California Salmon Fishing Outlook for 2011
It is a gross understatement to say that the anglers are excited for some more salmon fishing this year. It has been way too long since a normal fishing season has taken place, and the fish boxes have been sitting empty for months now. There is still a bit of paperwork to go with the California Department of Fish and Game, but things are still getting closer to a new fishing season.
The Current Salmon Stock Levels
According to the most recent reports from the rivers and the river mouths, the salmon levels are higher than they have been in years, and the water levels are looking very good too which will mean great swimming up river later in the year. What is still in question are some of the rules and regulations for commercial and sport fisherman. There are several different unconfirmed reports that the legal daily catch limit for sport fisherman may go down to 1 fish per person. That is not the best news, but that is still better than no fishing at all. The quota and catch limits and sizes for commercial fishing is also way up in the air at the moment. Some of the difficulty in determining these numbers is based on the unknown number of commercial fisherman who will actively be pursuing the salmon in 2011. With the salmon season being closed for so long, nobody knows who is actually still fishing. To make matters worse, many of the commercial fisherman are so hard to get ahold of via phone or email, it is left as a big guessing game.
Plenty of Food For the Salmon to Feed On in the Ocean
For those of the fishermen who are really wanting to catch a monster trophy salmon off the California coast this year, your dream has a good chance of coming true. Researchers from the Marine Biology department at University of California at Santa Cruz have been studying the local krill and other salmon bait populations. Their reports show huge populations of prime bait and squid off the California coast this year. Much more than has been recorded over the previous 4 years. This all brings the excitement level for fishermen to an even higher level. The one hard part of the salmon fishing this year might be deciding on when to take your fish and put it in the ice box. If you are only allowed one fish per day, and you want to catch an extra big salmon, you will need to make some tough decisions on when to throw back the fish or keep it. That is a great fishing dilemma to have during California’s 2011 Salmon Fishing Season.
Maybe someday sport fisherman will unite and say “no ticky, no laundry” meaning we won’t buy a license anymore when the money is spent A, in violation of the law (as it is, RIGHT NOW) and B, to benefit others who do NOT Pay (also, as it is right now).
Then brothers, only then, will there be a move to a bargaining table. Right now, we are supposed to be happy (check this article) that WE pay, and are “lucky” enough, to be allowed ONE salmon.
If WE have no rights, and are “lucky” go get anything, then why do we buy a license? Think about it.