Sports

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, October 9, 2008 Outdoor Outlook: Psst! Heard about all the snagging? By Wayne Kruse Special to The Herald The tackle shop employee (who for obvious reasons preferred to remain anonymous) said, "I heard the jet-skiers were doing a lot of it," referring to illegal salmon snagging activity on the Snohomish River this fall. "But I also heard," he said, "that the state came along on jet skis a week ago and busted a couple of snaggers above Douglas Bar." Talking to tackle store people, guides, and others who follow the fishing news from local rivers closely, there were a lot of "I heards" concerning snagging the past two or three weeks. I heard it was mostly bank fishermen. I heard it was the Russians. I heard it was practically everybody. I heard that several coho entered in the Everett derby were snagged. I heard one of the top four fish in the Everett Derby was not hooked in the mouth. Lots of rumors, but almost everyone seemed to feel snagging has been more prevalent this year on the Snohomish and Skykomish rivers than it normally is. Anyone who has fished salmon on rivers in Western Washington for any length of time is aware that snagging goes on, every fall. About all the state can do is try to keep it within reasonable parameters, according to enforcement Captain Bill Hebner at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's Mill Creek office. "I don't think it's possible to close the activity down completely," Hebner said, "particularly with current budget constraints and fewer officers." Sergeant Randy Lambert, based in Monroe, normally supervises a staff of five or six officers, Hebner said, but is currently down to three plus himself. And while he, Hebner, hadn't heard any indication snagging on the Snohomish system was worse than usual, he said he and Lambert would work up a plan for increased emphasis on the two rivers over the next month or so. But cops on jet skis? Come on now. "Yep, that rumor was correct," Lambert said. "Jet skis, four-wheelers, lots of binoculars, lots of hiking -- whatever it takes to try to protect the resource." So was the Everett Derby compromised by illegal fishing? "No way," said derby coordinator Mark Spada, of the co-sponsoring Snohomish Sportsmen's Club. "Yes, there has almost certainly been more snagging on the Snohomish system the past two or three years, and the department needs to step up its enforcement effort, in my opinion. But we have the strictest rules of any derby around, and I will stand by my belief there were no snagged fish on the Everett Coho Derby place list." Spada said conditions were such that the rumor of snagged salmon being entered in the derby was almost inevitable. "We hadn't had any rain for three weeks, the fish were all concentrated in the deeper holes, and there was a lot of snagging going on," Spada said. "Derby entrants probably saw that, and connected the wrong dots." Spada said derby rules make it clear any attempt to enter illegal fish will be prosecuted. Personnel check each fish entered for net and snag marks. Every placing fish is cleaned and inspected again. And one of the people at the scales this year was state enforcement officer Julie Cook, an experienced fish cop volunteering on her own time to help keep this very popular event on the straight and narrow. "I didn't check with Julie," Hebner said, "but she has a lot of experience and I'm sure that if she saw any indication of snagged derby fish, the word would have been all over the department." Hebner said he invites the sport fishing public to report snagging activity. "State Patrol dispatch in Marysville is 360-658-2588 (911 in an emergency situation), or they can call the Mill Creek office at 425-775-1311," he said. "Press '0' ahead of the menu to get our reception desk, where they have immediate contact with our enforcement people." COHO: And speaking of river fishing, recent rains apparently sparked the coho biting and brought fresh fish in from saltwater. Guide John Thomas (lamiglas@hotmail.com; 425-280-5494) said his parties landed 10 coho over the weekend, 4 to 14 pounds, a 16-pound chum, and an estimated (and released) 33-pound hen chinook. The fish came from both the upper Snohomish above the 522 bridge, and on the lower Skykomish, on lighted pink/black Brad's Wigglers and very small, drifted, orange and red Corkies with Mike's sardine oil. "There are a surprising number of chums in the river already, which is great news," he said, "because last year's chum run was the worst I've ever seen." Rain also brought coho into the Cascade River, a tributary of the Skagit at Marblemount and a popular fishing spot for silvers. A spokesman at Holiday Sports in Burlington (360-757-4361) said fishermen are drifting Corky/yarn or Corky/eggs, or working a float/jig combo. White jigs have been popular, he said. The North Fork Toutle, the Lewis, and the Kalama have all been coho producers recently, as has the Cowlitz around the mouth of the Toutle. DEER OPENER: Rain and wind did a number on much of the Northwest over the past several days, flattening at least some of summer's heavy foliage and wetting down all that loud stuff underfoot. Thus prospects for Saturday's modern-weapon deer season opener have improved substantially. That weather conditions make a difference shows in the statistics from southwest Washington. An average crowd showed up at the Vail tree farm last fall for an opener relatively warm, dry and noisy. The take of about 60 bucks over the opening weekend was roughly half the long-term average for the state check station there. Biologist Eric Holman said success rates in the southwest are relatively consistent, except for weather-caused variations, and run between 15 and 20 percent. "About one in five guys gets a deer," he said. Winter mortality hurt whitetail populations in some parts of the northeast corner of the state, particularly in Pend Oreille County, but there should still be some good hunting. Success rates last year ranged from more than 32 percent in the Mount Spokane unit to 21 percent in the Selkirk unit. Biologist Dana Base said mule deer fared better, offering good opportunity in Ferry County (Unit 101), and pocket populations in Stevens and Pend Oreille counties (especially Units 108, 111, 117, and 113). In Okanogan County, mule deer populations are in good shape in the eastern part of the county and biologist Rich Finger said prospects are similar to last year's above-average hunt. Success rates ranged from 33 percent in the Ritzville area to 18 percent in the Badger unit. In western Okanogan County, biologist Scott Fitkin predicts a "decent hunt," particularly for larger bucks, even though the total buck take will likely be down somewhat. WATERFOWL: Best hunting locally for the general waterfowl opener Saturday will likely be on estuaries, sloughs and bay fronts, biologists say, because there hasn't been enough rain yet to pull birds to fields inland. Big acreage totals in corn and other grain crops this year in the state's best waterfowl hunting area, the Columbia Basin, should benefit hunters long term, with plenty of feed around to keep ducks and geese from an early start south. Basin mallard broods were up this year by 10 percent, said state waterfowl specialist Mikal Moore in Moses Lake, which should make for a very good opening weekend and first few days of the season despite a slight downturn in the northern flights expected later. NEW OUTDOOR READ: The first issue of Northwest Sportsman magazine is out, a locally-produced publication which should help fill the void left by the demise of Fishing & Hunting News earlier this year. It's being mailed, free, to an outdoor aficionado mailing list and if you're not on that list, unfortunately, it will be difficult to find for a while. Three-Rivers Marine in Woodinville had a few copies, and should have more after Friday. Outdoor Emporium (Seattle) and Sportco were also stocked at one point, but after that the publisher said it will probably be next month, at least, before the magazine starts showing up on newsstands and in tackle shops. It will sell for $3.50 on newsstands, and $16.95 for a one-year subscription. Editions will cover Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and Montana. Published by Media Index Publishing, Seattle, it is edited by Andy Walgamott, who had extensive experience writing and editing the Washington editions for F&H News. Other writers from F&H have joined the new effort, which will also include columns by Joel Shangle and TJ Nelson of local outdoor talk show fame. "Northwest Sportsman will have the F&H 'feel,'" said Nelson, of Lake Stevens, "but with maybe a little more substance. Anyone who thought Fishing & Hunting News was of value will certainly find the new publication a worthy replacement." READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. 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