Kudos to you, Rob.  Now you see where I'm going with this.  Hope y'all see the "pattern" and do everything in your power to spread the word.

Smitty - yep, we finally found a vista in Auburn.  We're signing the papers today. 

DANG!!! I gotta agree with you again Glenn.  You are definately fanning my flames on this subject!  BTW did ya find somdthing futher south yet?

Smitty

It will probably be the same thing after Meseberg gets the fish structure placed into Potholes.

Quote:


Of course, that has nothing to do with the thousands of volunteer hours worth of habitat restoration anglers labored over to help fix Banks Lake!

Funny how the WDFW comes in after all the hard work is done, initiates a horrible program backed by baseless claims, and proclaims, "Look how successful we are!"  It's no accident they chose Banks lake when they did.

Ya... a bunch of opportunistic vultures in Olympia feeding on the short memory of those who weren't involved with the restoration program.

Let's not forget WHO restored Banks, and WHO neglected it, and now WHO is trying to take credit for its success!

The warm water anglers of Washington state did a great thing for Banks, and now the WDFW is working hard and fast to destroy it, along with tournament angling to boot.  DON'T BE FOOLED!!

Crappie (crappy) clubs do the same thing. When I fished the lower Colorado between California and Arizona we pulled into a few bays full of Xmas trees. I am not sure what it would take to get a permit. I always thought about it too. You see the fishing shows where they show how to make fish structure and sink them, but I know you need a permit. All it takes is an email to WA fish and game enforcement dept. and they'll respond within a few days.

Both good responses this is what I was hoping to get. Different opinions and different backgrounds. I always truely believed that we had no chance at getting any heavy support but was possibly trying to start an idea of trying to get as many people together as possible to start funding some other projects. Habitat is the big thing. I read that, I believe it's either Arkansas or Alabama, that they collect christmas trees and turn them into habitat. I do wonder if we need some kind of permit to do stuff like this. I also wonder what it would take to get one. From both of your statements we're on our own. We can always catch bass. With the ways things look here I may have to move to persue my dream. I don't want that because I like washington but you have to go where it's happening just like Dean Rojas said to future anglers trying to pursue a career as a bass fisherman. I most likely with the way things are looking moving to Texas in the next 5-10 years.

Nick,

Unfortunately you live in Washington State and getting the state involved in warm water is like pulling teeth.

Getting kids involved is important but from past experience it was only localized that it made any difference. I started the first Kids fishing club back in the early 90's, that was recognized by the BASS federation and although it was a great club, with lots of participation it did not get any support from the state what so ever.

All we can do is keep trying and support the CAST foundation and its causes. Maybe someday it will help.
Russ

Here's a difference between the south and at least the northwest..........they love their bass, the northwest love their salmon. Our conservation goes towards that. Even if others try and start projects, you have to have support from your state. I'm sure it takes special permits and things of that nature, and money. If state funds are going one direction and not towards Bass, then goodluck.

They value their bass in the south, so their money and state agencies with their smart fish scientist dudes work towards making bass fishing better. We use ours towards salmon.

Look at Texas' lunker program. Going into the actual genetic make-up of bass to blend the bigger ones and make bigger bass. We don't necessarily go that far with salmon, but their our plenty of salmon hatcheries. So thay do the same sorts of things up here, just with a different species of fish.

Maybe we can get Paul Allen or Bill Gates into bass fishing so they'll fund such programs. Maybe I'll knock on his back door one day while on Washington and see if I can get him into a 5 lb smallie. Or get my butt kicked by the security trying....

Anyhow this is how it appears to me unless someone can shed some light my way.

Hey, everyone who's complaining needs to understand why their doing this. I do believe what they say. Yes Largies have been known to find their way or able to adapt if put back in a bay or the right area after being weighted in. Largies like structure. I see tons of lazy fishermen these days just taking their largemouth and releasing them with the smallmouth in the middle of the lake. This puts them into shock. It's kind of like taking a 5 year old and putting them a mile away from home in the city. Their just not going to find their way home and their going to go into panic. This is the logic. Plus from romors this ban has helped Bank Lake largemouth flourish I hear their every where in the bays now. Maybe one or two more years and the lake will be full of largemouth and who know it might take twenty pounds a day to win a tournament. Instead of complaining lets fight it the right way. Right letters if you don't like it or start a pettition. I believe this is helping. Even if it's seems like the tournament angler is getting the snide or smurd with these rules. Politics is politics and theirs nothing we can do. Maybe try raising money for our own lunker plan. I've began to also notice two big differences between the south and the west. The west does less conservation projects through the clubs stating that their helping back their warmwater programs. If you help and make a friend of your enemy or the one your opposed to your more likely to get your way. I believe if we all stuck together and formed a big group and aligned more anglers and started running more events such as conservation projects and including kids in events maybe we could get more hold on our states politics. This means more out of each individual. I believe in the end this will benefit everyone and future generations. You also have to remeber their is a lot salmon anglers in our state. Which means we have to stick up for our species of preference that much more. I believe I made my point now let's hear some of your opinions on how to resolve the problem or problems with our states warm water fisheries. Also I believe we can run these by Jim Rumann and I believe he can take notes to the meetings he goes to and defend us as club. Don't quote me on that though.

Sounds like it could wind up being just  Western Club if they get their way.

Western Bass Club.  I mean Western Smallmouth Bass Club, I mean Western Largemouth Bass Club, I mean Western Trout Club, AH Heck!  How 'bout Western Fishy Club?  More fitting, don't you think?

I think you've hit the salmonoid on the head Glenn.  The "left coast califorkian" mentality that pervades the fish & game department finds it nearly impossible to see any fish that is not a native, as being beneficial to a fishery or the state in general.  Moreover they view those of us who pursue these species as being only 1 step above PWC operators in the food chain. 
All the hoopla that politicians like Lt. Governor Brad Owens and others raised several years ago in support of a warm-water fishery was just that.....political hoopla!  Like everyone else they only wanted our votes at the time.  Moreover, as powerful as the commercial fisheries lobby is, I predict that they will be the next to be stepped on like a bug.  All these and other reasons, give me cause not to remain in this state much longer.
If you want to see where sport fishing is headed, look at the current hunting mess here in Washington.

Expect more bans as the WDFW now has a foothold on phasing out tournament fishing.... a goal they've had for a very long time.

I have not heard if Tri-Cities Walulla pool has a ban but that does not mean it is'nt there...Nick did you see that in the regs?

#$$%^&*&^@@#^*!!#@!, *#@& , Just a touch on how I feel about it....