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There is a good chance the Oregon F&W commission will vote in December to limit unclipped winter steelhead take to only catch and release. Currently where populations are healthy, fishing is limited to 1 per day, 3 or 5 per season. The push by environmentalists is not based on fish numbers but politics. The commission now has a majority of non sportsmen members That are uneffected by any changes in fishing regulations. Since this change is not based on fish numbers, what is next? There is also a push to limit fishing in rivers from a floating device (boat). The final nail is the attack on hatcheries. If you do not belong to a politically active sports group, it is time If you want to keep fishing in the manner you are accustomed.
Yeah, we know that healthy populations of wild steelhead can't collapse. Cough skeena cough. Is 5 less steelhead gonna send you to the food bank? Get over yourself, it's clear that steelhead are struggling up and down the coast, because a couple runs are doing ok doesn't mean you need to destroy those ones too.
Why do you want to kill them? What's the reason? Are you so poor at salmon fishing and catching hatchery steelhrad the thought of turning a fish loose sickens you?
Yeah, we know that healthy populations of wild steelhead can't collapse. Cough skeena cough. Is 5 less steelhead gonna send you to the food bank? Get over yourself, it's clear that steelhead are struggling up and down the coast, because a couple runs are doing ok doesn't mean you need to destroy those ones too.
Why do you want to kill them? What's the reason? Are you so poor at salmon fishing and catching hatchery steelhrad the thought of turning a fish loose sickens you?
Itās a tough call. Winter steelhead donāt taste all that great unless you get them the day they came in. Iāve also notice that those who have to fish to feed their family always appearā¦. Uhm, well fed?
On the flip side, we need to fight the NFS and any regulatory actions they are behind. Fisherman will not have any impact on those rivers but NFS wants either fishless rivers or reserved for only a certain type of angler.
Any river that these types of groups get their hands on seem to die off, close to all but a special class of angler or close all together.
Agree on the just so so taste and trying not to give an inch to the NFS. I know there are lots more folks in my shoes that fish to bonk, bleed and take home when I can and also happen to resemble unfortunately and embarrassingly the very well fed of the well fed (I really need to work on that). I have always had a boat to do most of my fishing in, but most of my steelhead fishing is done from shore sometimes getting lots more exercise than I'm used to, but feels rewarding in the end weather, or not I take a fish home. It always seems nicer when I do, but that's probably, ok let's just say it is more of a machismo thing. If the waters holding natives have an overabundance and it doesn't hurt either way to have a regulated harvest than why not? If not than catch and release only, seems fairly basic right?
I donāt need to keep any fish But there are plenty of people who do. But the decision to regulate a fish population needs to be based on science, not politics. if this passes on a whim by folks who do not fish, why not go to catch and release for all anadromous fishes? When you cast science aside and act out of political favor. fishing as a sport disappears. If you look at the mainstream Umpqua winter steelhead fishery, it is only a fraction of what it used to be Before the catch and release Regās went into effect.
These last three responses have me baffled. Lack of science is still science? Like having your palm read before a vote on C&R? The concept of regulating our fisheries by political pressure means we donāt need ODFW at all. The current political party sets the regulations. That should scare the hell out of us fishermen.
We're having record low steelhead returns this year, hatchery and wild, on those rivers with dams where fish can be counted at the ladders. Some rivers have been closed to steelhead fishing for the first time, including the North Umpqua and Deschutes. You're lucky if your rivers are even open, much less open to the retention of wild fish. I think you should be more concerned with the viability of the wild runs you fish rather than whether you get to kill wild steelhead this winter. Steelhead are not surviving in the ocean and all concerned fishermen need to support efforts to find out why and what we can do.
This.
It's not about politics, folks need to get a clue.
Crashing wild steelhead populations are coming your way. You want to kill them til they're all gone, and argue about reg's and rights, because a specific river hasn't completely tanked yet?
And no I'm not a fly fisherman either,
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I don't think what happens on our rivers has any effect on the crash. Someone is fishing the ocean where Steelhead grow and mature and they're being caught as the target or as by-catch. Until that "someone" is stopped, the crash will continue.
Not all winter steelhead runs are in trouble. Those that are should be protected and have been. Those runs that are healthy can handle a limited harvest according to ODFW. Itās nice to have a choice to catch and release, but among many of our economically challenged citizens, if they catch one, they want to eat it. There is a lot of pride for them to bring home a meal. Some of my friends fish all winter hoping to catch one steelhead. Turning it lose if they catch one is not a consideration.
If they have the money for the gear, license, tackle, gas then they could buy something at the store. It would make more sense than making multiple trips for one fish.
Not all winter steelhead runs are in trouble. Those that are should be protected and have been. Those runs that are healthy can handle a limited harvest according to ODFW. Itās nice to have a choice to catch and release, but among many of our economically challenged citizens, if they catch one, they want to eat it. There is a lot of pride for them to bring home a meal. Some of my friends fish all winter hoping to catch one steelhead. Turning it lose if they catch one is not a consideration.
At first blush the concept of moving from retention to C and R to recover steelhead is an easy concept to support. As an angler my knee jerk is to go all in on C and R. However it only results in a win if you are short the number of adults needed to seed the available freshwater habitat. If you have surplus adults then harvest, if not then release. We're now approaching year 4 or 5 in a row with pretty poor adult abundance in quite a few streams and may be underseeding habitat. This would justify a regulation change to C and R (or angling closure in extreme situations). I guess I'm not sure why it has to be an explicit change. In periods with increased marine survival those populations may very well support a limited amount of harvest but with a permanent rule change that won't be an option. It would be great if flexibility was integrated into the rule with a trigger for C and R but itās permanently open to retention or vice versa. I havenāt seen an appreciable change in adult abundance in the North Umpqua following the regulation change and the North Coast certainly didnāt hit another gear after eliminating harvest of wild steelhead.
IMO the decision to go C and R on those Southern Oregon rivers is not based on data but rather a values call (like the North Umpqua change). Bottom line is NGO's appear to be getting really good at representing scientific concepts (localized impacts to a specific trib production/life-history impacts on one age class) with ambiguity (we may be right or we may be wrong but thatās reason enough) as a driver for management change in absence of empirical data. The concepts are rooted in published literature but itās unknown if they apply to the situation (which they use as a leverage bar). Sort of analogous to the justification for high harvest rates of coho years ago. I guess the game has gone full circle. Bottom line is we donāt have enough data to be confident one way or the other. Which puts ODFW in the untenable position of being conservative or liberal in how they manage those fish.
This was extremely well said. I am a simple man, if NGO is behind it than I am essentially against it. They have enough hooks in and we must peel one off or prevent another claw from sinking.
Alsea Assassin just provided a clear, scholarly, and reasonable post. I'll submit another perspective, admittedly biased and simplistic.
ODFW may or may not have done the best management possible by closing some steelhead streams. But to pair sport closure with continued gillnetting is inconsistent management at best. The Commission needs to either go to the bathroom (to placate the censors) or get off the pot. If they deem sport closure prudent, then why not close gillnetting as well?
"Steelhead on a fly rod" Wallowa River -Photo by Gabriel Leal-Feb. 7, 2024āāāāāāāāāāāāāāā If thereās not a photo, it didnāt happen Submit your fishing photo to ODFW and we might use it here or elsewhere on MyODFW.com. Recently stocked Scheduled to be stocked this week: Stocking is scheduled to...
"Steelhead on a fly rod" Wallowa River -Photo by Gabriel Leal-Feb. 7, 2024āāāāāāāāāāāāāāā If thereās not a photo, it didnāt happen Submit your fishing photo to ODFW and we might use it here or elsewhere on MyODFW.com. Recently stocked Scheduled to be stocked this week: Stocking is scheduled to...
I wonāt be. At some point myself and a few like minded individual will ignore certain groups of anglers and organizations and just fishā¦ and do no harm to the resource. Think the Patagonia crew at Steamboat can or will do anything if I decide Iāve had enough of their elitism? Doubtful.
I for one don't oppose limited wild harvest on those streams that can support it.......in normal times. But this is the worst we've ever seen. I think we need to error on the side of the fish ths year. I wish we had more controls over commercials too.
Oddly enough I am with you on this one. I would support it if I didnāt know who was behind it. I donāt trust the closure to be temporary so if we let that door open!
I think anglers need to be pushing the following points.
1. Consumptive recreation builds deep constituencies who favor abundance. Then people use their money and political power to support policies that lead to abundance. Think duck hunters and the enormous success story of game management and habitat protection that emerged out of that desire for abundance.
2. Catch and release grew out of a need to square declining fish populations and fishing pressure. It made/makes sense in many situations. But it has turned into a bit of a religion for some folks and that is not helpful. Harvest is not always bad. In some fisheries it is actually beneficial. In others limited harvest is perfectly sustainable. And importantly harvest builds constituencies whether itās ducks or fish or anything else.
3. No one is going to fight to protect the last wild steelhead. Itās a losing argument. Very few people other than fishermen even know what they are. We need to be arguing for abundance rather than just staving off extinction. Abundance builds constituencies. It gives hope. If people want to have the opportunity to bonk wild fish then we give them the incentive to help rebuild. Fix the habitat, carefully consider the role of hatcheries, do the science and figure out what the hell is happening to them out in the ocean. Be cautious in lean years and in good years, when itās supported by the science take a few home.
I have been doing my part and giving the steelhead a break on the rivers I haunt the last few years. Due to lack of fish and the insane numbers of people on the rivers, it just isn't as fun to me anymore. It seems the runs have been exceptionally bad last 2 or 3 years. I still go, but no where close to the number of times I did in the past. I say give the fish a break on rivers that are hurting. Please do not confuse my post with supporting NFS, Patagonia, or any other group that acts the same way or has the same agenda.
The folks on this website do not represent many of our fishermen. We have computers, skilled at navigating and participating in this conversation. I have family that have to save money from their SS check for a couple months to afford a license. Their tackle is not much, usually what I give them for bank fishing. It is a sacrifice for them to be able to fish. There are a lot of people in this situation. They are not interested in C&R.
when they do catch something, they want to take it home and eat it. Steelhead has a great taste, not sure who is pushing the poor taste agenda. The recommendation for C&R discriminates against the poor.
The closures or temp C+R affect ALL. Not just the economically challenged.
We ALL want to bring home a Steelhead. But most comply with the regs, and if they really want to bonk a fish they will fish for something else.
There is no way that fishing, especially for steelhead, is the best use of time and money to get food on the table. Sounds like a weekend part-time job would much more efficient.
I do not have a boat. That severely limits my ability to catch these salmonids. Such is life.
As guest speaker at local fishing club (Pre-Covid ) ODFW Director Curt Melcher said " my biologist for the John Day River say's as the river warms, habitable zone for Smallmouth Bass move higher and higher in the system each year. It has now reached where Steelhead spawn." Oh great! Now little Bass can eat Steelhead Alvins as they emerge from the gravel. Welcome to the world we have made.
Laughing a bit at myself, anyone have a link to info concerning what rivers are being considered for the rule change? I did some googling, is it just a revival of the petition that was turned down last winter for SW Zone Rivers?
I can only find ODFWcatch rates by river up to 2018, nothing further. 2016 was quite the year!
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