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Blackman, who fished the season opener on June 6, says anglers encountered “nonstop action” and strong, healthy wild salmon, directly contradicting the state’s predictions.
“Our lines were bending within minutes,” said Blackman. “Every fish was wild — and they were everywhere. This wasn’t a cautious start to a fragile recovery. It felt like an oversupply. The fish are here in force, and the state got it wrong.”
The California Fish and Game Commission imposed the six-day limit months before the season began, citing drought-driven spawning issues and ecological modeling from biologists. But the decision, Blackman argues, was based on assumptions, not observed data.
“The biologists had a model. But nature had other plans,” he writes. “Instead of adjusting course, the Commission stuck to theory and denied Californians the right to harvest fish that are clearly in the water right now.”
Supporting that claim is John Sasson, a respected Northern California angler with over 50 years of experience on these waters. Sasson was also on the water June 6 and called the run unprecedented:
“There are more salmon in the water right now than I’ve seen in my entire lifetime,” Sasson said. “If we hadn’t been limited, we could’ve brought in thirty or forty fish. It wasn’t luck. It wasn’t hype. It was real.”
The essay also draws a sharp comparison to the policy dynamics of the COVID-19 era.
“Just like during COVID, the people making the decisions are insulated — and the ones living with the consequences are working Californians,” Blackman writes. “Go down to the docks — these aren’t yacht-club elites. These are plumbers, electricians, veterans, and teachers walking off the boats with 20 pounds of salmon to feed their families.”
In the piece, Blackman calls for more transparency, better adaptability in fishery policy, and a willingness to ground regulation not just in theory, but in what’s being lived and witnessed on the water.
See the full article, “The Salmon Are Here. The People Are Ready. So Why Only Six Days?” (https://www.mauryblackman.com/post/let-the-people-fish)
About the Author
Maury Blackman is a Northern California-based technology executive and lifelong angler.
Maury Blackman
The Transparency Company
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