Anyone in Olympia want to truck pool this weekend?
2024 Skagit Steelhead
- Thread starter Pink Nighty
- Start date
Pink Nighty
Life of the Party
Yall better leave me some for Sunday!
Once I break out the vacuum fly...it's all over.
Pink Nighty
Life of the Party
You tie it with Hoover Hackle and Dyson dumbbell eyes?
You know, it feels crazy to even say it (blasphemy?), but I've never even seen the Skagit River (nor the Sauk) in person, let alone fished it. I guess it's always seemed just "a little too far away." Now though, with steelhead fisheries circling the drain, I'm starting to think I had better get my arse up there pretty quick, because it's freaking legedary, and who knows how many seasons we have left?
So who wants to take a sinner who's ready for redemption to the proverbial river? (PMs certainly welcome, but if you want to berate me more publicly for asking such an absurd favor, feel free to refuse me here, as brutally as you feel is necessary; I've accepted my darkness and am prepared to atone...).
So who wants to take a sinner who's ready for redemption to the proverbial river? (PMs certainly welcome, but if you want to berate me more publicly for asking such an absurd favor, feel free to refuse me here, as brutally as you feel is necessary; I've accepted my darkness and am prepared to atone...).
Pink Nighty
Life of the Party
Go to any gas station in the state, and buy this thing they have called a map. The little blue lines on it are called streams and rivers, and the dark lines are called roads. If you look hard enough, you'll find one blue line called "skagit" and a dark line along it called the "south Skagit highway". Burn some f***** gas, waste some time and figure it out. I don't have to do that anymore, because I know where the fish live.
Sincerely, OMJ
Or just carpool up with DO - he's a Steelheadin' stud now and will surely get you into fish. 
Sucks for you Chehalis trib folks, the planned agreement between WDFW and the Tribes did not go well. Happy to give you a boat ride in March if you're still looking to get out on the Skagit. I'm either busy or chasing fish on the OP between now and then.
Sucks for you Chehalis trib folks, the planned agreement between WDFW and the Tribes did not go well. Happy to give you a boat ride in March if you're still looking to get out on the Skagit. I'm either busy or chasing fish on the OP between now and then.Nice fish.
39"! It was a personal best for Mitch and he's been doing this for decades.
The one I caught was much smaller, but you never forget your first! 'Twas a beautiful day on the river.
Anyone have clarification in the emergency regs?
Specifically the difference between "fishing from a boat under power" and "fishing from a boat with a motor"?
Anyone know what counts as under power?
Specifically the difference between "fishing from a boat under power" and "fishing from a boat with a motor"?
Anyone know what counts as under power?
You can fish from a boat that is equipped with a motor, like a jet sled. You cannot fish from a boat equipped with a motor while the motor is running. This was a unique modification of the special regulations just for the Skagit. Normally you can't fish from boats with motors on special regs waters, but this exception was granted so that the Wildcat Steelhead Club could fish their traditional "boondogging" method using motorboats to power around on the river, but drifting downstream using oars (sweeps) to control the drift as they boondog through a long run. Under power means the motor is running, even if in neutral, so don't do it.
Hoping to find out Sunday/Monday. 1 for 3 days so far this season.
To expand a bit on Salmo_g's post - on the Skagit regulation electric motors are also considered to be a "motor"
On the Sauk the regulation is the more traditional "selective gear rules", that is "fishing is prohibited from a vessel that is equipped with a motor".
Reports are that some fish are being caught. Hopefully Skagit/Sauk creel results will be post on WDFW's website within the next week or so.
I do not expect the fishery to remain open through the April 17th. Last years with a similar forecast and 5 days/week and season from March 23 to April 16 had nearly 2,600 encounters which is the similar limiter this year. It is remarkable how the popularity and efficiency has grown. Last year's season handled nearly 1/2 of the expected run.
Curt
On the Sauk the regulation is the more traditional "selective gear rules", that is "fishing is prohibited from a vessel that is equipped with a motor".
Reports are that some fish are being caught. Hopefully Skagit/Sauk creel results will be post on WDFW's website within the next week or so.
I do not expect the fishery to remain open through the April 17th. Last years with a similar forecast and 5 days/week and season from March 23 to April 16 had nearly 2,600 encounters which is the similar limiter this year. It is remarkable how the popularity and efficiency has grown. Last year's season handled nearly 1/2 of the expected run.
Curt
Salmo_g
With the current forecast of 5,215 (lets call it 5,200) you are right the mortality rate is 10% which of course is split 50/50 with tribes. Which means that the recreational fishery gets 260 mortalities. At a 10% hooking mortality rate that equates to a handle of 2,600 steelhead. As I mentioned above my recollection (always dicey) is that last year the fishery was close to that level in that 3-week fishery. Of course, with steelhead fishing the weather /flow condition affect catch rates.
Of course, if the forecast had been just 786 fish more it would have been 6,001 where per the agreed to plan the allowable impact rate jumps to 20% which I suspect would have been enough fish to last well into April. When this fishery was created the Skagit system was seeing runs of 8,000 to 15,000 allowed fish so impacts were not a great concern. Again, from memory if the forecast is 8,001 or the impact level jumps to 25%,
Unfortunately, while recent forecasts been above the 4,001 level that would allow that CnR fishery they have been in the lowest levels that allow a fishery.
While the guiding principles for this fishery are pretty conservative, I feel strongly that is how it should be!
Curt
With the current forecast of 5,215 (lets call it 5,200) you are right the mortality rate is 10% which of course is split 50/50 with tribes. Which means that the recreational fishery gets 260 mortalities. At a 10% hooking mortality rate that equates to a handle of 2,600 steelhead. As I mentioned above my recollection (always dicey) is that last year the fishery was close to that level in that 3-week fishery. Of course, with steelhead fishing the weather /flow condition affect catch rates.
Of course, if the forecast had been just 786 fish more it would have been 6,001 where per the agreed to plan the allowable impact rate jumps to 20% which I suspect would have been enough fish to last well into April. When this fishery was created the Skagit system was seeing runs of 8,000 to 15,000 allowed fish so impacts were not a great concern. Again, from memory if the forecast is 8,001 or the impact level jumps to 25%,
Unfortunately, while recent forecasts been above the 4,001 level that would allow that CnR fishery they have been in the lowest levels that allow a fishery.
While the guiding principles for this fishery are pretty conservative, I feel strongly that is how it should be!
Curt
Chris DeLeone
Smolt
Is there a breakdown of what is the most efficient angler - boat or bank and is there a breakdown of gear to fly - I looked around to find the creel results from past open seasons - with no success. I am very curious to see those numbers broken out. I was on the coast last week and got checked by a fish checker and they asked a number of questions for data.
Instead of a closure - they could push everyone to the bank and reduce encounters by a rather large percentage. The boat gear guys eat those percentages up and with all the other systems in the state closed, popularity of an open river systems is really appealing.
I hope all is well with ya Curt.
