WDFW's Bass Week
- Thread starter doublespey
- Start date
Bass is the future for fly fishing. @Billy is the prophet who will preach this truth to you. All praise to the bucketmouth!
Seriously though, bass is likely MY future considering the state of moving water fisheries in my neck of the woods. That said, I genuinely love catching bass. I've given up on learning to row a river or worrying about spey presentation. I just want a little bass boat and to get better at tossing a popper.
Seriously though, bass is likely MY future considering the state of moving water fisheries in my neck of the woods. That said, I genuinely love catching bass. I've given up on learning to row a river or worrying about spey presentation. I just want a little bass boat and to get better at tossing a popper.
Yeah, let's see now, when was the last time WDFW celebrated "Steelhead Week?" Or even "Salmon Week?" How is WDFW even relevant to state government any more, other than as the collector of license and tag fees? For bass fishing no less.
Sure gotta' hand it to Billy. They guy is adaptable as well as prophetic.
Sure gotta' hand it to Billy. They guy is adaptable as well as prophetic.
They don't get a pass from me for bass week. They should manage several of our lakes for true trophy bass potential. But they don't. Content to sit on the general regulations they put out...
I refuse to participate in bass week. Stand strong Soap Lake Brothers and Sisters. We deserve better bass angling!
I refuse to participate in bass week. Stand strong Soap Lake Brothers and Sisters. We deserve better bass angling!
This is a really interesting point. Given the condition of our anadromous fish runs, why isn't WDFW paying more attention to a fishery that could replace them (at least as far as providing opportunity, if not the same experience). We've got some lakes around the region that could be legitimately amazing destinations.
WDFW having a bass week makes as much sense as a strip club having pant suit week.
Not true. Director Susewind wants WDFW to become a petting zoo manager and wildlife habitat lands management agency. He's seen the handwriting on the wall: hunting is way down in WA, with fishing not far behind. He knows that the days of WDFW managing for the "hook and bullet" fraternity are gone. He's got foresight into a future where bird watching is bigger than fishing and hunting combined (but doesn't sell licenses or tags) and people take picnic walks in wildlife management areas, hoping to catch a glimpse of the remnants of Washington's endemic wildlife. Actual fishing and hunting is for the lingering cavemen among us.
Just wait . . . if they receive a positive response on social media I expect they'll dedicate a week to celebration of the Pike Minnow - or maybe the Walleye. Yesterday's piscatorial enemy is tomorrow's superstar. After all, they have to have something to offer those 'lingering cavemen' among us.
I'll say it. WDFW is a totally woke agency at this point. Their social media has more to do with equity and social issues than actual game management. That's all fine and dandy but don't masquerade as a fish and game agency. You can be a government Sierra Club if you want. Just be honest about it. They view hunting and fishing in about the same light as the Sierra Club.
Jim F.
Still a Genuine Montana Fossil
. . . doesn't require licenses for bird watching yet. Good points, SG. WDFW is already considering requiring a fishing license to pursue Carp. I keep waiting for them to require folks to subscribe to purchase hunting and fishing regulation pamphlets.
You nailed it my friend. Look at the 25 year plan. Can't use a trail unless WDFW says it is OK. Can't camp anywhere unless WDFW says it is OK. Guided birdwatching tours will be about all that's left. Stay on the trail. Buy a pass before hand.
I get loud when I can
You nailed it my friend. Look at the 25 year plan. Can't use a trail unless WDFW says it is OK. Can't camp anywhere unless WDFW says it is OK. Guided birdwatching tours will be about all that's left. Stay on the trail. Buy a pass before hand.
I get loud when I can
I do think it's just fine and positive for the WDFW to be active in supporting and managing non consumptive use groups as far as wildlife is concerned. If anything there is an opportunity there to have some education across opposing use groups. But do divorce your mission because it's not going well or you want to become a different organisation is dishonest. Conservation should be everyone's goal if you hunt and fish or not. It seems things are out of balance with the organisation and this is likely due to the politics of the state and WDFW wanting to appeal to those leanings. Let's get back to doing what's best for the resource and supporting solid hunting and fishing opportunities where it makes sense to do so. WDFW should be managing with that in mind like they did formerly. There's still room for the birdwatching crowd and there should be efforts made to close the gap of understanding between the use groups, not widen them. For that reason I believe common goals should be broadcast clearly about desired population levels of game etc and be transparent in management decisions around that. People of all stripes have to respect sound decisions when the goal is known. As of late I'm frankly not sure what the goals of the agency are or what kind of agency they are attempting to be. That's a problem. North of Falcon is far from transparent and that's precisely where allot of anger, some directed and some not stem from in the salmon fishing world. Transparency while painful at first is the way forward. You cannot gain support if nobody knows what's actually going on.
