Central Valley river salmon seasons shut down; Sac River gets imited fishery
May 9, 2008
For the first time in history, most of California’s Central Valley will be closed to salmon fishing this year due to a record-low forecast of fall run Chinook.
It’s hard to believe, but scenes like the one above of happy salmon anglers are sure to be in short supply.
Here’s what the season boils down to:
• Sacramento River
The CA Fish & Game Commission adopted regulations on May 9 that will open only the Sacramento River to recreational angling Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 between the Red Bluff Diversion Dam and Knight’s Landing. The bag limit will be one salmon. The rest of the river is closed to all fishing…
Biologists said that a limited take of late-fall Chinook from this stretch of the Sacramento will not harm the fall-run population, yet would provide some fishing opportunity to support the recreational economy that depends on the species.
• American River
Closed to all salmon fishing
• Feather River
Closed to all salmon fishing
• Yuba River
Closed to all salmon fishing
• Other Tributaries
All other tribs — the Mokelumne, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Merced rivers, along will all creeks will also be closed.
I’m not at all surprised by the sweeping closures…it just didn’t make sense to close the ocean and then leave the rivers open…they had to do it.
Though salmon made up approx 80% of my guiding business, I’m glad they closed the rivers. I don’t subscribe to the “kill every last fish because it’s our livelihood” mentality. Yes, things are going to be tough for those of us in the fishing/guiding industry for a while, but nothing good comes from fishing for a decimated species.
Closures aren’t the long-term answer, however. Something is rotten in Denmark and we need to start fixing it immediately. The problem is huge — massive water exports from our river/delta system, an unhealthy delta, river temps that are too warm, poor ocean conditions and on and on. Until that stuff gets addressed, we’re in for some dark times. I do have faith that salmon are pretty resilient and will come back if we can give them a helping hand.
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I fing it interesting that you would support a river closure……but then again ….I can also see that it is the right thing for you to “say”…..I dont see how a closure is going to affect whats going to happen this year ….I belive what we are seeing is a direct by product from all of the ignorance demonstrated a few years ago with the river temperatures killing all of the salmon before they could spawn….aka 2001 - 2004ish…….I just discovered salmon fishing last year….I caught my first one below the barge hole on the gravel bar in anderson….and I have to say it was one of the most rewarding and thrilling fishing experiences of my life…..it lit a fire in me for fishing that I hadent felt since I was a kid growing up on the McCloud river and catching trout…….I would like to catch one again….maybe on the smith river….can you tell me what technique to use…..is it the same as fishing the sac?…..I would also like to know how to fish the trinity….I tried a little bit last year and only caught alot of moss….lol….any help would be greatly appreciated….and if you could please send me a price list for a guided trip to the trinity….I live in redding….and I would love a chance to learn more…..can you catch a salmon on a fly rod?>…..I started trying to catch steelhead on a flypole in the trinity last year too…but to date I have officially caught absolutly nothing on a fly rod….any help their would be great too…thanks……jed……P.S. I would love to be able to make a living taking people fishing….could you tell me how you became a guide….and what that process is exactly…..thanks again jed……if you feel like calling …instead of typing my cell number is…..530 209 1799