UPDATE: OK…. one more time. The issue with the survey/petition is once again resolved.
Would you support a bait ban regulation on the McKenzie River to protect wild trout?
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.
The Mckenzie River regulations currently require catch and release of all wild trout to protect native redsides. When low water concentrates native fish into the deep pools of the Mckenzie, bait anglers catch them and are unable to release them unharmed. Numbers are low and need further protection. When an angler using bait catches a wild trout on the Mckenzie and the hook is buried in the gullet of the trout, releasing a fish unharmed is virtually impossible.
The Mckenzie is an incredible resource and sustains a great deal of recreation. The proposed no bait regulation will make the Mckenzie an even better resource. Vibrant wild trout populations would make the Mckenzie River much more of a destination than it already is, bringing more dollars to the state in licence sales as well as tourist dollars.
A large wild rainbow trout “redside” is considered the prize catch on the Mckenzie River, it is why people fish the river day in and day out. We urge you to protect this fish, make the already catch and release of wild trout regulation really mean something.
We need you to fill out this survey, to prove to ODFW we have popular support for such a measure. Thanks for taking the time.
Hoo Rah………. It’s about damn time – thank you TU and Chris Daughters.
if i can do anything to help, just ask.
moon
Absolutely. I’m doing the survey, tonight.
I’m from Chicago. How many times can I vote for the bait ban?
Done. Make sure to coment about the Bull Trout population that is also affected by bait useage on the river. Hey Moon.
Steve
I just clicked on your link, and the survey is closed.
The survey seems to be down again. I’ve linked to it from facebook and folks there are commenting that it’s not working. I think we can really get the word out if you can keep the survey going. Thanks for doing this. The fish deserve our effort.
Heather
Hey folks. Sorry the survey was down. The free Web Monkey account only let us have 100 responses. We bought an upgrade and now can collect up to 1,000.
Matt,
Are you talking $$$ amount to keep it up?? If so we can raise some cash to get a freakin’ 10,000 hits!!
It’s out there now on the Web. If we need some $$$ let us know.
Great job.
Steve
Thanks Steve! I needed to get an account anyway for another project I’m working on… but it’s good to know we can raise funding if we need it.
Thanks to everyone doing this important work to ensure the survival of wild fish stocks. I for one can’t understand why people don’t see that fish stocks are not inexhaustable. People need to see the value of catch and release…unharmed. If only from a selfish point of view if youv’e ever wet a line on a stream thats managed that way , its unbelievable how good the fishing can be.
My family has had a place on the Mckenzie for 45 years. One of the best casting spots for a spinning set up is right on our land. We’ve never banned access from the highway, but have been tempted to many times over the years. When anglers are using power bait or worms, notwithstanding how good their intentions may be, there is no way they could release a live fish and over the years I’ve witnesses countless sizable wild red-sides pulled out and killed. The ban is long overdue and in a few short years will return the McKenzie to the wild trout refuge of years past.