Stop changes to the restrictions for harvesting Wild Steelhead

At 66 years old and living and fishing on the Rogue since age 5 I think I can be considered an expert witness here. This ban that is being pushed should not be considered!!! It will destroy the fishing in Southern Oregon. Retention of wild fish is not the problem. 3 is a fair number to stay with. We need more hatchery fish. The coho production on the Rogue is a joke. Retention of a few wild fish and producing hatchery fish is not a bad thing. There are far bigger things that are causing problems on these rivers.

Stopping the harvest of the few wild Steelhead that are harvested will not make a big impact on returns of fish. Illuminating predators like seals and sea lions will. Also the hatcheries need to increase the number of fish spawned and released back into the systems. I was a fishing guide here back in the 80's and 90's. The decline of fish is not from fisherman. It's from mismanagement of the forests and allowing mass growth in numbers if seals and sea lion with no management to control the out of control population.

I've always been a strong supporter of science based decisions, and have backed past closures of other fisheries, when the data has shown the need. The backers of this petition can not show us the need, nor do the scientists with ODFW believe there is a need. We should leave the restrictions as they are, rather than deny license buying anglers the ability to harvest 3 wild fish a year, only to make some special interest folks feel good.

6 years ago Featured

Those who want to ban harvest of wild steelhead are not basing their argument on facts or science, but emotion. They have the right to release any wild steelhead they catch. They don’t have the right to dictate what other anglers do.

Steelhead fishermen are the biggest financial help do the steelhead resource and they're the most dedicated and qualified people to preserving and protecting Steelhead and making sure that their populations are high.

fishing is all I have left!! I don't abuse my rights as a fisher man so stop punishing us !!

6 years ago Featured

We have an awesome steelhead fishery on the lower Rogue even with limited retention of wild steelhead. There is simply no reason to change the regulations in response to a petition from the Native Fish Society - a radical self righteous environmental group which cherry picks science to support their agenda of no hatcheries and only limited opportunities to catch and release wild fish.

I am not a Oregon resident but do support your local economy because of my fishing trips I think you attempting to change wild steelhead limits is a mistake. Current restrictions of one per day and three per year does not harm the wild population at all. Sometimes a wild fish is injured while being caught and will die. Current law allows a fisherman to keep this fish and not let it go to waste

6 years ago Featured

Keep the limits the way they are. There should be a bigger number of Hatchery (clipped fin) fish that are released into the river that would prompt more people to release the wild fish.

We can't let this happen

Less restrictions please.

I believe we have good numbers of Wild Steelhead on these rivers and feel changing the retention rate will do more harm then good. Please do not make any changes.

A large river like the Rogue May be able to sustain a limited keep of wild steelhead. I am in favor of stopping the take of wild steelhead on small rivers especially the Elk and Sixes rivers.

Please keep current regulations for Steelhead one wild per day, three per year.

ODFW needs to be proud of the work being done to keep our #'s high and not make further restrictions.

35 trips not one skunked day we average 3 1/2 fish per day

6 years ago Featured

Please leave well enough alone. Current regulations are getting the job done, numbers are up! Fished steelhead on the Rogue 3 days this year, 8 fish hooked, ALL were WILDS!