Washington bass, walleye fishing limits liberalized in response to orca crisis

Limits on bass and walleye fishing – alongside other warmwater species – were liberalized by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission on Saturday.

The new rules, which will go into effect mid-February, remove size limits and daily limits on rivers and streams throughout the state. The rules also double the daily limits for most species on 77 lakes throughout Washington, said Steve Caromile, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s warmwater fish program manager.

The changes are in response to new legislation aimed at increasing chinook survival in hopes of helping struggling orca populations in the Puget Sound. Bass and walleye eat salmon smolts, although to what extent they impact the migrating fish is disputed.

Initially, WDFW officials proposed removing bag limits statewide, but the commission directed them to narrow their proposal.

The entire process has angered many bass and walleye anglers who prize the two non-native game fish species. Allowing anglers to keep the fish means there will be fewer large fish in Washington waterways, a blow to the catch-and-release ethic championed by many. Some anglers feel that a 2017 liberalization of bag limits for walleye and bass already fulfilled the Legislature’s mandate.

“We are disappointed in this result and this points out more strongly the need for us to move forward with legislation intended to protect and grow the warmwater fishery in Washington State for the positive social and economic future that it represents,” said Joel Nania, the former president of the Inland Empire Bass Club, in an email.

According to a WDFW presentation to the commission Saturday, 500 people supported liberalized bass and walleye limits. Those in favor were concerned that the non-native fish were killing salmon and hurting endangered native species, like orca. They also believed broadly that protecting native fish and wildlife is more important than protecting nonnative predators.

In all, 190 people opposed the liberalized limits. Those opposed questioned the science behind the change, pointed out the economic value of bass, walleye and other warmwater fisheries and believed that orca and salmon conservation efforts should focus on “bigger issues.”

Groups that called for liberalized rules for bass, walleye and other species praised the decision online.

“These species are tremendous predators of juvenile salmon and steelhead,” according to a statement from the Wild Steelhead Coalition on its Facebook page. “The Wild Steelhead Coalition has long advocated for such changes to protect threatened native salmonids.”

The commission also approved a proposal from commissioner Kim Thorburn to develop a non-native game fish policy.

“That will be a big piece of work for staff,” Thorburn said. “Most fishing policies are related to salmonids.”

For detailed rule information, see Alan Liere’s fishing-hunting report on Page 12 or visit the Fish and Wildlife Commission’s website at wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission.