Yogidabear said:
I read the regs but are jack coho fair game on lake creek ?? and is under 20 inch and less coho considered a jack??
you can only retain wild jack coho, 15" to 20"*, in specific locations and dates open to retention of wild coho adults. In those areas, you can still retain wild coho jacks even after reaching your annual or daily limit for wild coho adults but only if you have not reached your daily limit for salmon**.
2015 Coastal Wild Coho Salmon Sport Regulations: "Retention of one wild coho jack per day is allowed during seasons open for wild adult coho. Jack coho do not need to be recorded on the Combined Angling Tag (whether hatchery or wild)." (important here is to remember that the term "seasons" includes the dates and exact locations that are open to retention of wild coho).
so Lake Creek= no.
*page 7, perm regs.: " Jack salmon are coho between 15 and 20 inches in length" (under 15" is a smolt and coho smolt must always be released).
**so on a river open for chinook and coho, 2 fish daily limit, 1 of which can be a wild coho during that season, if you tag a wild coho adult first, you continue to fish for your second adult salmon that must now be a chinook, and catch a wild coho jack before getting an adult chinook, you can retain it. on the other hand, on Siltcoos/Tahkenitch/TenmileLakes, which are not open to chinook retention, the daily limit is 1 wild coho and once that is on your tag, you are done, it is illegal to retain a wild jack coho (or any trout) because you have reached the daily limit for salmon.
NW/SW Zone Regs: "Anglers may not continue to angle for jack salmon or trout after retaining a limit of adult salmon or steelhead."
Goofy but true: the coastal lakes (Siltcoos/Tahkenitch/Tenmile) are open only for non-fin clipped coho salmon. You would be committing an expensive violation (incorrect salmon retention) to retain any chinook or a fin-clipped coho during the wild coho season in those lakes- the special regs are very specific here, goofy perhaps, but very clear:
"Bag limit is one non fin-clipped adult coho salmon and one non fin-clipped jack coho
salmon per day and 5 total non fin-clipped adult coho salmon per year in aggregate with
other Northwest Zone and Southwest Zone waterbodies."