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[wookie]

Hi all, just a friendly reminder that if you catch a Chum, please release with care.

With the low chum numbers on the Fraser, I and a few others have been asked to capture Chum broodstock by rod and reel on a LM system.

This particular river requires 160 mating pairs in the hatchery and only has 3 CHUM to date. Usually, they shift gears to coho by this time, but can't until they get enough chum.

This rarely occurs on LM systems, and this is a first for this river where there is not enough Chum to trap and net.  I imagine this will be a problem for other systems as well.

While I do see most people properly releasing mature Chum (and other fish), there are instances where I have witnessed a fish dragged onto rocks in order to avoid big teeth and more easily retrieve a hook....followed by a kick to send the fish on its way....

These fish, while not always targeted by fall fisherman, form an integral part of the ecosystem and deserve as much care as wild Coho or Steelhead. 

Thanks!

[Lunk Louie]

Yup....this seems to be the case almost more times than not of all the guys releasing fish, especially this year with the huge numbers of fishers partaking....seems most of the guilty parties are simply naive of the common sense and care required in handling the throwbacks...

Firstly any fish should not be dragged "clear of the water's edge" before it's determined as to whether it's a keeper or not....and secondly when returning, imo, if one doesn't wish to handle the fish for whatever reason (maybe you are so racked with arthritis ya can't bend over to use your hands ), then at the very least I can see gently nudging or sidling the fish towards deeper water with the side of ones boot if they must but any kicking or abrupt/harsh foot motion in order to propel the fish can surely be avoided...and I've seen guys who appear to be proficient anglers doing this as much as the newbs.   

[milo]

Excellent and timely reminder.
Unfortunately, I'm afraid you are preaching to the choir. I'm certain that the worst offenders don't read this forum because they are not true anglers. But even if one chum is saved as a result of your thread, it is worth it to post it.

[243Pete]

Well if they shut down the catch and release on most major systems then there will be even way less of this.
And yes, there is talk right now about shutting down the chum catch and release for a bunch of systems in the Fraser valley.

[DanL]

Well if they shut down the catch and release on most major systems then there will be even way less of this.

To be fair, moving chum to C&R already reduces the recreational effort greatly. Without the meat fishery, a lot of people stay home. The last time there was a chum retention closure, there must have been a 80-90% reduction of anglers at the Stave, and a lot of those were targeting coho

[Wiseguy]

Shutting the Stave down to Chum retention just shuffles the crowd over to Norrish creek or the Vedder where the chance of catching a coho to take home is much better.

[243Pete]

Guess what.

https://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=251933&ID=all&fbclid=IwAR3k30RPYBnicLusVcQARKLiCNlkaYLq1zVfmfJ1sNyWXzV5XK8mRUDOEqA

No fishing for chum as stated previous.

[knotbadman]

I will be heading out for Coho tomorrow at Nicomen Slough. I will be using spoons. I am not intending to catch any Chum but is just having an "intention" to not catch Chum enough? What are the rules around "not fishing for Chum Salmon". Thanks in advance.

[243Pete]

I will be heading out for Coho tomorrow at Nicomen Slough. I will be using spoons. I am not intending to catch any Chum but is just having an "intention" to not catch Chum enough? What are the rules around "not fishing for Chum Salmon". Thanks in advance.

Intention is generally what is more or less what will be targetting specifically, casting small spoons and twitch jigs in areas that coho are frequent is a pass, yes there is the possiblity of hooking a chum here and there but unless you are specifically targetting them like short floating a purple and pink jig or fishing an area where the chum are highly congregated is grounds for a ticket, and again if you are hooking more than a handful of chum on a specific technique and haven't changed that "technique" that is again grounds for a ticket.
Basically it just amounts to not fishing "specifically" for chum. A few chum as accidental by-catch is fine but release them in a quick and gentle manner to best optimize survivability.