Catfishing in Willamette Valley.

[plumbertom]

For those still interested in channel catfish in the Willamette Valley, here is my latest conversation with an ODFW spokesperson;
First from about a two weeks ago:

Yes we did stock 1,000 channel catfish spread between Blue Lake, Adair Pond, St Louis Pond, and Bond Butte Pond. We purchased the fish from a private hatchery out of Idaho and since we were not completely sure how fish would look and how well the stocking would go, we choose to not advertise the exact date of stocking. There was an update to the Recreational Fishing Report on the ODFW website after the stockings happened.
We are looking to continue stocking channel catfish in the future and we will look for better ways to advertise the stocking.

Second from a couple of days ago regarding closer fishing to my home:

Stocking channel catfish into Junction City Pond is something I’ve been thinking about also.
We are looking into expanding the channel catfish stocking program and will be discussing with district biologist in the Willamette Valley and maybe some other spots in the state about adding some additional ponds to the catfish stocking list.
I can’t say this will be a guarantee that we will expand the program since we need to figure out consistent funding for the stocking, but I’ll be pushing for adding more waterbodies.

I wold encourage anyone who has an interest in having access to catfish in our local waters to help me in lobbying for them.
Email ODFW and express your interest.

 

[paidmn]

I sent an email to ODFW stating my support. Thanks for being a advocate

 

[plumbertom]

I sent an email to ODFW stating my support. Thanks for being a advocate

Thank you for participating in helping promote what could become an improved resource for many anglers in Oregon's Willamette Valley.
Catfish could easily improve the numbers of fishers participating in our sport.
More participants translates to more licenses sold and thereby more revenue for ODFW to spend on improving all types of fisheries in the state.
Also there is the Sport Fishing and Archery excise tax. This is Usually about 10% of the cost of fishing gear and tackle and 3% of the cost of things like tackle boxes and outboard motors.
So, the more fishing tackle sold the more exercise tax is collected.
My understanding is the tax is collected and redistributed to the states.
Most states use the funds to promote hatcheries for stocking programs, many specifically urban stockings for those who can't get out of the cities for recreation.
Channel catfish often are a main focus for urban stocking programs during warmer water months, with rainbow trout making up the bulk of cold weather stocking.