When the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife makes a change in the state’s recreational fishing license setup, it often means (gasp) more money. This one doesn’t, necessarily, and in fact could result in savings, depending on how much time you spend outdoors and how many different fisheries you pursue.
Announced Monday, the new “Fish Washington” license will be available this fall. It’s designed to be “all inclusive,” and will cover most of the state’s major individual fisheries, including special endorsements. Buy one of these hummers for roughly $80 and you’ll be good to go on fresh and saltwater; to harvest shellfish; to fish with two rods on waters where it’s allowed; to chase crab in Puget Sound and fish the Columbia and its tributaries for salmon and steelhead. Not a bad deal.
Seniors 70 and older can purchase a shorter version for about $19 which will not include the two-rod, Puget Sound crab, or Columbia salmon/steelhead endorsements.
Peter Vernie, WDFW license division manager, said the new license is an option only – that fishers may still purchase individual licenses and/or endorsements if they prefer. “That hasn’t changed,” Vernie said.
An adult annual resident freshwater license, including state and dealer fees, is currently $29.50, and saltwater, $30.05; two-rod endorsement, $14.80; Columbia salmon/steelhead endorsement, $8.75; shellfish license, $17.40; and Puget Sound crab endorsement, $8.75, for a total of about $118.
Doing some simple arithmetic, a family of four, all 16 years or older, will pay an annual total of about $320 for the Fish Washington licenses. If they purchased the covered items separately, they would be out approximately $470, a difference of $150.
So what was the reason behind all this? Through a series of public meetings and comment periods, Vernie said, “We heard from our customers that they wanted a single-button package license option. The opportunity to shop once, pay once and be covered for everything for the year.”
For a complete list of the current licenses and their fees go to the WDFW web site, choose “Licensing and Permits,” and under “I am looking for:” click License Types and Fees. The same information is available in the current state fishing regulations pamphlet.
Tagged trout derby
Time’s running short to nail a prize in the unique tagged trout derby run by the state Fish and Wildlife Department. It expires Sept. 6, with about 420 of the special rainbow still uncaught, according to WDFW spokesman Jason Wettstein, and 329 already accounted for and prizes claimed.
The rules are simple: catch a tagged trout, call 350-902-2464 and collect your prize. The tag is a bright orange “spaghetti” type, placed near the dorsal fin, and the fish are standard-size hatchery rainbow, placed in popular fishing lakes around the state. The Snohomish County lakes involved in the derby are Bosworth, Echo, Ki, Martha (Alderwood Manor), Riley, and Storm. Lakes in Skagit County are Heart, Sixteen, and McMurray.
The majority of the prizes making up the original pot of about $20,000, donated by license vendors, were gift cards. The derby is free to all those with a valid state fishing license (14 and under need no license).
For more information go to the WDFW web site.
Dove hunting opportunity
Royal Youth Boosters are selling passes to hunt doves on private property near Potholes Reservoir, with proceeds going to support after-school activities — athletic, music, other — in the Royal City School District. Farmers on the Royal Slope donate use of their land, boosters post it, and passes are sold by MarDon Resort on the reservoir. Price is $150 each for the season, which runs Sept. 1 to Oct. 1. For more information call 509-346-2651.
Shooting sports at Cabela’s
The annual Shooting Sports Classic event at Cabela’s Tulalip starts today and runs through Aug. 24, featuring all the gear you need for everything from recreational shooting and target practice, to sighting in rifles and patterning shotguns for upcoming hunting seasons.
At noon Saturday and Sunday, experts will present a sighting in seminar, covering all the gear, tips and tactics needed for a successful day at the shooting range, firearms and archery, in addition to discussing local shooting sports opportunities in the area.
At 2 p.m. both days, it’s a “shooting sport essentials” seminar, covering the basics of shooting skeet, trap, sporting clays or targets, and will include information for those looking to join the ranks of shooting sport enthusiasts.
The National Rifle Association will also be in attendance Saturday and Sunday. Customers who sign up for a new NRA membership or renew an existing membership for a minimum of $35 will receive a $25 Cabela’s gift card.
More information about the event can be found online at the Cabela’s web site or call the Tulalip store at 360-474-4880.
Buoy 10
The popular buoy 10 salmon fishery on the bottom end of the Columbia river was only fair at best over the weekend, according to WDFW biologist Joe Hymer in Vancouver. Both Oregon and Washington samplers checked about one chinook for every 10 anglers, Hymer said, and there were very few coho taken. Kings were running from 6 or 8 pounds up to the mid-teens, and Hymer said fishing has been best recently upriver around the Astoria bridge and on the Oregon side.
Better, softer, tides are coming, with prime-time high slack in the mornings, so fishing should improve.
Cowlitz steelies
WDFW creel checkers on the Cowlitz have been finding averages of close to a fish per rod on summer steelhead recently and Karen Glaser at Barrier Dam Campground said fishing has indeed been very good, with a lot of three-fish limits taken. The largest fish she has seen so far this summer weighed 22 pounds.
The fish are scattered and a range of different terminal tackle is being used, including sand shrimp, bobber and jig with a piece of bait on the jig, Corkie and yarn, and either Little Cleo or Blue Fox spinners.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
