Quacks expected at Skagit competition
Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, June 13, 2001
Well on its way to becoming a must-visit event, the annual Skagit Waterfowl Festival comes to the Skagit County Fairgrounds in Mount Vernon on July 14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. And the reason for mentioning it this early is because now’s the time to prepare to participate.
The World Sanctioned Duck Calling Contest will be a featured event once again, according to Washington Waterfowl Association spokesman Rone Brewer, and you don’t have to be an expert in order to enter and blow a lick or two. The contest will be broken into three divisions – Hunter, Jr. Hunter, and Sanctioned – and only the latter is set up for serious competitors. Success in the Sanctioned division could lead to an invitation to the world championships later in the year, in Arkansas. For more information on the contest, call Rod at 360-445-3305.
The festival offers a great venue to sell new or used hunting gear, hunting clothing, and related equipment, with table space renting for $20, and booth space for $50. Pre-registration is required by phoning Brewer at 360-629-4213.
And last, if you or a relative or friend has an old decoy or two or three, dust them off and get them ready to travel. Members of the Northwest Decoy Collectors will be at the Festival to give free appraisals, and to buy, sell or trade. Call Larry at 425-255-9510.
Icicle chinook: As usual, action for Icicle River chinook has been boom or bust. State Fish and Wildlife Department biologist Art Viola at the Wenatchee office said the fish come in on high, dirty water, and fishing can be very good when it drops, but it then settles down to a period of very slow fishing.
“It’s been a typical season in that regard,” Viola said. “I figure that sport fishermen have taken about 1,000 fish so far, the tribes about 3,000, and the hatchery about 2,800. That totals roughly 6,800 fish which should be about half the predicted run.”
Cool weather and low river flows have resulted in poor fishing for about two weeks, he says, but recent rain and some snow melt in the higher country could spark action.
Columbia Basin: The Fourth of July weekend is sneaking closer, and interest in fishing east of the Cascades is rising for fun and sun seekers. Potholes Reservoir will be the destination for many, particularly family groups, and while cooler than normal water temperatures have delayed peak fishing for some species, anglers should be able to find something to shout about.
Resort spokesman Jerry Campbell said a big family draw, yellow perch, have rebounded successfully from several years of decline and are providing entertainment and succulent fillets on the fishing pier. Mini-jigs tipped with a piece of worm will do the job, but remember the resort places a 7-inch minimum size on the species to prevent wastage.
Trollers pulling a flasher/Wedding Ring combo, pearl number 3 Needlefish, or Hot Lips plugs are scoring on rainbow to 3 or 4 pounds in the triangle formed by the resort, the mouth of the wasteway, and Goose Island, Campbell said. Bass casters are hitting the post-spawn up in the sand dunes, where water is warmer, and smallmouth along the face of the dam. Evenings are best for the latter, tossing plastic grubs or small spinnerbaits.
Walleye fishing hasn’t been hot, but fair numbers of fish are being taken in the Crab Creek channel, from about the power lines south.
Another good bet in the Basin is the trophy cutthroat fishery at Grimes Lake, just north of popular Jamieson Lake in Douglas County. Grimes puts out some of those big Lahontan-strain cutts, and June is traditionally a top month. Fish to about 7 pounds have been reported from Grimes since its June 1 opener, even though cool water temperatures have resulted in less than peak success rates.
Local steelhead: The Skykomish started the summer season fairly productively, according to guide Sam Ingram of Arlington, even though the bulk of the fish taken were late winter-runs. Ingram says June is the traditional month for big three-salt steelies on the Sky, and recent rains could have brought some of those fish in from saltwater.
“If the river drops a foot or two by this weekend, it could produce,” Ingram says.
Salmon season reminder: Here’s a thumbnail rundown on upcoming summer salmon seasons, courtesy of John Martinis at John’s Sporting Goods in Everett: Area 7: July 1-31, two-salmon limit; see specific area closures. Area 8-1: Aug. 1, four-salmon limit, release chinook. Area 8-2: July 1, Tulalip Bubble opens for one chinook; Aug 1, four-salmon limit, release chinook (targeted on pinks). Area 9: Aug. 1, two-salmon limit, release chinook. Area 10: July 1, two-salmon limit, release chinook.
Crab: Marine areas 8-1 and 8-2, all the way from Deception Pass, Skagit Bay and the Oak Harbor area south to the tip of Possession Point, including Camano Island, Port Susan, Port Gardner and Possession Sound, are now open to recreational crabbing, all gear, on Fridays through Mondays only. The northwest half of Marine Area 9 also opened, outside a line from Foulweather Bluff to Double Bluff, daily. The “inner” half of Area 9 remains closed, including the Scatchet Head/Possession Point/Point No Point areas.
Lingcod: Saltwater anglers going deep and fishing rocky structure outside Deception Pass and in the San Juan Islands continue to find fairly good lingcod fishing. WDFW checks recently showed 63 anglers out of Cornet Bay with 19 lings averaging 8-12 pounds, 13 greenling, and nine rockfish. At the Washington Park ramp, west of Anacortes, it was 22 anglers with 11 lings, averaging 12 pounds, and seven rockfish.
Father’s Day: Need a quick suggestion for the outdoorsman dad? Two new PC fishing and hunting games produced by Sierra Sports in their Ultimate Trophy line provide excitement and realism without the mud and rain. Field &Stream Trophy Bass 4, and Field &Stream Trophy Hunting 4 are cutting-edge video games for the outdoor buff, at about $30 a copy. Try K-Mart or call 800-757-7707.
A bit more upscale, with a certain degree of chutzpah attached, is the new Classic Cooler from Coleman. The venerable outdoor equipment company has brought back its 54-quart stainless steel cooler, redesigned and improved for the 21st century, but with the durability, content protection, and excellent insulation properties of the original. Plus it’s nostalgic, and cool. Look for it at any Coleman dealership, such as Jerry’s Surplus in Everett.
