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Snaggers and Other Non-Fishermen in Oregon
Oregon Fishing
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Nov 17, 2022 19:12:25   #
Bluetarheel Loc: Oregon
 
Have fished around the world (retired soldier) but only came to Oregon recently. Went recently to Kilchis River to see & catch my first chum salmon (dog salmon). Where I was there was a tremendous number of fish. There were 4 or 5 fishermen who caught two while I was there. BUT there were 25 or 30 people just snagging fish. Chum salmon are all catch & release and there are only two rivers in Oregon where it is legal to target chum. These people, not fishermen, snagged at least 300 just in the time I was there. Took chunks out of their sides. You could see them relocate to a pool and try to recover. Some died right away, and I imagine the stress affected their spawning. I said something to a couple of them about the damage they were doing and the ethics. Wasted my breath. There were fathers teaching their sons how to do this and even a husband teaching his wife while the toddler played on the bank (no life jacket). Families with picnic baskets, too.

Went to Eagle Creek to catch coho. There were probably 15 people at the log jam snagging the coho. Legal limit is two. Most were taking four or five with them when they left.

To top off my adventures I went to the hatcheries on the Lewis and Kalama. Snaggers all over the banks at the Lewis and this is AT the hatchery. At the Kalama there is a huge sign stating that you cannot cast past this point even if standing below it. Watched one fisherman comply and four people casting beyond the sign.

What is it about Oregon that encourages this behavior. Is is because true sportsmen are being silent about fish and fishing? I have never seen this audacity anywhere else.

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Nov 17, 2022 19:20:00   #
flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!
 
Bluetarheel wrote:
Have fished around the world (retired soldier) but only came to Oregon recently. Went recently to Kilchis River to see & catch my first chum salmon (dog salmon). Where I was there was a tremendous number of fish. There were 4 or 5 fishermen who caught two while I was there. BUT there were 25 or 30 people just snagging fish. Chum salmon are all catch & release and there are only two rivers in Oregon where it is legal to target chum. These people, not fishermen, snagged at least 300 just in the time I was there. Took chunks out of their sides. You could see them relocate to a pool and try to recover. Some died right away, and I imagine the stress affected their spawning. I said something to a couple of them about the damage they were doing and the ethics. Wasted my breath. There were fathers teaching their sons how to do this and even a husband teaching his wife while the toddler played on the bank (no life jacket). Families with picnic baskets, too.

Went to Eagle Creek to catch coho. There were probably 15 people at the log jam snagging the coho. Legal limit is two. Most were taking four or five with them when they left.

To top off my adventures I went to the hatcheries on the Lewis and Kalama. Snaggers all over the banks at the Lewis and this is AT the hatchery. At the Kalama there is a huge sign stating that you cannot cast past this point even if standing below it. Watched one fisherman comply and four people casting beyond the sign.

What is it about Oregon that encourages this behavior. Is is because true sportsmen are being silent about fish and fishing? I have never seen this audacity anywhere else.
Have fished around the world (retired soldier) but... (show quote)


That is not a good thing, Does Oregan have a tip line, I think I would use it.

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Nov 17, 2022 21:31:19   #
DC Loc: Washington state
 
I have been frustrated at times as well part of the problem is enforcement and lack of penalties and part is if they are using legal gear and releasing snagged fish it might be hard to prove a violation of the law. we use to have a large chum run before the tribes nets killed off the run. back then they were so thick just floating a jig you would end up snagging many with out trying. but if you wanted you could use the same set up and purposely snag them by how you reeled it in but it would hard to prove that is what one was doing for that purpose so any tickets issued which was seldom was for fish keeper that were snagged

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Nov 17, 2022 22:16:39   #
Bluetarheel Loc: Oregon
 
I have contacted ODFW on two occasions, including at the Kilchis. They are aware and concerned. They even ask for assistance from anglers. The state police are responsible for enforcement, but they cannot be everywhere and this not the first priority. In Washington on the Columbia the sheriff departments are involved and appear to do a good job. I have heard many stories of Washington sheriff departments or game wardens setting up with binoculars, getting the evidence, and then confronting the individuals.

My frustration is that we, the anglers, condone this and now it is accepted practice in Oregon. I moved here from Texas, and I know the sportsmen police their own there whether it is poaching, trashing public areas or giving the public reasons to complain.

Frustrating, but I don’t have the answer. Thanks for listening.

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Nov 18, 2022 10:37:32   #
Whitey Loc: Southeast ohio
 
Bluetarheel wrote:
I have contacted ODFW on two occasions, including at the Kilchis. They are aware and concerned. They even ask for assistance from anglers. The state police are responsible for enforcement, but they cannot be everywhere and this not the first priority. In Washington on the Columbia the sheriff departments are involved and appear to do a good job. I have heard many stories of Washington sheriff departments or game wardens setting up with binoculars, getting the evidence, and then confronting the individuals.

My frustration is that we, the anglers, condone this and now it is accepted practice in Oregon. I moved here from Texas, and I know the sportsmen police their own there whether it is poaching, trashing public areas or giving the public reasons to complain.

Frustrating, but I don’t have the answer. Thanks for listening.
I have contacted ODFW on two occasions, including ... (show quote)


Just keep trying to do what you can 👍 I know a guy and his wife that lives out there and the way he talks most people just don't give a. Well you know. Good luck 👍

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Nov 18, 2022 16:58:54   #
johnlmac Loc: Salem OR
 
Bluetarheel wrote:
Have fished around the world (retired soldier) but only came to Oregon recently. Went recently to Kilchis River to see & catch my first chum salmon (dog salmon). Where I was there was a tremendous number of fish. There were 4 or 5 fishermen who caught two while I was there. BUT there were 25 or 30 people just snagging fish. Chum salmon are all catch & release and there are only two rivers in Oregon where it is legal to target chum. These people, not fishermen, snagged at least 300 just in the time I was there. Took chunks out of their sides. You could see them relocate to a pool and try to recover. Some died right away, and I imagine the stress affected their spawning. I said something to a couple of them about the damage they were doing and the ethics. Wasted my breath. There were fathers teaching their sons how to do this and even a husband teaching his wife while the toddler played on the bank (no life jacket). Families with picnic baskets, too.

Went to Eagle Creek to catch coho. There were probably 15 people at the log jam snagging the coho. Legal limit is two. Most were taking four or five with them when they left.

To top off my adventures I went to the hatcheries on the Lewis and Kalama. Snaggers all over the banks at the Lewis and this is AT the hatchery. At the Kalama there is a huge sign stating that you cannot cast past this point even if standing below it. Watched one fisherman comply and four people casting beyond the sign.

What is it about Oregon that encourages this behavior. Is is because true sportsmen are being silent about fish and fishing? I have never seen this audacity anywhere else.
Have fished around the world (retired soldier) but... (show quote)


I have been fishing the Kilches river for several years until this year because Chinook salmon was closed. I caught my biggest Chinook on the Kilches 34 LB. I have also had lots of fun catching the Chum salmon. It wasn't until last year that I saw snagging by a couple of guys using twitching jigs. When twitching jigs first came out I was fishing on the Trask river one day and saw guys catching the Coho with them, all most all of them legally hooked. When the river is full of fish it is easy to snag fish and twitching jigs should be illegal in spawning grounds. Snagging fish happens but I haven't seen but a few people try to snag fish on purpose. Chum salmon are the easiest salmon to catch legally. They hit anything. I think that is why they are endangered and could go extinct if we were able to keep them.

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Nov 18, 2022 21:24:34   #
Pacific Bonker Loc: Portland, Oregon
 
I’ve lived in Oregon for 55 years, fished many of the rivers referenced and honestly have not seen any fish snagged intentionally. With that said, I’ve not participated in twitching but do know some that do.
I’ve witnessed excess being taken, filets taken off of illegal fish and so on.
With all the time I spend on the river with my boat I have not been checked since 2017 so does that represent the norm for most folks now.
Visible enforcement is definitely needed.

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Nov 18, 2022 22:19:28   #
bknecht Loc: Northeast pa
 
Bluetarheel wrote:
Have fished around the world (retired soldier) but only came to Oregon recently. Went recently to Kilchis River to see & catch my first chum salmon (dog salmon). Where I was there was a tremendous number of fish. There were 4 or 5 fishermen who caught two while I was there. BUT there were 25 or 30 people just snagging fish. Chum salmon are all catch & release and there are only two rivers in Oregon where it is legal to target chum. These people, not fishermen, snagged at least 300 just in the time I was there. Took chunks out of their sides. You could see them relocate to a pool and try to recover. Some died right away, and I imagine the stress affected their spawning. I said something to a couple of them about the damage they were doing and the ethics. Wasted my breath. There were fathers teaching their sons how to do this and even a husband teaching his wife while the toddler played on the bank (no life jacket). Families with picnic baskets, too.

Went to Eagle Creek to catch coho. There were probably 15 people at the log jam snagging the coho. Legal limit is two. Most were taking four or five with them when they left.

To top off my adventures I went to the hatcheries on the Lewis and Kalama. Snaggers all over the banks at the Lewis and this is AT the hatchery. At the Kalama there is a huge sign stating that you cannot cast past this point even if standing below it. Watched one fisherman comply and four people casting beyond the sign.

What is it about Oregon that encourages this behavior. Is is because true sportsmen are being silent about fish and fishing? I have never seen this audacity anywhere else.
Have fished around the world (retired soldier) but... (show quote)

That description is nauseating, I well remember when snagging salmon was legal in NY state. Never participated but would sometimes observe the shenanigans and absolutely couldn’t believe the fiasco. Guys with 50 pound test hurling 2 oz. weighted treble hooks arm to arm on both sides of the stream. E.R. doctors were kept quite busy. What were they thinking?

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Nov 19, 2022 01:53:35   #
johnlmac Loc: Salem OR
 
bknecht wrote:
That description is nauseating, I well remember when snagging salmon was legal in NY state. Never participated but would sometimes observe the shenanigans and absolutely couldn’t believe the fiasco. Guys with 50 pound test hurling 2 oz. weighted treble hooks arm to arm on both sides of the stream. E.R. doctors were kept quite busy. What were they thinking?


While at the Statue Of Liberty I watched the striper fisherman snagging the perch to catch the strippers. They would snag the perch and let them flounder around and the strippers would swallow them and hang on and not let go. It must have been legal because they showed us how they do it. I saw a guy take a stripper out that he was carrying at shoulder height and the tail was dragging the ground.

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Nov 19, 2022 09:52:34   #
Rick.69 Loc: Portland, Oregon
 
You do have the answer my friend, we don’t police ourselves. I’ve been away for 30 years and now that I’m back fishing in my home I see nothing but disrespect for OUR habitat. When you condone an action it will become accepted behavior over time. We must speak up and the Oregon state police need to step up as well because Washington does. I feel the frustration because I see the same.

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Nov 19, 2022 22:51:48   #
4hunter4 Loc: Crescent City, Ca. 95531
 
That's terrible, no respect for the fish. Snagers go home.

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Nov 25, 2022 17:38:13   #
Poupore Loc: Portland Oregon
 
I've been fishing in Oregon for 50 years I've seen very few people snagging it's usually younger people I don't think it's condoned in Oregon as you saying or that most people think it's all right cuz I think most people absolutely do not think most most of the fishermen I see follow the rules are pretty pretty well so sometimes some of the rules are hard to keep up on you know closures and openings and different stuff they're changing every day sometimes it's hard to know but we all know there's no snagging I know the Miami River had it used to have or maybe still does have a good run it chumps dog salmon and like a green Corky a little bit of yarn you don't have to snag nothing you catch a fish on damn near every cast

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Nov 25, 2022 19:17:24   #
Rick.69 Loc: Portland, Oregon
 
Your right about most, I just don’t like how people will leave their trash as well as violating the rules. It’s good to hear someone like yourself is in the right mind.

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Nov 25, 2022 23:37:32   #
Bluetarheel Loc: Oregon
 
I am glad that is your experience.

The ODFW recreation report even discusses this problem when it mentions fishing on the Kilchis and Miami during the time chum can be targeted. To them it is certainly a frequent and undesirable action. As I mentioned the Oregon State Police know snagging is a problem on the three rivers I referenced.

In my 65+ years of fishing I too have rarely seen unethical practices by sportsmen. That is why the practice and toleration of snagging is so befuddling.

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Nov 26, 2022 00:50:47   #
johnlmac Loc: Salem OR
 
Bluetarheel wrote:
I am glad that is your experience.

The ODFW recreation report even discusses this problem when it mentions fishing on the Kilchis and Miami during the time chum can be targeted. To them it is certainly a frequent and undesirable action. As I mentioned the Oregon State Police know snagging is a problem on the three rivers I referenced.

In my 65+ years of fishing I too have rarely seen unethical practices by sportsmen. That is why the practice and toleration of snagging is so befuddling.
I am glad that is your experience. br br The OD... (show quote)


A snagged fish is not fun to reel in. The fight is only fun when they are hooked in the mouth. If you can't keep the fish I don't see why anyone would try to snag one they can't keep. The very experienced fisherman usually knows when they foul hook a fish and usually break the line off. It happens a lot by accident on the Trask river. The fisherman there set the hook when the bobber wiggles and occasionally they foul hook one.

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