The Oregon and Washington Fish Guys open the season in March because it is before the bulk of the run shows up. Keep in mind it is not the full month of March and part of the month it's a three day a week schedual. So here are some stats from the past that indicate fish passage up river out of the metro area. The stats are from the Army Corps of Engineers.
These are adult Chinook salmon crossing Bonneville Dam. 2007 shows a similar patern.
Year 2008........................ 2009
March 170 ......................164
April 40,547...................23,526
May 102,419 ..................157,489
June 67,117.....................88,523
July 22,775.....................30,829
Our season is finished in the first part of April then the real run comes in. It is designed to alllow escapment for the up river fish. The only thing the closure above the 205 bridge does is to stuff the boats into a smaller aera. You have the same amout of hooks chasing the same fish only more consentrated. Spreading the boats out allows for more escapement. The reason the numbers are low in March is because it's just the start of the run. We call them springers because the real run comes in the spring which is why the April, May and June numbers are high. That is when we are not fishing for them. We really don't even get a shot at your fish even after they swim in our ocean and eat our herring.
