You're gonna want to release any chinook salmon that have a round hole punched in the tail fin.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife issued the warning this week, with an emergency rule change that requires anglers to release the marked salmon now thru Halloween.

This affects and fish caught in the Columbia River from the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco to Chief Joseph Dam.

WDFW marked the salmon with the hole punch after they receive a chemical anesthetic, MS-222, during sampling at the Priest Rapids Dam.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires a 21-day withdrawal period before human consumption of fish anesthetized in MS-222.

WDFW staff is applying the 1/4-inch diameter hole, which is punched in the upper lobe of the tail of sampled fish, so that anglers can visually identify fish that must be released.

I have never actually caught one of these previously sedated fish, which I doubt would be much for biting after that. The FDA requires them to warn people so just keep this in mind not only for this year but in the future as well.

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