I caught a salmon and a steelhead at Gales Creek!

[my2labs]

This is a complete guess, but I think one of the differing factors between "bait" and "lures" is scent. A lot of soft plastics have a scent mixed into the mold when they are made.

However, as I understand it, if an area is marked "artificial flies and lures only" you can still use some sort of smelly jelly on your lures.

To my point, they have clouded the waters by applying an atypical definition to a commonly used word, thus confusing the intent of the regulation itself.

If it’s scent, they need to define that. And not by just adding it to the already commonly accepted definition of bait. “No bait, artificial scents or soft plastics,” reads much easier than “no bait” when ’no bait’ supposedly means ’no bait, artificial scents or soft plastics.’

 

[my2labs]

I suspect promulgated by fly fisherman wanting the water to themselves.

this made me laugh Mark. Fly fishing for steelies takes SKILLS!

 

[Pni_fisherdude]

Just got off the phone with the odfw and hard beads are not considered to be bait. I also asked about catch and release fishing for coho on gales creek as I was considering it for tomorrow and he said that it is closed to all angling for salmon. Which is what I was expecting as that is the way the regs read.

 

[olshiftybiscuits]

To my point, they have clouded the waters by applying an atypical definition to a commonly used word, thus confusing the intent of the regulation itself.

If it’s scent, they need to define that. And not by just adding it to the already commonly accepted definition of bait. “No bait, artificial scents or soft plastics,” reads much easier than “no bait” when ’no bait’ supposedly means ’no bait, artificial scents or soft plastics.’

It’s all about mouth feel. Fish can recognize that a fly or hard lure is not food the moment it touches their mouths. That’s why they’re hooked in the lips more often than not. Baited hooks and soft plastics, they can’t discern as quickly. They’re more likely to swallow something that actually feels like (or is) food. Fish hooked in the lips usually survive, fish that swallow hooks usually don’t.