I am from Burlington,Wa. and this will be the first year in 42 yrs that i do not buy a FISHING LISCENSE. Below is a record of a typical weekend report of fish caught from major docks in Salt Water Wa.. Look at this closely and don't forget this can happen to your fishery when the INDIANS and Commercials have major SEATS in government. Our rivers mouths of rivers , spawning grounds and Salt water grounds are netted, long lined to quotas just to sustain the species and leave dribblings enough for a few sport fishing. This is my first year to WSVI. If we all obide by the LIMITS set forth,release large egg bearring hali's and respect the bottom fish preserved areas,the fishery should go on for ever.I hope Barkley Sound is all what the bloggers and charteres say it is> here is the SITE;
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/creel/puget/

But you are going to buy a licence up here though, right?

YESSSSS I AM. I will have to wait till i come up because the regs state that if I am to fish and keep HALIBUT that i cannot use the electronic liscense, it has to be written by one of your stores. Only residents can use the electronic liscense to fish and keep halibut.

Ya there was a big problem with neah bay fisherman running over to the Canadian waters and fishing halibut and running back. We don't mind 'mericans coming to fish but we want you to spend a little dough over here when you do

Busted Knot?

I actually agree this year’s “Blackmouth” has been “BAD”, to the point of I haven’t caught so few fish since about 1982; however, if you happen to be referring to the to the 2010 Creel Report, which is where that link goes and “salmon”? I think you might find… most Puget Sound, is "CLOSED” right now! I am not even going to look up the other areas, but Area 11 has been closed since May 1st . Those salmon numbers “better” be “0”! If they were to show anything now… I just might be a tad bit “surprised”??? I’ll bet you a dollar to a donut – Burlington is also closed, is it not? And, it does have a lot to do with the ESA! I also hate to tell you most of those fish currently being taken on the West Coast Vancouver Island (WCVI), Sooke, and Victory – are “your” Chinook that is on “your” Endangered Fishery List, in accordance with “your” Endangered Fishery Act (ESA)! Sorry, I hate to burst your bubble on that one!

Now if you are referring to 2010 Creel Report in general you might want to, go fish in 2009? Now as you are looking at 2009, that will give you a better ideal of the real state of our fishery. It is still not good, but it is not as dismal as you make out. Our “returning" Chinook season is just starting (can you say ESA) and is basically over the end of August, when Coho begin. After the migrating Coho, guess what – our salmon fishing is those “Blackmouth” everyone is saying cost too much… Sorry, but without those “Blackmouth” you might as well store the salmon rods! This is not new issue; it has been this way for years! So, Yes… LOOK AT THOSE CREEL REPORTS VERY CLOSELY, but at least understand what you are looking at!

Commercials: May I ask, if you have even bothered to look at the “Commercial” catch in and for Puget Sound? Another bubble busted – our Puget Sound fish are “NOT” being taken by Puget Sound commercial “Chinook” fishery! You might be surprised when you look at those numbers, and please let me know how devastating “our” commercial fleet really is to Puget sound “Chinook”? Yea, they get a few "Chum", so what? You might want to research the Pacific Salmon Treaty if you really are concerned and want to know what is happening to the Puget Sound Chinook salmon - I think you might be surprised there, also!

INDIANS - in “caps” no less don't see the need for that, but to each his own I guess? Have you not heard of the ‘Bolt Decision’? That decision was made and unless you want to get the Supreme Court (which they did review and refused to take) to reverse that Court Order – I guess, we just have to live with that one, don’t we? Just in case you don’t know, those “Indians” are now producing approximately 40 million salmon smolts each year, which is more Chinook smolts than “all” of British Columbia hatcheries “combined”! Yea, since those "hatchery" salmon you are referring to are indeed netted (don’t know about the ‘long lined’ comment in Puget Sound?) at the mouth of those rivers, you might first want to think about “who” reared and released those 40 million "hatchery" salmon? Then may I also suggest you take into consideration the “escapement” quotas? Most of those spawning grounds referred, believe it or not, “cannot” support that number of hatchery fish returning! How many of those nets do you see out there, right now? Concerning your “SEATS” comment – yes we do, but, it sure isn’t “Indians” creating any problems, the biggest problem there “just” might be one each "commercial", which happens to be a “SENATOR” who happens to “OWN” and be “PROMOTING” “FISH FARMS” “WAKE UP” THERE! What does the Fraser and Puget Sound have in common (other than declining salmon stocks) FISH FARMS!!! May I suggest some addition research on those topics? Here’s a some links, to get you started, but you’ll have to dig the rest out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boldt_Decision
http://www.nwifc.org/publications/north ... -bulletin/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celilo_Falls
http://www.farmedanddangerous.org/page/reports
http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/ ... Salmon.pdf

Being your first year on “WSVI”? I believe you are referring to West Coast Vancouver Island (WCVI) are you not? I think everyone will be very okay with you abiding by the “LIMITS” set forth, as that would be required by law. I personally am okay and in favor of you releasing those large egg bearing halibut, If you happen to catch one? I personally and certainly do hope you don’t target the Rockfish, especially Lingcod – those are “all” under pressure! But, I do hate to inform you – British Columbia’s fishery is by far “NOT” going to last forever and it needs "OUR" help now! Their stocks are very much in decline as we speak, especially the Fraser “Early” Chinook and the “Sockeye was a flat-out disaster! You think we have problems… Our damage has already been done, we are trying to fix it! Their problems are ten-fold!

Now, here is the one that I believe is going to really blow your socks off, since you are planning on catching some of those really nice Canadian Chinook! If you know what you are doing and going to Barkley Sound, which is a very good fishery - I have been fishing it for "many" years... and it is “all” everyone says. You should do very well this year. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world! However, that “Chinook” fishery is actually 75% U.S. – 25% Canadian, so - ENJOY CATCHING “OUR” FISH!

Cheers!

Personally i mostly mind the charterboats running up from Neah Bay and catch Halibut that goes against BC's Halibut quota

That is very valid, I don't think anyone can not argue that one!

Nice response Charlie, you just made my point exactly. Indiands controlling hatcheries and fishing ,NO GOOD for recreational fishing or EXPANSION of species. Only good for PROFITS , just like timber harvest or a farmer managing his CROPS. HOW ABOUT the SKAGIT RIVER and many others, all i have seen for 25 years is DECLINE - DECLINE - DECLINE, RESTRICTIONS-RESTRICTIONS-RESTRICTIONS. By now dont you think we could should have at least 50% of the kind of fishing WVI has. Those abomanation fish you call blackmouth hatchery are a very sad attempt at soothing the problem of a 25 year or more MISMANAGEMENT! I catch WILD lake TROUT larger than our Hatchery Blackmouth. On the point of catching US Chinook Aug 1- Aug 8 and Aug 30 -Sept 3, very few of our Chinook compaired to mid JUNE and JULY will be in the area by the second week of Aug.. The NITITNAT and THOMPSON produce 25 MILLOIN returning salmon, I wonder why the SKAGIT,SKY, and Nootsack haven't hade NON INDIAN CONTROLLED hatcheries installed in the lsat 25 yrs., with clipped fish identifing those fish as PROTECTED fish with very Restrictive Rules On Indians and Commercial NETTING, JUST LIKE WVI> imagine that, EXPANDING NUMBERS! NO FISH FARMS, MILLIONS of EXTRA LICE KILL FRY! CK out the FRAZER RIVER, which as of last year i no longer fish. You better look at those creel reports with a new pair of specs because without humpies in the count the creel reports for NORTH, CENTRAL and the STRAIT are very poor. . CK 09' ,dismal, SALMON caught per boat or per fisherman, especially with the retention regulations we have to deel with. BOTTOM LINE , SALMON fishing has not gotten better in the last 25 yrs and UNDER CURRENT MANAGE THINGS ARE GOING TO GET WORSE. This year is the first time i do not buy a WA. fishing license IN 42, i suggest all WA. residents do the same until MANAGEMENT gets serious about implementing a real system to for the SALMON . THE END!

Indiands?
By now don’t you think we could should have at least 50% of the kind of fishing WVI has. ? Dude - those are 75% U.S. fish... do a little research!!!!!!!!!!

On the point of catching US Chinook Aug 1- Aug 8 and Aug 30 -Sept 3, very few of our Chinook compaired to mid JUNE and JULY will be in the area by the second week of Aug.. ? HAHA... See above!

The NITITNAT and THOMPSON produce 25 MILLOIN returning salmon, ? (Better look that one UP!) Chinook... you neally need to do some more homework??

YOU, MY FRIEND… DON’T HAVE A CLUE!

And… you should invest it “spell check”!