Shortened Salmon Season

[Rossflyguy]

Ross,

I agree with most of what you said, however when the state claims there aren't very many fish left, why let anybody at all fish? Save what we have and perhaps start over with smarter people? There isn't any money in fishing for the state so why should they care? however there is big money in selling the water to the farmers....That the real problem here
Carl Blackledge

I totally agree. That’s the thing, there isn’t very many fish left BECAUSE they’ve reduced the hatchery numbers and we have to pay for it. They’re trying to blame hatchery fish for no wild fish. Anyone who believes that isn’t hasn’t researched it enough. Remember all hatchery fish are descendants of wild fish. Let’s not pretend these fish were designed in a lab. They’ve reduced the numbers so there isn’t any reason to release more water for the few fish we have returning. So yes they sell the water to big AG. That’s the problem. Until that’s obvious and all fisherman are on the same team they’ll just keep driving a wedge between outdoorsmen who prefer to fish a specific way. At this point our Central Valley salmon fisheries is pretty much a put and take fishery. The sooner we realize this the quicker we can get things straightened out.

[Rossflyguy]

If any of you haven’t seen the video I’ve copied down below you should watch it. I’m a member of this organization and I’ve heard the recent numbers and salmon season recommended for the ocean. They should limit the river take to one as well this season.

https://youtu.be/P2QZuiRZGbw

[OceanSunfish]

All great points. Thanks for raising the issues again. Unfortunately, we could do a search in the archives here over the past 20 years and we'll find the same talking points repeated many times over. Until BuRec is held accountable to CVPIA and favorable legislation is allowed to continue to the elite few, no improvement (the "I" in CVPIA).

Fishing has just about been exterminated as a culture in CA.

BTW, take a look at the predictions for the Columbia River returns for 2021. Huge season about to get underway with Springers and will end with Coho in early October. Portand is even going to get a Summer Chinook season ahead of the Upriver Brights and Buoy 10.! CA cannot even conduct a quota system like Oregon. (Cannot or will not?)

[Rossflyguy]

All great points. Thanks for raising the issues again. Unfortunately, we could do a search in the archives here over the past 20 years and we'll find the same talking points repeated many times over. Until BuRec is held accountable to CVPIA and favorable legislation is allowed to continue to the elite few, no improvement (the "I" in CVPIA).

Fishing has just about been exterminated as a culture in CA.

BTW, take a look at the predictions for the Columbia River returns for 2021. Huge season about to get underway with Springers and will end with Coho in early October. Portand is even going to get a Summer Chinook season ahead of the Upriver Brights and Buoy 10.! CA cannot even conduct a quota system like Oregon. (Cannot or will not?)

Will not. A state considered ahead of the world in everything is clearly in denial.

[avidangler]

Mitigation hatcheries not doing their job on our valley rivers. It's a travesty. These streams have severe habitat degradation. The fish aren't coming back without supplementation.

[Andy]

fish aren't coming back without supplementation.

The Klamath has been "supplemented" with hatchery nookies for decades but the returns keep yo-yo'ing downwards. Should they release more and more and hope there is a number that works? Maybe the supplementation regime isn't working for reasons we don't understand. Is it because because hatchery fish are not on par with wild fish that evolved in a system over eons?

The Shasta River, pre Dwinnell Dam, saw 80,000 returning Chinook. Its a natural hatchery for fish populations that evolved over thousands of years to perfectly harmonize with the Shasta River's nuances. Then manifest destiny happened, conquer the west and all that progress. All the snowmelt is now impounded in Lake Shastina. The cold water springs below the dam are all impounded and run through 3 pastures before the unconsumed water, hot and cow shit tainted, enters the river. The Shasta Coho are now extirpated (37 returned this year), Summer Steelhead are gone, Springers gone, last year a pathetic 4000 chinook returned.

I, along with a few friends, formed Friends of the Shasta River because the potential of its natural capacity is still there. We are here because the state, despite trying for almost 3 decades, has not improved conditions enough to improve fish health. Problem is the Shasta's potential is held hostage by agriculture and business as usual will cease if they are forced to share the water. Fighting folks like Red Emmerson (owns the ranch with the prime springs), who specialize in resource extraction, is truly David vs. Goliath. We will eventually win but its going to be a long haul.

Point is I firmly believe in habitat not hatcheries. If hatchery fish were the solution this thread would not be here.

Andy Marx

[Rossflyguy]

The Klamath has been "supplemented" with hatchery nookies for decades but the returns keep yo-yo'ing downwards. Should they release more and more and hope there is a number that works? Maybe the supplementation regime isn't working for reasons we don't understand. Is it because because hatchery fish are not on par with wild fish that evolved in a system over eons?

The Shasta River, pre Dwinnell Dam, saw 80,000 returning Chinook. Its a natural hatchery for fish populations that evolved over thousands of years to perfectly harmonize with the Shasta River's nuances. Then manifest destiny happened, conquer the west and all that progress. All the snowmelt is now impounded in Lake Shastina. The cold water springs below the dam are all impounded and run through 3 pastures before the unconsumed water, hot and cow shit tainted, enters the river. The Shasta Coho are now extirpated (37 returned this year), Summer Steelhead are gone, Springers gone, last year a pathetic 4000 chinook returned.

I, along with a few friends, formed Friends of the Shasta River because the potential of its natural capacity is still there. We are here because the state, despite trying for almost 3 decades, has not improved conditions enough to improve fish health. Problem is the Shasta's potential is held hostage by agriculture and business as usual will cease if they are forced to share the water. Fighting folks like Red Emmerson (owns the ranch with the prime springs), who specialize in resource extraction, is truly David vs. Goliath. We will eventually win but its going to be a long haul.

Point is I firmly believe in habitat not hatcheries. If hatchery fish were the solution this thread would not be here.

Andy Marx

I think we all want wild fish but until the dams come down it’s just a wet dream. There’s not enough spawning habitat. The stuff on the American was blown out. Not saying some won’t be successful but you will never get the numbers back pre-dam

[avidangler]

The Klamath is a different ball of wax. Once those dams are removed I can't wait to see what happens! I'm all for habitat as well. But on Valley rivers such as the American and Feather rivers it is moot. Those rivers have great fishing for HATCHERY salmon 20 years ago. What happened? I know there are purists on here but some of us still like to eat a fish now and again. The Feather used to be phenomenal. I keep seeing license fees go up,and as it gets more expensive to travel,get lodging,pay for gear,and everything that goes into fishing,we get less and less opportunity. What happens when you start eliminating hatchery programs? More pressure on wild stocks. I know we can't throw a blanket on fisheries management. I'm talking about mitigation hatcheries,and yes,that means more hatchery plants.