Posts tagged: fishing rules
North Idaho-trained wildlife photographer focuses on saving endangered species
Lake Roosevelt bass escape new liberal limits
State, trube conflict on Sanpoil fishing licenses
Hiawatha rail trail opens for season
FISHING — Starting May 1, anglers fishing for salmon or steelhead on the Columbia River and most of its tributaries downstream from Chief Joseph Dam will be required to use barbless hooks.
This is just one of several new fishing rules adopted for 2013 by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission.
The new barbless regulations expand a similar rule in effect on the stretch of the Columbia River that constitutes the border between Washington and Oregon.
The new rules extend the ban on barbed hooks another 250 miles upriver on the Columbia River and to dozens of its tributaries, including the Cowlitz, White Salmon, Klickitat, Snake, Yakima and Okanogan rivers.
Anglers fishing those waters will still be allowed to use single, double-point or treble hooks, so long as the barbs have been filed off or pinched down.
Jim Scott, assistant director of the WDFW Fish Program, said the new rule will contribute to ongoing efforts to minimize impacts on wild stocks while maintaining opportunities for anglers to harvest abundant hatchery fish.
“Anyone who’s ever fished with barbless hooks knows they are easier to remove from a fish’s mouth than a barbed hook,” Scott said. “That’s important in fisheries where anglers are required to release wild fish unharmed.”
Fishing regulations requiring the release of wild salmon and steelhead are common in the Columbia River Basin and other Washington waters, especially in areas wild salmon and steelhead are protected by state and federal laws. In those cases, only hatchery fish marked with a clipped adipose fin and a healed scar may be retained.
“Anglers fishing for salmon and steelhead in Puget Sound and ocean waters have been required to use barbless hooks for years,” Scott said. “The new rule on the Columbia River is consistent with our state’s longstanding commitment to sustainable fisheries.”
Waters where the new rules apply are marked in WDFW’s 2013-14 Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet, now posted online.
The paper version of the pamphlet will be distributed to recreational license dealers around the state by early May.
FISHING — Anglers have until Monday to comment on proposals geared to helping them get the most out of a very limited spring chinook salmon fishing season being planned for the Snake River in late April and May.
“The 2013 run forecast is low, and following the restrictions of federal Endangered Species Act, the harvest allocation available for the Snake River is just 360 adipose-fin-clipped hatchery adults, at least until the in-season run update is available the first week of May,” says John Whalen, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife regional fisheries manager.
The agency is asking anglers to choose one of three options and let biologists know by email to help them make a decision that will please the most anglers.
Read on for details and the options from WDFW:
FISHING — Numerous lakes already are open for fishing, but a few folks apparently like the elbow room they find at waters that aren't officially open.
They kept Spokane Region Wildlife police busy last week. Here are a few excerpts from the regional enforcement weekly report:
Officer Snyder patrolled the Spokane River and lakes in the Medical Lake and Cheney areas. Two groups of anglers were cited for fishing closed season at West Medical Lake.
Officer Snyder checked anglers at Liberty Lake and arrested one on an outstanding warrant out of Lincoln County.
Officer Spurbeck patrolled the Spokane River and contacted two subjects fishing closed waters. The subjects were also using terminal gear and neither subject had a valid fishing license.
Sergeant Charron responded to two fisherman fishing closed waters on Deep Lake. Suspects attempted to hide fishing gear but were unsuccessful.
Officer Vance patrolled the Touchet and Tucannon Rivers. One angler was contacted as he was fishing directly at the base of the dam in Dayton on the Touchet River. He said he saw the no fishing signs and knew he was not allowed to fish there, but wanted to catch a steelhead the easy way.
FISHING — New fishing regulations with more liberal limits take effect Monday, April 1, on Lake Roosevelt, and the lower reaches of the San Poil and Spokane Rivers.
Here are the details from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife:
Action: The daily walleye bag limit for Lake Roosevelt, the lower San Poil River, and the lower Spokane River will increase to 16 fish with no size restriction. In addition, the lower Spokane River from mouth (SR 25 Bridge) upstream to 400 feet below Little Falls Dam will open for walleye fishing April 1.
Effective Date: April 1 at 12:01 a.m. until further notice
Species affected: Walleye
Locations:
Reason for action: In early March, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission approved new fishing regulations designed to increase harvest on an overabundant walleye populations in Lake Roosevelt and the lower Spokane River. Besides providing additional fishing opportunities for anglers, these changes will help to reduce walleye predation on native fish populations as well as the number of small walleye in those waters. The permanent regulations approved by the Commission will take effect May 1, 2013.
The emergency regulations will effectively initiate these changes April 1, 2013, a month sooner, to expedite the goals of the Commission's permanent rules for Lake Roosevelt and the lower Spokane River. In addition, they apply the 16-fish daily limit for walleye to the lower San Poil River, which also has an overabundance of the species.
Other information: All other WDFW fishing regulations for Lake Roosevelt, Spokane River, and San Poil River remain in effect.
Recreational fishing in Lake Roosevelt, and in the San Poil River between Boundary A to Boundary C, requires a Washington State freshwater license and compliance with established State fishing regulations. The Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) have established non-tribal recreational fishing regulations which differ from State regulations in this area. Be advised that anglers fishing in this area may be checked by tribal enforcement officers for a tribal license.
All waters upstream of Boundary C (above the 1310 mean sea elevation) and within the CCT Reservation boundary are under the regulatory authority of the CCT. For CCT fishing information call (509) 634-2110.
FISHING – Washington fisheries managers will explain forecasts and rules for salmon and steelhead fishing in the Columbia Basin in a public meeting Wednesday (March 27), 5 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Benton PUD building, 2721 W. 10th Ave. in Kennewick.
Discussion topics will range from new barbless hook requirements to pre-season forecasts, including those for salmon and steelhead upstream of McNary Dam.
This season, salmon and steelhead anglers are required to use barbless hooks on the mainstem Columbia River downstream of the Washington-Oregon state line, 17 miles upriver from McNary Dam. The rule is likely to be applied to the entire Columbia and its tributaries.
The meeting is part of the salmon season-setting process known as North of Falcon, which involves representatives from federal, state and tribal governments and recreational and commercial fishing industries. Final salmon fishing seasons will be adopted in early April at the Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Portland.
FISHING — In an unusual move, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, meeting in a conference call today, reconsidered and amended several fishing regulation it had adopted at its March 1 meeting in Moses Lake.
The changes include increasing the annual limit for white sturgeon in the Columbia River from one to two, as well as changes related to Western Washington fisheries such as thresher sharks, rockfish and cabezon.
Read on for the details from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
FISHING — In an unusual procedure, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is reconsidering some of the fishing regulations the nine-member panel adopted on March 1 during its rule-setting meeting in Moses Lake.
Reconsideration of at least four rules is on the agenda for a conference call meeting set for Friday (March 15).
Miranda Wecker, commission chair, said she wants to make sure the commissioners get all the information they need to make the proper decisions.
“We tried to fit too much into one day at Moses Lake,” she said, noting that she's heard some information since the meeting that should be discussed “to make sure we make the proper decisions.”
Commissioners will be allowed to reconsider any of the 2013 sport fishing rules that were adopted, since they have not yet been officially filed.
She said the four topics sure to be discussed include rockfish retention in Puget Sound, catch-and-release fishing for sharks and regulations and seasons for sturgeon and cabezon.
FISHING — The Spokane River will be open to walleye fishing year round starting May 1 and the daily limit in Lake Roosevelt will increase from eight walleye a day to 16.
This is just a sampling of the 70 sportfishing rules adopted March 1 during the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting in Moses Lake.
The commission also approved purchase of land in Asotin County, the second in a multi-phase, multi-year plan to secure the 4-0 Ranch as part of the Blue Mountains Wildlife Area complex.
Read on for more details from the commission meeting.
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT — The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has a full agenda of wide ranging topics to cover at its meeting Friday in Moses Lake.
Among the 15 agenda items, the panel will take public comments on proposed changes to hunting rules, consider adopting sportfishing rules and vote on buying a 1600-acre addition to the Blue Mountains Wildlife Area in Asotin County.
The meeting will convene at 8 a.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center, 401 S. Balsam St.
The commission will accept public comments on 17 proposed hunting rule changes, which would include allowing the use of illuminated arrow nocks for archery equipment and restoring antlerless elk opportunities for archery hunters in Yakima County Units 352 (Nile) and 356 (Bumping).
The commission won't vote on the proposed changes to hunting rules until its April 12-13 meeting in Olympia.
However, the commission will consider adopting nearly 70 sportfishing rules, including proposals that would allow the use of two fishing poles on 50 additional lakes throughout the state and liberalize limits for walleye, bass and catfish in the Columbia River system.
The standout among three proposed land transactions is the plan to buy 1,614 acres of the 4-0 Ranch in Asotin County as phase two of a multi-year project to secure a total of nearly 12,000 acres of riparian habitat for steelhead and bull trout and terrestrial habitat for deer, bighorn sheep and elk.
FISHING — Rule changes for salmon and steelhead fishing, including a two-week late-March closure, will take effect next month on the Wind River, a popular Columbia River fishery.
Click “continue reading” for the details posted today by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife:
FISHING — An update on proposed changes to sportfishing rules will be presented by state fish managers to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission at its Feb. 8-9 meeting in Olympia. See the preliminary meeting agenda here.
Fishing rule proposals affecting Eastern Washington angling include:
Public comments on the proposals are being accepted on the agency’s website through Tuesday (Jan. 29).
The commisison is set to vote on the proposals at a March 1-2 meeting.
FISHING — Starting New Year’s Day, anglers will be required to use barbless hooks until further notice when fishing for salmon, steelhead and cutthroat on a large section of the Columbia River.
The rule will affect sport fisheries from the mouth of the Columbia River – including the north jetty – upstream to the state border with Oregon, 17 miles upstream from McNary Dam, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says.
Under the new rule, anglers may still use single-point, double-point, or treble hooks in those waters, so long as any barbs have been filed off or pinched down.
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, which sets policy for WDFW, is scheduled to take action next month on the new draft policy that includes a ban on barbed hooks and a variety of other management changes.
State fishery managers said the immediate need for the rule is to make Washington’s fishing regulations consistent with those in Oregon, where that state’s fish and wildlife commission recently approved a broad-based measure that prohibits Oregonian license holders from using barbed hooks on the Columbia River starting Jan. 1.
Read on for more information from the WDFW:
FISHING — Idaho anglers have a list of new fishing rules that take effect Jan. 1.
In the Panhandle Region, Lake Pend Oreille is in the spotlight for several notable changes:
Cutthroat trout will get more protection in a new rule that requires anglers in the Coeur d’Alene and St. Joe river drainages to release any trout with red/orange slashes under the jaw. The new rule is to address the difficulty anglers were having properly distinguishing protected cutthroat trout with “cuttbow” hybrids.
Priest Lake's kokanee limit is being reduced from 15 to 6.
A complete listing of Idaho's new fishing rules is available on the IDFG website or in the new fishing rules pamplet available where fishing licenses are sold.
FISHING — The public will have more time to review proposed changes to state sportfishing rules under an extended comment period announced Friday by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Under the new timeline, WDFW will accept written comments through Jan. 29 on the proposed regulations – more than a month longer than previously announced.
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, which sets policy for WDFW, also has postponed a public hearing on the proposals until its February meeting in Olympia. Written testimony also can be submitted during that meeting.
The commission is scheduled to take action on the proposed rule changes during its March meeting in Moses Lake.
Craig Burley, WDFW fish division manager, said the public hearing was postponed to allow for additional time to draft the rule language that the commission will consider.
“Making that change also gives people more time to review and provide comments on the proposals,” Burley said.
Click here to review and comment on the proposed rules.
The website includes information on the nearly 70 proposed rules, some of which are recommended by WDFW fishery managers and some of which are not.
Ask Idaho Fish and Game: New Fishing License
Q. I just purchased a 2013 Idaho fishing license; can I use it to fish to the end of 2012?
A. No. To fish in December 2012, you must have a valid 2012 fishing license. The 2013 license is not valid until January 1.
But a resident 2012 season fishing license is still available for $25.75. A resident can buy a one-day license for $11.50 plus $5 for each additional day when purchased at the same time. But a one-day license holder can't buy a salmon or steelhead permit. Resident anglers must first buy a full season fishing license to buy a salmon or steelhead permit for $12.75.
A nonresident daily fishing license is available for $12.75 for the first day and $6 for each additional day, or a three-day license and permit for steelhead is available for $37.50.
See more information on Idaho fishing rules.
FISHING — Steelhead fisheries on the upper Columbia River will close one hour after sunset on Saturday (Dec. 1) from Wells Dam to the Highway 173 bridge at Brewster and on the Wenatchee, Icicle, Entiat, and Methow rivers.
Several whitefish fisheries scheduled to open that day will also close at sunset Dec. 1, including those on the Wenatchee and Entiat rivers, as well as on the Methow River downstream of the confluence with the Chewuch River in Winthrop.
Jeff Korth, Regional Fish Manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the closures are necessary to keep impacts on wild steelhead within limits established under the federal Endangered Species Act.
The closures will not, however, affect steelhead or whitefish seasons on the mainstem Columbia River from Rock Island Dam to Wells Dam, or from the Highway 173 Bridge in Brewster to 400 feet below Chief Joseph Dam. Those fisheries, plus steelhead and whitefish seasons on the Okanogan and Similkameen rivers, will remain open until further notice under previously published rules.
Read on for more details.
FISHING — A little more pressure will be applied to nonnative fish species such as bass and walleye if fishermen accept fishing regulations changes for 2013 proposed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The agency is taking public comments through Dec. 15 on a range of proposals, including suggestions to increase or remove daily bag limits on nonnative fish species such as smallmouth bass and walleye that prey on imperiled native salmon and steelhead.
Promoting more harvest of these species might actually improve fishing for smallmouth and walleye, which tend to be overpopulated in some waters, said Chris Donley, state inland fish program manager.
The jury's out on how much impact the rule would have on walleye and smallmouths since a relatively small portion of fishermen keep their limits of those species at existing levels, he said.
The proposed rule changes would remove the daily catch limit for channel catfish and the daily catch and size limits for bass and walleye in portions of the Columbia and Snake rivers and their tributaries to assist with recovery efforts for salmon
WDFW is recommending nearly 70 sportfishing rules proposals. Among them:
A second option under that proposal would also remove existing limits for those fish, but restrict anglers to three bass larger than 15 inches in length and one walleye larger than 24 inches in length.
The proposed changes are designed to increase the harvest of abundant bass, walleye and channel catfish, which prey on juvenile salmon and steelhead that are listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.
The proposed new bass and walleye regulations include Columbia waters upstream from McNary to Priest Rapids Dam, the Yakima River and its tributaries, the Snake River upstream to the Idaho-Washington border, the Yakima, Okanogan, Walla Walla, Palouse, Tucannon and Grande Ronde rivers in Washington.
Fisheries manager explains
The idea is to “focus the harvest on the fish that are doing the most damage,” Donley said. Studies indicate that bass 15 inches long or smaller prey heavily on salmon and steelhead smolts, while larger bass look for bigger fish to fry. Likewise for walleye.
Donley said that federal, state, tribal and other stakeholders have made “tremendous investments” in habitat, harvest, hatchery and hydro system improvements to help boost the survival of ESA listed salmon and steelhead stocks.
“It would be irresponsible not to look at this as one of the factors” that are hindering salmon and steelhead recovery, Donley said.
TIMELINE
Dec. 15: Deadline for public comments on proposed 2013 fishing regulations.
January 2013: The last public testimony on the proposed regulations will be at the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission’s http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/ January meeting in Olympia.
February 2013: The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will vote on the proposed regulations.
FLY FISHING —Red's Fly Shop near Ellensberg offers these Wade Fishing Tips for Steelhead:
Step downstream. Not only is this good etiquette but it is good steelheading. Most trout fisheries are best approached hiking upstream, most steelhead deliveries are best made downstream whether you are swinging a fly or nymphing. Take a step down after each cast. Start a little higher in the run than you think you need to and fish a little further down than you think you need to.
Tippet choice. You only need a few rolls of tippet. For swinging flies use 8 or 10 pound Maxima Ultragreen depending on water clarity. For nymph fishing use Rio Fluoroflex Plus 1X for your biggest flies, 2X for all others including egg patterns. For extremely clear water you can use 3X but be prepared to lose a few flies and fish! Start with a Tapered Steelhead/Salmon Leader.
Fly Selection. You don't need 87 different fly patterns to successfully fish for steelhead. You need about 4-6 that you are confident in and know their behavior so that you can steer and control them like a familiar vehicle. Make sure you have flies that possess the following attributes. You need a dark heavy fly, dark lightweight fly, light colored heavy, light colored lightweight, and a few in between. If you nymph fish, a few big dark stoneflies and a few middle of the road flies, and get a handful of #12 Holo Prince Nymphs.
Don't overthink it! If you have done some trout fishing then you are already fishing well enough to catch a steelhead. Don't spend too much time changing flies, depths, tippets, or sinking rates on your line. Keep your
fly fishing smooth, clean, and in a way that will ambush a steelhead. Keep your fly in the water.
Twice fast is better than once slow. Fishing a run twice fast or even three times is better than fishing it once slow. If the fish doesn't take the first presentation then it wasn't “ambushed”. Better to step downstream,
finish the run, change flies or depths and start again at the top. If the fish chased, but was not hooked, or was simply ignoring the fly then give the fish a short break. Constant harassment doesn't produce very many fish. One good fresh presentation does.
Look for shade. Steelhead love shadows, even if it is just a small piece of shade. Also, try to fish runs that hang onto the shade longest in the morning and get shady earliest in the afternoon. These fish will be
typically be more aggressive than fish holding in direct sunlight.
FISHING — In preparation for a fall rotenone treatment to get rid of scrap fish and northern pike, catch limits will be lifted starting Saturday at Fish Lake off the Cheney-Marshall Road.
Ditto for Little Beaver Lake in Okanogan County.
Read on for all the details from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
News, field reports and insights on the Great Outdoors.
Rich Landers – hunter, animal lover, hiker, paddler, angler, naturalist and conservationist – has been covering the outdoors beat for more than three decades. His versatility and field research as a trails and waterways guidebook author help him connect issues to a wide range of interests.
Rich Landers Rich Landers writes and photographs stories for a wide range of outdoors coverage, including a Sunday feature section and a Thursday column. He also writes the Outdoors Blog.
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