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 1, 2009 Coho proving to be strong biters By Wanye Kruse Special to The Herald It’s fortunate that you’re through cutting the grass for the year, because a couple of outstanding fishing opportunities are begging your weekend attention — good stuff that doesn’t come marching down the pike every year. The first is an excellent coho fishery locally. And the interesting thing about it, according to All Star Charters owner/skipper Gary Krein, is not necessarily the numbers of fish available (although that’s good, too), but the fact that they seem to be strong biters this time around. Which is important, because local coho the past several seasons have produced mediocre results and the knock — according to local fish stories, anyway — is that they have generally had lockjaw. All the silvers in the world won’t result in good fishing if they refuse to open their mouths. Good fishing? State Fish and Wildlife Department personnel checked 179 anglers in 83 boats on Friday at the Port of Everett ramp with 201 coho. When’s the last time you saw coho averages over a fish per rod around here? There are still more fish coming down the Strait of Juan de Fuca, too. Checks at Olson’s Resort in Sekiu on Saturday showed 286 rods with 280 coho. Krein said that about 25 to 30 percent of the fish he’s put in the boat the past few days have had something in their stomachs — herring, smelt, or in one case, a small lingcod. That’s unusual in a terminal area where the fish often have stopped feeding, and Krein said it’s probably the reason they seem to be biters this year. The stretch of shoreline from Mukilteo down to the shipwreck is probably as good a choice for this weekend as any, Krein said, and out in the center of the channel is perhaps a slightly better bet than closer to shore. He would use a green or white Hotspot flasher with a squid in spatterback green, mother of pearl, or double-glow white with red eye. The best depth has been 60 feet, give or take 10 feet, he said, but the crucial factor is to be on the water early. “The morning bite has been the best, by far,” he said. “By 9 or 9:30 it’s tailing off.” Recent rain, if we don’t get too much of it this week, bodes well for coho fishing in local rivers over the weekend. Guide and Snohomish resident John Thomas (lamiglas@hotmail.com) said there are silvers in the Snohomish and Skykomish in good, catchable numbers now but — coho being coho — there are “bite” days and “unbite” days, and you have to be there when they decide on lunch. He said 50-50 wee Dick Nites would be a good lure choice, and while a little weeding of pinks is still necessary, that’s fading more each day. Thomas said rain would not only add a little welcome color to the rivers, but bring water temperatures down from a way-too-warm 57-60 degrees and closer to the 50 degrees or cooler needed to really produce a bite. “We’ve already seen more coho in the rivers than during all of last year’s run, and I look for a really good October fishery,” he said. Guide and Arlington resident Sam Ingram (360-435-9311) said there’s a nice mix of coho and humpies in the mainstem Stillaguamish, and some of the pinks are still fresh and bright. Be sure to read the regulations, however, since selective gear rules are in effect in all or parts of some rivers. The Skagit continues to produce both pinks and coho, with silvers coming on stronger each day. Anthon Steen at Holiday Sports in Burlington (360-757-4361) said sand shrimp or a wide range of spinners and spoons will all take coho, and he expects action to get better through the month. The westside Whidbey beaches are still worth a shot, Steen said, primarily for coho now. The small, pink Buzz Bomb remains the popular lure, but Steen said a number of beach-bangers have switched to the new holographic colors with some success. The other top opportunity on tap right now is what will probably become the best summer steelhead fishery in the Columbia Basin in years. Everyone knew that the big run of summer steelies working its way up the Columbia would produce some unusual river openings, and it has. Citing numbers over Priest Rapids Dam (33,000 through Sept. 22, compared to the 10-year average of about 14,500), state steelhead managers on Tuesday opened the upper Columbia and pretty much every major tributary to hatchery steelhead through March 31 of next year. “This is a terrific fall fishing opportunity that also will help further (wild) fish recovery efforts by removing hatchery-origin steelhead from the spawning grounds,” said Jim Scott, the state’s assistant director of the agency’s fish program. The selective-rules opening includes the Columbia from Rock Island Dam to Chief Joseph Dam; the Wenatchee from its mouth to the Tumwater Dam; the Icicle (through Nov. 12), mouth to the Leavenworth Hatchery; the Entiat, below the hatchery outfall; the Methow, mouth to Winthrop, except closed between the second powerline crossing and the first upstream Highway 153 bridge; and the Okanogan, mouth upstream, except closed from Zosel Dam down to the first Highway 97 bridge below Oroville. Rules include mandatory retention of the first four — yep, four — fin-clipped hatchery steelhead taken, daily, along with various exceptions to the selective gear regulations, depending on river. Go to www.wdfw.wa.gov, then fishing, for the full release. For an expanded version of today’s Outdoor Outlook, see www.heraldnet.com Youth bird opener John Garrett, manager of the Skagit Wildlife Area, said the special youth bird-hunting opener last weekend was a great success. The Samish Unit hosted 52 young pheasant hunters and their adult companions, with lots of limits taken, and Garrett said duck hunting at the now-inundated Headquarters Unit was “fantastic.” “I remember one party where the son shot a limit of ducks and the 14-year old daughter got her first duck ever,” he said. Roche Harbor derby The Roche Harbor Hook ’em and Hold ’em Salmon Derby and Texas Hold-em Tournament is scheduled for Dec. 3-5 this year, with a 150-angler limit and 75 slots already taken. Fee of $100 includes three nights of moorage, hosted registration dinner, Friday and Saturday morning hosted coffee, and $10,000 in cash prizes — $5,000 first, $3,000 second, and $2,000 third. Derby ticket qualifies holder to buy into the Texas Hold-em tournament, Friday and Saturday nights. For more information contact Debbie Sandwith, Roche Harbor Market, at 360-378-5563; e-mail market@rocheharbor.com. Orca closure meeting Anacortes businessman and charter skipper Jay Field says whale-watcher Shane Aggergaard will take up to 150 passengers on the Island Explorer III to Friday Harbor on Monday, Oct. 5, for the final NOAA public meeting concerning possible closure of much of the west side of San Juan Island to sportfishing and whale watching. The boat will leave “A” Dock at Cap Sante Marina at 3:30 p.m. and return at approximately 11 p.m. that evening. There is no charge, but donations to help with fuel and crew are appreciated. Contact Aggergaard’s office to reserve a spot: 1-800-465-4604; 1-360-293-2428; or www.islandadventurecruises.com. Salmon anglers and whale watching interests feel they are being unfairly targeted under proposed regulations to keep boat traffic away from certain orca pods, when other user groups would not be affected. For more information on the proposed regs go to www.nwr.noaa.gov/marine-mammals/whales-dolphins-porpoise/killer-whales/esa-status/orca-vessel-regs.cfm. Hoodsport Hatchery now accessible The state Fish and Wildlife Department has finished construction of a new wheelchair-accessible fishing site at the Hoodsport Hatchery, on the south end of Hood Canal. The site includes an ADA-compliant ramp, grated walkways, and a new fishing platform with a gate, fencing, handrails and fishing slots. Wheelchair-accessible parking and restrooms are also available, but anglers should be aware that space is limited to two or three wheelchairs at any one time and that the slots are on a first-come, first-served basis. Call the hatchery for more information, at 360-877-6408. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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