Sudden 'bait ban' for fishermen threatens $1,000 fines at a popular river

Salmon fishing is set to resume on the Quillayute River in Washington’s Clallam County starting Tuesday, but anglers will face a new, stricter “bait ban” and tighter limits. With the river reopening, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife added a total bait ban on salmon and all game fish, plus a daily bag limit of two total salmon, only one of which may be a wild adult. Kept salmon must be at least 12 inches long, yet all sockeye must be released, even where they could otherwise qualify elsewhere. The rules apply from the Olympic National Park boundary upstream to the confluence of the Sol Duc and Bogachiel rivers. Violations can bring misdemeanour charges with fines up to $1,000 and/or up to 90 days in jail, alongside similar crackdowns in Utah.