WDFW Q & A Thread - Questions for Stacie Kelsey, WDFW

[Marc Martyn]

Stacie, with the state putting programs on the chopping block, what changes can we expect to see in the WDFW? I have read some of the proposed possibilities, but that was before the elections. Closures of hatcheries, cutting staff, reducing programs?

[Stacie Kelsey]

AMX - they are still protected and doesn't look like they will not be anytime soon. I've been working with USFWS regarding the status and use of depredation permits. Some of the southern states have been allowed take permits on them. Just need to try and figure out what our options are here.

Gringo - We are looking at other options for stocking. I really don't like seeing anglers fishing right in the dump area as the fish are coming out of the truck. We have had Enforcement there, but that's not always an option. We are looking into other alternatives though. The problem with releasing too much in the off season is again, predation. Unless larger fish are raised, then that wouldn't be too much of an issue, but we'd have to really watch the poaching.

Marc - we are really in a wait and see mode right now. Our Agency has done quite a bit to help dial in spending, but as to where we are right now, I don't know. I hope it does not lead to reducing much more than what we already have. We are in a bad spot, but I have faith that our Agency will get it's legs back under it.

[racfish]

Good Morning Stacie. I have a legality question for you concerning chumming.If I find a spot on the river that I like to fish Can I chum the water with shrimps or eggs leftover in my freezer?I have a way to keep it from going down river.Is it legal to chum a spot on the river?The river in question is the Green in King County.

[G-Man]

That raises an interesting question as I have seen and participated in a program where you drop food pellets in a river or stream while fishing to help supplement the natural food supply. The argument was that many of our streams are nearly barren of natural foods for young steelhead and salmon which resulted in smaller and/or fewer smolts reaching the saltwater. It never occurred to me that this could have been considered chumming, yet that is exactly what it was.

[Stacie Kelsey]

The pamphlet will tell you if chumming is allowed in that body of water. We have one lake we allow chumming. Otherwise no!


Wanted to let you all know that I am having surgery tomorrow morning and will be mostly away from the computer until Dec. 1. I'll try to check in before then though. If there is something that you do need right away you can contact me on my cell phone at 360-601-1168 with the exception of Tuesday the 16th. I imagine I will be a little out of it.

Happy fishing!

[Rosann G]

Stacey, good luck with the surgery, I'll say a prayer for you and the doctor tonight. Looking forward to you being back on line. We all really appreciate you and you're willingness to help.

[racfish]

May the Good Lord look over you Stacie with your surgical procedure. I know I can speak for most of us in saying we all wish the best to you. We will miss you for a couple weeks. God Bless.

[muskyhunter]

Ms Kelsey, Hope your procedure went well. I understand you're recovering and hope you can answer my question/statement when you can..
Just wondering, has anyone thought about revamping the license. In that I mean instead of having 6 feet of licenses/endorsements/catch record stuffed into a plastic holder which can barely hold of all the paper how about making it into say an easy 3x5 size which you can fold in half and keep in your wallet or in your tackle box? I think we'd save a heck of alot of money on paper alone.
I grew up in the midwest and all we ever had was one small card that had all of my endorsements and personal info printed right on that one small wallet sized card. Same thing with my hunting license. I have not hunted here ever so is the hunting license the same way?
And one more thing. How about a fishing license that would cover both me and my spouse? Any thoughts ? So please answer when you can.Thanks, Todd

[The Quadfather]

Just wondering, has anyone thought about revamping the license. In that I mean instead of having 6 feet of licenses/endorsements/catch record stuffed into a plastic holder which can barely hold of all the paper how about making it into say an easy 3x5 size which you can fold in half and keep in your wallet or in your tackle box? I think we'd save a heck of alot of money on paper alone.

Amen to THAT!! And can I get an Amen to, how about a license printed on a paper product that actually servives time served in one's wallet.

Excuse me.... Stacie, be strong. Seriously. I hope you feel better soon.

[Stacie Kelsey]

Hey everyone - I'm back after two months being gone. I'll scan backwards and see if there are any questions and get to them but wanted to let you know I am back and checking the forum!

stace

:rendeer:

[Anonymous]

Welcome back.

Acually I'm having the 'Dept.' check right now on a possible bear that the neighbors are stringing up to butcher. Hopefully it's just a curly coated, short legged cow. I can't get close enough to see it good.

[YellowBear]

Welcome back Stacie.

I have been unable to find any info on the seep lakes that were rehabed last fall.
Have they been restocked yet?
I have also been trying to find any info on the warmwater species that were restocked back into Sprague lk.
The numbers, size and species.

Thanks for your time.

[Stacie Kelsey]

Muskyhunter - I am going to forward your information up to Licensing. Feedback is always good for them to hear!

Yellow Bear - I have contacted our statewide Bio to get your information. I haven't heard anything or been able to find anything myself but I am sure he will have exactly what you are looking for. I'll report back as soon as I hear from him.

stace

[Stacie Kelsey]

Yellow Bear - got your answer!

Rehabbed lakes are stocked with fry the following spring.

Sprague Lake has been restocked with the following:

channel cats
black crappie
largemouth bass
smallmouth bass
bluegill

6,500 channel cats @ 8+"
other - various sizes fingerlings to adults

The Bio indicated it will take some time for the fishery to become self-sustaining.

Let me know if you need anything else!

[Anonymous]

Bout time Stacie!!! Good to see you back .Hehehe. Sometimes I wish the state didnt report the new stockings. As soon as word gets out everyone and their sisters go fishing and overcatch the new fish.

[Stacie Kelsey]

It's probably a double edged sword in that regard!

[YellowBear]

Stacie, thanks for digging this info up for me but why can't we get any numbers for the warmwater species?
The WDFW knows exactly how many Trout and Catfish they stocked but for some reason they don't want to tell us how many Bass,Bluegill or Crappie. With this information we could have a better idea of when the fishery may start to produce.
As it stands I have to figure that they put some fish in a bucket and called it good.
I also figure that any fry stocked would not have made it through the first year due to the numbers of Trout that were planted.
If and I say If this is the case, then we can expect it to take a very long time before we see a warmwater fishery return to Sprague.

Thanks again Stacie for your time.

[reigndawgs]

:colors: I can't believe I haven't been keeping up with this thread. This is great stuff. Thanks so much for taking time to be on here Stacy.

[Anglinarcher]

Yellow Bear - got your answer!

Rehabbed lakes are stocked with fry the following spring.

Sprague Lake has been restocked with the following:

channel cats
black crappie
largemouth bass
smallmouth bass
bluegill

6,500 channel cats @ 8+"
other - various sizes fingerlings to adults

The Bio indicated it will take some time for the fishery to become self-sustaining.

Let me know if you need anything else!

OK Stacie, I don't want to be trouble, but who was your source and how accurate is the information. Donnelly was adamant that NO Smallmouth would be put back in Sprague and yet ..............?

Just asking, they all catch just fine for me.

[Anglinarcher]

Stacie, thanks for digging this info up for me but why can't we get any numbers for the warmwater species?
The WDFW knows exactly how many Trout and Catfish they stocked but for some reason they don't want to tell us how many Bass,Bluegill or Crappie. With this information we could have a better idea of when the fishery may start to produce.
As it stands I have to figure that they put some fish in a bucket and called it good.
I also figure that any fry stocked would not have made it through the first year due to the numbers of Trout that were planted.
If and I say If this is the case, then we can expect it to take a very long time before we see a warmwater fishery return to Sprague.

Thanks again Stacie for your time.

YellowBear, I can't attest to all of the plants, but I do know that one truck, with a mixed bag of LMB and Crappie was planted the next year. They were netted and transfered from a lake north of RW. I happened to be at a gas station they stopped at and after a bit of brow beating and coaxing, they let me look in. I can only guess, but I'd say about 300 crappie and maybe a couple hundred LMB at most.

The Bass and Crappie were large enough to spawn the following spring, so ................

I plan on doing some investigating this year, but I don't expect much yet.