FishwithJD

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Alternative commercial fishing gear to be tested on lower Columbia River

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Back then, we thought the resource was limitless...now we know better! (Photo: www.nwcouncil.org)

Okay, I guess this is a positive thing that they’re trying to modify commercial fishing gear on the lower Columbia….but I do have one question to ask before you read on: WTF?? They can still commercially fish on the Columbia? I’m not into messing with person’s livelihood, but can somebody explain to me how netting salmon in a river is a good thing in the Big Picture?

I’m off the soap box now…go ahead and read on…

Starting this week, fishery managers from Washington and Oregon will test the feasibility of five types of alternative commercial fishing gears on the lower Columbia River. Expanding on a pilot project conducted last year, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will work with commercial salmon fishers to test purse seines, beach seines and trap nets.

In addition, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) will work with a team of commercial fishers to test commercial troll gear and tangle nets during fall chinook and coho salmon runs. Click here to read more…

How to Fish Divers and Bait for River Salmon

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Diver 2
Headed for a river that has salmon in it this summer and fall? Take some diver & bait rigs with you – it’s a super easy and extremely deadly technique that you can pick up in no time!

While there are several good ways to get a big, juicy glob of hot red sulfite eggs (or sand shrimp) down in the faces of river salmon, the ol’ diver and bait is often the first one to which I turn.

Click here to read more…

NOAA Fisheries: “Change CA water pumping ops”

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nimbus-damWell, the Feds finally understand what we’ve all been saying for a looong time: The way the Northern California’s water is managed is a bad deal for fish like salmon, steelhead, sturgeon…and even, as it turns out, southern killer whales.

Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its final biological opinion that finds (surprise, surprise!) the water pumping operations in the Central Valley by the federal Bureau of Reclamation jeopardize the continued existence of several threatened and endangered species under the jurisdiction of NOAA’s Fisheries Service.

Federal biologists and hydrologists concluded that current water pumping operations in the Federal Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project should be changed to ensure survival of winter and spring-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, the southern population of North American green sturgeon and Southern Resident killer whales, which rely on Chinook salmon runs for food.Click here to read more…

OMG!

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monster-kenai-king
This one’s from the Holy Crap files! Check out this very bright (still had sea lice!) and oh so giant king salmon from the Kenai River! The fish was taken June 30th, 2004 by a client of guide Greg Brush of EZ Limit Guide Service in Soldotna.

Take a really, really close look at that fish…the wrist of the tail is as big as your thigh and you could fit your head inside its mouth! And then there’s the adipose fin that’s the size of a salad plate…

Although not a world record…not even close, if you can believe that…Greg (right) says the fish was in the mid 80’s (duh!) and is his personal best during his tenure as a guide on the Kenai.

The best part of the whole deal is the client released the fish! Super manly man stud props for that!

Though the Kenai’s slowing down as a giant factory, there are still monsters lurking in its emerald depths and Les Anderson’s all-tackle world record of 97 pounds, 4 ounces is never safe here. Check out the story of the World Record King HERE