Surplus fish and wildlife offered to anglers and hunters

A press release arrived in my inbox on Tuesday announcing boat limits are now allowed during the Baker Lake sockeye season. This is a change to the way most fishing is allowed in Washington State.

Fish and Wildlife define boat limits as allowing each angler aboard a vessel to continue to deploy angling gear until the daily limit of sockeye has been retained for all licensed and juvenile anglers onboard.

The statewide fishing rules state anglers may not harvest any part of another person's daily limit.

This means anglers fishing Blue Lake in Grant County may continue to fish until they catch a limit of five trout per day while using bait.

There is no minimum size limit, so the first five trout caught by the angler is considered the limit, no matter if the trout are retained or released.

Scenario: Four anglers are in a boat on Blue Lake. Each angler is holding a rod. Angler number one catches five fish while using a worm, one after the other, without any other angler catching a fish.

This angler has caught a daily limit, no matter if the trout were retained or released. The other anglers may continue to fish, but angler number one must stop fishing.

Baker Lake is a bit of a drive from the Columbia Basin. Head north to Winthrop and take the North Cascades Highway over the Cascade Mountains to Concrete. Take a right and travel past Lake Shannon to Baker Lake, which is located in the Mount Baker National Forest.

Anglers in search of sockeye salmon might consider this destination desirable as boat limits are now allowed during the sockeye season.

Scenario: Four anglers are in a boat on Baker Lake. Angler number one catches the limit of three sockeye. But, because boat limits are allowed, angler number one may continue to fish. In fact, angler number one may catch all of the fish, 12 in all this day if the others do not catch a fish. These fish average five to seven pounds.

The reason for allowing boat limits is the return of Baker Lake sockeye is expected to far surpass escapement goals. This means the surplus sockeye salmon are available for harvest.

Returning sockeye fluctuate greatly in number. In 1985 only 99 were trapped in the Baker River sockeye trap. The next year the number was 542. The number goes up and down from 15,991 in 1994 to 2,181 in 1995. In 2003, 20,235 were counted, and in 2010, 14,239. Last year the number was 27,195.

As of Tuesday, 17,432 were trapped and 11,894 were transferred to Baker Lake.

The transfer is the key to the increasing success of more fish being in the lake. The juvenile fish are trapped and moved below the dam at the lake. The reverse happens when the adult fish return.

An improved Baker Lake fish collection system or fish delivery system is the reason for the improvement. The fish are moved by truck.

Allowing boat limits as an aid for anglers to catch more of the surplus sockeye deserves a pat on the back for Fish and Wildlife.

Anytime Fish and Wildlife has a surplus of fish or game the birds, fish and animals should be offered to hunters and anglers.

If the number of extra sockeye increases at Baker Lake, perhaps the harvest of these fish should be increased in the daily limit to four per person.

Turkeys

Another example of Fish and Wildlife increasing limits because of surplus birds, animals or fish, is the turkey limits.

The limits these days are two bearded birds in most of eastern Washington during the spring season.

The early fall season allows two beardless turkeys in some areas and one bird of either sex in other Game Management Units.

The GMUs for the beardless birds has changed, so be sure and read the hunting pamphlet.

The late fall season allows one bird of either sex in many more GMUs than in the past.

The only reason for the fall season and for allowing the taking of two beardless turkeys is an increase of birds or at least an increase of beardless turkeys.

Deer

There is a permit season for a second deer in many parts of eastern Washington. This is true of the area I hunt, and a second-deer permit is in my pocket.

This means my limit this year will be one buck of 3-point or better and one antlerless animal.

A second deer would not be allowed if there was a shortage of antlerless animals.

The one disappointment my hunting buddies and I have about the second deer tag is wishing those tags were designated for youth.

Fish and Wildlife is aiming in the correct direction with surplus fish, birds and game. Keep up the good work.