Bait fisherman beware.

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Halfthrive
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For those of you that don't know The ODFW tried really hard this year to eliminate bait fishing on the Mckenzie without a public hearing or a announcement to local fisherman about the changes. Thanks to a SMALL group of concerned fisherman the decision, which was goig to pass, was postponed for a year for futher study of the river. If we don't get together and represent ourselves to fight this then look to 2012 as the first year that the Mckenzie is a fly and lure only river.

There's an article in the Statesman journal, McKenzie River bait rules unchanged by panel | statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal

Also if you'd like to know who's responsable for trying to get bait banned, Caddis fly shop.
 
Thanks for the info, and if I were a lure angler in the area I'd be sure to make my presence known as well. It would suck to have it turned into a fly only fishery, further excluding people.
 
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Thats a good thing....but i wish they would make all of the upper mckenzie above leaburg lake a bait free zone and barbless hook only. I have done the way upper stretch ( from olali to rainbow drive at Mckenzi bridge, its fly and lure only ) and its like night and day compared to the lower part of the upper section that is planted and bait is alowed. There are healthy wild fish all over on that way upper stretch. I guess i am biased because i dont keep river trout to eat ( only salmon steel lake trout kokes ect ) but having that upper stretch all wild would be nice. I can kinda see why they wanted to make it a bait free zone below hendicks bridge....its all great trout water and it dosent get a lot of salmon and steelhead pressure so...but i understand for people that dont want to travel all the way up river to bait fish.
 
So sounds like they are pushing for no bait for trout, but you can still use bait for Salmon/Steelhead? I would support that! Trout are easy to catch out of streams without bait, there is no reason to use bait when it endangers "wild" fish.
 
beaverfan said:
So sounds like they are pushing for no bait for trout, but you can still use bait for Salmon/Steelhead? I would support that! Trout are easy to catch out of streams without bait, there is no reason to use bait when it endangers "wild" fish.
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No bait period. Doesn't matter if your fishing for salmon or steelhead. No bait means no soft plastic's, soft spongy material, scents, oils, wrapps, cure's, brine's, and so on.
 
No, it was trout only (see my link above)

Here is an excerpt...

Oregon Fly Fishing Blog, The Caddis Fly and TU Chapter 678 are spearheading an effort to get a bait ban for trout on the McKenzie River. This regulation would maintain the current salmon and steelhead bait regulations, while making the entire river artificial flies and lures only for trout.
 
That's what I thought Bobbi.
 
I would not believe this at all and it is contrary to what I have heard. Some groups would rather have no BAIT and no STEELHEAD or SALMON! Many groups only want redband trout in there. We need to fight this!
 
this is a great deal,,i hope they ban bait PERIOD....if you want any native fish to make a recovery then ban bait....ban ban ban
 
I think certain sections are fine...but when you start putting bans on lower sections its not really fair. They should just have sections that are not planted heavily ( planting non natives is worse than having bait fishing imo ) and make those sections barbless hooks for any hook smaller than a 1/0. Barbs on hooks are what do the most damage. I have baitfished for cutts on the willamette with lager barbless hooks and worms and used a hook remover...very little damage if you are quick and know what you are doing. That would make it fair for everyone. All my trout lures and plugs have trebles with bent down barbs....i still hardly ever loose a fish and i can sometimes just shake em off at the boat without touching them. A good comprimise would be any hook 1/0 and smaller in that section should be barbless. It amazes me how many fly fishermen are concerned about the well being of trout ( and i am too ) yet they still have barbs on their flys ??? I am actually going to start putting round barb trebles on all my steelhead plugs because i always unintentionaly hook a couple of large native trout on them and with barbs its not pretty.
 
I for one think no bait is fine...there are places to use bait...they're called ponds and lakes :) Trout are pretty unintelligent creatures, and are easily caught without the use of bait. Native fish should be protected. I think ODFW needs to look at what they've done with the Deschutes and apply that to the McKenzie with bait bans, and an end to hatchery fish. I bet they never do it though, there's too many people in Eugene/springfield that go up there to catch dinner. It's kinda depressing really. I'm all for killing hatchery trout for dinner, but, there's reservoirs all over that serve that purpose. Just my two cents...
 
JeannaJigs said:
I for one think no bait is fine...there are places to use bait...they're called ponds and lakes :) Trout are pretty unintelligent creatures, and are easily caught without the use of bait. Native fish should be protected. I think ODFW needs to look at what they've done with the Deschutes and apply that to the McKenzie with bait bans, and an end to hatchery fish. I bet they never do it though, there's too many people in Eugene/springfield that go up there to catch dinner. It's kinda depressing really. I'm all for killing hatchery trout for dinner, but, there's reservoirs all over that serve that purpose. Just my two cents...
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:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:very well put,the Deschutes has over 3,000 redsides per river mile,,the mckenzie should be the same,and will if they stop stock stocking it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I agree with the ban. It would be nice if they set something up like here on the Molalla. We have a period when the steel are running that bait is allowed but the rest of the year its fly/lure only. I like fly/lure myself an would like to see a lot more water made that way. Oh an Bigsteel I know you know this but there are no Redsides in the Mckenzie. They are a different kind of Rainbow altogether.
 
wouldn't bother me since i rarely use bait when trout fishing other than when i am trolling. Most ly a worm and flasher tolling guy and a lure bank guy for trout anyways. i also think no stocked small rivers and streams need strickter regs just leave my lake regs alone because thats where i go for dinner and the occasianal river trout. Also i think regs like these are good out of town up in the small sections but here in town they should leave them alone and continue to stock fish.
 
Markcanby said:
I agree with the ban. It would be nice if they set something up like here on the Molalla. We have a period when the steel are running that bait is allowed but the rest of the year its fly/lure only. I like fly/lure myself an would like to see a lot more water made that way. Oh an Bigsteel I know you know this but there are no Redsides in the Mckenzie. They are a different kind of Rainbow altogether.
Click to expand...

yes i know
 
cobias said:
. It amazes me how many fly fishermen are concerned about the well being of trout ( and i am too ) yet they still have barbs on their flys ???
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Honestly? I don't know any fly fishermen that use barbed hooks. I know that most flies either hand tied or store bought begin that way but it's common practice to crimp the barbs down. Glad to hear you modify your stuff for quick and easy releases. About the bait ban? I don't know enough about this river to give an opinion.
 
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chris61182 said:
Thanks for the info, and I were a lure angler in the area I'd be sure to make my presence known as well. It would suck to have it turned into a fly only fishery, further excluding people.
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They weren't / aren't trying to turn it into "fly fishing" only. Rather, flies and artificial lures (spinners, wobblers, etc).
 
JeannaJigs said:
I for one think no bait is fine...there are places to use bait...they're called ponds and lakes :) Trout are pretty unintelligent creatures, and are easily caught without the use of bait. Native fish should be protected. I think ODFW needs to look at what they've done with the Deschutes and apply that to the McKenzie with bait bans, and an end to hatchery fish. I bet they never do it though, there's too many people in Eugene/springfield that go up there to catch dinner. It's kinda depressing really. I'm all for killing hatchery trout for dinner, but, there's reservoirs all over that serve that purpose. Just my two cents...
Click to expand...

Very well said indeed!
 
What really gets my hackles up about this, is that they attempted to make this "ban" decision; without involving the fishing public.

I have only two words for that:

Underhanded SOB's.

I am just beginning to become a fly fisherman. Now, I will NOT step foot inside of the Caddis Fly Shop.
 
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