Marine Area 9 - I need your help

[Stonedfish]

What I struggle to understand is why the Department (and anglers?) seem so dead-set on holding summer chinook retention seasons starting in mid July. It feels to me as though A9 seasons are being held hostage by that decision.

Past years A9 has opened 7 days a week starting 8/1, so there is apparently enough chinook impacts available to allow salmon fishing, both boat and bank (with chinook release), 7 days a week that month. Would there be enough impacts to provide for 7 days a week coho only retention for the month of July, or last two weeks of July, while still allowing the limited chinook retention days starting 8/1? Or would additional coho only retention fisheries in July eat up all available chinook impacts for A9?

Given that the most often limiting stock, NF Stillaguamish chinook, are an earlier river entry stock, I have to think delaying the opening of summer chinook retention fisheries would have some benefits there as well. You can't encounter fish in the saltwater if they're already in the river.

An 8/1 chinook opener in A9 would also help A10, assuming the chinook opener for A10 was adjusted to correspond with A9. WDFW provided a publication a few NOF ago on that, showing how an 8/1 chinook opener in A10 would have helped avoid some of the sublegal encounter issues that led to early closures in A10 during past seasons.

Just my opinion, but beach only coho in July in MA 9 will not have much impact on chinook. We know it’s not zero, but don’t see folks off the beaches constantly roping kings. I went back and looked at old beach creel check reports from 2013 to 2025. There were over 4,500 anglers checked with three chinook retained off the beaches.
As far as when you’d like chinook fishing to open, please submit your suggestions if you haven’t already done so.
Thanks
SF

 

[speedbird]

What I struggle to understand is why the Department (and anglers?) seem so dead-set on holding summer chinook retention seasons starting in mid July. It feels to me as though A9 seasons are being held hostage by that decision.

Past years A9 has opened 7 days a week starting 8/1, so there is apparently enough chinook impacts available to allow salmon fishing, both boat and bank (with chinook release), 7 days a week that month. Would there be enough impacts to provide for 7 days a week coho only retention for the month of July, or last two weeks of July, while still allowing the limited chinook retention days starting 8/1? Or would additional coho only retention fisheries in July eat up all available chinook impacts for A9?

Given that the most often limiting stock, NF Stillaguamish chinook, are an earlier river entry stock, I have to think delaying the opening of summer chinook retention fisheries would have some benefits there as well. You can't encounter fish in the saltwater if they're already in the river.

An 8/1 chinook opener in A9 would also help A10, assuming the chinook opener for A10 was adjusted to correspond with A9. WDFW provided a publication a few NOF ago on that, showing how an 8/1 chinook opener in A10 would have helped avoid some of the sublegal encounter issues that led to early closures in A10 during past seasons.

And to add on to that, a good portion of the catch in mid July are Blackmouth. There are nice fish around but most of the fish I see at the dock are 4-8lbs. One particularly good day of fishing at Area 10 I decided I wanted to sort through all the Blackmouth and find a big one. I lost one that seemed decent, but I kid you not I went through like 10-12 fish trying to find that big one, till I had to go into class. Drove my buddy insane, who felt lucky we even got one

 

[Stonedfish]

And to add on to that, a good portion of the catch in mid July are Blackmouth. There are nice fish around but most of the fish I see at the dock are 4-8lbs. One particularly good day of fishing at Area 10 I decided I wanted to sort through all the Blackmouth and find a big one. I lost one that seemed decent, but I kid you not I went through like 10-12 fish trying to find that big one, till I had to go into class. Drove my buddy insane, who felt lucky we even got one

The MA 10 July opener is probably three weeks or so early from peak adult returns just based on the numbers returning to the locks.
One thing about having all the MA’s open at the same time in mid July is it spreads out the pressure somewhat. If MA 10 didn’t open in mid July, I’d imagine the pressure on MA 9 would be increase greatly. MA 9 got four days of chinook fishing last year. If MA 10 wasn’t open at the same time, I’d think you’d be lucky to get that fourth day in MA 9 unless fishing was really poor. For reference, MA 10 was open for nine days last summer. Two three days openers and three one day openers.
If you have a preference for different season opening dates or any other suggestions or comments, please submit your comments.
SF

Public input

wdfw.wa.gov

 

[Smalma]

Unfortunately, Puget Sound Chinook have gotten surprising young. The last two years of available CWT information (2023 and 2024) showed that the average Chinook age of the harvested Chinook in MAs 9 and 10 was 3.15 years. Those 4 to 8# fish are mostly 3-year-olds, and the vast majority are maturing fish (not blackmouth).

It has gotten to the point that the majority of the PS Chinook are the same size and age of the coho.

Curt

 

[Tallguy]

Unfortunately, Puget Sound Chinook have gotten surprising young. The last two years of available CWT information (2023 and 2024) showed that the average Chinook age of the harvested Chinook in MAs 9 and 10 was 3.15 years. Those 4 to 8# fish are mostly 3-year-olds, and the vast majority are maturing fish (not blackmouth).

Curt

Why can't they also be blackmouth, even if maturing? Aren't "blackmouth" just indicating the resident life history, versus an age structure?

No, i don't have much actual data, but fishing MA 11, I think lots and lots of the fish caught until late July are those same small 4-9 lb blackmouth that just never had a chance at being caught in any winter fisheries. Wouldn't they also trend toward early maturation?

 

[Smalma]

Generally immature Chinook on inland waters are referred to blackmouth or sometimes feeder Chinook.

Just to make things a little more confusing 50 plus years ago jack Chinook (2-year mature males) in rivers were defined as Chinook of less than 28 inches. Today here in Puget Sound the majority (80 to 90%) of the "jacks are less than 22 inches, just an example of our shrinking Chinook that are now both younger and smaller at a given age.

Curt

 

[speedbird]

Generally immature Chinook on inland waters are referred to blackmouth or sometimes feeder Chinook.

Just to make things a little more confusing 50 plus years ago jack Chinook (2-year mature males) in rivers were defined as Chinook of less than 28 inches. Today here in Puget Sound the majority (80 to 90%) of the "jacks are less than 22 inches, just an example of our shrinking Chinook that are now both younger and smaller at a given age.

Curt

It's been a while but the last study I saw on Puget Sound Chinook reduction in size showed them similar to other groups, yet typically fishing WCVI the average size of fish I encounter has been much larger. By Blackmouth I am referring to resident Chinook that spend their lives in Salish Sea, not necessarily immature fish.