[Iron Head]

I`ll work on down sizing the boat pic. Please note the sig at the bottom though, it`s about to start anew, and I`m planning on a long, hot summer here at Game Fishing . com.

My point with the pics, I`m a fish killer, and eater, I`ll continue both and feel no guilt, even when the killing is easy and the rewards are great.

None of these fish survived. They never had a chance at spawning.

I'm with you on that.
I fish with the intent to consume my catches and don't pursue C&R.

 

[River Jim]

Opy, be quiet or you'll spook em, okay Clarence, Opy I want the buck, look Clarence I want the buck he's the biggest and I'm the one that saw them first, listen up Opy I drove and besides that this is my spot, so I get first dibs, Okay Clarence but I just love sight fishing wild steel lets get em.........RJ out.

 

[River Jim]

If the tug is the drug then you all wild fish folks need rehab to get off the tug drug. Let them spawn, let them live, some will die not all live from being played with.........RJ out.

 

[fishingaddictsNW]

I'm not going to feed into any of the negativity some people decided to bring to this thread. For all those that watched and enjoyed it, Thanks! We will be making more every year, if you don't like them, simply don't watch them, it's not hurting our feelings.

 

[jd39]

So do you really believe that those wild steelhead runs are strong enough for you to continue to fish on them? At what point will you stop.....when the laws tells you to?

What are your views on conservation of these wild species? Do you need the WDFW to tell you when to stop fishing on them?

I'll stop fishing for them when all stakeholders are barred from fishing them. My understanding is that tribes are allocated ~50% of the "harvestable" run. The tribal take is 100% lethal, c&r is ~10% lethal. Correct me if any of that is wrong and I will rethink my position on wild steel. Why should we stop C&R? Allow more for the nets and a 100% lethal take?
You know this world better then I CFM so I'll take your answer(s) seriously. If sportfishing wasn't allocated the other ~50% of the "harvestable" run, what do you think would happen to it? Saved for additional escapement or given to the tribal allocation?
I don't have anything against the tribes but won't volunteer to have my interests discriminated against in wild steelhead management.
With the state of steelhead hatchery programs and runs telling anglers to just fish on them isn't really that viable either. At least in my opinion.

 

[River Jim]

If wild fish were plentiful and their numbers not falling on wild rivers I would fish on them too. Like I said it's a choice, you can live with yours and that is of course your prerogative. Calling a different perspective negative is simply your failure to debate the issue. Make all the wild vids you want and in fact take all your friends and family with you and your entire neighborhood for that matter and just tell them it's okay to incidentally kill some vague 10% of wild fish to justify the activity, and we are not hurting a thing. One less wild fish not spawning means nothing via percentages but take that number and increase it over a season to a morality rate that is really not scientifically researched and it does make a difference and it does matter and it does affect wild steel on wild rivers that get a large number of sporties practicing C&R. I'm sure you are a good person and I am simply pointing out maybe you should rethink what you are doing and why you are doing it and does your actions help contribute to wild steel populations that are struggling to survive.........RJ out.

 

[Cowlitzfisherman]

I'm not going to feed into any of the negativity some people decided to bring to this thread. For all those that watched and enjoyed it, Thanks! We will be making more every year, if you don't like them, simply don't watch them, it's not hurting our feelings.

So, what was the "positive" part that we missed here that you guys are feeding us who have chosen to just leave these few wild fish alone? Is it the fact that a couple of you have been able to "tune in" to the few areas/rivers that still have enough fish left to make your videos on? Is fishing just about the catchin them to you guys?

We all know that it's "fun" to catch these fish, but do you guys do anything other then make fishing videos to keep these great wild steelhead going?

Are you folks just players and takers of these fish, or do you folks actually do anything to help recover the few wild steelhead runs that are left to recover these days?

Why is it so darn important for you folks to target the wild fish instead of the hatchery fish which are meant for harvesting? There was a time when I too was a fisher on wild steelhead but after years and years of seeing the impacts, I had stopped.

At what point will you folks get there? I am not a wild steelhead freak as some are, but I do know when enough is enough! It's time to let these few fish rebuild and to go play with something else.

Here in Washington State, the days of fishing on wild steelhead to be either harvested, or for C&R fisheries are coming to fast end. I would suspect that your videos will not be accepted here for to much longer if that takes its course.

 

[Cowlitzfisherman]

I'll stop fishing for them when all stakeholders are barred from fishing them. My understanding is that tribes are allocated ~50% of the "harvestable" run. The tribal take is 100% lethal, c&r is ~10% lethal. Correct me if any of that is wrong and I will rethink my position on wild steel. Why should we stop C&R? Allow more for the nets and a 100% lethal take?
You know this world better then I CFM so I'll take your answer(s) seriously. If sportfishing wasn't allocated the other ~50% of the "harvestable" run, what do you think would happen to it? Saved for additional escapement or given to the tribal allocation?
I don't have anything against the tribes but won't volunteer to have my interests discriminated against in wild steelhead management.
With the state of steelhead hatchery programs and runs telling anglers to just fish on them isn't really that viable either. At least in my opinion.

Your points and questions are both well taken and valid ones.

I will attempt to answer each of your questions/concerns as best as I can....

My understanding is that tribes are allocated ~50% of the "harvestable" run. The tribal take is 100% lethal, c&r is ~10% lethal. Correct me if any of that is wrong and I will rethink my position on wild steel.

According to federal law, and rulings, the tribe can do whatever "they want to do" with their own share. We (WDFW) have to deal with our own share division. The State has a different mandate under RCW 77.04.012. We have to divide our take and shares between two uses groups who make up that take. The tribes do not have to address that problem or issue.

Why should we stop C&R? Allow more for the nets and a 100% lethal take?

Good question!

But the answer is simple, the Federal laws states that the State must conserve their fisheries to protect and to persevere treaty agreements and rights, whether we like it it or not. It sucks, but it is what it is!

If sportfishing wasn't allocated the other ~50% of the "harvestable" run, what do you think would happen to it? Saved for additional escapement or given to the tribal allocation?

It will likely go to a tribe foregone harvest opertunity, and it will not matter what sport fishers may think about it. That is my opinion and that is pretty much the law as it stands now IMO!

 

[fishingaddictsNW]

Thanks for watching! 2800 views and counting.

 

[RRMP]

Thanks for watching! 2800 views and counting.

2801 views...

I finally watched pass the sight fishing on steelhead reds in the beginning.

Amazing video! You guys are good!

 

[River Jim]

fishingaddicts

You guys do not rock and your video rocks even less get a clue and leave wild fish alone, I know you won't but in the long run stats and facts will stop it for you. And the sooner the better IMO. Just remember RJ told you so..........RJ out.

 

[Cowlitzfisherman]

Thanks for watching! 2800 views and counting.

"We film, write and breathe fishing! Everything on this website is geared towards educating, entertaining and inspiring anglers all across the world."

Well that's only half full of half truths! What part of you're so called "educating" helps out wild steelhead recovery or their survival other then your own business? After reviewing your website, you are obviously making money off of the fishing on these depressed wild steelhead.

Don't you guys even sell stuff on your website that promotes it? Do you guys even donate any of that profit back to the fish instead of your own fishing gear?

"If you live on a river that allows for the harvest of wild steelhead, we would urge you to release them. (lol …they need more to make their video's )

Being a proper steward is a responsibility, but it should also be the natural inclination of people that love the sport of angling. Thank you for doing your part to ensure more Steelhead get to their spawning gravel to make more big, hard fighting-fish. Bobber Down!"

One has to wonder what science they use; that by holding them out of the water assures that they will "Make it to back to their spawning gravel" ?

So in your folks mind, holding these fish out of the water insures that they will survive just long enough to support your own fishing pleasures and experiences? Have you tried to sell that one to the WDFW yet?

This was the best part that I read on your guys website….

Keep it in the water - Getting a picture is great. I love to get photos of wild Steelhead, however, do not compromise fish safety for a picture. Wear waders or get your feet a little wet and make sure that fish stays in the water for the majority of the time. If you lift them out of the water for a quick picture return them to the water immediately after. There have been many times where a good picture is just not feasible (a difficult, rocky bank or fishing alone) - in those cases, release the fish and put your camera away. You will have that memory forever and…we'll believe your story! In my opinion it's more important to feel and enjoy the release of a wild fish than get a picture.

One has to wonder how many wild fish must bite the dust in between your guys "edits" on these videos!

 

[River Jim]

They all rely on the 10% impact, which is an arbitrary number IMO. This number will change with the number of sporties fishing on a wild population, meaning if 5,000 sporties fish the same river during the span of a week and release wilds more than a 10% mortality would be expected than if only 1,000 sporties fish for a week, less mortality is likely.

A 10% mortality rate is not a static number if you know math at all.....it is only a guess, a base number, not founded in any known mathematical formula that WDFW has researched in an actual scientific study that I know of and I have looked for it, done the research. It's hard for me to believe the brain trust at WDFW knows up from down............RJ out.

 

[River Jim]

I would also point out it took NMFS to take control of the wild steel issue, it was not WDFW.......That is not a vote of confidence for their decades of managing the resource.......and certainly wilds are still in jeopardy under WDFW management.

If you disagree please add your opinion...........RJ out.

 

[billjr64]

If you disagree please add your opinion...........RJ out.

Been fishing RJ?

 

[Primetime]

This is an interesting thread. My favorite fish to fish for is the the wild steelhead. Studies show that 10% of steelhead that are caught have a 10% mortilaty rate. However, all the wild fish I have caught have been handled with care. In water, off the rocks, and swam off with strength. I don't use a net and I hand land them. I highly doubt any of the wild fish I have caught have ever died. Proper handling means fish survive.

 

[River Jim]

Bill

No fishing but I am just waiting for the summers to show up, should be soon, my knee is doing better so should be game on. RJ out.

 

[River Jim]

Primetime

Fish live or die from where they are hooked and I'm glad you take care in releasing them, but if we all fished on wilds in mass don't you think the numbers would suffer? I'm sticking with hatchery fish summer steel is just about here make sure you get some.........RJ out.

 

[Cowlitzfisherman]

I would also point out it took NMFS to take control of the wild steel issue, it was not WDFW.......That is not a vote of confidence for their decades of managing the resource.......and certainly wilds are still in jeopardy under WDFW management.

If you disagree please add your opinion...........RJ out.

Spot on RJ!!
This is what the WDFW and NMFS do to each other....

 

[Dimples]

Out of the 50 or so I've caught, all appeared unharmed except the last one. It was pumping clouds of blood out its gills and bled out quickly. It had nothing to do with handling or where it was hooked, and there was nothing I could do to stop the blood loss. I'm not sure what happened because it was hooked in the lip. Maybe the line cut or a stick under the water poked its gills???? That was a few years ago, and I have not targeted them since, but I completely understand the desire to, and had to watch the video again. My eyes dilate and my tail twitches like a cat watching a mouse.