The Puget Sound winter recreational crab season will continue as planned, with the crab free of marine toxins and safe to eat. Don Velasquez at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Mill Creek office stresses these facts because, he says, “Every time the coast closes we get a bunch of calls asking whether Puget Sound crab are okay.”
State shellfish managers have delayed the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery on a portion of Washington’s coast to allow more time for tests to ensure that crab are safe. The commercial fishery from the Columbia River north to Klipsan Beach on the Long Beach Peninsula was scheduled to open Dec. 1. The delay also includes the Willapa Bay commercial fishery.
The WDFW delayed the opening following talks with fishery managers in Oregon and California. Oregon has closed commercial crabbing along its entire coastline, while California public health officials are still evaluating domoic acid levels along the state’s northern coast. Domoic acid, a natural toxin produced by certain types of marine algae, can be harmful or even fatal if consumed in sufficient quantities, and cooking or freezing does not destroy the toxin in shellfish.
Commercial crab fisheries along the West Coast were delayed last year due to a similar issue, WDFW coastal shellfish manager Dan Ayres said, and the toxin has also disrupted razor clam fisheries over the last 18 months.
It’s conceivable the problem could arise in Puget Sound, Velasquez said, but not likely.
“As far as I know, we’ve never had a toxin-caused closure in-Sound,” he said.
Meanwhile, the winter recreational crab season continues, generally not as hot as last year’s record-setting fishery, but not bad. Velasquez said tribal commercials have told him fishing has been a little slow in marine areas 8-1 and 8-2, our local saltwater, and that they have had to extend their fishery until Dec. 8 to make their quota. Non-Indian commercial crabbers have had their opening and are waiting now to see if there will be more days allowed, he said.
The Northwest Straits Foundation, funded by NOAA, is offering free videos on how to catch more crab and lose less gear as part of their outreach efforts to minimize derelict pots and other equipment. The foundation estimates there are 12,000 crab pots lost in Puget Sound each year, and that a single pot can kill up to 50 crab before it deteriorates. That adds up to 180,000 harvestable crab lost annually.
To view the videos, go to www.derelictgear.org.
Razor clams
The razor clam dig last Thursday, Friday and Saturday was a pretty good one, considering the late tides and surf a little on the high side. Ayres said some 6,400 diggers hit Twin Harbors, Mocrocks and Copalis beaches on the three days, harvesting about 59,000 clams. That’s an average of between nine and 10 clams per person, but Ayres said many took limits.
Long Beach is still closed because of too-high toxin levels in clams there, and Tribal diggers are working Mocrocks and Copalis on the next tide series, but Twin Harbors will reopen to the public Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Ayres said Twin Harbors put out excelent digging last week, and a good percentage of larger clams.
Tides at Twin Harbors are as follows:
Nov. 26, 0.5 feet at 4:47 p.m.
Nov. 27, 0.2 feet at 5:24 p.m.
Nov. 28, minus 0.1 feet at 5:59 p.m.
Local blackmouth
Only one weekend left for Marine Area 9 in this chapter of our local winter blackmouth saga, but it should be pretty good fishing in areas 8-1, 8-2 and 9.
All Star Charters owner/skipper Gary Krein said the fishery is holding up well this winter, particularly on Possession Bar. The fish aren’t big, averaging 5 or 6 pounds, but the numbers aren’t bad, Krein says. Columbia Beach is also worth a shot, and is protected from westerly wind, while the “racetrack,” between Hat Island and Camano Head has been putting out a few fish.
Area 9 closes at the end of the month and is scheduled to reopen Jan. 16 if there’s any recreational quota remaining. Areas 8-1 and 8-2 will almost certainly stay open through the winter season, Krein says, since anglers have been taking fewer keepers in those two areas.
The pinch will come when the numbers are crunched and WDFW makes a decision to reopen Area 9 as scheduled, or not. Last year, quota in 9 was impacted by a bunch of “encounters” with sub-legal fish, and this year by good fishing for keepers. So which — encounters or catch — will be the criteria the department uses to decide. One would benefit sport fishermen, and one would not.
“If WDFW used “encounters” to keep us off the water last year, they should use the same measure this year,” Krein said.
Steelhead
One of the areas where early steelhead show up first is the Quillayute system near Forks, but Kevin Hinchen at Forks Outfitters said it’s a hair too early for the winter fish.
“The weather’s been bad, and it’s pouring today (Wednesday) but if the rain stops there should be a few of the usual Thanksgiving weekend steelhead in the Bogachiel,” Hinchen said.
Basin waterfowl
Mild weather so far this winter has been tough on Columbia Basin waterfowl hunters, according to Annie Meseberg at MarDon Resort on Potholes Reservoir. With a lot of rain, no freezing temperatures, and little wind, duck hunters have had to scratch for their birds, Meseberg said. As of last weekend, few northern ducks had shown.
But, ever optimistic, the resort is offering duck and goose plucking, at $7 per duck and $20 per goose. “Bring in your day’s hunt and drop off at the MarDon store, Meseberg said, “and don’t forget you will need your hunting license number to fill our the form.”
Black Friday
Cabela’s Tulalip will open at 5 a.m. Friday, and the first 600 customers in line, 18 or older, will be eligible to receive a mystery envelope containing information about a gift. All gifts will be distributed randomly and could include outdoor gear, firearms, Cabela’s cash cards or other good stuff. The store will stay open until 10 p.m.
For more information on holiday events and hours, visit www.cabelas.com/tulalip, or call 350-474-4880.
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