Today's IFPAG Meeting

[Don Wittenberger]

I just returned home from today's IFPAG meeting in Ellensburg and have 2 items I want to bring to your attention.

First, our club's board decided this week that we should pursue a regulation change that allows fishing for tiger muskies only with artificial lures. Under current rules, anglers can fish for tiger muskies with dead bait such as smelt or herring. The problem with bait is that fish swallow it, and a gut-hooked fish is as good as dead. The purpose of the 50-inch rule is to keep tiger muskie populations high by eliminating most angler harvest. A logical extension of this strategy is to eliminate the use of lethal fishing methods. It does no good to release a muskie if it dies from hook injuries. Artificial lures hook a muskie in the mouth, and if the fish is properly handled, the survival rate is 100%. It's simply common sense that this should be the only way muskies are caught.

The first step is to win WDFW's support for the change. I told a couple of key department staff about it at today's meeting to get that ball rolling. The next step is collecting information relevant to the issue. I intend to submit a proposed rule in 2009 for adoption by the Commission in 2010. This year is an off-year for rulemaking, and that's the soonest it can be done.

The other item involves 2009 stocking. As most of you know, WDFW imposed a moratorium on importing tiger muskie eggs in 2007, which means no stocking in 2008. This was a precautionary measure to further reduce the risk of bringing VHS fish disease into our state. WDFW used this 1-year suspension of tiger muskie stocking to beef up testing, quarantine, and hatchery procedures. We are now in a position to tell opponents of tiger muskie stocking (and there are a few people like that out there) that there's virtually no chance of VHS coming into Washington via the tiger muskie stocking program.

The good news about the 2009 stocking is that due to higher than expected hatchery survival, WDFW will have 15,000 fingerlings this winter, instead of the usual 6,000. The extra fish will be planted this fall. Because of their smaller size, survival won't be as high as the 12" fingerlings planted next spring, but the 2009 year class is going to be exceptionally large. WDFW hasn't decided yet how to divide up the fish between the lakes, and we'll probably have an opportunity to provide input on this later this summer.

[muskyhunter]

Don,
Noted and thanks...

[kevinb]

I just returned home from today's IFPAG meeting in Ellensburg and have 2 items I want to bring to your attention.

First, our club's board decided this week that we should pursue a regulation change that allows fishing for tiger muskies only with artificial lures. Under current rules, anglers can fish for tiger muskies with dead bait such as smelt or herring. The problem with bait is that fish swallow it, and a gut-hooked fish is as good as dead. The purpose of the 50-inch rule is to keep tiger muskie populations high by eliminating most angler harvest. A logical extension of this strategy is to eliminate the use of lethal fishing methods. It does no good to release a muskie if it dies from hook injuries. Artificial lures hook a muskie in the mouth, and if the fish is properly handled, the survival rate is 100%. It's simply common sense that this should be the only way muskies are caught.

The first step is to win WDFW's support for the change. I told a couple of key department staff about it at today's meeting to get that ball rolling. The next step is collecting information relevant to the issue. I intend to submit a proposed rule in 2009 for adoption by the Commission in 2010. This year is an off-year for rulemaking, and that's the soonest it can be done.

The other item involves 2009 stocking. As most of you know, WDFW imposed a moratorium on importing tiger muskie eggs in 2007, which means no stocking in 2008. This was a precautionary measure to further reduce the risk of bringing VHS fish disease into our state. WDFW used this 1-year suspension of tiger muskie stocking to beef up testing, quarantine, and hatchery procedures. We are now in a position to tell opponents of tiger muskie stocking (and there are a few people like that out there) that there's virtually no chance of VHS coming into Washington via the tiger muskie stocking program.

The good news about the 2009 stocking is that due to higher than expected hatchery survival, WDFW will have 15,000 fingerlings this winter, instead of the usual 6,000. The extra fish will be planted this fall. Because of their smaller size, survival won't be as high as the 12" fingerlings planted next spring, but the 2009 year class is going to be exceptionally large. WDFW hasn't decided yet how to divide up the fish between the lakes, and we'll probably have an opportunity to provide input on this later this summer.

Thanks Don,
Heres a complete shot in the dark...(like hunting with Ray Charles) I don't suppose you could apply or re-apply the "use of dead bait"issue to northern pike? I figure its a long shot but I've seen many dead pike in Idaho lakes do to this method.Granted,in Washington state their are only a small handful of pike waters but more reason to protect them(in my humble opinion)As of now the states of Washington and Idaho have no rules or regs about northern pike.I believe this will change in the years to come.Many small communities along the borders now depend on tourism(pike anglers)dollars.
Just an idea.

Thanks for the info,

[Don Wittenberger]

WDFW doesn't want northern pike in Washington, and isn't interested in protecting them. They would eat salmon smolt if they got the chance, and WDFW doesn't want them to get the chance. WDFW recently poisoned a lake on the Olympic peninsula because someone put northerns in it.

Any prohibition on dead bait has to be species-specific, because we'd never be able to pass a general ban on dead bait, given the use of herring bait in the salmon fishery. I will draft a proposal that only prohibits use of dead bait for tiger muskies. It might be possible to broaden it to include all the pikes and still get it through the Commission. I'll give that some thought, but I'll have to run that by the WDFW folks, and I don't know how they'll react to it.

[kevinb]

I kind of figured they'd be against it but I also feel the state is uninformed of pike eating habits or anything reffering to pike.
But thanks for the input. I knew it was long shot.

[Don Wittenberger]

How badly do you want this? I'm willing to look into it, if there's enough support for it among our members and/or other anglers.

[kevinb]

How badly do you want this? I'm willing to look into it, if there's enough support for it among our members and/or other anglers.

I'm not really sure. I understand what your saying and think it would a very long battle. As of now,I'd assume not put to much effort in.The tiger muskies is already enough work and I appreciate your hard fought efforts. I'm probably getting greedy,I don't know other chapter members that do much pike fishing.Maybe in the future,I will try to pursue this.I love my pikies and make several annual trips a year and know of others.Just not in the chapter.

Thanks again:salut:

[muskyhunter]

If I am not mistaken isn't the next time to meet for the rule changes is in 2 years? I think this gives a bit of time to come up with a solid solution...I personally think that dead bait or live bait fishing for any esox species is wrong and just a lazy way to fish these critters.The mortality rate is high in any case. Though I think being able to use minnows for crappies is ok...but i do also understand the states position. Plus it would stop any chance of some kind of VHS virus starting from the live bait. Anyway, we have time to come up with something. At least there is a bug in the WDFW and IFPAG's ear.

[Don Wittenberger]

>If I am not mistaken isn't the next time to meet for the rule changes is in 2 years? I think this gives a bit of time to come up with a solid solution...<

Yes. We have plenty of time to discuss this and formulate a plan.