Good numbers of coho in the Snohomish

Heavy rain dirtied the Snohomish River over the weekend, but if it clears by Saturday — and it looks like it might — the coho fishing could be good.

Mike Chamberlain at Ted’s Sports Center in Lynnwood said there were fair to good numbers of coho in the river before the rains, and with the additional fish the shot of freshwater should bring in, the success rate for river anglers could jump this weekend.

Probably the top gear choice, Chamberlain said, would be float and eggs, but a range of hardware will catch silvers. Chamberlain recommended a No. 3 or No. 4 Vibrax spinner in chartreuse, with or without a small hoochie; twitching jigs in black or cerise; or Dick Nite spoons.

“Look for the deeper, slower holes, particularly with woody debris, such as Thomas’ eddy, or the mouth of the Pilchuck,” Chamberlain said.

Coho fishing remains fair, but spotty, in the saltwater and is winding down. Action off the Whidbey Island beaches also is declining, Chamberlain said. The Satsop and Wynoochee rivers, traditional hosts to late runs of large coho, have been good, as have the coastal rivers.

All Star Charters owner/skipper Gary Krein has been putting his customers into a lot of fish off Jefferson Head, working out of Shilshole Marina in Seattle. Lots of shakers, he said, but fair numbers of nice 5- or 6-pound fish. Krein said he’ll be coming back to Everett for the Nov. 1 winter blackmouth opener in Marine Areas 8-1, 8-2 and 9.

Repairs at Skagit WA

Just in time for the opening of statewide waterfowl hunting, repairs began Monday that will disrupt public access to the “headquarters unit” of the Skagit Wildlife Area. The Skagit WA is probably the premier public-access waterfowl hunting site in Western Washington.

Contractors for the state Fish and Wildlife Department started Monday on repairs to the tide gate and culvert structure along Wiley Slough, with work estimated to last through Dec. 18. According to state wildlife area manager Belinda Rotton, the trail along the dike and the small-boat launch for the marsh area will be closed weekdays, but open on Saturdays and Sundays. The boat launch to Freshwater Slough is open daily.

Repairs are designed to address concerns about effective tide gate drainage and failing culverts.

Methow to open

Steelhead and rainbow trout fishing opened today on the upper Columbia, Methow and Okanogan rivers. They will be joined by the Similkameen on Nov. 1. The Methow, probably the water of most interest to anglers from this side of the Cascades, is open from its mouth to the confluence with the Chewuch in Winthrop. Fishing from a floating device is prohibited from the second powerline crossing (1 mile above the mouth) to the first Highway 153 bridge (4 miles above the mouth).

Other rules include: mandatory retention of hatchery steelhead with a clipped adipose fin (daily limit two hatchery steelhead; release all wild fish); daily limit of five hatchery rainbows of less than 20 inches, with a clipped adipose fin; must stop fishing after retaining two hatchery steelhead, regardless of the number of rainbow trout retained; selective-gear rules and night closure in effect, except bait may be used on the mainstem Columbia; and release all steelhead with a floy tag attached and/or one or more round holes punched in the tail.

State biologist Ryan Fortier said there could be some silty runoff in the Methow this fall/winter from drainages left bare by the summer wildfires, but that’s difficult to predict. There was some last year, he said, and this year could see more dirty water, particularly from the Cedar Creek and Benson Creek drainages.

The majority of fishing on the Methow is done on the lower half of the river, where float/jig rigs or flies are popular.

Trout

More anglers are participating in the autumn trout fishery in local lakes, according to Mike Chamberlain (above), and action has picked up in a number of waters. Lake Goodwin is producing rainbows to 20 inches (troll a dark woolly bugger), and Lake Armstrong fish to 18 inches on Power Bait. On the eastside, Jameson Lake in Douglas County has been excellent for limits of rainbow averaging 11 to 14 inches with a few significantly larger. Jameson operates under a split season, and will close at the end of the month.

Razor clam delay

Elevated levels of marine toxins have prompted state shellfish managers to postpone the start of razor clam digging on coastal beaches. Domoic acid levels have dropped significantly since last spring, when the state was forced to curtail digging, said state biologist Dan Ayres in Montesano, but are still above the threshold for human consumption set by the state Health Department.

Since 1991, when the toxin was first detected on the Pacific Coast, outbreaks have prompted the cancellation of three entire digging seasons in Washington — the last in 2002-03.

“We’re optimistic that there will be some sort of season,” Ayres said, “but opening in November? I don’t know about that. If I had to guess, I would say it may take a little longer.”

The department’s preference, he said, would be to open all beaches simultaneously, but realistically they will probably be opened piecemeal, on a safe-to-dig basis.

“When you open just one beach, you of course put all the diggers there. Some beaches, such as Long Beach, can handle that sort of pressure, but Twin Harbors, for instance, cannot.”

Hanford Reach fall kings

Fall chinook fishing was a hot item on the Hanford Reach last week, according to state biologist Paul Hoffarth in Pasco, with averages just under three kings per boat and approaching one per rod. All three launch areas — Ringold, White Bluffs and Vernita — put out about the same averages, with the area just above the Tri-Cities a little slower. Bank anglers at the Ringold access put 60-plus kings on the bank last week.

These are big fish, generally running 15 to 30 pounds, and trollers go after ‘em with herring- or sardine-wrapped Kwikfish, or Super Baits stuffed with tuna and scent. Other fishermen drift eggs, or back-troll diver/egg setups.

Hoffarth said the in-season run update for the Reach on Oct. 7 continued to predict a record escapement of more than 200,000 adult chinook this fall, and a harvest to this point of about 25,600 adults.

Yakima chinook

Hoffarth (above) said the chinook fishery on the lower Yakima River picked up last week, as checkers tallied 212 anglers with 70 kings and one coho. The bulk of the effort has been between Prosser and Horn Rapids Dam, but the season closes Oct. 22.

For more outdoor news, read Wayne Kruse’s blog at www.healdnet.com/huntingandfishing.