Spokane Tribe to kill walleye on Spokane Arm

[BigEye]

What a joke..If you fish for walleye in Lake roosevelt. pay attention. Boycott the Tribes. Don't support new casino in Spokane or use any casinos, fuel, don't use two river marina go to seven bays instead or miles creston store. etc.. Write state representatives. Big fish eat small fish period. There are large trout that eat walleye and bass fingerlings.

http://nwsportsmanmag.com/2012/03/16/sp ... ye-bounty/


http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors ... -walleyes/

[AJ's Dad]

The state of Washington closes the Spokane arm in the spring to protect spawning walleyes, and the "Soveriegn nation" deal gives them the right to put a bounty on walleyes at the same time????

The one article questions if the tribe is trying to get more of it's members out on the water. HAHAHA I doubt it.

I'll bet we can all see where this is going.

My guess is the Spokane tribe has seen what is going on with the Kalispels and the pike situation. Now they are trying to figure out how they can get in on the free BPA money thing. Next thing you know, you'll see them at a BPA meeting with their hand out telling them the walleye's are threatening the salmon fishery. BANGO!! They'll get their own 10 MILLION DOLLARS.

I can hear it now. "We have exausted all our tribal funds to help fight the predetory walleyes and keep them from destroying the salmon population in the Columbia River" BUT ---- "If you give us $10 million like you did the Kalispels, we'll set up a bunch of gill nets and KILL as many as we can!!"

Where will it end????

[MarkFromSea]

Wow! I do believe you are right. The state protects the spawn period. This is flipping 180..... I'm in shock!

[Augwen]

This absolutely sucks....I was already against the casino they want to do in Airway Heights. I feel they should do what the CDA Tribe has done and develop Two Rivers into something that could be an amazing destination resort that would attract the tourists instead of the detraction that it is now. Last year they opened the San Poil arm to no limit Walleye. There is now something about 3 areas that is in the Washington regs regarding the San Poil and Walleye that I cannot seem to find but was mentioned in the 2012-2013 changes. Hopefully the BPA will not fall for the Spokanes ruse and give them money as well. Gill nets on any part of the arm and/or lake would not be good for anyone!!!!

[Drumdog]

We need to start a huge email campaign to stop this.
I would love to have the email addresses of the tribal fishery guys and anyone else that might be able to help stop this before it gets started. Hit them where it hurts the most...the bank account.

[YJ Guide Service]

All I can say is good luck when your trying to fight the tribes and the federal goverment. Seems like the politions in this state have no power over WDFW or the tribe. We've been fighting them to no prevail for 2 years. Its all about money lets just say it now so we dont have to beat our heads against the walls and keep asking why are they doing this. Wow this all seems so familiar, have we seen this somewhere before Ajs dad lol. As long as we keep trying to fix every body of water in this state this is whats going to keep happening. Seems like all of a sudden someone gets in a position of power and they say I dont like this fish, we need to reduce their numbers lol and so its done. Prime example Lake Pend Oreille. Let nature do its thing and it will deceided how many fish and which ones it wants in a certain body of water. This state is more than just trout and salmon, which I also like to fish for dont get me wrong. Leave the fisheries alone.

[Drumdog]

While I do agree with you on the difficulties in fighting the WDFW and the tribe, I just cannot sit idly by without at least trying to do something. This state is, whether we like it or not, a trout and salmon minded state. If we can hit the tribe in the wallet by boycotting any and all business run by them, it can and will make a difference. The WDFW on the other hand, I doubt we can do much. They are not elected officials and I am forced to buy a license if I want to fish and that's what pays for part of their wages.

[Augwen]

I was down at 7 Bays and talked to a guy that seemed to know what was going on with the Bounty. He said that it would be $2 up to 17", $4 up to 22" and $6 for the bigger ones. He also said that they wanted to end it after 1000 fish. I bet that when the Arm reopens that there are that many taken in the 3 days after opening. Of course that would be after the spawn. I agree with AJD in that they are following a money trail.

[YJ Guide Service]

I agree we need do something. I also agree about the money trail. I heard from a source close to this plan their incouraging the release of fish over 24" I guess. Still anything over 20" is a really nice Walleye for Lake Roosevelt. I think this wouldnt be as big of a deal if it were open to everyone, not just one group. They should have just opened the arm for 2 years and not closed it if it was about reducing fish numbers. I kinda feel discrimanated against. I didnt know the tribe owned the water or the Walleye which i bet is why their not allowed to use gill nets to do this. Doesnt make sense to have it closed if your looking to remove fish. There has to be a WAC that doesnt allow the bounty on a Game fish. If any of you have followed the Pike removal on the PO River then you know the fight weve put up against WDFW and the Tribe to no prevail to manage the Pike. Hard to fight multi million dollar entities that seem to have a endless supply of money. Just my opinion. It effects me double since when we guide exclusively on the Spokane Arm down there.

[Xwisconyfisherman]

Wow this is ridiculous. The Government puts a law in place to help protect Walleye during their spawning and the Tribe offers a bounty to promote fishing for these "protected fish"?

[YellowBear]

This is just wrong!
I can only think of one reason to put a "bounty" on anything and that is to get rid of it.
We have a "bounty" on Pike minnow. We have heard talk of a "bounty" on the Pike and now we are talking about a "bounty" on Walleye. So now we have seen the Walleye put in the same light as the unwanted Northern Pike and the hated Pike minnow. We have allready lost some of the best Walleye fisheries in the country and they just keep coming up with ways to kill off the rest.

I think it is way past time that the sportanglers got something for there money.
Maybe we should try a tag system.
Have a Trout tag that would allow you to fish for any and all Salmonids, one tag.
A warm water species tag for the spiny rays.
Run the programs from tags sold.
Warmwater tags go to Warmwater species and the Trout tags support the Salmonids.

[SADSACK]

I hate to say I'm not surprized.Having been a salmon troller back in the 70s and watching the tribes run every body out of some of the most gorgius places on the west coast. ie: La Push,beautiful if your standing right onthe beach looking out(if you know what I mean). And mismanage every fishery they have gained control of.
But enough of my grim past. I normaly spend 3 or 4 long weekends at two rivers every year.Buying moarage,renting golf carts,campsite,gas,bait,ice,moaring,food,and leaving a ton of money at the casino.Guess what,no more!
I hope I can find a new place to camp in the area.

ps: I have to really bite my lip when talking about "tribial" matters.

[bigyfish]

The following are a list of names and numbers of the people involved in making the decisions for the Spokane Tribe regarding regulations on the Spokane arm of Lake Roosevelt.

Spokane Tribe DNR BJ Kieffer - 626-4427; Lake Roosevelt Fisheries Deanne Pavlik-Kunkel - 626-4412, Tamara Knudson - 626-4413, Andy Miller - 626-4416 BPA coordinator Warren Seyler - 626-4422.

The Spokane Tribe as well as the other tribes in the area gets almost all, if not all, of their funding from the Bonneville Power Administration below are the names of the people overseeing their projects at BPA and any comments about their projects should be forwarded to them:

Bill Maslen - Director Environment Fish, and Wildlife; Peter Lofy - Project Supervisor, Carlos Matthew - Project Manager 800-282-3713 (Toll Free) or mailto:efwweb@bpa.gov.

Currently the Northwest Power and Conservation Council are reviewing the Spokane Tribes Projects for funding. Comments to the council about the Tribes projects should be referred to:

Tom Karier: tkarier@nwcouncil.org 509-359-2470; Phil Rockefeller: prockefeller@nwcouncil.org 206-842-3748; Stacey Horton; shorton@nwcouncil.org 509-359-2470; Tony Grover; tgrover@nwcouncil.org 503-222-5161.

The BPA is set to give the Spokane Tribe $10 to $20 million over the next five years to continue management of the fisheries in lake Roosevelt. If you are unhappy with the way your fish are being managed for you contact all of the people listed above. However, make sure you do your research before you contact them because they will know the reasons for the different regulations. If you do not know the underlying reasons for the regulations you will come off as a fool and anything you may recommend will just be disregarded.

[YJ Guide Service]

Thanks for the info bigyfish. I agree when it comes to these type of things it looks bad and doesnt help the cause when people just spout off and are uninformed. Make sure you have the facts and only the facts, not I heards. Thanks good fishing and hunting everyone.....

[garvic55]

Absolutely criminal. They have all but destroyed the Columbia on the Wa. / Or. border with gill nets. So why not destroy the walleye further north too. Let the tribe (if they aren't in jail) get paid to detroy the fishery, especially during the spawn.Kill off the future of the walleye fishery so some unemployed folks can make a paycheck. How about just change the slot to keeping anything under 16", and release the spawners, at least for a few years, and see what type of results we get. I will not support any business that the tribes are involved in, ever. .

[SADSACK]

HERE,HERE!

[Kassian's Tooth]

Anymore news updates on this? Sounds freekishly similar to the pike issue,of which I will never spend another dollar
in that county.

[MarkFromSea]

Most recent article I could find: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/m ... ator-trap/
There is a lot of info in it..... covers some questions you might have, also points of contact.....

[AJ's Dad]

I would be very interested to see the numbers realted to how many fish were caught and turned in on this program, now that May has come to an end. I'll bet they didn't even come close to paying out on 1000 fish. Just my opinion.

I wonder if they will make those numbers publicly known.

[YellowBear]

Where was that other place that the Walleye had eaten everything?
You know the place where there were so many Walleye they should be jumping in the boat.
The place were we all forgot how to catch Walleye at the same time.