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[size 2]May 04, 2011
Contact: WDFW Region 5 Office, (360) 696-6211 [/size][font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 4]Spring chinook fishery re-opens
May 7 above Bonneville Dam [/size][/font][font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][/font][font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]OLYMPIA – The fishery for hatchery-reared spring chinook salmon will re-open May 7 for four more days of fishing on a section of the Columbia River stretching 163.5 miles above Bonneville Dam. Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon agreed Wednesday to re-open the fishery through May 10 because the number of spring chinook passing the fish ladder at Bonneville Dam significantly increased over the last week, said Cindy LeFleur, Columbia River policy coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). The fishery closed earlier this week. “We haven’t done an official run update yet, but the recent dam counts are strong enough to allow anglers four more days of fishing and still remain within the current buffered harvest guideline for the area,” LeFleur said. Above Bonneville Dam, fishing for hatchery-reared spring chinook salmon will be open to boat and bank anglers between the Tower Island powerlines below The Dalles Dam and the Washington/Oregon state line, 17 miles upriver from McNary Dam. Bank fishing is also allowed from Bonneville Dam upriver to the powerlines located about 6 miles below The Dalles Dam. Anglers fishing above Bonneville Dam can retain up to two marked, hatchery-reared adult chinook salmon or hatchery steelhead as part of their daily limit. All wild salmon and wild steelhead must be released unharmed. Salmon fishing below Bonneville Dam remains closed at this time. Harvest guidelines for spring chinook fisheries above and below Bonneville Dam are based on a projected return of 198,400 upriver fish, minus a 30 percent “buffer” to guard against overestimating the run. LeFleur said additional fishing time may be allowed in both areas if a run update confirms that returns are large enough to allow more harvest by non-Indian fishers. A run update could occur as early as next week, she said. [/size][/font]
Considering they have no idea this year what the run will turn out like. I find this questionable.
"fishery managers from OR and WA decided to reopen the fishery above Bonniville"
How nice of them, I wonder why it doesnt mention ID fishery managers being in concurance?
[url "http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/release.php?id=may0411a"]http://wdfw.wa.gov/...ease.php?id=may0411a[/url]
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That is typical BS!!!! Hmmm... Good point where is idaho's take on this. We grow they catch em'.... Im tired of all this crap.. I wish Idaho would just say hey why dont you ask us considering we have the spawning grounds. Oregon and Washington just need to fall into the ocean along with california and then finally I would have some ocean front property lol On a serious note they dont have a clue how many fish are coming for the spring. The reason there are so many fish coming now is cause they are a month behind. The numbers could start trailing off now and there would be much over a 100,000 fish cross bonn dam. If you watch the numbers between bonn and Dalles watch the decrease in numbers. A lot of fish are getting taken out. I tell you one thing Idaho commissioners should be in an uproar about the whole deal. They have been fishin for salmon in oregon and washington for over a month now and they keep extending the season. Upper salmon fishery kiss it good bye!!!!
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Kind of a strange year. The rainbow and cutthroat spawn are running a month behind as well.
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+1 Phutch and +1 LSR!
I would imagine I don't need to go into too much detail about how furious this makes me. $20 to the guy who can get me this LaFleur's email. I'll blow up her inbox.
I have talked to a few IDFG folks about it, and the concensus is that it is such a political shiz-show out there that nothing short of President Obama marching in with Elvis at his side could put a stop to it.
That doesn't stop me from wanting to scream in someone's face til I pass out though.
What a freaking joke though. That's (well, one of the 50 things) what I hate about it - they get to knock the crap out of them out there based on these crystal ball numbers. Buffer my a**! Who ever heard of them re-opening a salmon season in Idaho? Nobody! Cuz they haven't ever done it, and they probably never will. How many times have they had 3, 4, 5, 6 thousand fish trapped at Rapid River while the entire Idaho salmon fishing community is wedged in on the South Fork glaring at each other cuz there isn't room to fish?
Well I'm going to go take my meds now before I write any more.
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How about a phone # for Cindy LaFleur?
[font "Arial"][size 2] (360) 906-6708
email appears to be [/size][/font][url "mailto:fishpgm@dfw.wa.gov"]fishpgm@dfw.wa.gov[/url]
also listed under Salmon Harvest Management are the numbers: 360 676-2146 and 360 676-2247
Let 'em have it, kids!
We should also contact IDFG about this and make some noise generally. Been bugging me for years.
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NNOOOOOOO that really sucks hope they dont catch to many. HURRY and get to idaho fishies
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