Coho run coming up short?

Seals and sea lions used to be considered vermin. I can remember watching the commercial fishermen in the early 60s in Willapa going out for a day of bounty hunting for them. I dont know if there is data on population numbers of those critters prior to and after the passing of the marine mammal protection act.
 
CRO said:
Seals and sea lions used to be considered vermin. I can remember watching the commercial fishermen in the early 60s in Willapa going out for a day of bounty hunting for them. I dont know if there is data on population numbers of those critters prior to and after the passing of the marine mammal protection act.
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There are plenty of examples of what we used to do that would never fly today.

One of many papers that discusses population trends and conservation challenges. Google scholar for plenty more.

 
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Sounds like a bunch of ranchers talking about wolves and grizzly bears after their livestock.
Are there more seals, sea lions now than, say, before 1920?
Are there less fish now because of dams, overfishing?
 
It was also the whole Issaquah/Redmond/Woodinville small creeks and such system. Used to see them along I-90 east of Issaquah, SRC too.

Caught them in those areas as a kid.
 
Caught my first on on the Slough near St. Michelle winery...fished Issaquah Creek, and saw a buddy get one in Lake Sammamish by Idylwood Park...it was swimming along the shore and he coaxed it into a grass catcher from his lawnmower while working...
😁
 


I guess WDFW is closing systems on medium before official emergency regs? Snohomish mainstem is still scheduled to open on 9/26…
 
speedbird said:


I guess WDFW is closing systems on medium before official emergency regs? Snohomish mainstem is still scheduled to open on 9/26…
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That was in regards to the summer chinook and strelhead fisheries I believe. Opener on the 26th may indeed be delayed if they dont have paper chinook for potential bicatch mortalities and they havent been pushed through by rain.

This opener is already the latest i can remember. Combing that with the systems being closed since January/February and its getting pretty egregious.
 
That’s a chonky fish!

This year in the sound it seems to be mostly smallish fish. 4-8 pounds. I haven’t seen anything even close to double figures.
 
Chucker said:
That’s a chonky fish!

This year in the sound it seems to be mostly smallish fish. 4-8 pounds. I haven’t seen anything even close to double figures.
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It seems to be mostly 4-8lbs with some large ones mixed in. I I didn't get out much but remember that 2025 was a little weird, larger fish were almost all unclipped. 2024 I missed the peak of the run and fished late August and early October - My experience was cookie cutter weight for that year was 8lbs, and the numbers were almost as crazy as this year.
 
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