Northwest Fishing Reports

September 30, 2010

Puyallup and Carbon rivers to close for salmon fishing

Action: Closes Puyallup and Carbon rivers for salmon fishing.

Effective dates:

Puyallup River - Oct. 4 through Oct. 31, 2010.
Carbon River - Oct. 4 through Nov. 30, 2010.

Species affected: Salmon.

Location:

Puyallup River from mouth (11th Street Bridge) upstream to the mouth of the Carbon River.
Carbon River from mouth upstream to the mouth of Voights Creek.
Reason for action: The coho run is low and the hatchery has not collected enough fish to meet egg-take goals.

Other information: The rivers will re-open for salmon fishing if egg-take needs are met. Fishing for gamefish remains open as described in the 2010/2011 Sportfishing Rules Pamphlet.

Information contacts: Mike Scharpf, district biologist, 360-902-2710.

bionic_one wrote:September 30, 2010

Puyallup and Carbon rivers to close for salmon fishing

Action: Closes Puyallup and Carbon rivers for salmon fishing.

Effective dates:

Puyallup River - Oct. 4 through Oct. 31, 2010.
Carbon River - Oct. 4 through Nov. 30, 2010.

Species affected: Salmon.

Location:

Puyallup River from mouth (11th Street Bridge) upstream to the mouth of the Carbon River.
Carbon River from mouth upstream to the mouth of Voights Creek.
Reason for action: The coho run is low and the hatchery has not collected enough fish to meet egg-take goals.

Other information: The rivers will re-open for salmon fishing if egg-take needs are met. Fishing for gamefish remains open as described in the 2010/2011 Sportfishing Rules Pamphlet.

Information contacts: Mike Scharpf, district biologist, 360-902-2710.

%$#^.....:shaking2: They did this on purpose to ensure the Green is an absolute crowded zoo everywhere when more water opens up for coho tomorrow.......... Maybe I should scrap the fishing plans, buy all the Lowe's ladders and sell them at the dike. Make enough to buy me a new noodle rod:-k

they should've done that sooner, that run has been doodoo so far

The fish are still coming in....they will show.............They are getting hammered out in the straights. I still doubt it will be as big of a run as they said but they are coming. There are still kings moving in

If the fish show up in the river they will open it again. They will wait till they get the numbers in the hatchery that they need though. I really dont care if they close this river or not though. In the last few years its gettin harder to catch fish here, other then the pinks or chum. The last steel head I caught out of this river was in the 90s. I pretty much know living 5 mins from the puyallup and carbon does me no good. If I want fish Its an hour or more drive but Ill get em. I think they should continue the hatchery projects but close all fishing tribal and recreational for a few years and let this river get back to the way it should be.

flinginpooh wrote:If the fish show up in the river they will open it again. They will wait till they get the numbers in the hatchery that they need though. I really dont care if they close this river or not though. In the last few years its gettin harder to catch fish here, other then the pinks or chum. The last steel head I caught out of this river was in the 90s. I pretty much know living 5 mins from the puyallup and carbon does me no good. If I want fish Its an hour or more drive but Ill get em. I think they should continue the hatchery projects but close all fishing tribal and recreational for a few years and let this river get back to the way it should be.

The real problem is oceanic commercial fishing, not anything at the river level. By the time the fish hit the river we are seeing the last 20% that hasn't been picked over by the commercial guys at sea; albeit native nets stretched over the end of the commercial pipe DOES NOT help the matter any.

I've heard many proponents of the "closing it for X number of years to allow for a rebound" and I can see some foundation to this concept, although ultimately I do not think it would work for a variety of reasons.

It is doubtful the state will re-open the fishery once the hatcheries achieve escapement goals; which they will. They closed E-bay early this year due to a "lack of fish", call down to the hatchery now and you will find that they have had over 5,000 surplus fish since the closure and "no fish scare". They never re-opened it, just let the fish go to waste. Perfect example of fear based state regulatory actions and a "better safe than sorry" mentality.

Even if they dont reopen before the end of the month the puyallup will be open in Nov and the Carbon in Dec. As it sits right now. So either way the river is set to reopen. Chum run is usually good at the puyallup. lol

Matt wrote:

flinginpooh wrote:If the fish show up in the river they will open it again. They will wait till they get the numbers in the hatchery that they need though. I really dont care if they close this river or not though. In the last few years its gettin harder to catch fish here, other then the pinks or chum. The last steel head I caught out of this river was in the 90s. I pretty much know living 5 mins from the puyallup and carbon does me no good. If I want fish Its an hour or more drive but Ill get em. I think they should continue the hatchery projects but close all fishing tribal and recreational for a few years and let this river get back to the way it should be.

The real problem is oceanic commercial fishing, not anything at the river level. By the time the fish hit the river we are seeing the last 20% that hasn't been picked over by the commercial guys at sea]

I''m with matt on this one too. The other problem is that the more hatchery fry need to get out of the river, but there aren't enough nutrients to support the smolts. There are a million fish that go out into the world and it comes back at mere thousands of adult returning? Keep in mind that the migratory patterns of the fish follow the current all the way to russia and asian waters as well. We're feeding the world with our hatchery fish, not just the sport fishermen. But as far as legislation is concerned, sport fishermen are the lowest concern to government, first comes international trade, commercial fishing next and enviromental concern then us. We take less fish than anything, if you had to catch your own fish rather than buy them, there'd be plkenty to go round for everyone. But whaddya gonna do>

HOW DEPRESSING. LETS GET TO AN EVEN MORE IMPORTANT POINT WHICH IS I JUST GOT A SICK NEW 9 FT FETHA STYX PREDATOR AND HAVE HARDLY GOT WATCH IT BEND. MAYBE I WILL START BASS FISHING.........OK MAYBE I WENT TO FAR WITH THAT ONE HAHAHAHAHA!

As Matt said the river will not open once the fish return shows up. I would liek to see them close the river for a few years as well. They would open it during the pink runs though I am sure.

flinginpooh wrote:The last steel head I caught out of this river was in the 90s.

The Puyallup river used to turn brown with the steelhead. Supposedly a chemical spill killed off all the fish... But that didn't seem to kill off all the Salmon. I think it was over-fishing myself. Old timers I meet down there tell me it was the best steelhead river in the Norwest.

yeah right when we get the bigger coho run possibly EVER! fish are running huge a C-Q ive been hearing! now the green and gonna be a zoo! and crossing lines aint going to cut it! :rambo: :rambo:

fishingboy wrote: yeah right when we get the bigger coho run possibly EVER! fish are running huge a C-Q ive been hearing! now the green and gonna be a zoo! and crossing lines aint going to cut it! :rambo: :rambo:

there ae plenty of other rivers to hit that you will have to drive farther to get to but will have less pressure.

Toni wrote:I never even got to fish the Carbon this year.

I suppose if you were going to miss a year on the Carbon you would be saving yourself some time, energy, and money by not fishing it this year... I do like that small water though.

Too little Too late. The rivers have had major flooding the last 3 - 5 years. Natural spon and eggs have been scoured out and flushed from the river. The hatchery has been flooded and lost eggs and fingerlings multiple times. From the time the fish make it back to the coast and start to head inland they are protected in some way (limits / seasons) and then when they get to the river and are headed home they get slottered in nets. Nature has taken it's tole when the fish were young and in the river and man has finished the job when they are old and returning. I beleave the Indians have a right to net but be respectful of the resource as their ansesters were. Close the river to ALL and hope for the best that it does rebound. If it doesn't, let it be an other example to our kids and grandkids of how we managed to destroy nature.

jerrysgonefishing wrote: The rivers have had major flooding the last 3 - 5 years. Natural spon and eggs have been scoured out and flushed from the river. The hatchery has been flooded and lost eggs and fingerlings multiple times. From the time the fish make it back to the coast and start to head inland they are protected in some way (limits / seasons) and then when they get to the river and are headed home they get slottered in nets. Nature has taken it's tole when the fish were young and in the river and man has finished the job when they are old and returning. I beleave the Indians have a right to net but be respectful of the resource as their ansesters were. Close the river to ALL and hope for the best that it does rebound. If it doesn't, let it be an other example to our kids and grandkids of how we managed to destroy nature.

I do agree with you but the indians also have stocked the river and they should be able to get those returning fish. I wonder if the land for the new hatchery might have closed yet?

I dont mind the native netting but I HATE the wasting. If we are going to ban anything we should ban the fish trawlers that scoop up salmon by the thousands. Make everything from Neah bay east a non comercial area which includes the entire puget sound for every species not just salmon. How much money do the trawlers actually put in the states coffers compared to the sport fishers?