Warmwater Fisheries Management in Washington 2013 Update Danny Garrett, Ph.D. Warmwater Fisheries Biologist Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Mill Creek, Washington

Topics Increase in tournament application/permit fees Contentious regulations adopted by the fish commission in March 2013 Lake Samish and the potential for tiger musky Long-term warmwater program goals (a.k.a. 20-year plan)

Fish Transport and Tournament Permit/Application Processing Fees Substitute Senate Bill 5385 (Known as the Fee Bill) increased fees to a wide variety of licenses and permits was passed by the Washington State Senate on April 21, 2011.    Under RCW 77.65.480, a $70 processing fee (non-refundable) and a $24 permit fee (refundable) are required for all applications and permits.  The $24 permit fee is refundable (WAC 232-12-168) if the application is denied. Fee Increases: taxidermy license, fur dealer's license, game fish guide license, game farm license, game fish stocking permit, and fishing contest permits. WDFW has lost 50% of its General State Fund from 2007 to 2011. No state income tax. User services must be paid for, or eliminated. These changes were designed by Financial Services, passed by legislature in April, 2011, and communicated to fish program staff on December 20, 2012.

2013 Regulations Adopted by Fish Commission (16 of 69) Comments Remove internal combustion motors prohibition on small streams 21 Washington Administrative Code (WAC) language, maintenance, and technical changes 3 Resident trout streams open on Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend 12 Statewide fishing closure for sixgill, sevengill and thresher sharks 54 Evaluate two pole fishing opportunity on "quality water" lakes statewide 45 Statewide white sturgeon rules 35 Align Washburn Island Pond rules with Colville Tribes 15 Increase Snake River hatchery summer steelhead harvest Remove or modify size and daily limits for bass, walleye, and channel catfish in the Columbia River, Snake River and their tributaries 259 Clarify boundaries for Burbank Slough 1 Clarify areas open to angling on the Walla Walla River 4 Consistent internal combustion motor rules on the Grande Ronde River Prohibit the use of internal combustion motors on Yocum Lake   Convert Leader Lake to a year-round fishery 14 Liberalize bag limits for walleye on Lake Roosevelt and the Spokane Arm of Lake Roosevelt 125 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

2012 Sampling of Lake Samish- Preliminary Results

Species Composition in Lake Samish

The Warmwater Program’s 20-year Plan Key Result Areas I-IV I- Fisheries and Fish Population Management II- Native Species Protection III- Internal and External Support IV- Artificial Production

KEY RESULT AREA I Fisheries and Fish Population Management Panfish- define opportunities Black crappie stocking (1-3 lakes, statewide) Walleye- Fall Walleye Index Netting Bass- evaluate 2002 and 2008 regulation changes Tiger Musky- develop one more water (continue maintenance stockings elsewhere) Channel Catfish- GOAL=50,000 catfish every year Update Species Management Plans Estimate utilization of warmwater resources

KEY RESULT AREA III Internal and External Support Continue communication with fishing organizations Design FISH WASHINGTON search engine Repost WW Management Webpage Perform creel surveys on lakes where WW opportunities are expanding Explore education and promotion through social media

Using the Internet to Understand Angler Behavior in the Information Age Martin, D. R., B. M. Pracheil, J. A. DeBoer, G. R. Wilde, and K. L. Pope Fisheries, Vol 37, No 10, October 2012 “Declining participation in outdoor recreation has left natural resource management agencies scrambling to find new anglers to fund natural resource protection and management. The fate of the funding likely rests with younger people who regularly use the Internet to obtain information that will enhance and improve their activities in their day-to-day lives.”