First salmon of the year

[Okanagan]

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Day before yesterday my cousin phoned to invite me to go salmon fishing at 3:30 the next morning, yesterday.  It was opening day of salmon season.

Hazy day with clouds over the mountains and we fished an underwater plateau mile or more offshore, not much scenery and I didn't think to take any pics till a fish biologist was checking our fish at the boat ramp.  I landed an 8 pound Chinook, shown on the table (photo above) as they measured and took a scale.

My two cousins landed one each, another 8 pounder and a 12 lb., below.   

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Fishing was slow overall, few fish caught among the 50 or so boats out that we kept tabs on via visual and cell phone to other fishermen.  We were a little snake bit, in that we hooked and played 11 salmon and only got three in the boat.  Of those, I hooked and played 7 fish and only landed one.  Barbless hooks, natch, but mostly poor luck.

I had the hot hand, but they had me trying a new lure.  One of the cousins designs and markets salmon lures. As it got light and we started fishing, he handed me one of his jigs with a new glow in the dark finish.  It obviously worked. 

Grilled on the barbie last evening, with kids and grandkids joining us for supper.  Wow.  I had forgotten how good fresh grilled salmon is.

[nastygunz]

Beauties!

[Hawks Feather]

Nice work.  I am not a big 'fish' eater, but there is nothing like fresh salmon to make my mouth water.

[FinsnFur]

I love Salmon.
Whats all the accountants doing there?

[Okanagan]

I love Salmon.
Whats all the accountants doing there?

They note down the number of boats and salmon caught, species, and measure length, girth and take a scale sample from each fish.

  Next year they use those numbers and fish scales to reduce our fishing season, increase license costs, etc.  It is a perfect system.    They are not wardens or fish cops state or federal, but biologists, often students with a summer job to count fish and fishermen.  This time the guy in charge had some grey hair though his girl helper seemed college age.

[FinsnFur]

interesting

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[Hawks Feather]

"Next year they use those numbers and fish scales to reduce our fishing season, increase license costs, etc."  Sounds pretty accurate.  Do they have a 'lifetime" license there?  Ohio started it a couple of years ago and I got the 'senior' lifetime fishing and hunting.  Decent deal.

[Okanagan]

"Next year they use those numbers and fish scales to reduce our fishing season, increase license costs, etc."  Sounds pretty accurate.  Do they have a 'lifetime" license there?  Ohio started it a couple of years ago and I got the 'senior' lifetime fishing and hunting.  Decent deal.

No such lifetime license in Washington State.  The governor doesn't want amy limit on how much and how often he can raise fees on anybody for anything.

[nastygunz]

We gots a lifetime license here.  It's a pretty good deal to buy one for a newborn.

"This is an opportunity to provide newborn children (under one year of age) with perpetual future access to New Hampshire's hunting and freshwater fishing adventures at  the one-time price of $300 (plus $4.50 for habitat and agent fees). The child must be less than one year old at the time of application."

Adults:

"The lifetime license is a special license offered by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department for residents of New Hampshire. Lifetime licenses are available only at the Concord headquarters office or by mail. This is an opportunity for anyone who expects to continue hunting and/or fishing in the future, because it fixes the cost of a license permanently. The fee for this license is not refundable for any reason. Similar to insurance annuity premiums, the rates are higher at younger ages, as shown on the fee schedule."

[HaMeR]

Ohio's lifetime wasn't monetarily feasible for me this year due to age & the fact that in 3 years I'll only be paying $10/yr VS the going rate of $24/yr right now. I bought the 3yr liscense this year for $60. That'll get me to the $10/yr. I have encouraged a lot of younger folks to just bite the bullet & do it. Honestly it's a good deal if you're under 52 right now.

[nastygunz]

Dang, i paid $104.00 for combo hunt,fish license with turkey,bear and waterfowl tags!

[JohnP]

  I have a lifetime, free of charge, license to hunt and fish here in Arizona.

[Okanagan]

WTG Mr. JohnP!

It's confusing in WA State, but a one year combo hunting and fishing license with deer, elk, black bear and cougar tags plus turkey and small game is $236.00. 

There are 50 or 60 other individual one-species licenses or combinations of licenses (IE. cougar tag alone, cougar tag plus small game or plus duck stamp, etc. etc.)

 A deer tag alone is $45.40 for one deer.   With a discounted small game license added it is $67.40.   There is a drawing for a second deer, with a fee to apply and requires buying another deer tag if drawn. Deer and elk combo with discounted small game is $107.50.  Small game alone is $40.50 and allows grouse, rabbits etc. 

I think a fishing license alone is discounted for a senior citizen.

On top of that, when I bought my license online directly from Washington State they added a $2.50 dealer fee!

What I moved away from in British Columbia: $6 hunting license for senior citizen; $12 per deer tag; $20 for elk tag; $16 for black bear or caribou tag; $32 for over the counter mtn. goat and $48 for over the counter sheep tag.

[nastygunz]

 They hit us up for that extra $2.50 to! It's called a "habitat fee".  I think the fish cops use it to buy their donuts and coffee!

[FinsnFur]

Habitat fee...(shakin my head)

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