The Lake Stevens kokanee are starting to bite, and right on schedule, according to Marcy Rockenbach at Greg’s Custom Rods in Lake Stevens. And that’s a good thing, with the popular kokanee derby coming up May 16.
The surface temperature of the lake hit 52.7 degrees early this week, pretty close to the 53-degree rule of thumb for an active bite.
“The lake warmed up and guys started hitting fish,” Rockenbach said. “We’re seeing catches of five to eight for the regulars, going 10 inches or so, but nothing of any size yet.”
The fish are scattered, Rockenbach said, so the best technique right now is to cover a lot of water, stay shallow — no deeper than about 15 feet — and watch for jumpers.
The old reliable lure combo of a Wedding Ring tipped with a kernel of corn is starting to share the lake with some newer gear, Rockenbach said. One productive newcomer is the Kokanator, a little half-ounce jig that looks like a mini version of the Buzz Bomb or Point Wilson Dart. Let your boat drift, cast the jig out, let it sink to fish depth and jig it back. Popular colors include pink, pink with a white stripe, and orange/pink/white.
Another lure relatively new on the scene is called Kokanee Bites. It looks “sort of like a spider, with legs and a yellow body,” according to Rockenbach, and is trolled behind a small dodger, with no downrigger required while the fish are shallow.
A third new rig is put out by Rocky Mountain Tackle and is called “Plankton.” Rockenbach said it’s similar to Kokanee Bites, and that early indications point to it as possibly the season’s hot lure. It’s also trolled behind a dodger or Swing Blade, she said.
Shrimp dates
Puget Sound recreational spot shrimp seasons have been set by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, and they’re similar to last year, according to state shellfish biologist Mark O’Toole. However, quotas in some areas will be a little lower, O’Toole said in a release.
Local waters, Marine Areas 8-1, 8-2 and 9, will be open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 2 and May 13.
Hood Canal, Marine Area 12, will be open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 2, 9, 11 and 13.
Discovery Bay, Marine Area 6, will be open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 2, 9, 11 and 13.
Marine Areas 7 East, South and West (the San Juan Islands) will be open May 2, May 13-16, May 20-23, and May 27-30. In Marine Area 7 West only, the season will be open daily beginning June 1 until Sept. 15 or until the quota is reached, whichever comes first.
In some central Puget Sound marine areas, the typical schedule of Saturday and Wednesday openings will be disrupted on Wednesday, May 6, because of an extremely low midday tide. Those areas, O’Toole said, will open the following Wednesday, May 13, instead.
Big game changes
The state Fish and Wildlife Commission, meeting in Tumwater last week, adopted relatively generous big game hunting rules for the upcoming season. The new rules expanded hunting opportunities for virtually every big game species and gear type, by:
- Adding two more days to the modern firearm season for mule deer.
- Shifting archery elk season to start the Saturday after Labor Day, providing better opportunity for hunters in cooler weather.
- Doubling the number of spring bear permits available in northeast Washington.
- Allowing elk hunters using muzzleloaders to hunt in more game management units.
- Increasing moose permits from 136 to 170 in the northeast part of the state, where moose populations are near an all-time high.
The commission did not adopt a proposal to restrict the use of bait when hunting for deer and elk. Instead, commissioners directed the Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with stakeholders to bring forward new options for consideration next year.
Razor clams
The next razor clam dig on the coastal beaches has been approved after marine toxin tests showed the clams are safe to eat.
Dan Ayres, the state’s coastal shellfish manager, said the upcoming dig coincides with the Long Beach Razor Clam Festival, scheduled for April 18-19 in Long Beach. Festival events range from free clam-digging lessons to a fritter cook-off. More information is available at http://longbeachrazorclamfestival.com.
Following is the upcoming dig schedule:
April 17, 6:03 a.m., minus 0.2 feet, at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Mocrocks; April 18, 6:52 a.m., minus 0.9 feet, at all beaches except Kalaloch; April 19, 7:39 a.m., minus 1.3 feet at all beaches except Kalaloch; April 20, 8:25 a.m., minus 1.5 feet at Long Beach and Twin Harbors; April 21, 9:11 a.m., minus 1.3 feet at Long Beach and Twin Harbors; April 22, 9:57 a.m., minus 0.9 feet at Long Beach and Twin Harbors; April 23, 10:46 a.m., minus 0.4 feet at Long Beach and Twin Harbors; and April 24, 11:38 a.m., plus 0.2 feet at Long Beach and Twin Harbors.
Skagit protest
Occupy Skagit III was held April 4 in Rockport, drawing some 70 sport anglers to protest the continued closure of the spring catch-and-release wild steelhead season on the Skagit River. When that iconic fishery closed in 2010, according to Gary Bee of the Sky Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, it was done for a good reason. The declining wild steelhead population was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and even though it was a bitter pill to swallow, Bee said, it was a reality check most anglers supported.
But because of many factors, Bee said, the number of wild steelhead adult returns on the Skagit is on the increase. Last year, 9,500 fish returned to the Skagit to spawn as part of a continued upward trend.
The protesters say it’s time for the state to start the process of reopening a catch-and-release spring wild steelhead fishery, based on solid science, stringent regulations and monitoring.
Wood duck cams
The Richland Rod &Reel Club operates three live cams in wood duck nest boxes, and on Monday the video feeds showed wood duck hens in all three boxes. Club spokesman Dale Schielke said hens will lay one egg per day, in the mornings, for 8-12 days, then start incubation. During incubation, the hen will be on the nest constantly except for short food-and-drink breaks at dawn and dusk.
The club provided the following viewing sites: www.ustream.tv/channel/rrgc-nestcam; www.ustream.tv/channel/rrgc-duckcam; and www.ustream.tv/channel/rrgc.
For more outdoor news, read Wayne Kruse’s blog at www.heraldnet.com/huntingandfishing.
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