Winter Steelhead 2013/2014

[natetreat]

Nice fish. A good way to start the year! But still Coho this late? Certainly was an odd year for the coho. They didn't come in thick...well at least not in the areas I fish. But they were around for longer than I have ever seen.

Out here we had a banner year for silvers. It was so good I didn't even go out to the coast very much for the late runs. The Snohomish was so much fun. There is a late "winter" run of silvers, not very many, but we pick them up every so often out here.

[SteelHedder]

Trust me I was surprised, I was thinking steelhead then I was thinking dolly, when I saw it was a silver I couldn't believe it! I have caught nice silvers into January in the past, but they are always unexpected!

[BlakeP]

Out here we had a banner year for silvers. It was so good I didn't even go out to the coast very much for the late runs. The Snohomish was so much fun. There is a late "winter" run of silvers, not very many, but we pick them up every so often out here.

Yeah I figured it was pretty good over there. I mostly fish Between the hood Canal and OP. And the rivers I fish had pretty bad runs this year. But they were definitely stretched out. The Dungeness, which is the main river I fish, normally has a early run that is over by November, but I just stopped catching Bright coho 3 weeks ago. I know people catch Coho late into the season, but it was a weird Coho season for sure. This past Coho season was the first year I've ever kept a Coho past mid-November. I did notice that the later Coho on most rivers seemed to be a lot smaller than the ones caught in October though.
Now lets hope the steelhead are late like the Coho were.

[bigskyx]

Action: Portions of the Cascade and Stillaguamish rivers will be closed to fishing.

Effective dates: Jan. 6, through Jan. 31, 2014.

https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efis ... sp?id=1385" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[RiverChromeGS]

Likely the last steelhead I will catch up north this year... Closing hatchery rivers on Monday. At least got rewarded with a couple of beautiful second year fish

[natetreat]

Hey, you pulled a limit from the Cascade. They'll open them back up once this next push of fish brings a bajillion fish in.

[TrophyHunter]

Out here we had a banner year for silvers. It was so good I didn't even go out to the coast very much for the late runs. The Snohomish was so much fun. There is a late "winter" run of silvers, not very many, but we pick them up every so often out here.

Yeah I figured it was pretty good over there. I mostly fish Between the hood Canal and OP. And the rivers I fish had pretty bad runs this year. But they were definitely stretched out. The Dungeness, which is the main river I fish, normally has a early run that is over by November, but I just stopped catching Bright coho 3 weeks ago. I know people catch Coho late into the season, but it was a weird Coho season for sure. This past Coho season was the first year I've ever kept a Coho past mid-November. I did notice that the later Coho on most rivers seemed to be a lot smaller than the ones caught in October though.
Now lets hope the steelhead are late like the Coho were.

I dont think I would say the coho were late, just they kept coming and coming. I dont see how the coho you are catching later in the season are smaller, Was much the opposite for me this year, I just caught a real red coho yesterday that was probably pushing 18lbs or more. Much too red to keep but none the less a nice large coho.

[BlakeP]

I dont think I would say the coho were late, just they kept coming and coming. I dont see how the coho you are catching later in the season are smaller, Was much the opposite for me this year, I just caught a real red coho yesterday that was probably pushing 18lbs or more. Much too red to keep but none the less a nice large coho.

Well where I fish, they were late. Very few fish showed up in October. It's weird, I know, but after October, I didn't see a single large Coho landed. I pulled several fish over 12lbs at the beginning of October, and one that was almost 18lbs. But around November to December the average was 4-5lbs, with a few around 8-10 and maybe a couple at 10-12. I guess it depends on the river really.

[Cozmo4196]

Hey, you pulled a limit from the Cascade. They'll open them back up once this next push of fish brings a bajillion fish in.

I've heard that every single time its rained since November.

[BlakeP]

Well isn't it the only thing to keep our hopes up? I keep telling myself every time it rains that it's gonna get better, and that fish will finally show up and they haven't yet. But I gotta keep my hopes up somehow. Can't give up till the season is over, right?

[racfish]

We need enough rain to swell the rivers. When the waters drop back into shape the fish will come in. These one day rains aren't enough to attract the fish in.If we don't get a snowpack soon next spring summer will be very dismal.We need a good freshet to bring the fish in.

[natetreat]

Hey, you pulled a limit from the Cascade. They'll open them back up once this next push of fish brings a bajillion fish in.

I've heard that every single time its rained since November.

These tough times are when you get to use your skills. And the rains did bring fish in. I just caught them all.

[dadamunky]

We need enough rain to swell the rivers. When the waters drop back into shape the fish will come in. These one day rains aren't enough to attract the fish in.If we don't get a snowpack soon next spring summer will be very dismal.We need a good freshet to bring the fish in.

I think it is safe to say at this point that this season we are just having bad returns. There has been ample rain since late November to move some fish in. We could use more rain that would be great, but if we have some major blowouts, most rivers would be closed by the time they snapped back into shape...booh on the bad season, I've only caught 4 so far.

[racfish]

Hey, you pulled a limit from the Cascade. They'll open them back up once this next push of fish brings a bajillion fish in.

These tough times are when you get to use your skills. And the rains did bring fish in. I just caught them all.

Nate thats like rubbing salt in an open wound. hahaha

[RiverChromeGS]

We need enough rain to swell the rivers. When the waters drop back into shape the fish will come in. These one day rains aren't enough to attract the fish in.If we don't get a snowpack soon next spring summer will be very dismal.We need a good freshet to bring the fish in.

I think it is safe to say at this point that this season we are just having bad returns. There has been ample rain since late November to move some fish in. We could use more rain that would be great, but if we have some major blowouts, most rivers would be closed by the time they snapped back into shape...booh on the bad season, I've only caught 4 so far.

Agreed. Nothing More annoying than everyone saying "next rain" over and over. Its january. Had enough high water. The hatch fish arent showing, not like normal at least. Im always honest and ill tell you right now ive caught less than 15 winters... Unreal

[natetreat]

It is pretty dismal out there. I've caught more than 15, but it's a numbers and time on the water thing. It's really funny, we caught a lot more winter run in november alongside the coho this year. I was hoping that would mean we'd get a big return. Fish checkers out in forks are giving us more dismal numbers. They say it's ocean conditions. It's got to be something, because they're putting in the same amount of smolt, with crappier returns.

[spoonman]

It is pretty dismal out there. I've caught more than 15, but it's a numbers and time on the water thing. It's really funny, we caught a lot more winter run in november alongside the coho this year. I was hoping that would mean we'd get a big return. Fish checkers out in forks are giving us more dismal numbers. They say it's ocean conditions. It's got to be something, because they're putting in the same amount of smolt, with crappier returns.

Fukishima?

[jd39]

Have been looking around for information, apparantly a WDFW study found that on the Skagit/Cascade the hatchery smolt to adult survival and return rate averaged 1.76% from 1984-1993 but only .47% from 1999-2006. That's a major crash and 8 year old data.
If you divide the current escapement numbers into the # of smolt planted you get some depressing figures. I'm sure the math is more complicated than that to account for sport harvest and other factors but still. Using the 2011 or 2012 plant #s (I wasn't sure which one to use) the Cascade is getting ~.02% back (40 divided into 210k or 195k), 20x that need to return or be harvested to even get to the depressed .47% rate again. Anyone think the Cascade is getting ~700-900 fish back? At the 1.76% rate around 3,500 fish would return.
Reiter's math and a lot of other systems aren't much better, some aren't as bad off though.

[natetreat]

It is pretty dismal out there. I've caught more than 15, but it's a numbers and time on the water thing. It's really funny, we caught a lot more winter run in november alongside the coho this year. I was hoping that would mean we'd get a big return. Fish checkers out in forks are giving us more dismal numbers. They say it's ocean conditions. It's got to be something, because they're putting in the same amount of smolt, with crappier returns.

I want a 3 headed laser breathing steelhead then. If we get a return of 2 of those fish, it'll be alright by me.

[natetreat]

Have been looking around for information, apparantly a WDFW study found that on the Skagit/Cascade the hatchery smolt to adult survival and return rate averaged 1.76% from 1984-1993 but only .47% from 1999-2006. That's a major crash and 8 year old data.
If you divide the current escapement numbers into the # of smolt planted you get some depressing figures. I'm sure the math is more complicated than that to account for sport harvest and other factors but still. Using the 2011 or 2012 plant #s (I wasn't sure which one to use) the Cascade is getting ~.02% back (40 divided into 210k or 195k), 20x that need to return or be harvested to even get to the depressed .47% rate again. Anyone think the Cascade is getting ~700-900 fish back? At the 1.76% rate around 3,500 fish would return.
Reiter's math and a lot of other systems aren't much better, some aren't as bad off though.

Escapement on the Cascade has been averaging %.26. In 2009 they put in 500,000 fish, and 1013 were sport caught. They put in half that amount for this year, so we can expect 500 to get caught.

It's darn near impossible to find up to date data on the internet. But If you're expecting a banner year and epic returns from the amount of smolt plants we're seeing return, you're waiting on a pig to fly. The Cascade stock need new blood, or it needs a ton more fish put in. These measly returns can barely be considered a fishery. It's bad enough when I have to work all day to catch 1 or 2 fish, for those who can't get out every day it's dismal. The Skykomish and Snoqualmie are fishing better than the Skagit by far. Our late run fisheries can be relied on. Down on the Chehalis system, those fish are going to be more predictable. They like hatchery fish down there. We're going to get some rain this next week, and I'll bet you the fishing is going to be as good as it's going to get all winter. For what it's worth. Any fish are better than none.