We are hopeful that some bills we have tried to get through our special session will make it through for hatchery funding. Our hatcheries are in desperate need of upgrades and some bills are in to help repair them and get our salmon back in numbers that we can fish on. With our special session and deficits it is going to be interesting to see how this shakes out.
PSA works with many leaders and groups to protect our fisheries for future generations while still making sure common sense is being used to guide them. As I write this North of Falcon is not finalized which is where all of the user groups get together to divide up our catchable salmon. We should have close to the same fisheries as last year in the ocean. We have some problems with wild Chinook returning in the Snohomish and Stillaguamish river systems. They show a very low return, which is a concern.
There is a newer fishery we are working on and hopefully we can get into gear. It’s the Baker Lake Sockeye fishery. We have some obstacles to overcome and hopefully this will become a small boat fishery for our recreational fishers. These are cold water sockeye and fight very hard.
We also have some other areas for concern and that is deep water lingcod fishing in the ocean. Last September some recreational fishers were fishing south of Westport in deep water for lingcod and got into yelloweye. This fishery was closed as a result. Yelloweye and Canary Rockfish are under a rebuilding plan and it would not take much to take kill to many of them shutting down all coastal bottomfishing. I was recommended for a rockfish barotrauma workshop and plan to take us to the next level with education. Rockfish can be revived by taking them down as little as 25-30’ and survive. This education is something we really need to promote. I have released rockfish for years this way. All that you need is an upside down large barbless hook with a 5 pound weight on it. Slip a swivel on the hook that is tied to a mainline of a stiff fishing rod. Now you have a hook with the point facing down and the weight hanging below it. You put the hook in the fishes mouth while your fishing partner holds the rod, you let it go in the water. As you let go the weight will pull the fish down. This fish will come to and swim away. Even some with the bladders distended.
Most can tell the difference between a rockfish and a lingcod when fishing coastal waters while it is on the bottom. Rockfish hit hard and then give up. A lingcod keeps fighting. So when you are out there and you might have the chance for a yelloweye on your rod, please bring it up slow. If you do this, especially the last 60 feet, these fish are in pretty good shape, even from beyond 400’. If you have a line counter reel you know when you are at 60’, slow down. Otherwise you can use a magic marker and mark your line at 60’ to know when to slow way down. When you bring them up slow, they can be in pretty good shape but not be able to swim down on their own. They are active and going to poke you while you try to hold on to them to get a hook in their mouth. I have done it long enough that I do not poke the hook through the fish but just use the pressure of the hook point in their lower jaw to pull them down. The more of these fish we can save the better off we are. Check out this link to watch rockfish descending, come back to, and swim away using a similar method. www.youtube.com/embed/G5v9E-WvVhk
When you go coastal halibut/ling fishing, (I am going to give out some long protected secrets here) you should use a very large bait fish such as a shad or the giant B2 rubber squid if you think you are in a rocky area. Yelloweye will not hit a baitfish that is about 3 pounds or larger. I have never caught a yelloweye on the giant B2 squid either. This is my lure of choice. This is responsible selective fishing and your lings will be bigger too.
The next promotion I am working on is red rockfish identification. We need our anglers to know the difference between a Boccaccio, Yelloweye, Canary, Vermillion, etc. It is very troubling to see Boccaccio floating out on the grounds or other fish that are not yelloweye or canaries due to misidentification. Are these being misreported as yelloweye? If so this is a problem and the fish could have been eaten. I have worked hard for 15 years with our coastal ground fisheries and WDFW to make sure we are fishing responsibly out there while protecting our fishing. It is up to each and everyone of us to make sure we are not killing our ESA protected fish.
We are having the second annual PSA ”All Chapters Derby” in Port Townsend again this year. The date is going to be April 13 and 14. We will be having Pot Luck on Friday April the 13th at 5:00 at Point Hudson Marina. All captains and crew need to bring a side dish or desert of your choice. East Jefferson wil be supplying ham for the dinner. Saturday will be the awards dinner. Same place in the Marina room following weigh in. There will be tickets for the derby and dinner that can be pre-purchased. Please contact the derby coordinators Monique or Scott Baker@ Fishnfun2@yahoo.com. Which chapter will win the derby this year?
Learn where a chapter is close to your home and join it. Meet new friends at your local chapter and enjoy Washington’s bounty. www.pugetsoundanglers.org
