Lake Washington Cutt Anglers Beware

[G-Man]

Now this is the kind of thing that gives the WDFW a bad name. Instead of using the incidental bycatch of chinook salmon in Lake Washington as a research tool, someone in the department has taken it upon themselves to pit enforcement against the recreational angler. So if you are out fishing the Lake and Mr. Game Warden stops you to check your gear, play nice, he's just following orders from someone above him. I'm curious to see what they would say about my use of a mini hoochie and flasher to catch cutts. I will definitely be emailing enforcement to question them on what they consider Chinook fishing gear/tatics in Lake Washington/Lake Sammamish and post any feedback/comments I receive.

The following is take from the Salmon University website:


Seattle area (Marine Area 10): February 10, 2009

Area 10 is closed for all fishing except for the catch and release cutthroat saltwater fishery. The Lake Washington cutthroat fishery is continuing. Something I have been aware of is now drawing attention from DFW enforcement. That is the concern that fishermen using herring as bait for cutthroat might be targeting resident Lake Wahington chinook. I had reports of fishermen at Coulon have been accused of targeting Chinook on Lake Washington by using herring for bait. There has been a population of Chinook in the lake. The taking of any salmon except for a special opening is strictly illegal. As I came into the Coulon ramp today and the only trailer in the lot there were 2 trucks with officers at the head of the ramp. One was with hip boots and a snare rig to recover and look at filleted carcuses, only to find they were in fact cutthroat. I questioned to myself that with the money shortfalls why did this take 2 trucks and officers.

For more information, call Tom Pollack, Sportco in Fife, 253-922-2222

[swedefish4life1]

Anyone who retains a Cutt, Trout or a body Part:colors: and eats it is a goof out of her!
Release the trout all of them they are hotter then Hanford:chef: and the levels of PCB's/P'S 2nd to none!:cheers:

[The Quadfather]

Now this is the kind of thing that gives the WDFW a bad name. Instead of using the incidental bycatch of chinook salmon in Lake Washington as a research tool, someone in the department has taken it upon themselves to pit enforcement against the recreational angler. So if you are out fishing the Lake and Mr. Game Warden stops you to check your gear, play nice, he's just following orders from someone above him. I'm curious to see what they would say about my use of a mini hoochie and flasher to catch cutts. I will definitely be emailing enforcement to question them on what they consider Chinook fishing gear/tatics in Lake Washington/Lake Sammamish and post any feedback/comments I receive.

The following is take from the Salmon University website:


Seattle area (Marine Area 10): February 10, 2009

Area 10 is closed for all fishing except for the catch and release cutthroat saltwater fishery. The Lake Washington cutthroat fishery is continuing. Something I have been aware of is now drawing attention from DFW enforcement. That is the concern that fishermen using herring as bait for cutthroat might be targeting resident Lake Wahington chinook. I had reports of fishermen at Coulon have been accused of targeting Chinook on Lake Washington by using herring for bait. There has been a population of Chinook in the lake. The taking of any salmon except for a special opening is strictly illegal. As I came into the Coulon ramp today and the only trailer in the lot there were 2 trucks with officers at the head of the ramp. One was with hip boots and a snare rig to recover and look at filleted carcuses, only to find they were in fact cutthroat. I questioned to myself that with the money shortfalls why did this take 2 trucks and officers.

For more information, call Tom Pollack, Sportco in Fife, 253-922-2222

Thannks for mentioning this, I am looking forward to what you get back from your email to the state.

[Anonymous]

I love cutties in Lk wa. Its no worse the beef being fed hormones or chickens eating fertilizers or deer and elk drinking out of poluted waters.There is no pure fresh anything anymore.Those Lk Wa. Cutties taste great.Ive been fishing for cutties along time on the lake.Probably have to use barbless hooks.Chinook dont run up the Cedar they run up the north end of the lake.I use herring all the time for cutties and will still use it.The odds of catching a nookie up the south end are slim to none.

This is the time of year for cutties.I was hoping for this weekend.

[Bodofish]

If you don't think there's any little bm's in the south end of the lake you're sadly mistaken. Kings do run up the cedar and that's the problem with getting season on the hatchery fish from Issaquah. The State can't seem to get the Mukelshoots or what ever tribe it is down there to even discuss opening Lake W or commenting on the run so by default the state says no fishery. It'll happen to the Socks too, just watch in two years. The Cedar has an "all native run" or so they say and the returns are very small. The last time I was fishing the south end, trolling spoons in the winter, I couldn't keep the little buggers off my line. They weren't big enough to pull the line off the clips sooooooooo.......... The spoons were as big as they were.

[swedefish4life1]

We love the Kings in Lake Wa:cheers:

[Freeport-McMoRan]

G-man thanks for the heads-up. We might go out this weekend and fish our hot-spots. I don't use herring (hate messing around with that) but good headups. Enforcement is scrawny at best on LW to begin with. FCX