Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: marshal on July 11, 2007, 10:10:02 PM

Title: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: marshal on July 11, 2007, 10:10:02 PM
I know the numbers are forecast to not be that healthy, but a recent fisheries notice, for what it is worth, mentioned a potential opportunity in late July.

Has anyone been hearing anything about (if it happens at all) the timing of an opening?
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: Steelhawk on July 12, 2007, 01:11:33 AM
It better not be in July. There ain't no sockeye hooked by any bbers now. Three trips to Scale and had not seen one soc myself. One lady & her husband hooked a small fish. Realizing they were from out-of-town and may not be able to identify a soc, I went over to check to make sure they woudn't bonk the wrong fish. Ended up it was a spring jack.  :)
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: chris gadsden on July 12, 2007, 02:47:37 PM
Last weekend when the creel surveyor was down for a short time he saw 2 Early Stuarts landed,both had been snagged. :'(  :(. It is bad enought for people to want a fish so bad that they have to snag it and it is just as bad not to abide by the request not to fish by TOW ing (the other way).

It will be a fine day in my mind and many others in British Columbia when this practice is stopped by FOC and MOE.
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: bentrod on July 12, 2007, 05:05:01 PM
ditto, I know it might make me sound elitist, but I don't see what's so great in bottom bouncing.  I could also rant and rave for ever on the current netting practices on the columbia. 
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: gman on July 12, 2007, 05:19:53 PM
Marshal,

I don't have anything official, but for what its worth I have heard is that there likely will be the usual native openings, some commercial, and a brief recreational opening this year.  I too saw the notice suggesting recreational openings that might possibly start in late July - this would not be out of line with other years with late July or early August openings.

Maybe someone else has some more specific information about the opening.

Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: Rodney on July 12, 2007, 08:37:51 PM
Edit: Nevermind, who cares anyway. :-*
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: Geff_t on July 12, 2007, 09:44:04 PM
Oh I just hope they give us an opening for the pinks so that I can bust out the fly rod (not for flossing but for biting) . I will be more then happy with that  ;D ;D ;D .
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: Rodney on July 12, 2007, 09:48:04 PM
Pink salmon fishing is opened year-round. Most likely anglers will be able to fish for them throughout the entire September during the interior coho return because the pink return will be so large.
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: bentrod on July 12, 2007, 10:00:36 PM
Anyone heard predictions for fall springs and coho? 
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: Rodney on July 12, 2007, 10:04:14 PM
Edit: Nevermind, who cares anyway. :-*
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: BwiBwi on July 12, 2007, 10:14:12 PM
Pink salmon fishing is opened year-round. Most likely anglers will be able to fish for them throughout the entire September during the interior coho return because the pink return will be so large.

Ya and finding a coho among them would be like finding a needle in hay stock.
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: Geff_t on July 12, 2007, 10:21:21 PM
Just put some pink roe in front of them. Like candy to a baby, bees to honey and flies to well you get the picture  ;D .
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: adriaticum on July 13, 2007, 11:43:33 AM
To keep things simple, let's just not fish for sockeye for 5 years.
Give them an opportunity to recover.
What do you say?
Who's with me?!
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: BwiBwi on July 13, 2007, 11:46:04 AM
Just put some pink roe in front of them. Like candy to a baby, bees to honey and flies to well you get the picture  ;D .

If only a pink won't take it first.  :D
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: fishonsteelheader on July 15, 2007, 02:25:09 PM
To keep things simple, let's just not fish for sockeye for 5 years.
Give them an opportunity to recover.
What do you say?
Who's with me?!
That is the way it should be but you know that it will never happen  >:(  All this talk about flossing its up to you the person to fish now or let the run move threw. As for me I weight for the opening then go out if this means no fishing because there is no opening then what ever. I think if us as sportfishing should try to work together and save the poor sockeye and coho before there gone. I know the government does not care what happens to the fish as they are only worried about lining there pockets with money.
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: marshal on July 15, 2007, 04:35:09 PM
An opening in late July and early August is always possible but it will depend on in-season escapement data. The pre-season outlook indicates that the early summer Thompson, Lower Fraser bound stocks are above long term cycle average therefore fishing opportunities on this stocks maybe given. That being said, the early summer Upper Fraser-bound stocks have been below the recent cycle line which may determine the continuation of the closure, since their return overlaps with the healthy runs. An opening is more likely for the summer run (Chilko, Nechako and Quesnel), which have good forecasted returns (159,000, 255,000 and 1.23 million fish respectively).

So Rodney, I take it you are saying that the data so far bodes for a later opening?  When is the summer run forecast to be upon us?
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: Sterling C on July 15, 2007, 06:46:07 PM
Perhaps this threads name should be changed. When I read upper Fraser I thought he meant openings on the Thompson or Quesnel rivers.
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: 2:40 on July 15, 2007, 10:04:09 PM
ditto, I know it might make me sound elitist, but I don't see what's so great in bottom bouncing.  I could also rant and rave for ever on the current netting practices on the columbia. 

There is nothing elitist about wanting to ban SNAGGING.  8)

I'm also excited about the pinks on the fly rod!
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: Fish Assassin on July 16, 2007, 07:38:55 PM
To keep things simple, let's just not fish for sockeye for 5 years.
Give them an opportunity to recover.
What do you say?
Who's with me?!

If it applies to everybody.
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: Old Black Dog on July 16, 2007, 08:00:29 PM
And then what?
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: 2:40 on July 16, 2007, 08:51:07 PM
And then what?

By the time guys were ready to go back after the five years there'd definitely be some regulations in place surrounding the fishing of sockeye.  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: glog on July 17, 2007, 08:52:58 AM
Yes.  great idea.  But how are you going to stop the following groups catching sockeye.

1. natives legal and illegal drift nets
2. commercial fishing fleet
3. Alaskans before they get to BC waters.


Once again you guys are p__sssing in the wind, whats the total sockeye catch by the so called snaggers/fisherman/sports fisherman 70,000,80,000, 90,000 fish.

What's the total caught by the other groups millions.

Guess people forget that last year the alaskans caught record numbers of Coho (silvers) and yet our stocks declined. could there be a possible connection?

As said before go after the biggest reason for the decline not the smallest and you might get somewhere.  Oh and by the way, been to fraser bars 5 times this year and only seen 2 repeat 2 sockeye hooked and both were released in the water.  Thats 40 hours of fishing with at least 40 guys each time.  SO cut the crap about prtecting the early stuart run, they are not being effected by the BB ers at least at the bars that are not under water.  Most the the guys know the sockeye run close to shore and the springs run further out, so it is very easy to stay away form the sockeye. (I know that in all the years I've fished I've only ever hooked 3 sockeye and all were released in the water and in excellent shape.

One additional point any springs that were snagged were all released in the water. I'v managed to get one so far and the hook with the spin-glow was in its throat, so pray tell me how it got there if it didnt bite.






Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: adriaticum on July 17, 2007, 10:40:19 AM
Seems that many have found reasons why protecting sockeye wouldn't work.
Because of these groups, or those people or these fishing methods.
Does anyone firmly believe that it can and should be done regardless of whose egos/feelings might be hurt.
Or whose businesses might be affected.

It seems a little odd that DFO is telling one group of people that they should not fish and what methods to use while I see fresh wild sockeye in every supermarket.

I would probably be useful to see Fraser Sockeye and Chinook stocks collapse completely.
Then someone might take notice and think about it while eating chicken wings.
That is radical but it might be the only way.

The fact that DFO and conservation officers get no respect from people who constantly break the law is nothing new.
They deserve it.
If I go out 50 times fishing without a license, they might catch me once, slap me on the wrist and make me pay a small fine.
Why wouldn't I do it?

I haven't gone around that much, but everywhere I've gone I've seen people breaking the law. Everywhere.
People don't know what a barbless hook is.

Until people face appropriate consequences for breaking the law, they will keep breaking it.
It's just math.
Until it hurts, it doesn't hurt.
Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: glog on July 17, 2007, 12:11:30 PM
problem I have is,  these exaggerations that people make to emphasize  points/opinions.

reading these posts you'd think everyone is leaving garbage, using barbed hooks,etc etc.
This is simply BS.  once again the masses are being effected by the few bad apples which are being blown out of portion to suit special agendas..


I've seen the garbage,  I and lots of other people clean up extra garbage lines fish hooks etc all the time. mind you I dont go to KWB or limit hole, which seem to be a particular problem caused by campers.

I for one regularly bring back home many hundreds of yards of discarded line.  Interesting thing about the hooks, couple of years ago it was 20% of the hooks were barbed, last two years  i've found 1 out of a hundred hooks may be barbed,if any. I can put up a photo of the 37 hooks picked up on sunday. no barbs and no trebles either.

Its not that hard to find out.  During sockeye season when the bars are full DFO just lloks at everyones hook on the main bars they've done it before when I've been there. I've run into DFO 3 times this year alone, they checked licences and examined hooks for barbs and not once did I see anyone get a ticket. In fact last time I saw one was four years ago on the vedder, a [edited] guy was hauling off two large springs and they nailed him. 

So once again its a very small minority of bad illegal fisherman that are being used to force  personnel views and agendas on the main population. This tactic has been going on for many years and its about time it was exposed.

Title: Re: Sockeye Opening - Upper Fraser
Post by: OldTrout on July 17, 2007, 10:36:20 PM
 ;D ;D

Just think of all the bar leads you could make,,,,,,  melting all those betties

 ;D ;D