Barless hooks for salmon/steelhead in the Willamette/Columbia Rivers

[Irishrover]

ODF&W commission has changed the rule for the lower Columbia and tributaries, including the Willamette. Better get out the pliers, dremel and grinders and remove the barbs off the hooks if you intend to fish for salmon or steelhead in those areas.

I don't mind removing barbs from my hooks when I'm fly fishing. I let a lot of those fish go and it makes the term tight lines mean something. I got used to using barbless hooks in the ocean were you have lots of room to manuver you boat and keep a tight line. I don't like it and I wish you could use barbed hooks in the ocean (like we used to) because they do allow you to land a higher percentage of fish that strike. Now the ODF&W commission has of the 2013 made the whole lower Columbia basin a barbless hook zone. Next year they have propose rubber barbless hooks. I know I should have gone to the meeting and spoke my piece there, but they only allowed 30 seconds of testimony per witness.:shock: I think they kind of had their mind made up.

What bothers the most is that I take a lot of folks out fishing who have never had a salmon on before. Folks like grandkids, and friends who don't get a chance to fish much. It's hard enough for them to land a fish with barbed hooks.

 

[Wolfden]

Whats they're reasoning for barb-less hooks ? Do they really think we are taking too many fish ? What they should be limiting are the dang gill-netters .... I for one have yet too hook up with a fish lol so I'd need all the help I can get lol

 

[Irishrover]

Looks like moving the gill net folks is part of what they are doing. They are creating the "Youngs Bay Bubble" that would be an area east of the Skipanon River on a line east to the terminals in Astoria. That would be a reserve for the commercial guys. I used to fish in that are but now it will be off limits and that's ok by me. The commercial guys put fish in the river at youngs bay and should have a decent shot at harvesting those fish when they return as adults. This trade off removes the gill nets from the main river. I just completely disagree with the barbless hook in the river. Wolfden come spring I'm sure you'll land yourself a big fat springer you live in a great spot to do it.

 

[rippin fish lips]

I see no Problem with only bein able to use Barbless hooks! LESS MORTALITY is what why they want to to it. Easier for
C&R on natives. Easier on the FISH. The gill nets got moved, the sturgeon limit will be 1 for 2013 and ZERO for 2014. IT's GOOD.

 

[Irishrover]

First I understand it is a done deal. I'm just posting to vent because I believe that in the lower Columbia estuary barbless hook are not the answer, and there was little chance for input. The commission had it'd mind already set. I also respect your right to have a differing opinion.

No problem with the sturgeon, I quit fishing for those fish years ago when they started down sizing the slot limit. When I used to fish for them it was two fish seven days a week 72" max 36" minimum. They kept srinking the size then the limit so I figured the stock was in trouble and hung up my sturgeon rod.

The gill netters were moved from the main stream and in return sportfisherman are going to be baned from the Yongs Bay Bubble. I fish that spot a lot, but I'm OK with the trade off. I can no longer fish there and the nets are moved. I just hope I can still travel through the area to reach my slip on the Skipanon.

For years I fished the ocean with barbed hooks. You would go out and get your two fish limit, bang and back in. (First two caught and kept). Then the ocean went to fin clipped fish and barbless hooks. Now out there on some days we are bringing 25 fish or more to the boat to get an eight fish limit (2fish x 4people). I've seen a lot more floaters out in the ocean than I have ever seen in the lower Columbia (Rice Island to B-10). When you fish the ocean or lower Columbia a lot of folks use mooching rigs with plug cut herring and it's that second hook that nails the fish in gut (barb or no barb) that does them in. If they wanted to cut down on mortality then they should allow you to keep the first two fish you land, instead of hoping you don't kill a number of nonfin clipped fish on the way to getting a limit of fin clipped fish. But that administrative rule is now in effect and I will remove the barbs from my hooks when I fish that section of the river just as I do when I am out fly fishing.

Just a note rippin there must be something wrong with your key board the cap lock must be sticking or something because some of the word are all in caps. That's actually a good thing because at my age it makes the words easier to see. Tight lines.