It was razor clam limits for almost every one of the 8,000 people counted Saturday at Long Beach, and the number of diggers is likely to increase this weekend with the opening of the more popular Copalis and Mocrocks beaches. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Tuesday a two-day opening (Friday and Saturday) at Copalis, and three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) at Mocrocks, evening tides only.
Digging tides are as follows: Friday, 4:33 p.m., 0.0 feet, Copalis, Mocrocks, Long Beach; Saturday, 5:17 p.m., minus 0.1 feet, Copalis, Mocrocks, Long Beach; and Sunday, 5:56 p.m., minus 0.2 feet, Mocrocks and Long Beach.
Long Beach remains open daily through March 10, evening tides only, although not every day offers a viable digging tide of lower than one foot. Find a tide chart for Long Beach on the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s webpage.
“Digging at Long Beach has been great,” state coastal shellfish manager Dan Ayres said. “Mostly limits when the weather cooperates, and large clams.”
This will be the first Mocrocks opening since the beaches closed last spring, Ayres said.
The other two Pacific beaches, Twin Harbors and Kalaloch, remain closed because of elevated levels of a marine toxin that renders the clams unfit for human consumption. Domoic acid levels in clam samples must fall below 20 parts per million for two consecutive weeks before the state Health Department will approve a dig. Toxin test results can be found on the webpage.
Copalis Beach runs from the Grays Harbor north jetty at Ocean Shores, north to the mouth of the Copalis River, and Mocrocks beach continues north from there to the Quinault Reservation boundary. Ayres said Copalis is the most popular beach with razor clam diggers, probably because it’s easy to reach and boasts a range of tourist facilities at Ocean Shores.
Diggers can take 15 razor clams per day and are required to keep the first 15 dug. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container, and all diggers 15 or older must have an applicable 2015-16 fishing license to harvest clams on any beach. Licenses, ranging from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, are available on the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s website and from license dealers statewide.
The department’s razor clam website carries useful information on how to dig, seasons and regulations, things to do and places to stay (links to local municipalities and tourism agencies), how to clean and prepare clams, and recipes.
The phone number for the department’s fish program is 360-902-2700, for the agency’s coastal region in Montesano, 360-249-6522, and for the Ocean Shores Chamber of Commerce, 360-289-2451.
Big rainbows
The state planted three Skagit County lakes last week with some very large rainbow trout that should be acclimated to their surroundings by now and on the bite. Lake Campbell received 800 of the fish, Clear Lake, 550, and Grandy Lake, 200. These are not the usual pen-raised 1- to 2-pounders the state purchases and stocks, they’re surplus brood stock rainbows to 4 or 5 pounds.
Two of the three lakes are of most interest to visiting fishermen: Campbell is adjacent to Highway 20, north of Deception Pass, and has a public launch on the north shore; Clear Lake is just off Highway 9 at the community of the same name, northeast of Mount Vernon, and has a launch also on the north side.
Kevin John at Holiday Sports in Burlington said regulars do well at Campbell, fishing Power Bait or worms close to the bottom off the boat ramp, but that trolling with Dick Nite spoons is probably a better bet. At Clear Lake, John said, try soaking Power Bait or casting Rooster Tails from the beach at the launch site.
Local blackmouth
Nick Kester of All Star Charters said there are some decent blackmouth to be had in Marine Area 9, but poor weather conditions have mostly kept anglers on the beach. He’s hit fish to 10 or 11 pounds recently on Possession Bar and said shakers are not nearly the problem they were earlier in the season. The “keeper” rate, counting undersize and wild stock fish is about one in three or four, he said.
Kester likes the “tin shed” area on the southwest side of Possession on an outgoing tide, and the south tip of the bar on the flood. He’s been using a 31/2-inch Herring Aid, a 31/2-inch Kingfisher Lite spoon in Irish Cream colors or a Coho Killer of the same color, no more than 10 feet off the bottom.
Halibut
Coastal halibut seasons will be very similar to last year’s, according to information recently released by the state and International Pacific Halibut Commission. The commission set a West Coast quota of 1,140,000 pounds, compared to last year’s 750,000 pounds, and the state’s sport quota will be 214,000 pounds, which is the same as last year.
The Neah Bay season is scheduled for May 7, 12 and 14, at which point a decision will be made whether or not enough quota remains for another short opening. The quota was gone in three days last year.
May 1 will be the opening day at Westport, with fishing allowed only on Sundays and Tuesdays, for three weeks. Again, if quota remains, the season could reopen, but the fishery lasted just five days last year.
Inland water seasons should be available this week or early next.
Cowlitz action
While the mainstem Columbia spring chinook run is predicted to be down a little this year, a couple of the tributaries are a different matter. The Cowlitz River is expected to have a strong return of springers and that, plus the availability of good numbers of hatchery steelhead, is putting a lot of attention on the river.
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