Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Randog on May 24, 2006, 05:33:29 PM
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I just checked the Albion test fishery site and noticed that only seven fish were netted from May 15 to May 23 :-\ Then I ran the same report for the same dates in 2005 and noticed only THREE fish were caught. :o
Many of you may know that the Cheam band, was granted a permit recently to harvest 115 Chinook salmon for FSC. with drift nets and set nets for 24 hours a day for seven days straight. We all know that this fishery can't be monitored by our almost nonexistant DFO enforcement officers. I would like to know who is going to monitor their catch and bi- catch. If the Cheam can fish 24/7 shouldn't we have enforcement to make sure they don't take in excess of their catch?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing the Cheam, just questioning the thought process of our DFO with apparent limited numbers of springs in the system
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Well, at least there were 4 more fish then last year!! :)
But I agree, there should be some type of monitoring done!! I also want a million bucks and a nice Jet as well!! But we don't always get what we want!! ??? :)
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I think its has to do with how fast the river is roaring right now and its height making the fish hug tighter to shore and not get swept away in the path of the test net compared to last year. Right now while Sturgeon fishing I have seen several 60 foot plus trees float by like race cars. :o
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Randog
You are right, there seems to be little accountability on the numbers of chinook and any other by-catch taken by the Cheam. There is little political will to deal with any confrontation with native bands now or in the future.The big loser in all of this will be our fish stocks which are under extreme pressure from all user groups, sports anglers included.
DFO had a sport closure on chinook for a number of years to protect declining stocks.The number of chinook in the system during those years was far greater than it is now, yet they were closed. Pressure by all user groups managed to get this fishery reopened even though numbers continue to decline.
Who is really managing our stocks, and do they really know how many fish are reaching the spawning grounds?
Interception of chinook by bottom bouncers, in my opion will have an impact on this species in the not too distant future. Don't get me wrong, I have used this method to catch chinook and after seeing how effective it is I think it should be band. Bar fishing should be the only method to angle chinook unless you have a drift net handy.
Even though I have made that statement, I find it difficult to be limited to using a single barbless hook bar fishing when I see drift nets going by every twenty minutes . How many more years can these populations be exploited before totally collapsing? Global warming has already had a severe impact on Fraser River sockeye and I think it will contine in the future. Early retuning stocks are in real trouble and may not recover if conditions do not improve.
Bigsteel, you don't need a jet boat, unless you own a bulk station!
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Very good points Buck! We all know what the answer to these problems should be, the answers are rather simple. But as you said, due to the pressure from all parties, it seems as though these solutions will not come soon enough!!
In saying that though, I still am looking forward to getting out there and fighting those beasts yet again, and no I don't nned a Jet boat, but it sure would make it easier to get out to the Bars to get away from the mass of bouncers!! ;D
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Bigsteel,
My fishing partner was out a week ago Tuesday and picked up a 22 pounder bar fishing. The river went to hell the next day so we'll have to wait until the river starts to drop. Even with a boat its difficult to get away from the bouncers.
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Well, I wasn't expecting to be able to get out until end of June at the earliest anyways!!! But I guess we will have to wait and see what the freshet and the river has in store for us yet!! ;) :)
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They are a little fresher when you catch them in the ocean and the only weight you bottom bounce is on the downrigger. Move to fresher ground and taste the difference.
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They are a little fresher when you catch them in the ocean and the only weight you bottom bounce is on the downrigger. Move to fresher ground and taste the difference.
In all respect these early springs we catch in the Fraser River are in my mind the best eating fish there is on the planet. ;D ;D
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They are a little fresher when you catch them in the ocean and the only weight you bottom bounce is on the downrigger. Move to fresher ground and taste the difference.
It'll be tough to taste the difference, as I will have had to give up dental, and various other "luxuries" in order to buy an ocean boat ;)
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I think its has to do with how fast the river is roaring right now and its height making the fish hug tighter to shore and not get swept away in the path of the test net compared to last year. Right now while Sturgeon fishing I have seen several 60 foot plus trees float by like race cars. :o
Actually...sometimes each test set is just 10 minutes long, depending on how fast the flow is. Otherwise, they aim for 30 minutes.
My sources recently, from one of the observers, is that the average size of what they're getting now is 17 lbs.
You're totally on base about what you say about the fishery being unsupervised. That's a CROCK!
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:o so when do we get to do a test fishery ;D ;D ;D oh well im back after a long battle with the back. will fill you all in soon cheers
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i was out last weekend in the saltchuck and the score was Fishermen 1 Seals 2. Boy they can ruin your day in a hurry
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i was out last weekend in the saltchuck and the score was Fishermen 1 Seals 2. Boy they can ruin your day in a hurry
That's why you write a letter to DFO saying that the seals are eating better than you and your family.
Personally, for how much I fish, I've given 4 to the seals this year...all of them legal fish. SAD!
If one had a rifle and went out on a shooting mission locally here, I'd bet that they wouldn't have too trouble to go and find 30 of them IN A SINGLE MORNING!
All this BS about seals needing to eat etc..that's ridiculous! It's more like the eating is good for seals cuz there are fishermen! I've not seen this many seals locally in a LONG time.
I'd bet that there have been several hundred fish given to seals locally this spring so far.
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I think its has to do with how fast the river is roaring right now and its height making the fish hug tighter to shore and not get swept away in the path of the test net compared to last year. Right now while Sturgeon fishing I have seen several 60 foot plus trees float by like race cars. :o
Actually...sometimes each test set is just 10 minutes long, depending on how fast the flow is. Otherwise, they aim for 30 minutes.
My sources recently, from one of the observers, is that the average size of what they're getting now is 17 lbs.
You're totally on base about what you say about the fishery being unsupervised. That's a CROCK!
Actually, from what I just heard, this is the worst returns they've observed thus far in 20 years.
I've heard reports that they're thinking on closing the sports fishery on the Fraser and it's tributaries this year until further notice.
BLEEP!
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I think its has to do with how fast the river is roaring right now and its height making the fish hug tighter to shore and not get swept away in the path of the test net compared to last year. Right now while Sturgeon fishing I have seen several 60 foot plus trees float by like race cars. :o
Actually...sometimes each test set is just 10 minutes long, depending on how fast the flow is. Otherwise, they aim for 30 minutes.
My sources recently, from one of the observers, is that the average size of what they're getting now is 17 lbs.
You're totally on base about what you say about the fishery being unsupervised. That's a CROCK!
Actually, from what I just heard, this is the worst returns they've observed thus far in 20 years.
I've heard reports that they're thinking on closing the sports fishery on the Fraser and it's tributaries this year until further notice.
BLEEP!
Am I the only one here that thinks this will never happen!! :)
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how was the sturgeon fishing big steel? ;D
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I wasn't able to make it out!! :'(
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I heard the water is to height to fish for them. is this true?
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Am I the only one here that thinks this will never happen!! :)
I would say go as far to say it will never happen. If the natives continue to net fish at the rate they are this could possibly happen in the future but I can't see this happening on such short notice.
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I heard the water is to height to fish for them. is this true?
I haven't noticed that the freshet makes any difference in three years I have been fishing them! But this year has been real slow for me!! ;) Slayer we shouldn't be hijacking thhis thread, if you have any other questions go to the Sturgeon report thread!! ;D
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One thing that also can have a bearing on the test fishery results at Albion is high water conditions and the river being full of debris that has been the case the last couple of weeks. Also remember the seals take a toll of the fish in the test vessel's nets. They just hang around and have easy picking once a fish is in the net.
Also I feel there is no need to close the recreational fishery on the Fraser as at this time of year with the freshet now in full swing success is very limited. I personally have heard of only 6 being taken since the opening on May 1.