Should Deshka king escapement trigger bait opening?

As of 4 p.m., Wednesday, about 11, 800 king salmon had passed through the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Deshka River salmon counting weir. If strong king salmon escapement numbers continue for even one or two more days, the Deshka king salmon spawning escapement could exceed the lower end of ADF&G’s sustainable escapement goal range of 13,000 to 28,000 kings. With even one more day of 1,300 king salmon escapement, the lower end of the goal range could be obtained before this column is printed on Friday.

After the federal-declared disaster for Alaska king salmon in 2012, many who depend upon Mat-Su Valley’s sport fishing industry to earn their living believe ADF&G managers should have an emergency order document already distributed or ready for immediate distribution to return Deshka River king salmon fishing to standard bait fishing allowed for the remainder of the 2013 king season. This is a logical conclusion based on the fact that the standard regulations were set to achieve king salmon escapements within the goal range on most years. Therefore, once the Deshka king escapement could be projected to reach the 13,000 fish minimum, there should be no need for additional days of restricted Deshka River king salmon fishing.

ADF&G managers may continue to have concerns over king salmon escapements to other Susitna River drainage streams, and therefore may be cautious about opening the Deshka River/Susitna River confluence to bait fishing since king salmon bound for upstream Susitna River tributaries may be milling and available for harvest in the Deshka confluence area. However, this should pose no problem for allowing some type of bait fishery on the remainder of the Deshka River. ADF&G managers could simply open the area upstream of the Mat-Su Borough campground, upstream of Deshka River Lodge, or upstream of some other clearly visible landmark, beyond which the likelihood of harvesting king salmon bound for other Susitna River tributary streams would seem to be remote.

Remember that until less than a week ago, water temperatures in the Deshka appeared so warm that even king salmon bound to spawn in that location were reluctant to swim upstream. If such is the case, why would king salmon bound for other streams want to swim up and mill in the Deshka for any considerable distance?

In April, ADF&G issued emergency order regulations that restricted fishing on the Deshka River to one artificial lure with only one single hook. During a normal year, this should have reduced the king salmon harvest considerably while still allowing a reasonable harvest on the Deshka. So far, 2013 has turned out to be a far from a normal year for king salmon fishing on the Deshka River.

To start with, break up on the Susitna River was much later than usual and the first boats were launched from Deshka Landing on May 23, rather than a more usual date around May 10. Even after Deshka Landing Boat Launch was opened for boat launching, several days of ice floes down the Susitna River followed. Next, extreme hot weather raised the Susitna River to near flood stage, and finally, the king salmon arrived much later than usual.

The first king known by Deshka Landing employees to have been harvested from the Deshka were not caught until June 4. King salmon numbers near the Deshka/Susitna confluence remained low for a much longer time than normal, and then when king salmon numbers started to build in the confluence area, Deshka River water temperatures had warmed considerably and the fish were reluctant to bite. Although no official total sport harvest numbers have been recorded, most sport anglers agree king salmon harvest from the Deshka River has been incredibly low in 2013. This led to a viscous cycle with low harvests leading to even lower angler participation, which resulted in even lower Deshka River king salmon harvests.

Many Deshka River sport anglers feel they have shouldered their fair share of the conservation burden, and now that sufficient king salmon have arrived to assure attainment of the escapement goal range, the Department of Fish and Game should return to normal bait fishing regulations that allow a more reasonable of surplus Deshka River king salmon as soon as possible.

It may also be beneficial if the department developed (through the public Alaska Board of Fisheries process) a Deshka River king salmon management plan that outlines various king salmon management scenarios so the public would know what to expect from the Deshka River king salmon fishery and not be left asking questions. Such a management plan could be adjusted over time as more knowledge is gained on various aspects of Deshka River and Susitna River king salmon stocks, and also as more knowledge is gained on public management desires for this public resource.

Andy Couch owns and operates Fishtale River Guides (fish4salmon.com) and is a member of the Mat-Su Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission.