Salmon managers facing difficult decisions
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Some salmon runs this summer will be a little better than average, while others will be worse. In some cases, much worse. But one thing for certain — those charged with setting sport and commercial seasons will again be faced with a difficult balancing act.
Forecasts for most of the state’s major runs, put together by state and tribal biologists, were released Tuesday, in advance of the critical meeting April 7-11 in Sacramento, when specific seasons will be announced. Sport fishermen are hoping this “North of Falcon” process will proceed more smoothly than last year’s, when disagreements between the two major user groups forced season delays and cancellations.
Generally, the summer sport fishery probably will look much like the one in 2016, according to forecasts. Seasons and limits will be driven by depressed numbers of wild coho and chinook — particularly coho this summer. Unfavorable environmental conditions, such as warm ocean water or flooding in rivers, have reduced the number of salmon returning to Washington waters, especially when compared to some of the more abundant returns of recent years, said Kyle Adicks, the salmon fisheries policy lead for Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“Some runs are expected to return in higher numbers over last year, when we forecast historic low numbers for several stocks,” Adicks said. “But, for the most part, forecasts are at about average or a little lower than average, which means we will once again need to limit fisheries in some areas to protect weak returns of wild fish.”
There aren’t many winners in the “forecast derby,” this year, but there are a couple. One is the ocean fishery for chinook, fueled by a projected return of 250,000 lower Columbia hatchery kings, nearly 124,000 more fish than returned last year. Those fish, called “tules,” are doing well despite unfavorable ocean conditions, according to Adicks.
Another winner, particularly for local anglers, is the projected run of 47,000 sockeye to the Skagit River and Baker Lake. If that many do, indeed, return, it would be enough to open the popular summer fishery.
Bad news includes the forecast for both coho and wild chinook runs to the Skagit, Stillaguamish and other Puget Sound rivers. Coho returns are forecast to be “extremely low” — 6 percent below the 10-year average — while the outlook for wild chinook returns to Puget Sound is down 10 percent from last year’s not-very-robust levels. The forecast for hatchery chinook to these rivers is up 27 percent from last year, but the depressed status of coho and wild chinook is likely to drive seasons “up the line,” in the Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The Hanford Reach fishery for “upriver bright” fall chinook is in trouble, forecast to be the lowest run since 2009.
And if you thought this odd-numbered year would bring hordes of pink salmon to save our bacon, think again. The run of humpies is expected to be 80 percent below the 10-year average. If that sounds bad, and it is, remember that it still means a bunch of pinks — like 1.15 million fish to Puget Sound.
A meeting schedule, salmon forecasts, and information about the salmon season-setting process are available on Department of Fish and Wildlife’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon. An online commenting tool is expected to be available on the website by the end of the week.
DERBY
The Everett Blackmouth Derby is scheduled for March 18, offering $3,000 for first place. Tickets are $100 per boat, with a maximum of four anglers per boat. The event is a stop on the Northwest Salmon Derby Series, and is limited to 125 boats.
Tickets are available at John’s Sporting Goods, Ed’s Surplus, Everett Bayside Marine, Greg’s Custom Rods, Harbor Marine, Ted’s Sports Center, Performance Marine and Three Rivers Marine. Fishing will be allowed in Marine Areas 8-1, 8-2 and 9. The website is www.everettblackmouthderby.com.
There also will be a free blackmouth fishing seminar from 7-9 p.m. on March 15 at Bayside Marine.
HOT PLUG’S
Saturday’s Hot Plug’s Blackmouth Derby enjoyed good weather and good fishing, according to organizer Ed Keller, with 95 entrants weighing 16 fish. First place and $2,375 went to Blake Wickstrom of Camano Island for a chinook of 12.5 pounds; second to Darrel Clark at 8.1 pounds, and third to Don Balakin at 7.7 pounds.
Keller said the first-place fish came from Onomac, and that all the money fish were caught between Onomac and Rocky Point, and all on spoons. He said most of the entries were in the 6- to 7-pound range. There was no derby last year, but the 2015 winner weighed 16 pounds.
Keller had just days to put the derby together, because the state didn’t open the fishery until the last minute. Considering that, pulling an entry list of 95 anglers was quite a feat.
SMELT
The one-day recreational dip net circus on the Cowlitz Saturday was pretty much a bust, according to state biologist Joe Hymer in Vancouver. The top dipper checked by state personnel had 15 smelt. That’s 15 fish, not 15 pounds, and most fishers didn’t even come close to that. A daily limit would have been 10 pounds.
There were plenty of folks giving it a shot, Hymer said, but conditions were poor. Dirty, cold water pushed fish out of the area, apparently, because Hymer said there were more fish there earlier in the week.
SPRINGERS
Poor water conditions in the Columbia and its tributaries also hampered fishermen looking for early spring chinook, Hymer said. “There are a few fish around, in the Columbia and the Cowlitz, but not much catching yet.”
Ron Roler, a Columbia River fish manager for the state, said river conditions could pose a challenge to anglers this season. Conditions currently high and off-color, and with a substantial snowpack remaining in the high country.
