Final Results of the 2013 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulation Development Summary of Final Rules Adopted by the Commission on September 7Th, 2012
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Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 3406 Cherry Avenue NE Salem, OR 97303 Final Results of the 2013 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulation Development Summary of Final Rules Adopted by the Commission on September 7th, 2012 This package contains the following: Index of adopted and rejected proposals from the September 7th Commission meeting in Hermiston Oregon. Summary of final rules adopted by the Fish and Wildlife Commission at their September 7th, 2012 meeting in Hermiston Oregon. Final rule-making decisions by the Fish and Wildlife Commission for development of the 2013 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. The Commission adopted rules for the 2013 angling regulations at their September 7th meeting in Hermiston Oregon. Proposals followed by the letter “S” are ODFW or Oregon State Police (OSP) staff proposals (example 012S). Proposals followed by the letter “P” are proposals submitted by the public (example 25P) Table 1. Summary Index of adopted and rejected proposals from the September 7th Commission meeting. Statewide Regulations 1S Change Free Fishing Weekend Dates Adopted 2S Add new definitions “bobber” and “leader” Adopted 5S Adopt new Statewide Anti-Snagging Rules Adopted 7S Hook-less “bait” attracters in Ocean Salmon fishery Adopted 65P Allow Disabled Anglers Use of Electric Reels Adopted 4S Redefine definition of “Take” Adopted 3S Redefine “Snagging” to help enforcement Adopted 6P Soft-plastic and rubber imitations defined as lures Rejected 64P/91P “Rack-Your-Rod-Rule” Tidal Waters Rejected 6S Possession of fish in the field- Statewide Rule Withdrawn Northwest Zone Regulations 76P Year-long C&R trout angling – select tributaries Adopted 67P Alsea River Angling Deadline Adjustment Adopted 8S Nehalem River closure around fish trap Adopted 11S Salmon River; “Bobber” Angling Rule Adopted 10S Three Rivers anti-snagging regulations Adopted 57S Reduction in annual sturgeon catch limit Adopted 9S Trask River “Bobber Angling” rule Adopted Southwest Zone Regulations 57S Reduction in annual sturgeon catch limit Adopted 12S SW Zone, one additional hatchery steelhead Adopted 13S Coquille Basin, no regulations for SM and LM Bass Adopted 55P Diamond Lake: Year-Round Angling Adopted 14S Allow harvest of trout > than 20 inches in Eel Lake Adopted 15S Sixes River and Elk River aggregate Chinook limits Adopted 16S Floras Creek/New River, fall Chinook salmon regs. Adopted 17S Floras Lake; close salmon and steelhead angling Adopted 18S Fourmile Creek, close steelhead season, for coho Adopted 19S Hunter Creek, revert to no need to tag jack salmon Adopted 70P Illinois River, steelhead retention deadline change Adopted 20S New Lake; close steelhead season, for coho Adopted 21S New River, simplify regulations Adopted 22S Pistol Creek, revert to no need to tag jack salmon Adopted 27S Upper Rogue River, year-round trout angling Adopted 24S Umpqua River, New regulations following salmon Adopted 62P Chetco River Salmon Fishing Deadline Adopted 25S Rogue River; redefine new angling boundary Adopted 26S Rogue River, change of the legal angling hours Adopted 23S Sixes River; reduced wild Chinook salmon harvest Adopted 61S Umpqua Basin, increase smallmouth bass limit Adopted 139P Lemolo Reservoir; Extended trout season. Adopted Willamette Zone Regulations 11P Valley Ponds, Modified Bass Limit; 1 bass per day Adopted 12P Valley Ponds, Bass Limits; 1/day Adopted 33S Clackamas River, accurately define angling closure Adopted 9P Henry Hagg Lake; Crappie Limits; 20 fish limit Adopted 32S McKenzie River, new anti-snagging regulations Adopted 34S Salmon River, (Sandy Basin); expand trout angling Adopted 30S Springfield Mill Race, new fishery Adopted 28S Tualatin River Section 1. extend bait area Adopted 100P Willamette River: 7, reduced trout limit 2 per day Adopted 29S Willamette R. 7. New anti-snagging regulations Adopted 58S Clarification of Hills Creek regulations Adopted 59S Clarify brook trout harvest regulations Adopted 60S Salmon and Salt Creeks bull trout conservation Adopted 57S Reduction in annual sturgeon catch limit Adopted 48P Henry Hagg Lake; Crappie Limits; 10 per day Rejected 31S McKenzie River, eliminate use of bait in section Adopted 53P/57P Molalla River; restore angling deadline at Horse Public Proposal Rejected, Revised Creek for Chinook. Staff revisions: Deadline at Staff Proposal Adopted Turner Creek Central Zone Regulations Category A – Staff Recommendation Adopt 38S East Lake trout; 16 inch max. brown, C&R for Rb Adopted 39S Odell Lake; expanded bull trout closers Adopted 40S Paulina Lake; C&R for non adipose fin-marked Adopted 41S Whychus Creek; protect juvenile salmonid migrants Adopted 36S Crane Prairie Res., selective, quality trout fishery. Revised Proposal Adopted Staff revised proposal adopted. Just change in minimum length for 1 over rule. 1 over 16 inches. 5 trout per day, only one non- adipose fin clipped and only 1 over 16 inches in length 63P Crooked River; prohibit the use of bait year round Rejected 37S Deschutes R. 3b, expand trout angling opportunities Adopted 103P Deschutes Sec. 6: allow harvest of hatchery trout Rejected 3P Wickiup Reservoir; management Largemouth Bass Adopted 51P East Lake; Allow retention of trophy brown trout Rejected Northeast Zone Regulations 42S Morgan Lake, delete brook trout regulations Adopted 43S Lower Umatilla R., expand coho and fall Chinook Adopted salmon angling daily bag limit 44S Lower Umatilla R., remove annual 10 fish limit on Adopted spring Chinook salmon 33P McKay Reservoir, bass bag limit regulation change Adopted Southeast Zone Regulations 47S Big Ck. and tribs.; reduce daily redband trout limit Adopted 35S Clarify bait regulations on the Chewaucan River Adopted 45S Dog Lake, fishery with a one bass per day limit Adopted 50S Lake Ck. and tribs.; reduce daily redband trout limit Adopted 48S Malheur R., Sec.1. reduce daily redband trout limit Adopted 49S NF Malheur Sec. 1. reduce daily redband trout limit Adopted 51S Malheur River Sec. 2., redefine Section Adopted 46S Unity Reservoir, enhance bass and panfish fishery Adopted 116P Crooked Creek; allow harvest of brown/brook trout Adopted 117P Fourmile Creek; allow harvest of brown/brook trout Adopted 118P Sevenmile Ck.; allow harvest of brown/brook trout Adopted 119P Fort Creek; allow harvest of brown and brook trout Adopted 120P Sprague R. and tribs. Increase brown tout limits Adopted 121P Williamson R.(Sec. 2-3), increase limits on Adopted brown/brook trout 122P Spring Creek; increased brown/brook trout limits Adopted 123P Wood River; allow harvest of brown/ brook trout Adopted 62S Whitehorse Creek Drainage (Coyote Lake Basin, Adopted Harney/Malheur Co.) Closed. All streams in the Whitehorse Basin including but not limited to: Cottonwood, Doolittle, Fifteenmile, Little Whitehorse, and Whitehorse creeks are Closed to angling. 63S Willow Creek Drainage (Coyote Lakes Basin, Adopted Harney/Malheur Co.) Closed. Willow Creek and its tributaries are Closed to angling 64S McDermitt Creek Subbasin (Malheur County) Adopted Closed. All streams in the McDermitt Creek Subbasin including but not limited to: Cottonwood, McDermitt and North Fork McDermitt creeks are Closed to angling. Snake River Zone Regulations 52S Increase limit on stocked steelhead in Hell Canyon Adopted Reservoir. Columbia River Zone Regulations 41P Hartman Pond; channel catfish limit; 2 fish per day, Adopted 42P Hartman Pond; bass limits; 1 bass per Adopted 54S Columbia River (Section 4); restricting angling to Adopted only single-point hooks in the area between the boat ramp at the lower end of the locks upstream to the east (upstream) end of the lock wall. 55S Rearrange listing order of Columbia R. tributaries to Adopted make it easier for anglers to locate Tanner Creek 53S Provide consistency with Washington on possession Adopted regulations for lower Columbia River. 57S Reduction in annual sturgeon catch limit. 2 per year Adopted Marine Zone Regulations 56S Pacific Ocean; Implement a scallop permit system to Adopted monitor harvest 15P Coastal bays; Increase the daily limit on Purple Adopted Varnish clams to first 72 taken 32P Ocean, beaches and coastal bays; Return Macoma Adopted Clams to Immediate Digging area 102P/131P Partial Cleaning of Albacore Tuna at Sea Adopted 24P Coastal bays; Increase the daily limit on Purple Rejected; limit of 72 adopted Varnish clams to first 60 taken Summary of Final Rule Changes Adopted for 2013 Angling Regulations Statewide Rules Pro. Rule Type/ No. Category Proposed Rule Changes 1S Consistency Page 5 - General Statewide Regulations Change Free Fishing Weekend Dates. Existing Rule: Free fishing weekend falls on the Saturday and Sunday immediately following the first Monday in the month of June. Proposed Rule: Free fishing weekend will fall on the first full weekend (Saturday and Sunday) in the month of June. Rationale: This change simplifies the regulation for the date of Free Fishing Weekend. This aligns Free Fishing Weekend with Oregon Parks and Recreation’s State Parks Day, National Fishing & Boating Week, National Trails Day and other activities by state and federal agencies and organizations to encourage outdoor recreation. (David Lane, IE) 2S Enforcement Page 8 - Statewide Definitions Add new definitions for “bobber” and “leader” as part of proposed new See also Trask anti-snagging rules on Trask and Salmon rivers. River and Existing Definitions: None Salmon River Proposed Definitions: proposals. Bobber: A hook-less, floating device that is attached to or slides along the mainline or leader above the hook(s) for the purpose of suspending hook(s) (which are part of the bait, lure or fly) off the bottom of the stream and visually signaling (from the surface of the water) a fish’s strike at the hook(s). Leader: A section of line, other than the mainline, extending from the lowermost hook (part of bait, lure, or fly) to the first swivel, weight, bobber, or any other attachment. Rationale: These definitions would apply to bobber fisheries being proposed by staff for the Trask and Salmon rivers. For sections of the Trask River in vicinity of Trask Hatchery which is a holding area for adult hatchery spring Chinook and on a section of the Salmon River (Lincoln Co.) where snagging is a chronic activity.