Late last week the Fish and Wildlife Commission met to rule on emergency regulations for the 2008 Fall Chinook fishery for coastal rivers. Based on public input, expected chinook returns and the best available data, ODFW staff recommended allowing the harvest of 1 fish per day, 5 per season for the 2008 season. While this sounds like a huge hit for recreational fisherman, at least we are able to fish in the river this year. Considering commercial fisherman won’t be allowed to fish for salmon in the ocean and no coastal river in Oregon is expected to meet its minimum escapement, I feel fortunate to be able to fish.
As of Tuesday morning, the Fish and Wildlife Commission hasn’t officially adopted the 1/5 rule for this fall. The ODFW website says that regulations will be finalized over the next few weeks and will take effect on Aug. 1. Here’s the link to the very brief press release http://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2008/june/060608.asp.
Fishing and Hunting Licenses Going Up Again
In 2010, fishing and hunting licenses are set to increase again. There are three options that have been put forth. Here are the links so you can check out the increases for yourself.
http://www.trustplannow.com/sites/default/files/PackageB.pdf
http://www.trustplannow.com/sites/default/files/PackageC.pdf
http://www.trustplannow.com/sites/default/files/PackageD.pdf
An interesting new item has been added – a “2 Pole License” that would allow an angler to add a 2nd rod for an additional annual fee. The 2 Pole License couldn’t be used when salmon, steelhead or sturgeon fishing. Package “D” has the biggest increases and would actually allow for some money to be re-invested into fish and wildlife projects. Package A, which involves commercial license increases is not listed here.
North To Alaska! (For A Few Weeks)
I’ll be heading to Alaska for a few weeks this summer, guiding at Togiak River Lodge (http://www.togiaklodge.com/) for the Chinook and Rainbow Trout. In the meantime, I’ll be taking a short break from my weekly articles to concentrate on fishing up north. Look for a few updates on the fishing this summer.
See you on the water,
Action Jackson
(Please send comments or questions to Action Jackson at 268-6944 or www.actionjacksonfishing.com)
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Run Timing – Then And Now
A few weeks ago, a fellow angler and I were talking about how the salmon and steelhead weren’t showing up the same time of year they used to. This friend told me, “You know, the steelhead fishing was really good around Thanksgiving, and the run was over by January.” That got me to thinking about when fish should be showing up. Were the runs years ago healthier than today?
When Do Fish Come Back?
Anadromous (sea run) fish return to their home river anywhere from months before they spawn to hours before they spawn. For instance, on the Columbia River, steelhead bound for rivers in Idaho (Columbia River tributaries) enter freshwater many months before they actually spawn. And on Oregon coastal rivers, salmon and steelhead may spawn just hours after entering freshwater. In other words, the length of the journey to spawning grounds dictates (in part) when fish enter a river. Anadromous fish, particularly fall chinook salmon, may also hold in lower stretches of coastal rivers until water levels raise enough to allow them to access suitable spawning gravel. An example of this is as follows: a fall fish may enter the river in September and slowly work its way upriver, and when freshets raise the water level in early November, the fish enters a tributary and spawns during the middle of November.
Run Timing – An Inexact Science
While it’s tough to predict when the “peak” of the run will be, research on salmonids gives us some clues as to when most of the fish will be in the river. On Oregon coastal rivers, run distribution is on a Bell Curve. When examining fall chinook salmon, this means that some fish will be present in the bay and river during July, and some fish will be present in January, but the peak of the run will be present some time during October or November. We make this assumption based on sport catch and results of spawning fish surveys. When we take a look at winter steelhead, the timing is different. Most of these fish spawn in the spring (March and April). And while some steelhead are in the rivers in November and some fish are in the river in May, the peak of the run will probably be in January and February. A Thankgiving peak run just doesn’t sound quite right to me, at least not on the Oregon coast.
What Affects Run Timing?
It’s not that my friend was wrong. I’m sure he had the dates right. But there are many things that can impact run timing of salmon and steelhead. Probably the biggest single impact on run timing in the past was poor hatchery practices. And this is how it works: the eggs of fish used by the hatchery were taken from the first fish that made it to the weir. So, over a few generations the hatchery, by just taking these early fish, inadvertently selected for early arriving fish. Today, hatchery practices are changing. Those in charge realize that fish should be selected throughout the run to ensure that fish come back during the entire time they would naturally.
See you on the water,
Action Jackson
(Please send comments or questions to Action Jackson at 268-6944 or www.actionjacksonfishing.com)
When Do Fish Come Back?
Anadromous (sea run) fish return to their home river anywhere from months before they spawn to hours before they spawn. For instance, on the Columbia River, steelhead bound for rivers in Idaho (Columbia River tributaries) enter freshwater many months before they actually spawn. And on Oregon coastal rivers, salmon and steelhead may spawn just hours after entering freshwater. In other words, the length of the journey to spawning grounds dictates (in part) when fish enter a river. Anadromous fish, particularly fall chinook salmon, may also hold in lower stretches of coastal rivers until water levels raise enough to allow them to access suitable spawning gravel. An example of this is as follows: a fall fish may enter the river in September and slowly work its way upriver, and when freshets raise the water level in early November, the fish enters a tributary and spawns during the middle of November.
Run Timing – An Inexact Science
While it’s tough to predict when the “peak” of the run will be, research on salmonids gives us some clues as to when most of the fish will be in the river. On Oregon coastal rivers, run distribution is on a Bell Curve. When examining fall chinook salmon, this means that some fish will be present in the bay and river during July, and some fish will be present in January, but the peak of the run will be present some time during October or November. We make this assumption based on sport catch and results of spawning fish surveys. When we take a look at winter steelhead, the timing is different. Most of these fish spawn in the spring (March and April). And while some steelhead are in the rivers in November and some fish are in the river in May, the peak of the run will probably be in January and February. A Thankgiving peak run just doesn’t sound quite right to me, at least not on the Oregon coast.
What Affects Run Timing?
It’s not that my friend was wrong. I’m sure he had the dates right. But there are many things that can impact run timing of salmon and steelhead. Probably the biggest single impact on run timing in the past was poor hatchery practices. And this is how it works: the eggs of fish used by the hatchery were taken from the first fish that made it to the weir. So, over a few generations the hatchery, by just taking these early fish, inadvertently selected for early arriving fish. Today, hatchery practices are changing. Those in charge realize that fish should be selected throughout the run to ensure that fish come back during the entire time they would naturally.
See you on the water,
Action Jackson
(Please send comments or questions to Action Jackson at 268-6944 or www.actionjacksonfishing.com)
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