Regs

[pescador]

This is a cut and paste job off Island Outfitters website of their fishing report for this week. I am confused with the Chinook size you can take right now off Victoria. Its not clear on whether Chinook need to be be 45-67 CM for hatchery fish or can Hatchery fish be over 67 CM? What am I missing?

Island Outfitters Report..........................................
"As for Salmon, effective 00:01 hrs Mon, March 2 and until 23:59 hrs Thurs, May 14, additional recreational fishery restrictions on chinook salmon will be in effect in Subareas 19-1 to 19-4 and Subarea 20-5 (those waters near Victoria between Cadboro Pt. to Sheringham Pt.). During this time period and in this area the daily limit is two (2)chinook salmon per day which may be wild or hatchery marked between the size limit of 45 cm and 67 cm or hatchery marked only chinook over 67 cm in length. As for Salmon, effective until 23:59 hrs Thurs, May 14, additional recreational fishery restrictions on chinook salmon are in effect in Subareas 19-1 to 19-4 and Subarea 20-5 (those waters near Victoria between Cadboro Pt. to Sheringham Pt.). During this time period and in this area the daily limit is two (2) chinook salmon per day which may be wild or hatchery marked between the size limit of 45 cm and 67 cm or hatchery marked only chinook over 67 cm in length.

Effective 00:01 hrs April 1, 2009 to 23:59 hrs September 30, 2009, in the following areas, the daily limit for recreationally caught rockfish is one (1) per day: - Area 12 (Johnstone Strait) - Subareas 19-1 to 19-6 (Victoria area) - Subareas 20-5 to 20-7 (east of a line from Sheringham Point)"

Matador

 

[Gypseas]

In other words hatchery 45 or better, wild only between 45 and 67.

JUST FISHEN'

 

[pescador]

Thanks for your quick response. That makes sense, but the DFO text is a bit ambiguous.

Matador

 

[sundance]

quote:Originally posted by Gypseas

In other words hatchery 45 or better, wild only between 45 and 67.

JUST FISHEN'

hey guys wild/hatchery can be kept 45/67 only hatchery over 67 can be retained wild over 67 has to go back !

 

[juandesooka]

I understand this early season slot limit is to protect the early run Fraser River springs.

But I am hearing reports of salmon 15 lbs plus being caught and kept off east side of Island and around Vancouver. Does this slot limit not extend to those areas too? Because if not, seems to make little sense to protect them coming down the Juan de Fuca, but not right at rivermouth. Or am I missing something?

 

[fishin_magician]

quote:Originally posted by juandesooka

I understand this early season slot limit is to protect the early run Fraser River springs.

But I am hearing reports of salmon 15 lbs plus being caught and kept off east side of Island and around Vancouver. Does this slot limit not extend to those areas too? Because if not, seems to make little sense to protect them coming down the Juan de Fuca, but not right at rivermouth. Or am I missing something?

Yes, you are. You're missing the fact that we're catching winter feeder springs, US bound Columbian River Springs and Squamish River stocks... not Fraser bound early springs which are very rarely intercepted by the angling pressures around Vancouver at this time of year. You could put 100 boats in that area targetting Fraser Springs...and chances are...1 in 100 may hook one. There is little to no fishing pressure off the Fraser River mouth for obvious reasons at this time of year. JuandeSooka...come over to Vancouver and fish offshore from the mouth of the Fraser...and you'll see exactly why it's not closed. Some of the most productive waters are closed off now anyways. Anyways, last weekend there were about a dozen boats fishing in the Vancouver area...and maybe one was fishing where he had the slimest of the slimest chances of hooking one Fraser bound fish. That boat was skunked. The other 11 boats were fishing for feeders nowhere close to the Fraser.



Also, the majority of early Fraser Springs don't come down the inside, they're coming down the outside and tagging studies have shown this... thus thus validating the closures on WCVI.

 

[wolf]

You know thats what they all say nope fish dont come down the inside??? WTF yes ALL the migratory fish come on the west coast side!!!!!!! whatever.At the SFAB meeting we talked at length all about this and DFO info etc the problem is they just dont give a crap.
And no I dont have no problem with you reataining and catching fish but cmon your right infront of the fraser river you cant tell me your not going to catch some of those salmon going up your backyard river????

Yes tagging studies have shown this and this is the same DFO that is screwing us ALL over!!!!!!cmon be a little realistic.

So us off of victoria and sooke fishing sooke bluffs which is about give or take about 150 miles away from the fraser we are the ones catching them fish not guys around the fraser river area which is a about 2 to 5 miles away????

Just like you FM we are all trying to do what we can but be prepared for next year as this whole thing with DFO is only going to get worse closures will happen more and Ill even bet there will be some summer closures as well this year with all fish including halibut!!!

Wolf

 

[fishin_magician]

quote:Originally posted by wolf

You know thats what they all say nope fish dont come down the inside??? WTF yes ALL the migratory fish come on the west coast side!!!!!!! whatever.At the SFAB meeting we talked at length all about this and DFO info etc the problem is they just dont give a crap.
And no I dont have no problem with you reataining and catching fish but cmon your right infront of the fraser river you cant tell me your not going to catch some of those salmon going up your backyard river????

Yes tagging studies have shown this and this is the same DFO that is screwing us ALL over!!!!!!cmon be a little realistic.

So us off of victoria and sooke fishing sooke bluffs which is about give or take about 150 miles away from the fraser we are the ones catching them fish not guys around the fraser river area which is a about 2 to 5 miles away????

Just like you FM we are all trying to do what we can but be prepared for next year as this whole thing with DFO is only going to get worse closures will happen more and Ill even bet there will be some summer closures as well this year with all fish including halibut!!!

Wolf

Ok Wolf, come on over to Vancouver and catch 'em if it's so easy--show all us guides, retired guides, retired commercial fishers and "weekend warriors" that we're incompetent at fishing for the "mothing lode of springs" off the mouth of the Fraser. That's just it...there ARE VERY FEW FISH--most of which enter the river through the South Arm--and no one fishes for in the Saltchuck anyways. For YEARS the Banana was closed to springs..and that's basically the entire mouth---fishing a good 2-3 miles offshore depending on the reference point.

Also, keep this in mind about Vancouver fishing pressure during your closure times........

62 cm keeper size minimum all year
No Wild Coho.
No Sockeye Opening until late July---usually 3rd week of August.

On a given weekend during the closures...maybe 1 boat fishing the entire mouth of the river (3 arms, North, South and Middle), of which their hooks are probably sharpest when they're removed from the package.

No charter vessels fishing the area because fuel prices are too high to run the 20-35 miles round trip to fish the most productive areas off the Fraser. Instead, a good percentage of the charters are selling day trips to Thrasher Rock and not fishing Area 29 or 28.

On a busy weekend at this time of year through to late June, maybe 25 boats fishing an offshore current/tidal action area far to the North---close to Bowen Island with a very low chance of intercepting the fish as it swims by---mostly to the north---and targetting migratory feeder springs---and catching a moderate percentage of US hatchery fish.

By the way, for every 1000 Spring Salmon killed by Sportfishers on the Coast of BC, less than 1 per 1000 are actually killed by Sportfishers in local Vancouver Waters through the course of the season. The most mature springs are harvested in August and September....other than that...it's like winning the lottery.

If DFO closes it and brings back the "big banana", bring it on I say, there's still plenty of water for us to fish in Vancouver.

 

[chris73]

Calm down guys - there is no need to fight over the scraps of a few ET Fraser springs left in this world. Nobody gets them because there are none there...Little too late now.

 

[fishspoon]

If DFO decides to close the halibut and salmon fishery this summer, I am afraid that there would be lots of poaching out in the sea. My opinion. Why are the commerical trollers off west coast of vancouver island taking good numbers of fraser springs while southern island sportsfishermen aren't allowed to retain fraser springs?

 

[juandesooka]

quote:Originally posted by fishin_magician

Originally posted by wolf

Also, keep this in mind about Vancouver fishing pressure during your closure times........

62 cm keeper size minimum all year
No Wild Coho.
No Sockeye Opening until late July---usually 3rd week of August.

Not attacking you or Vancouver fishermen FM, not even attacking the regs...if there's a need for conservation of a troubled run, then so be it. I just want to understand the logic behind it.

You have a year-round 62cm minimum off Vancouver...right now in Juan de Fuca we have a 67 cm MAXIMUM. If there is a need to stop the fishing for the early Fraser run in Juan de Fuca, along their migration route, then why would these fish be allowed to be targetted 30 miles closer to their destination?

I'm not suggesting anyone's hauling up their limit of the so-called "Columbians" daily in Vancouver -- it is hit and miss for these stubby scrappers off Sooke too, with many skunk days in April and May in previous years when it's open for them. [and once in a while, a lucky score of a beautiful 20 pound white spring, to keep you out there trying...]

Call me "confused in Juan de Fuca"....I just don't get it.

 

[wolf]

Sorry Fm thats not the point I was trying to get across over here we get slammed for not being able to retain salmon because all the fraser fish are apperantlly coming past us??????.

Put the ball in your court ok say we have to limit the fishing of the sooke fish where they go up our river here and DFO comes to you and say "OK YOU VANCOUVER FISHERMAN YOU ARE NOW LIMITIED TO ONE SALMON AND YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TAKING A FISH NO MORE THAN 67 CM BUT THE SOOKE BOYS ARE" as the majority of these fish come past vancouver.

Thats all I am saying because you know it is a joke and so do I if this run is in that much trouble then why are we ALL not trying to preserve it???You cant tell me that with the river right there that they are not as concentrated a bit off the mouth of the fraser river, cause they sure are not off of beachy head or sooke bluffs or even the Victoria waterfront.

It geographics dont dont you think??

By in any means was I trying to insult you at all FM I think you are a great fisherman and good on this forum didnt mean to get you worked up again Sorry.

WOLF

 

[IronNoggin]

quote:Originally posted by fishspoon

...Why are the commerical trollers off west coast of vancouver island taking good numbers of fraser springs while southern island sportsfishermen aren't allowed to retain fraser springs?

Ummm... They Ain't. In fact the fleet that fishes WCVI (aka Area G) was pulled OFF the water prior to mid-March, and we stay OFF the water until after the 20th of April. This was forced upon the fleet, despite many years of sampling and analysis that directly answered the question of our "impact" on early-timed Fraser springs were we to continue to fish through that time period. And the demonstrated impact? 0.1 % ! aYup! Zero Point ONE percent! And that was our "heaviest" hit on that stock over the course of nearly 10 years. Thus, the reasoning behind DFO yanking us away from our livelihood is NOT</u> based on science, nor based on the possible impacts we may have on the stock in question, but rather for Political reasons. And in this case, those reasons center directly on appeasing DEMANDS to get us off the water (and reduce the sportfishing impact btw) by Fraser FN Bands. Really.

The vast majority of springs Area G catches are US origin runs. Through DNA testing (of which I was directly involved for years) this has been proven time and time again. DFO ensures this by opening timings, and keeping us off the water when the presence of ANY troubled stock is suspected. And that is the main reason we don't fish our traditional seasons any more, instead being forced to operate through the most dangerous conditions possible - ie: Winter.

So, in reality, while the impact of recreational anglers is recognized as higher than our combined fleet, they (you) are still afforded something of a window to fish while the early run of Fraser springs is present. Not us though, that pesky 0.1 % might actually remove one potential spawner from this troubled run [V]

Might be useful to do a little homework before pointing fingers methinks...

Cheers,
Nog - Patiently awaiting the next troll opening...

 

[fishin_magician]

quote:Originally posted by wolf

Sorry Fm thats not the point I was trying to get across over here we get slammed for not being able to retain salmon because all the fraser fish are apperantlly coming past us??????.

Put the ball in your court ok say we have to limit the fishing of the sooke fish where they go up our river here and DFO comes to you and say "OK YOU VANCOUVER FISHERMAN YOU ARE NOW LIMITIED TO ONE SALMON AND YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TAKING A FISH NO MORE THAN 67 CM BUT THE SOOKE BOYS ARE" as the majority of these fish come past vancouver.

Thats all I am saying because you know it is a joke and so do I if this run is in that much trouble then why are we ALL not trying to preserve it???You cant tell me that with the river right there that they are not as concentrated a bit off the mouth of the fraser river, cause they sure are not off of beachy head or sooke bluffs or even the Victoria waterfront.

It geographics dont dont you think??

By in any means was I trying to insult you at all FM I think you are a great fisherman and good on this forum didnt mean to get you worked up again Sorry.

WOLF

No offense taken Wolf and I wasn't worked up at all... True enough what you said and valid points. You're right about the conservation side of things. I think DFO is just trying to broker the sum of opportunities and "perceived" opportunities over the coast.

However, fishing in Vancouver waters is a far cry from your area during this window and I think DFO is just trying to dull down the bad news. After all, they're the Department of FISHERIES and Oceans and not FISH and OCEANS. Flawed even by their own namesake.

 

[wolf]

Glad we cleared that up thanks. one day if we ever meet im sure a bought bevie is in order.

Wolf