WDFW Seeking Western Wash. Bass Angler For IFPAG

[Don Wittenberger]

At least 3 of the 15 members of WDFW's Inland Fish Policy Advisory Group (IFPAG) won't be returning next year, and Chris Donley, WDFW Fish Program Manager, said at today's meeting that WDFW would to appoint a Western Washington bass angler to IFPAG. The members of IFPAG are volunteers who are appointed to 2-year terms by the WDFW Director and provide public input to WDFW fisheries managers on "inland" recreational fishing polices and management. Past members of IFPAG have included fishing club representatives, outdoor writers, and resort owners. IFPAG typically meets in February in Olympia, and 1 or 2 times later in the year at the Washington State Department of Transportation's "Bullfrog" facility off I-90 a few miles west of Cle Elum (you get there by taking Exit 80). For several years, I have represented Washington's tiger musky anglers on IFPAG, and I've told Bruce Bolding, WDFW Warmwater Program Manager, that I plan to apply for another 2 years.

IFPAG is about evenly split between warmwater and trout interests, and also Eastern and Western Washington residents. Today's meeting covered a status update on WDFW's negotiations with the National Park Service to stock trout in 47 alpine lakes within Cascade National Park, a brief discussion of WDFW's agreement with NOAA (i.e., National Marine Fisheries Service) in response to a lawsuit to stop stocking hatchery steelhead in Puget Sound rivers, channel catfish stocking, upcoming sportfishing rule changes (none of which directly affect musky anglers), two new state fish records, and a presentation about a state grant program that pays for boat launches and other water access.

Because of the steelhead agreement, WDFW had to dispose of 750,000 steelhead fingerlings. Some of these were planted in Sprague Lake, and WDFW raised 350,000 to catchable size (12" - 14") and these will go to 19 landlocked western Washington lakes, including 70,000 in Seattle's Green Lake. That should provide some nice fishing for urban dwellers.

Washington's walleye record finally broke through the 20-lb. barrier with a 20.32-lb. 'eye caught by John Grubenhoff at Wallula Lake last February. The previous record also came from Wallula Lake, the reservoir behind McNary Dam near Umatilla, Oregon, so now you know when and where to look for big 'eyes. My walleye fishing friends have told me March is the time to fish for really big ones.

Washington also has a new tiger musky record of 37 lb. 15 oz., length 50.38", girth 23.75", caught by David Hickman of Pasco at Curlew Lake on July 25, 2014. Hickman is not a tiger musky novice, he's been targeting the species for several years, and he's a regular visitor to Lake Curlew, so this wasn't some tyro musky angler randomly stumbling onto a big fish. He took it on a white spinnerbait, which makes him a bit of a contrarian, because a lot of Curlew musky anglers favor black lures. Will this be Washington's final TMK record? I wouldn't bet money on it. It may stand for a long time, but several other tiger musky states have records over 40 lbs., and maybe we'll eventually get there, too, although the fact these fish have short lives makes it difficult. How about 50 lbs.? Not gonna happen. Only two 50-lb.-plus tiger muskies have been caught by sport anglers in the entire history of the universe, both of them from Lac Vieux Desert on the Wisconsin-Upper Michigan boundary, one in the late 1940's and the other in the early 1950s. While there may be a handful of similar monsters, past or present, swimming in the Great Lakes, I'm 100% sure we don't have the conditions to grow such freaks here. It's the Wisconsin beer, bratwurst, and cheese that makes them get so fat, you know.

It's been a privilege for me to represent Washington's musky anglers on IFPAG and I look forward to continuing to do that for at least 2 more years. I'm not gonna promise to do it forever, though. Assuming I'm reappointed, I'll be over 70 when my next IFPAG term ends. I can't believe I'm getting so old! Where did all those birthday candles come from?

[MarkFromSea]

Nice review of info there! Thanks for posting.

[Rosann G]

Thanks for the report Don. Hope you got some fishing in this year.

[Don Wittenberger]

Nope, I didn't.