Salmon Season?

I heard there is going to be a one month salmon season in May with a 27” minimum. Anyone have any more info?

The 2025 salmon season in California will be decided in March and April 2025, and will run from May 16, 2025 to May 15, 2026. The season dates will be available in April 2025.

PFMC April Meeting
San Jose, CA
The Council will adopt final regulatory measures for analysis by the STT.  Ocean Salmon Fishery Regulations will be available online in late April at www.pcouncil.org

It was bar talk, but seemed very specific.
I couldn't find any more info online, except that there will be a CDFW salmon info meeting this Wednesday the 26th at 10am on Zoom.

I think the numbers are still below thresholds where they would allow a normal season, but I think they may feel obligated to throw out a short season with restrictive catch limits since I don't think they have shut down 3 seasons in a row before.
Lots of speculation in my statements, but hey it's a Winter Thread.

Members of Coastside requested a bubble fishery based on Coastside’s continuing efforts with the net pen project. The returns at the Mokelumne Hatchery has been phenomenal, but those returns are not counted when determining the salmon season. The salmon that are raised in the net pens at HMB are from the Mokelumne Hatchery.

So presumably the season would be limited in duration, and the fishable area would be around HMB. Whether you are for or against a salmon season the decision will be made in the next few months so speak up at the meetings.

The numbers that have recently been reported for the Klamath and Sacramento systems are very poor.  I highly doubt that there will be any season, and I don't feel that there should be one.

As was said by others, the fate of the season will be decided in the coming weeks.

It's rough stuff, especially with the continued mismanagement of water resources in the Sacramento Basin.  Also, the Klamath is hurting and needs all the fish they can get, now that the four dams are down.  What's not talked about and likely not well understood regarding the Klamath dams is that it's not just additional habitat for rearing and spawning and additional cold water refugia that has been opened up by the removal of the four dams.  Those dams prevented the river from experiencing high enough flows to naturally flush organisms that had become chronically overpopulated in the bed below the dams.  Those organisms (myxozoan parasite Ceratomyxa shasta) thrived in the streambed below the dams, and they ended up infecting the gills of almost all of the juvenile Chinook and coho - many/most of which ended up dying prior to maturing.

Another major development related to the two years of total ocean closure is that there have been excellent numbers of spawners on other streams over the past two Falls/Winters - especially the Eel, where I survey adult spawners.

Even though my guide business has suffered significantly from the ocean closures, I am in full support of continuing the closures so that populations have the best chance of rebuilding.

I miss salmon trolling immensely, but seeing hundreds of Chinook and also hundreds of coho on streams where just a few years ago I was only seeing dozens of Chinook and usually only a handful of coho - if any - is pretty amazing.

We've got a long way to go - especially if any totally dishonest and manipulative politicians mess with the water releases...

If I were a betting man my money would be on no salmon season this year.

They should be left alone to recover however long it takes

They should be left alone to recover however long it takes

+1

Posted yesterday by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council:

https://www.pcouncil.org/documents/2025/02/e-3-b-supplemental-nmfs-report-1-esa-guidance.pdf/

Also there is a CDFW meeting today(2-26) at 10:00

https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Regulations/Salmon/Preseason

they should address the bigger problems impacting salmon numbers, water, non native fish, etc.

In my opinion, what they should do is allow for salmon to be fished only from shore in the slow years.  Ban the commercial and party boats in particular, and ban salmon fishing from motorized boats.  (Maybe allow kayaks?)

I highly doubt that salmon fishing from shore with lures is going to make a major impact upon the salmon #s. 

The Fish and Game biologists seem to like to cut the heads off the fish to analyze, so they could get some info from the shore guys throwing spinners.  A two fish limit puts a lot more of those fishheads in the Fish and Game bags.   The dumbest thing I ever saw was when they had the 1 fish limit because if someone caught a salmon they left with the fish.  With a two fish limit, they can go around and ask the anglers if they caught anything, and plenty would have fish on stringers in the water.  But with a 1 fish limit, none of those anglers are there.. they went home with their 1 fish.  I would always laugh when they would come by and ask "have you caught a salmon today?  "OBVIOUSLY NOT! or I wouldn't be standing here for hours still throwing this flying C"

In my opinion, what they should do is allow for salmon to be fished only from shore in the slow years.  Ban the commercial and party boats in particular, and ban salmon fishing from motorized boats.  (Maybe allow kayaks?)

I highly doubt that salmon fishing from shore with lures is going to make a major impact upon the salmon #s. 

The Fish and Game biologists seem to like to cut the heads off the fish to analyze, so they could get some info from the shore guys throwing spinners.  A two fish limit puts a lot more of those fishheads in the Fish and Game bags.   The dumbest thing I ever saw was when they had the 1 fish limit because if someone caught a salmon they left with the fish.  With a two fish limit, they can go around and ask the anglers if they caught anything, and plenty would have fish on stringers in the water.  But with a 1 fish limit, none of those anglers are there.. they went home with their 1 fish.  I would always laugh when they would come by and ask "have you caught a salmon today?  "OBVIOUSLY NOT! or I wouldn't be standing here for hours still throwing this flying C"

Dudes with drones... taking their apex out past the green can from Dunes beach, dropping it, and trolling it back to the beach slowly... salmon limits.  Not sure regs have caught up to drone assistance.   

Every year, I’m more in favor of a sea lion cull. Sell ‘em on the wharf as jerky.

Every year, I’m more in favor of a sea lion cull. Sell ‘em on the wharf as jerky.

Nah...too much fat