Fishing Forum

Numbers are dropping off fast. I dont think we are going to hit or really come close to the predicted 198,000+ springer run over Bonn Dam let alone the NEW 210,000 run prediction. I hope Im wrong. But hey at least the lower river guys got THIER seasons extended!

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[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 4]Spring chinook fishery will reopen
May 15 on the lower Columbia River [/size][/font][size 2][/size]
OLYMPIA - With thousands of spring chinook salmon now moving up fish ladders at Bonneville Dam, fishery managers from Washington and Oregon have agreed to reopen the popular salmon fishery on the lower Columbia River through June 15. Starting Sunday, May 15, boat and bank anglers can fish for hatchery-reared spring chinook salmon from Rocky Point/Tongue Point upriver to Beacon Rock. Bank fishing will also be allowed four miles farther upriver to the fishing boundary below Bonneville Dam. Anglers can retain one hatchery-reared adult chinook salmon as part of their daily limit. All wild chinook not marked as hatchery fish by a clipped adipose fin must be released unharmed. In areas open to spring chinook fishing, anglers may also retain sockeye salmon and hatchery steelhead under regulations outlined in the Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet. Since late April, the number of chinook salmon passing Bonneville Dam has increased dramatically, opening the door to additional fishing opportunities, said Cindy LeFleur, Columbia River policy coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). On May 11, state and tribal fishery managers raised their initial estimate of upriver-bound spring chinook from 198,400 fish to 210,000 fish, making thousands more chinook salmon available for harvest on the lower river. "The fish took their time moving upriver, but they’re making up for it now," LeFleur said. "This opening will give anglers another chance to catch spring chinook on the lower river." Under the updated run forecast, anglers fishing below Bonneville Dam can catch up to 3,800 more upriver spring chinook, including some still available from the initial fishing season that ended April 19. The late timing of this year’s run, together with cold, turbid water conditions, held the total catch during the early fishery below the area harvest guideline. Additional fish also became available to anglers this week when fishery managers lifted a 30 percent "buffer" on the pre-season forecast, designed as a safeguard against overharvesting the run. Now that run forecast has been raised, those fish are available for harvest. "The surge of fish that contributed to the new forecast provides a lot more certainty in setting fishing seasons on the Columbia River," LeFleur said. LeFleur noted that the decision to reopen the spring chinook fishery on the lower river does not apply to waters above Bonneville Dam or to the Snake River. The Columbia River fishery above Bonneville Dam closed May 10 after anglers reached their catch allocation under the new run forecast. On the Snake River, spring chinook fishing will close below Ice Harbor Dam May 14 and on the rest of the river May 16. There, too, anglers are expected to reach their current catch allocation after a stretch of good fishing. "We may consider reopening fisheries in those areas if strong returns of spring chinook salmon keep bumping up the run forecast," LeFleur said. "But that will be a separate decision."
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Look at the numbers for the rest of the dams too! []

With the water up as high as it is, it will stall the fish behind all the dams, not just bonnivelle

Still plenty of Fish on the way, the numbers will go up as the water goes down, a lot of Spring Salmon will be counted as summer runs this year.
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I feel fortunate enough to know at least there are plenty of fish up the river now so that I have a chance at some salmon fishing. It is better to at least 150,000 past the first dam. Those boys on the lower river took a beating on the early season so I dont have problem with them boys getting a second chance. Im with you on the 210,000 not going to happen. Fish are dropping off and the only reason we have such good numbers is cause of such a late run. What is going to be difficult for managers is when do the springers end and summer begin on a year like this? Setting a date to change to summer doesnt change that there might be a lot of springers in the summer run, but what can you do.
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At the rate they are dropping off at Bonn Dam, they wont have to worry about counting springers as summers. 1788 adults over yesterday. Whoever came up with the "updated 210,000 run forcast" is an idiot. They were either pressured to float the numbers or they only see the numbers and have no idea whats happing in the river. The flows and temps are far better than what we had earlier, so this isnt slowing down the fish. The lack of fish is the reason for the counts. This lower river monopoly has been going on for 100 years and is a significant reason our salmon are screwed. Its all about whats in it for them.

I think WA and OR had more than ample oppertunity to fish the river this year. They extended the fishery above Bonn twice. Thier quota was based on 198,000 fish into the river. Not looking like thats going to happen so they have already likly achieved thier share. If we see 40,000 into ID Im going to be surprised.
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I disagree, The Flows (FLOOD WATER) have everything to due with it! Just look at all the #'s at all the Dams. In FLOOD stage the salmon quit moving, hug the bank or find back-eddies or deep slower water to rest up in and wait out the high water. Look at the number of fish between the various dams and how very few continue to move up stream. They haven't just stopped coming over Bonneville, they've also stopped moving over the rest of the dams.


[url "http://www.fpc.org/currentdaily/HistFishTwo_7day-ytd_Adults.htm"]http://www.fpc.org/..._7day-ytd_Adults.htm[/url]
It ain't rocket science it's water flow!

When the water flow returns to Normal the Fish will move again!

Same reason they were late to start this year!
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[quote osprey02]I disagree, The Flows (FLOOD WATER) have everything to due with it! Just look at all the #'s at all the Dams. In FLOOD stage the salmon quit moving, hug the bank or find back-eddies or deep slower water to rest up in and wait out the high water. Look at the number of fish between the various dams and how very few continue to move up stream. They haven't just stopped coming over Bonneville, they've also stopped moving over the rest of the dams.


[url "http://www.fpc.org/currentdaily/HistFishTwo_7day-ytd_Adults.htm"]http://www.fpc.org/..._7day-ytd_Adults.htm[/url]
It ain't rocket science it's water flow!

When the water flow returns to Normal the Fish will move again!

Same reason they were late to start this year![/quote] 100 percent agree!
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+1
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High muddy water is definately holding the fish up. If the water was high but clear those fish would still be cruising really good. The past 4-5 days of river blowing out is holding them up, but its starting to drop back down to almost 40,000CFS which will get them moving again in the next day or two. Still Im headed to the salmon this weekend and ive not missed the first part of the run yet so we will see.
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[url "http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110519/SPORTS/705199959/1004"]http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110519/SPORTS/705199959/1004[/url]

Springers

The Columbia River spring chinook run wasn't a bust after all, and salmon managers reopened the recreational season on the lower river Sunday, through June 15, after updating the run from 198,000 fish to a possible 237,000. Cold and very high, dirty, water conditions apparently kept the bulk of the run penned in the river's bottom end until recently and also held the sport catch to a minimum.

The extended season probably will be too late for many anglers, who must schedule vacation days to participate, and fishing conditions haven't improved all that much.

"It's still tough fishing," said Lake Stevens resident Tom Nelson, host of "The Outdoor Line" on ESPN Radio 710 Saturday mornings. "There's still so much water coming down you can't use the downriver trolling technique, which is the most effective, so you have to anchor and plunk in the slots instead."

Nelson said another problem is the unusually large amount of grass and other junk coming downriver, which forces anglers to continually pull and clean their gear.

"I think (state Department of Fish and Wildlife) knew we weren't going to catch 1,500 fish a week under these conditions," Nelson said.

Despite all that, results for the Sunday reopener and the fishery early this week were surprisingly good, particularly for the very large number of jacks in the bag. Checks included 305 anglers (including 56 boats) with 27 adult and 65 jack spring chinook, and four steelhead.

The springers are obviously moving now, and the daily limit at Drano Lake, above Bonneville dam, has been increased to four hatchery adults through July 31. State biologist Paul Hoffarth in the Tri-Cities said bank anglers at Ringold are fighting high river flows and finding slow fishing, and there are apparently not enough springers in the Yakima as yet to provide decent action. Hoffarth checked just two salmon anglers on the Yakima last week with zip.

I feel so bad for those guys
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