Northwest Fishing Reports

Is it just me or is the WDFW just getting worse and worse every year in terms of checking licenses and stuff?

I've managed to run into them ONCE. I'd like to see them every few times I'm out there, but I've managed to be out fishing over 75-80 days thus far in 2007 and I've ran into them ONCE.

One lake I frequent quite a bit, I saw the WDFW rolling through about once ever 3 times I fished. Been there over 20 times this year and haven't seen em once.

Sorry, this is just a bit of a rant, but for those of you also complaining about all the people breaking laws (example: baitfishermen in no bait areas, snaggers, keeping more then limits, etc) this is a big reason why it's all occurring. (Some people are just plain stupid in the first place and will break fish and game laws regardless) Pretty easy to get away with it when you don't ever see the WDFW around anymore...

How many times you guys seen them this year and how many days have you fished in total?

I have rarely seen them. Quit keeping track of how many hours I spent fishing...but I know it's quite a bit and have only seen an FGO twice. Once was to razz me at Swofford Pond and once driving by Kapowsin. I remember seeing in a thread somewhere around here there were something like three FGO's per county...or something like that. Not anywhere near enough to hit every body of water in this state. Especially, for those lakes/ponds/rivers that are fairly remote. If it is a case of not enough personnel...need to work on recruiting and focus more attention in those areas that get higher traffic.

Another interesting thing I heard...don't know if it is true or not. Local law enforcement can act on behalf of FGO's. Meaning they can check for licensing, regulation violations etc., etc.., and issue tickets for those violations. Not sure if they ever do...but I think that might help out some.


Chad

i have only seen the warden twice in my life!! one at silver lake in cowlitz county early last summer, and once at finwick about 7 years ago. i fish alot to salmon steelhead trout bass catfish and all panfish.

Sam, it is a matter of funding. It isn't that they don't care. In the N.E. part of the state that covers, I think 3 counties, they have 3-4 enforcement officers. That is a great deal of area to cover. They would like to be on every lake every day but that isn't possible.

Oh I know they don't have a lot of funding and their are very few enforcement officers in the state, plus their pay is pretty bad too....

Enforcement has always been kind of lax in this state and the issue is mostly funding. I can recall a WDFW enforcement officer making a short presentation at the hunter training class I took several decades ago that was required in order to get a hunting license. He noted with some authority that about 50% of the game harvest (that's game, not fish) in this state is poached. That probably hasn't changed much and I suspect the percent is pretty close when it comes to fish also.


I sent in a recommendation some years back that they buy some of those remotely operated spy planes that saw some action in Iraq and Afghanistan. Might not work so good on the west side, but on the east side it would allow a 3 or 4 officers to easily cover huge areas of land and water in a very expeditious manner. There was a press release out this week about law enforcement officials in Houston Texas testing out this kind of asset.

I think this kind of thing is going to eventually happen and, personally, I applaud it.

I have NEVER seen a game warden on a lake before.
Occasionally I see them on my steelhead river, but they need to be their because their are Locals poaching native steelhead their ALL THE TIME!

I've seen one GW this year, and one two years ago. And once I saw a cop drive through the boat launch. All at Beaver Lake, all really nice people. THAT'S IT FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE. Never seen them at Pine Lake, where they really need them.

I've probably been checked 3-4 times in the last 5 or so years. ( I don't think I look like a criminal. ) Always, it's been on the put and take lakes of eastern Washington. Once they made themselves known to the yellow ski boat that almost swamped my jon boat. Never, have I been checked on the freestone rivers of northern Idaho. I'm not sure if that means anything though.

Days/Hours fishing?? No clue. I have seen them twice this year - at the Beaver Lake boat launch last week and on the Duwamish during the pink run. Neither time was I checked or even approached (so much for that bad boy image I was going for ). The time on the Duamish bothered me because I was fishing under the hwy 99 bridge. There was 1 guy on the other side of the river where the warden showed up and like five guys on my side who were snagging until he showed up. I figure GREAT I will let him know when he walks over to this side. He never came.
Last year I took my wife and mom over to Seep lakes in late September - I had my canoe out on Heart lake while they fished it from the bank. Warden showed up and checked thier licenses while I was at the other end of the lake. Told them he was only there because it was opening weekend for juvinile bird hunting in the area. My mom mentioned afterward that she has fished all her life and it was the first time she has ever had her license checked. I have never had mine checked.

I DO SEE THOSE EASTERN WARDENS AT THE SPORTSMAN IN MOSES LAKE, THE GOLDEN HARVEST CAFE IN CONNELL (AND IT WASNT DONUTS THEY WERE FILLING UP ON). OTHER THAN THAT, THEY ALWAYS HIT FOURTH OF JULY AND HOG CANYON HARD WHEN THEY OPEN, AND, I SEE THEM EVERY TIME I FISH BELOW MCNARY DAM. AS FAR AS PAY AND BENEFITS, MY BROTHER IN-LAW IS ONE IN SOUTHERN OREGON, AND HE MAKES MORE THAN THE COP'S ON THE SOFTBALL TEAM I PLAY ON HERE IN SEATTLE. THERE IS A LACK OF FUNDING, THOUGH. WDFW CHOOSES TO HAVE BIG FISH/KILL STUDY'S LIKE THE WALLEYE FISH FRY'S ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE STATE, INSTEAD OF FUNDING MORE OFFICERS. THEY ARE IN THE SAME BOAT IN OREGON, BUT MY BROTHER-IN-LAW TRIES TO HIT AS MANY LAKES/RIVERS AS THERE IS DAYLIGHT HE CAN. HE DOESNT DO A WHOLE LOT OF QUADDING AROUND LAKES, BUT CONCENTRATES AT ENTTRANCES AND CLOSER TO DOCK AREAS. HE WRITES TONS OF CITATIONS. SHERRIF DEPUTY'S DO CHECK LICENSE'S AND ISSUE CITATIONS. YOU CAN DIAL NON-EMERAGANCY NUMBERS FOR LAW-ENFORCEMENT AND THEY WILL COME CHECK IT OUT. MY BOY IS A COP IN PASCO, AND HE REGULARLY PATROLS DOWN BY THE COLUMBIA FOR POACHERS AND OTHER LAW-BREAKERS.

They have been too busy checking me! Since retiring 2 1/2 years ago I typcially spend 150 days a year recreating in the outdoors (fishing and hunting). In that period I have been checked (lic., punchcards, etc) 20 times. I have been checked while fishing for halibut(once), ling cod (two times), sturgeon (once), salmon (6 times), sea-run cutthroat (once), crabbing (5 times), calm digging (once), as well as weaterfowl hunting (twice)and pheasant hunting (once).

Other than the fact that I must look like a poacher my experience would seem to illustrate that the officers have a pretty diverse range of activities to keep track off and it looks like partrolling lowland lakes has a lower enforcement priority than say salmon fisheries.

Question for you - What species/fisheries do you think should have a higher enforcement priority? and which should have a lower priority?

Tight lines
Curt

During the summer I was out on the water in my canoe or bank fishing somewhere in Clark County every week-end and a couple of times a week in the evening. I never once was check by or even saw any Regulators.

I was checked back in '86 or '87 at Campbell Lake near Anacortes. Have not been checked by a Washington officer since. Never checked in Oregon, though I did have one pay a house call because it was reported that I was keeping game animals in captivity. It was all my bobwhites and the pheasant, but it was perfectly legal.

Got checked twice in Florida last Sept.

They are thick when it comes to shriping, crabbing, and general saltwater stuff. I am at Neah Bay all the time in the summer and always run into fish and game officers. For the general lakes, I was cited on Cottage Lk this year. So, they are out, I think it just matters where you are, and what area you frequent. They have their hot spots, and then there are the colder spots where anglers can get away with more, but for the most part, you're right, they are spread thin.

Smalma wrote: Since retiring 2 1/2 years ago I typcially spend 150 days a year recreating in the outdoors (fishing and hunting). In that period I have been checked (lic., punchcards, etc) 20 times. I have been checked while fishing for halibut(once), ling cod (two times), sturgeon (once), salmon (6 times), sea-run cutthroat (once), crabbing (5 times), calm digging (once), as well as weaterfowl hunting (twice)and pheasant hunting (once).

Question for you - What species/fisheries do you think should have a higher enforcement priority? and which should have a lower priority?

Curt

Notice how many checks you encountered in the salt? -Hali's, Lings, Salmon, Sea-runs, clams, crabbing, etc...It's not like they would check you out on Lk. Washington with too many crawdad traps. Get my drift... It goes with my hypothesis that they enforce the salt with more emphasis than the fresh - is this not right on? Very good debate here - more of a utilization of resources issue. High volume areas and high ecological impact areas such as the salt water garner more attention from the WDFW, and as a result, leaves us, the freshwater anglers scratching our heads to where they would be after 3,000 trout were planted at Beaver...I saw no enforcement, yet many people took more than their limit...what do you all think of that?

I have seen alot of Wardens, and been checked about 5 times this year. I have fished alot this year however, about 3-4 days a week at many different spots. I have seen many more snaggers on the water than GW's however and have reported one to WDFW. I got checked thursday down at the Green in Kent by a nice Lady GW...
I always run into GW's, I always make sure everyone I go fishing with has the proper licenses because my buddy learned the hard way squidding once with me. He forgot to buy shellfish, cost him alot more then...

Rutt wrote:

Smalma wrote: Since retiring 2 1/2 years ago I typcially spend 150 days a year recreating in the outdoors (fishing and hunting). In that period I have been checked (lic., punchcards, etc) 20 times. I have been checked while fishing for halibut(once), ling cod (two times), sturgeon (once), salmon (6 times), sea-run cutthroat (once), crabbing (5 times), calm digging (once), as well as weaterfowl hunting (twice)and pheasant hunting (once).

Question for you - What species/fisheries do you think should have a higher enforcement priority? and which should have a lower priority?

Curt

Notice how many checks you encountered in the salt? -Hali's, Lings, Salmon, Sea-runs, clams, crabbing, etc...It's not like they would check you out on Lk. Washington with too many crawdad traps. Get my drift... It goes with my hypothesis that they enforce the salt with more emphasis than the fresh - is this not right on? Very good debate here - more of a utilization of resources issue. High volume areas and high ecological impact areas such as the salt water garner more attention from the WDFW, and as a result, leaves us, the freshwater anglers scratching our heads to where they would be after 3,000 trout were planted at Beaver...I saw no enforcement, yet many people took more than their limit...what do you all think of that?

Another point to mention is that they go where the highest crowds are or where the biggest chance for poaching is IMO. So in the summer, a lot of the focus is going to be out in the salt for crab/salmon/bottomfish, so the wardens have their boats out there and the wardens checking people at the launch. They gotta make money so they wanna hand out tickets and also enforce the laws and prevent and/or catch poachers. They are all over the lowland trout lakes in late april and early may when the trout lakes open up. They hit Beaver pretty hard though all year around....

Have any of you called or considered calling WDFG? On your receit/paper licenses, There is a WDFG number, in which you can call in case of illegal actions and such. Not saying any of you would call them, but there is the option if you would like too.

Seen 1 this year at the Lewis River and 1 at Battle Ground Lake a couple years back. Plus 1 in Kalama and 1 over by Beacon Rock. Not as many as there should be.