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Snohomish River Report
Snohomish County, WA

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09/08/2015
Pink Salmon
Evening
09/08/2015
5
1939

Another day on the SnoHo, another adventure.

This report is not so much about the fish, but the rancid amount of unsportsmanlike conduct I witnessed (and apparently others did too) while on the river today.

I got to the hole, to see one gentleman with a full bag of fish laying on the bank. He's not fishing at the moment, so I assume he's caught his limit and is preparing to head out. I thought "There must be a whale in that bag for it to have four pinks in it"........

Well it turns out he doesn't care much for rules or sportsmanship. He got back in the water and was joined by two other "gentle"men who snagged fish like no other for the entirety of the day. Like cast out, let the line go slack, and jerked the rod so that it was behind their head. I'm guessing the first guy kept 10 fish or more, probably many more. The one fish I saw him release he drug up on the bank, unhooked the lure out of it's ass, and soccer ball kicked it back in the water.

So, to my right, horrible sportsmen. To my left it must be better, right? Nope, bad as well. Some kids were out along with some adults. The kids were screaming and cussing and snagging almost as hard as the guys to my right. As in reel-reel-reel, JERK! type of snagging. I put earbuds in to distract myself from the absurdity and just fish, turned on U2 and fished.

I caught 28 pinks plus ONE that I snagged behind the pec fin, lost 10+ more.... released them all. All caught on Dick Nites. The final pink was a good 7lbs and had a massive hump to his back. The fish never left the water and re-joined their comrades in quick fashion.

There were a couple of guys fishing legitimately as well; not every one was a poor sport. So maybe there is hope for sportsmanship after all. Nobody's perfect I guess.

I hope a warden comes and sorts out this issue. They won't listen to me.

As for the rest of us, keep the spirit of fair sportsmanship alive and well.



Comments

hooksetjou
9/9/2015 6:51:00 AM
That is too bad. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't have license either. What about snapping some pictures or video tape what they are doing and report them to the game warden? That should stop them quick.
fisherman92
9/9/2015 7:36:00 AM
Gotta love those poachers. Yeah I hope the wardens can catch some of these people that have no regard for our laws and ecosystems. And taking pictures and video would deter poachers from snagging at the moment, but be careful. From my experience a lot of people on the river carry guns and can be set off from much less than photos.
Be safe and Tight lines!
tleeMV
9/9/2015 7:42:00 AM
There is good information on the WDFW website: http://wdfw.wa.gov/enforcement/reporting_violations.html

What To Look For:
If you believe you have just witnessed a fish/wildlife violation, gather all the necessary information to report:
Automobile license number, make, color, model, year, general condition (4X4, camper/canopy, etc.).
Description of person(s) that committed the violation (sex, general age, race, hair color, general build, name/address if known).
Type of violation, where and when it occurred (time, Game Management Unit, GPS coordinates, road junctions), and species involved.
Immediate reporting will significantly increase the ability of an Officer to contact the violator while still in the field. Use your cell phone if you are in a coverage area.

Never confront a poacher.
_________
If enough people use this tool, it should make an impact.
hooksetjou
9/9/2015 7:50:00 AM
Guns? Holy smokes! What about holding your catch and pretend to take selfies. That way they don't know you are taking pictures of them.
the doc
9/9/2015 8:55:00 AM
oh, thats right, dident ohbama make guns for americans illegal? pistols and rifles and ammo -oh my!
Ian Horning
9/9/2015 9:32:00 AM
All fishermen carry a knife of some sort as well... I'd hate to end up like the carcasses of pinks you see laying on the bottom of the river. Sportsmanship is worth fighting for, but not getting in a fight over.
jonb
9/9/2015 10:54:00 AM
i carry a pretty big knife, but id never use it on a person, unless in deffense of my life. i think most people are like me in that. ive tried to use the poacher hotline before, ive givin every detail needed, multiple serious infractions... i lost cell phone reception on my phone. they never showed up. its as if they expected me to handfeed them the evidense on a silver platter, it wasnt enough for them that i reported to them in great detail what the guy looked like what he was doing etc.. wdfw is impotent and a joke. it really make me upset how little enforcement(0 enforcement) i see on the snohomish/skykomish/wallace rivers..
Ian Horning
9/9/2015 12:32:00 PM
What we need is a couple of WDFW boats to patrol the river and check licences/ fish counts, and not just the guys in boats! Like if they see 20 bank fishermen, like check them all. Big problem areas ive seen are by the farm near Snohomish/ river road, 522 bridge area and upriver by Monroe/sultan. Seriously why do the fishermen care more about the river than the people whose job is to protect it? So frustrating
jonb
9/9/2015 1:25:00 PM
i couldnt agree more mr. horning. perhaps we should bring this idea to the wdfw. we pay for this enforcement. we need this enforcement. seeing poachers on the river snagging fish makes me want to snag them and set the hook then fight them in.. let them know how it feels...
Goldrigger1
9/9/2015 3:02:00 PM
Lots of anger and I feel it too. Low-lifes do things like that. When they are that low, it is scary to think what may be in their brain.

Bigger picture- hate to say this cause we are all the reason it is coming - there will be less and less service from the public sector. The real scum bags (politicians) have voted in untenable salaries and pensions for public sector employees. More and more money will go toward pensions for people who no longer work. Of course there is unaffordable healthcare for them too. Just watch, it will become rare to see a game warden for years at a time. This cause the only solution is to cut back on new employees. They will pay police, trash and roads at a livable rate and let the other stuff wither.

I don't mean to pick on public workers. It isn't their fault. In fact, Medicare is the biggest thing our country can't afford and I'm on it.

We are going Greek.
jonb
9/9/2015 4:04:00 PM
goldrigger i couldnt disagree more, if anything the reason we dont have more wardens is cuts in the departments funding.. its conservatives who advocate cutting government programs, like fish and wildlife enforcement.
Heatherlyfish
9/9/2015 4:54:00 PM
I have talked to people over at fish and wildlife and I am pretty sure it says to call 911 if you see poaching in action. Anyway sorry you had to witness that. Makes me feel less like I want to even try at the river. :( especially less safe for me.
jonb
9/9/2015 6:45:00 PM
ive called 911 they then transfer you to wdfw enforcement who then flubs the whole thing up because they are understaffed and impotent.
LTrain
9/9/2015 9:29:00 PM
I've called on snaggers on the Green and nobody really gives a shit. It's too bad. I'm working my ass off to coax a silver to take my dick night, and the snaggers across the river are bringing them in by the dozen, and when they land them they kick them up on the shore. Disgusting. Makes it hard to fish.

Where I've been fishing lately, the Duwamish, people have been pretty chill. No worries if it's crowded and you want to work in, friendly chatting on technique, and every foul hooked fish I've seen has been released. General excitement whenever someone hooks one. Good bunch there, thats how it should be.
strider43
9/10/2015 1:17:00 PM
I have called WDFW several times in past few months to report poaching and I get a recording telling me to call 911. The 911 operator seemed a little dismayed and transferred me the state patrol, they said they would pass it along to WDFW. Why is that WDFW hotline is not a hotline but a recording instructing the caller to get a run around and as previously mentioned they never show up at the scene. The last guys on the Wallace the other day above Reese RD got real smart with me when I said I was going to call WDFW. I thought about giving them a thrashing but that would be counter productive, but it would of been a blast to kick them around like they were the fish.....
I almost always carry, the rules are very clear on when a weapon should even be drawn or used. Personally I don't think firearms are for everyone and they certainly are not for people who break the law, poaching is still illegal right?
Goldrigger1
9/10/2015 5:16:00 PM
Jonb and others who will wonder why. The cuts come regardless of who is the politico. They are all untrustworthy, liberal or conservative. But, the real proof of my statement is the posts following my first one and what will come in the future. There will be cuts, there will be robots and computers doing people jobs, there will be less human service. You will be told something and that is too fool you. The real deal is lack of money to maintain this wonderful infrastructure we have now. It is great and I love it, but we can't maintain it with a declining population.

It's pure numbers. It is no longer which politics you like. Service will be cut all over not just fishing.
jonb
9/10/2015 9:17:00 PM
yep the rich have all the money, when we learn to tax the crap out of them and their corporations, then we can have the enforcement and services we need among other things.
jonb
9/10/2015 9:18:00 PM
strider i had a VERY similar encounter with what you described when calling the "poaching hotline"
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Available Guide

Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Northwest Fishing Expeditions

Phone: (208) 880-2994