the Cowlitz River, however, only one of those two adult salmon may be a chinook.

All wild chinook and wild coho salmon, which can be identified by an intact adipose fin, must be released.

On the Cowlitz River, the new chinook-retention rules will be in effect from the boundary markers at the mouth to Mayfield Dam. On the Kalama River, anglers will be allowed to retain chinook salmon from the boundary markers at the mouth to the Kalama Falls Hatchery. In addition, chinook retention will be permitted from the mouth of the mainstem Lewis River to the mouth of the East Fork and from there to Merwin Dam on the North Fork Lewis River.

Frazier said hatcheries on the Cowlitz and North Fork Lewis rivers now have all the steelhead they need to meet egg-take goals, allowing fishery managers to increase daily catch limits for hatchery fish on those rivers. Through last week a thousand steelhead had returned each of the facilities on the Cowlitz and Lewis and more are on the way.

"Boat anglers are reportedly doing very well fishing for hatchery steelhead on both of those rivers, although bank angling is somewhat limited by high flows," Frazier said. "Steelhead fishing on the Cowlitz has been best around Blue Creek."

The new six-fish steelhead limit will be in effect on the lower Cowlitz River from the Highway 4 Bridge at Kelso upstream to Mayfield Dam. On the North Fork Lewis, it will be in effect from the Interstate 5 Bridge upstream to Merwin Dam.

Cowlitz River Summer Steelhead Fishing

2008-06-29T19:02:00.001-07:00

July.......Cowlitz River Summer Steelhead Fishing with a 6 Fish Limit!!!!

We are already seeing tons of these fish being caught on the Cowlitz and the run will peak this month. Looking to catch your 6 fish limit of powerful, chrome bright summerruns? Then don't delay and call today to reserve your date. Stop wishing and lets go fishing for limits of chrome!!!

The Cowlitz has two distinct runs of aggressive biting fish, "A" runs which are now in the river and "B" runs which show up later in the summer. The "A" run that is currently here now are 8 to 12 lb. fish destined for the hatchery at Blue Creek. "B"run's are larger fish 12 to 18 pounds and return to the Barrier Dam hatchery. Due to the Cowlitz River hatcheries seeing an abundance of steelhead return in the last few weeks, the limit has been increased to 6 fish per person. Lets go get 'em!

Currently we are catching an average of 6 to 10 fish a day and expect those number to increase into double digits by the 4th of July weekend. Several limits have been caught on various days freedrifting from Blue Creek to the I-5 Bridge. We are using Fetha Styx FSSH 961-2 ultra light spinning rods with Shimano Spinning reels loaded with 8 lb line. Freedrifting produces a fishing style that is very natural to the fish and drifts that are hundreds of yards long covering lots of holding water. Come experience the heart-pounding, fast and intense fish catching action on these ultra light rods!

We are currently taking reservations for both morning and afternoon/evening trips on the Cowlitz. We will be fishing from 2 large roomy 25 foot Alumaweld Super Vee boats with 200 hp motors from Yamaha and Mercury. Prime dates are still available thru August 17th for Cowlitz River Steelhead.

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Friends: Tuesday night after the next Presidential debate, we are going to host the largest e-Rally ever for energy independence! On October 7 at 10 pm EDT, just before the Presidential debate ends, log on to PickensPlan.com to rally and show the politicians that we mean business! We have their attention - but what you do right now matters more than ever. Click here to RSVP now to attend the Pickens Plan e-Rally on Tuesday night. You can also click here to leave a comment asking the two candidates to support the Pickens Plan. During the debate the candidates will have their say. Now it's time for you to have your say. We will deliver your comments and the comments of everyone who attends the e-Rally to both Presidential candidates within 48 hours of the end of the Presidential debate. Also, we need you to do one more thing - find one friend and ask them to attend the e-Rally with you. How big can we grow this e-Rally? How many Americans will join our New Energy Army and join this e-Rally for energy independence? Only you can answer that question! We have tremendous momentum, over 13,000 strong joined our post debate chat for energy independence after the last Presidential debate. You won't want to miss this event! RSVP right now and forward this email on to a friend today! -Team Pickens
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SW Washington Cowlitz River

SW Washington Fishing Report

SW Washington Fishing Report

Advisory Group will hold meeting

Fwd: J and L Hooksetter Newsletter-October

Commission hears comments on mineral prospecting, briefed on 2009-10 sportfishing rule proposals

FW: 3 days until the e-Rally with T. Boone!

Razor clam season scheduled to open Oct. 16 at most ocean beaches

Fall Fishing is underway!

SW Washington Fishing Report

Chehalis River Salmon Opens Oct 1st-Next week

Adult chinook must be released

Fwd: J and L Hooksetter Newsletter-October

Public workshop scheduled to discuss how recreational salmon fishing seasons are established

Much of the lower Columbia River will re-open for Chinook

Make no mistake, wild steelhead rules haven't changed

Cowlitz River opens Sunday for chinook salmon fishing

Would you brush your teeth with Drano?
Would you shampoo your hair with Anti-freeze?
Would you soap your body with oven degreaser?