The upside is that marine areas 8-1 and 8-2 put out a lot of crab for recreationists during the summer season, and there’s nothing to suggest they won’t continue to produce during the fall/winter season.
The downside is that commercial crabbers are also well aware of that.
The late crab season opens today in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound, with the exception of Marine Area 10 (Seattle, Bremerton). The winter season is usually not as well attended as the summer fishery, but perhaps it should be, according to state Fish and Wildlife Department shellfish biologist Don Velasquez in the agency’s Mill Creek office. There’s a lot more elbow room and plenty of crab remaining from this summer’s blue-ribbon event — especially in local waters, he said.
“Marine areas 8-1 and 8-2 (Port Gardner, Port Susan, Saratoga Passage and Skagit Bay) fished really well this summer,” Velasquez said. “Lots of limits taken, and they should also be the best choices during the late season.”
He said Area 7 (San Juan Islands) was about average; Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) was good; Area 11 (Tacoma) was slow; and southern Hood Canal did not produce well, but the north end of the Canal was pretty good.
Compliance with crab regulations, often a sore spot in the fishery, was similar to recent seasons, Velasquez said, except for perhaps a small increase in the number of recreationists cited for not entering their catch on record cards immediately.
Each area will be open seven days a week through the end of December, and crab must be reported on winter catch cards, free to those with crab endorsements at license vendors statewide. Winter catch reports are due to WDFW by Feb. 1, 2016. For more information on catch cards, go to www.wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/crc.html.
Coho
A surprisingly strong coho fishery continues in saltwater, for both boaters and beach anglers, with more fish still coming down the Strait. State checks Saturday showed 424 anglers at the Port of Everett ramp with 331 coho, and at the Edmonds Marina, 79 anglers with 86 coho. Granted, the fish are on the smallish side, but reports are that the number of larger silvers in the catch is increasing.
At Olson’s Resort in Sekiu on Sunday, 169 anglers had a whopping 268 coho.
Checks of beach fishermen at Point Wilson, near Port Townsend, showed 24 with seven fish, and Mike Chamberlain at Ted’s Sports Center in Lynnwood said the beaches on the west side of Whidbey Island are also putting out coho. “Guys at the Bait Box, on the southeast end of the island, are having a phenomenal season fishing herring under floats from the beach,” Chamberlain said.
The Snohomish River to this point has been pretty good but not great for coho, according to Chamberlain. Trollers on the tidal (lower) portion of the river are pulling Brad’s Wigglers, Wicked Willies, or Mag Lips in fluorescent red, red with herringbone, or fire tiger patterns. Bank fishermen and upriver boaters are casting Dick Nite spoons in 50-50, nickel/frog, and silver/chartreuse patterns to the deeper holes and retrieving slowly.
Other popular setups, Chamberlain said, include floats/eggs, twitching jigs, and various spinners.
“If I have one word of advice for coho fishermen on the river,” Chamberlain said, “It would be perseverance. Put in your time on the water and don’t get discouraged. Ten minutes after you wrap it up and head for the car, all those fish out there will go on the bite. Coho in fresh water are probably the most temperamental species we have in the state.”
Farther north, Kevin John at Holiday Sports in Burlington said the Skagit River pink run is winding down and that coho fishing has picked up to the “pretty decent” level. Lots of small fish, he said, but a few in the 8- or 9-pound range for boaters and bank fishermen drifting Dick Nites, Wicked Willies, and Vibrax or Mepps spinners in chartreuse and green colors. Bank fishermen are concentrating around Burlington, Sedro-Woolley, and the Highway 9 bridge, while anglers at North Beach on Deception Pass are doing well fishing herring/float combinations.
On saltwater, John said, trollers are scoring in “the hole” at Deception Pass with dodger, herring and 4 ounces of lead.
Hanford Reach kings
Action’s hot for big fall chinook on the Hanford Reach portion of the Columbia River, according to creel checks by WDFW last week. In the Tri-Cities area, anglers averaged a fish per boat; at the Vernita Bridge launch, a fish and a half per boat; and at both Ringold and White Bluffs, about two per boat. That’s pretty good fishing for chinook averaging 15 to 20 pounds, with a 30-pounder or better always a possibility. State biologist Paul Hoffarth in Pasco said bank anglers at Ringold Springs hatchery nailed 71 kings last week as well.
Hoffarth said boaters are trolling, upstream or down, with Super Baits filled with tuna and scent, drifting eggs, or working diver/eggs combinations.
The latest in-season run size update predicts 195,620 adult fall chinook returning to the Hanford Reach, with mid-October the rule of thumb peak of the season. The long-term average run size is 153,000.
Duck tour
The Northwest Chapter, Washington Waterfowl Association, presents a free, open to the public, tour of boat-accessible portions of the Skagit Wildlife Area this Saturday, including waterfowl hunting hot spots such as the “farmed island” and “headquarters” sites. The club will also have state personnel on hand to walk the group around the island, explaining the plantings and showing some of the blind locations.
Meet at the Headquarters boat launch at 9 a.m., dressed for the weather and including muck boots. The tour is expected to end about 2 p.m.
To get there, take I-5 to Exit 221 (Conway exit) south of Mount Vernon. Go west a short distance from the freeway and turn right onto Fir Island Road, following the sign for Conway/La Conner. Cross the bridge and in 1.8 miles turn left onto Wylie Road and follow for 1 mile to a “T” intersection and a WDFW sign. Turn left and follow the signs to boat launch.
For more information, contact club president Reb Broker at lostfish01@gmail.com, or 760-859-7442.
For more outdoor news, read Wayne Kruse’s blog at www.heraldnet.com/huntingandfishing.
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