[Bay Wolf]

OK, I know it is way too early to start talking about sockeye...but. I'm talking to my brother about coming up from Tucson and I would really like to get him out for some sockeye fishing on LW. What do you guys think about a season this year? Anybody have any "inside" information? If we do get a season, when do you think would be the best chance? He will only be able to stay for a week or 10 days, so I need to get a pretty good guesstamation on a window.

 

[MYSTICAL LEGENDS]

I'd say I doubt there will be enough just cuz there never are. But late July early August. You'll have a better idea if you can wait until around the 12th of June when the counts at the locks start. If numbers start off high then we have a chance.

 

[Smalma]

At the end of February/first of March WDFW's offical forecast for 2008 will be out and available on its web site. Those forecasts typcially include LW sockeye. However as ML points out the final decison will be made on the Ballard Lock counts. Those counts start in mid-June and usually depending on the strength of the run a decision to fish is made in mid-July. I'm sure that there will be lots of discussion on a potential season as the time for a potential fishery gets closer.

If there is a repeat of the summer selective Chinook fishery in MAs 9 and 10 during late July as well as Elliot Bay are other potential salmon fisheries that time of year might be of interest. The decisions on those fisheries will be made by mid-April.

Tight lines
Curt

 

[Fish Boy]

your better off sticking on going to the frazer river as a backup. sockeye season was very bad and we did not even get to fish for them last summer due to poor numbers. well see wat next summer brings

 

[Bay Wolf]

Thanks guys. I thought sockeye was a two year fishery? I didn't even know there was a potential season last year.

 

[Fish Boy]

ususally what happens is that you have two strong years with good runs and then two years of not so good runs

 

[Big Nookie]

ususally what happens is that you have two strong years with good runs and then two years of not so good runs

I believe there is roughly four different runs something like alpha, beta, ect. and two of those are much stronger then the other two. Last year was one of the strong runs and this years was not and a bad year can easily be followed up by a good year. Im sure someone else knows a lot more about this then me and maybe able to explain it in detail.

 

[viperman]

These 2008 fish are from the class of 96, 00, and 04. All of these years had very strong returns. I am getting my gear ready now.

 

[salar]

Russian River sockeye.