PICK OF THE WEEK: Cornet Bay Smelt Jigging

Published 12:01 am Thursday, December 24, 2009

There are a couple of traditional, family-oriented activities coming up for outdoor folks in this area — fun stuff, well worth the effort. One is the hot-ticket New Year’s razor clam dig on the coast (see the accompanying column), Dec. 31-Jan. 3, and the other is a post-Christmas, head-clearing trip up to Cornet Bay for a couple of hours of smelt jigging. Cross Deception Pass, southbound on Hwy 20, and go past the small business district across from the state park, watching for the left turn to the Cornet Bay Road. The docks are a couple of miles, on the left.

This has been a good season so far for jiggers on the docks of Deception Pass State Park, where there’s plenty of room, plenty of parking and, sometimes, plenty of fish.

No license is requied to jig smelt, if you don’t keep herring, so all you need is a light rod and reel, a bucket, a jig, and plenty of clothing. The most popular jig, according to Anthon Steen at Holiday Sports in Burlington (360-757-4361), is the white, number 4 or 5 Gamakatsu, going for around $5. Spring for a bag of chum as well, cheap at $2, and you’re in business.

An incoming tide and high slack is considered prime time on the smelt docks.