Lingcod season opened Monday to dicey weather conditions and unfriendly tides, but those who got out early in the morning for the softer tidal situation managed to find a few fish at most of the usually productive spots.
All Star Charters owner/skipper Gary Krein fished Possession Bar and said, “By the time we got out there, the tide was rippin’ and an opposing wind was coming up, and the combination of the two made it really tough to keep your gear on the bottom. We did land one nice fish and lost a couple of others, but it was very difficult fishing.”
Krein said he heard of one fish coming off the artificial reef south of Hat Island, but that fishing was slow there as well.
Bob Ferber at Holiday Market Sports in Burlington said Deception Pass and Fidalgo Head put out a few fish for the early birds Monday morning, before things got too wild.
“The tides are getting much better starting about (midweek) and running through the middle of next week,” he said. “This weekend should be a really good opportunity.”
Ferber said Calcutta or Storm swimming jigs are popular artificials among local lingcod aficionados, along with herring and other baits.
The coastal lingcod fishery is in full swing, and two-fish limits have been common for anglers aboard charters south of Cape Alava, and in Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay). Most of the fish have been running 6 to 15 pounds, state biologist Scott Barbour said.
Shrimp season opens Saturday and Ferber said a couple of the more popular spots north of us include Biz Point, north of Deception Pass, and Iceberg Point, on the south end of Lopez Island. San Juan Island-area shrimpers generally work at 200 to 350 feet or so, he said, but with strong tides running in various parts of the islands, it’s necessary to use more than just one buoy, plenty of weight, and plenty of line, to keep your pot from being swept away.
Puss ‘N Boots cat food, the standby shrimp bait for years and years, is no longer available, Ferber said. In its place, recreational shrimpers are going to Friskies ocean whitefish and tuna dinner cat food, jack mackerel, commercial shrimp pellets or various mixes of the three.
Gary Krein recommended the Everett-to-Mukilteo shoreline as a good place to put down shrimp pots – probably better closer to Mukilteo – in 150 to 250 feet of water. Other good spots include the northeast corner of Hat Island, just north of the marina entrance; just north of Edmonds into Brown’s Bay; and the area off the “Bait Box” on the southeast corner of Whidbey Island. A strong tide can run past the latter spot, however, and Krein said you need an amount of line twice the depth you’re fishing, plenty of buoy, and probably 20 pounds of weight in your pot to fish some of the harder-running tidal areas.
Krein said a can of most any mackerel- or salmon-scented cat food, punched full of holes, will work as bait. Try some of the “liquidation” grocery stores, which often stock pet food for cents per can.
Halibut: The recreational halibut fishery in the Strait of Juan de Fuca has been producing about on par with last year, according to state biologists. That argues against anecdotal evidence that the earlier start this year has benefited anglers. Early in the season, success rates were running about a fish for every 5.5 rods, and the latest checks from last week and over the weekend at Ediz Hook in Port Angeles showed 87 anglers with 14 fish.
Anthon Steen at Holiday Market Sports said Partridge Bank continues to be probably the best spot in the eastern Strait, and that Hein Bank – which started slowly – has picked up recently.
Eastside trout: Winter has been reluctant to leave the Columbia Basin this spring, said state biologist Bob Jateff in Ephrata. Cold water temperatures held the trout catch down during the opener in some lakes, particularly to the north in the Methow Valley. The fact that the North Cascades Highway was not yet opened also contributed to fewer anglers on some of the northern lakes, Jateff said.
Weather conditions varied from sunshine to hail for the opener in the Basin, and all these factors taken together resulted in a spotty success rate.
“Some of the larger lakes, such as Conconully lake and reservoir, Spectacle, Wannacut, and Jameson, produced good catch rates,” Jateff said, “but the quality waters, with the exception of Blue Lake in the Sinlehekin, were slower than normal.”
Following is a rundown of some of the more popular Eastern Washington trout lakes on last Saturday’s opener:
Okanogan County: Aeneas Lake, slow opener; Big Twin, slow opener; Blue Lake (Sinlahekin), 16 anglers with 16 fish, browns to 16 inches, rainbows to 17 inches; Conconully Lake, 3.3-fish average, carryover rainbows to 16 inches; Conconully Reservoir, 2.2-fish average, carryover rainbows to 17 inches; Pearrygin Lake, 1.1-fish average, slow opener for this lake; Spectacle Lake, 3.3-fish average, triploids to 1.5 pounds; Wannacut Lake, 3.6-fish average on yearling rainbows and carryovers to 15 inches.
Douglas County: Jameson Lake, 3.4-fish average, good opener, carryovers to 17 inches.
Chelan County: Wapato Lake, 3.5-fish average, running 11 to 17 inches.
Grant County: Park, Blue and Deep lakes, the big three in Grant County, all produced less than one fish per person on the opener. Biologists say the lakes are overdue for “rehabilitation” to rid them of competing species. Warden Lake was the best in the county, at an average of 3.5 fish per person.
Monroe derby: The Lake Tye Kids’ Trout Derby, sponsored by the Sky Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, drew nearly 1,000 youngsters to the west side of Monroe on Sunday, where most caught at least a couple of planted rainbows and one angler, Bodrick Gallway, nailed an 8-pound, 13-ounce trophy to take first place. Club spokesman Gary Bee said 12 fish were caught over 5 pounds, and three over 8 pounds. The separate adult derby was won by Steve Clouse, with a fish weighing 8 pounds, 11 ounces.
The specially tagged $1,000 rainbow was not caught during the derby, but is still worth $50 if caught and the tag returned to Lavro Boats.
Hunters drawn: A total of 2,091 hunters have been selected for the new multiple-season hunts for deer or elk this year and will be notified by mail. Interested hunters can also check online at http://wdfw.wa.gov. State residents selected in the drawing must purchase a $164.25 multiple-season tag before May 28.
Those selected have the opportunity to participate in all archery, muzzleloader and modern-firearm general hunting seasons for deer or elk in 2006, but are still limited to harvesting only one deer or elk per year.
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