Pink salmon numbers seen in recent saltwater creel samples at the Port of Everett ramp could well be “the highest fish counts per person there, ever,” said John Martinis of John’s Sporting Goods in Everett. Martinis was quoting retired state Fish and Wildlife Department biologist Curt Kraemer on Tuesday. Kraemer’s wife Sue is involved in local catch sampling for WDFW.
And the pinks just keep coming. “The average catch Monday at the Everett ramp was about eight salmon per boat, a mix of pinks and a few coho,” said Mike Chamberlain at Ted’s Sports Center in Lynnwood. “That’s still a strong fishery, and I look for it to hold up through about September 10.”
The humpies can be found in all the usual spots — in front of the Mukilteo lighthouse, down through humpy hollow to the shipwreck, north of Edmonds, over on Possession Bar, and most places in between. The beaches on the west side of Whidbey Island are also a good bet now, Chamberlain said, for pinks and some coho. Fish both sides of a high slack, tossing Buzz Bombs or Rotators in pink for humpies, or chartreuse/green if you’re chasing coho. Some fishermen dress up the jigs with a small hoochie, Chamberlain said.
The Snohomish River could also be a prime target soon, according to Martinis. He said there have been some big days on the river recently, but he looks for more consistent action on the way. “I think by this weekend it could break loose,” he said.
The entire Snohomish is open (an incoming tide is best), and many bank anglers like the pumphouse area, a half-mile or so above the park at Lowell. There are other fishing spots on up the river road at several turnouts, but the Snohomish tends to be grabby, so be sure to take plenty of gear.
The popular lure choice is a 21/2-inch pink Buzz Bomb or one of the several imitators. “There’s a Canadian lure they call a ‘Blizzard,’ which fishes like a Buzz Bomb but costs about half as much,” Martinis said. “Another good choice would be a quarter-ounce Danielson jig with a pink skirt. They catch a lot of fish and they’re cheap.”
Boaters on the river drift and cast, or anchor above a hole, and fish the same gear as bank anglers. Trolling is a way to cover a lot of water, Martinis said, using a half-ounce sinker, 6 feet of leader and a number 1 pink/white Dick Nite spoon.
Sue Kraemer reminds anglers to take care of their catch. Humpies are fragile and should be bled and/or gutted right away and put on ice. If you’ve had your fish in a plastic sack, lying in the sun all morning, what you end up with is garbage, and not even smoking will turn garbage into a palatable product.
Rivers which have been entirely or partially closed to fishing because of drought conditions, or changed to “hoot owl” fishing hours, include: The Skykomish and both forks; the Raging River; the Wallace; the Stillaguamish and both forks; the South Fork Nooksack; the Sauk and both forks; the Suiattle; and the Samish. For details check the fishing hotline at 360-902-2500, or the webpage https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/freshwater_select.h.
Hunting access
Hunters will have to do some homework before heading out this fall, and consider alternate spots for their traditional hunts because of drought and fire-related access restrictions.
“For most hunters, these conditions may simply mean they can’t have a traditional campfire,” said WDFW game division manager Mick Cope. “But with several wildfires currently burning and extremely dry conditions across the state, some hunters may need to find different routes into traditional hunting areas or choose different places altogether.”
As of early August, Cope said WDFW was not considering hunting regulation changes, and that units for which hunters had drawn special permits were accessible, but with fire restrictions in place.
The WDFW and other public land management agencies have posted fire and access restrictions on their websites. For updated information on wildfires, including local travel and access restrictions, go to http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/49/#. For information on national forest land, go to http://www.fs.usda.gov. For info on any of WDFW’s 33 wildlife areas, go to http://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/wildlife_areas/.
Private landowners who allow hunter access, such as timber companies, have also posted access and fire-related restrictions on their websites.
Baker Lake sockeye
As of last week, the Baker Lake sockeye fishery was still putting out salmon, with a four-fish bag limit, but with a Sept. 7 closure scheduled. Kevin John at Holiday Sports in Burlington said most fish are being taken at depths of 50 to 70 feet, and because the lake is so cold at that level, even a sockeye with a little color is still in great shape for the grill.
Participation has dropped off and crowding is no longer a problem at launch ramps, John said, and with little pressure on the fish, catches have been averaging three or four sockeye per angler. Try a purple haze dodger and UV pink/white hoochie.
San Juan chinook
If you can fight off the pinks, there’s some pretty fair chinook fishing available in the San Juan Islands. Kevin John recommends Indian village, Secret Harbor, Eagle Bluff, Strawberry and Reef Point, and that Eagle Bluff put out a 27-pounder a week ago.
Buoy 10
Chinook and coho catches have been excellent lately on the bottom end of the Columbia, according to WDFW biologist Joe Hymer in Vancouver. The chinook harvest is already the 6th highest since at least 1982 and still going strong, but now under fin-clipped chinook only regs through Sept. 7. Anglers at Buoy 10 over the weekend averaged 1.9 fall chinook and 0.36 coho per boat.
Hanford Reach
State biologist Paul Hoffarth said fall chinook action on the Hanford Reach above the Tri-Cities is off to a slow start, which is typical for the fishery. From Aug. 17-23, staff checked 103 anglers on the Reach with seven chinook.
If the king fishing is slow, there’s some pretty good action available for other species on Hanford Reach. While interviewing salmon anglers, state personnel also tallied 35 anglers with 125 bass, and six anglers with 16 walleye.
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