With the unofficial start of winter steelhead fishing only a week away, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife has issued its annual list of winter and summer steelhead smolt plants. The fish were released in the spring of 2014 and are expected to mostly return this winter and next summer as adults.
It’s the usual win a few, lose a few for sport fishermen, as some rivers received more smolts than last year and some got less. Following is a comparison of plants on a few of the more popular steelhead rivers on both sides of the mountains:
The Cascade, a tributary of the upper Skagit, was planted with 235,000 winter smolts in 2013, but received just a token plant of 100 fish in 2014. The North Fork Stillaguamish got 86,725 winters and 65,000 summer run smolts in 2013, but zero winters and 71,000 summers in 2014. On the Skykomish it was 147,300 winters last year and 154,800 this year.
Plants of winter-run smolts on the Snoqualmie/Tokul Creek dropped from 153,000 to 26,000. The Wallace stayed about the same at 20,000 winters.
In the Forks area on the Olympic Peninsula, the Bogachiel got 142,000 winter fish, an increase from last year’s 100,000. The Calawah stayed roughly the same at 55,000 fish, and the Hoh was cut from 72,000 to 14,200 fish. The Humptulips remained level at 130,000 winters.
The state is trying to extinguish early-run winter steelhead on the Cowlitz, but hit the big southwest river with 734,700 late winters and 618,700 summer-run smolts in 2014. On the Kalama, the winter-run plant stayed about the same, at 130,000, but the summer-run plant increased from 91,000 to 116,000. The North Lewis dropped from 238,000 winters to 120,600.
East of the Cascades, all plants are deemed summer-runs, and plants on the Wenatchee dropped from 129,000 to 117,000. The Methow, however, received 247,000 smolts compared to last year’s 208,700 fish.
Razor clams
It’s looking more and more likely that there will be no winter recreational razor clam dig on the ocean beaches until at least the end of the year, according to state clam manager Dan Ayres in Montesano. The reason, of course, is a too-high level of domoic acid, a marine toxin, in what, unfortunately, is a very good clam population on most of the beaches.
While sampling has been disrupted by violent weather, limited testing by the state Health Department hasn’t been encouraging.
“Long Beach was still above acceptable levels (last week), and it has been the best of the group,” Ayres said. “So the others are probably too high as well.”
The big question now, Ayres said, involves toxin levels in Dungeness crab. Authorities in southern Oregon and northern California closed recreational crabbing recently, and Ayres said their commercial fisheries probably will follow suit. The state closed recreational crabbing in Willapa Bay because of high toxin levels, and Ayres said a decision must be made soon on whether to allow the scheduled commercial crab opener this Sunday.
Danger on the flats
Reb Broker, president of the Northwest Chapter of the Washington Waterfowl Association, sends a word of caution to duck and goose hunters who utilize the Samish/Welts Unit of the Skagit Wildlife Area. The unit is just south of Samish Island.
Broker said drain ditches on the unit were dug out and widened over the summer, and the banks were sloped to keep erosion to a minimum.
“Now that they’re wet, they’re like a ski slope,” he said. “If you step into one, you’re going to go sliding down and, since they’re full of water now, you’ll fill your waders and have a tough time getting back out.”
Steelhead plates
A special license plate featuring a steelhead could be an option for vehicle owners if a proposal for the new plate is approved by the state Legislature. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is proposing the plate to generate revenue that would be used to help conserve native steelhead in the state, most of which are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.
The agency is currently taking several actions to restore those populations to sustainable levels, including measures that guide fisheries management, hatchery operations and habitat-restoration programs.
State law requires the department to show that state residents intend to purchase at least 3,500 plates for cars, motorcycles or trailers. People interested in supporting the program can submit a signature and indicate the number of plates they would likely purchase, on the website http://wdfw.wa.gov/license_plates/steelhead. The website includes additional information and an image of the plate.
Submitting a signature is not an obligation to buy a plate.
The initial price of special wildlife-themed background plates ranges from $54 to $72, depending on the vehicle, in addition to the regular license fees. For more information, visit the state Department of Licensing website at http://www.dol.wa.gov.
Derby spots going fast
At last check, there were just 28 spots left in the 2016 Roche Harbor Classic fishing derby. Contact Debbie Sandwith at the Roche Harbor Market at 350-378-5562 or market@rocheharbor.com.
Chums
With most state rivers blown out of shape by heavy rains, an alternative would be the Hood Canal Hatchery beach fishery for chum salmon. The latest numbers showed 18 anglers with 25 fish.
Local salmon
Lousy weather and a lack of blackmouth created a difficult situation to beat, so weekend results at the Port of Everett ramp — 20 anglers with zip on Saturday and seven anglers with zip on Sunday — weren’t unexpected. The Camano State Park ramp was a little better on Sunday, with eight fishermen with two chinook.
Lots of kings
On Nov. 10 the cumulative record for adult fall chinook passing Bonneville Dam was broken. The count, according to state biologist Joe Hymer in Vancouver, was at 953,240 fish, more fall chinook adults than any year since the dam was built in 1938.
Ringold steelhead
Fishing at the Ringold hatchery on the Hanford Reach above the Tri-Cities has been great one day and very slow the next, according to state biologist Paul Hoffarth in Pasco. Anglers were averaging 13 hours of fishing for each steelhead landed from the bank, and 10 hours by boat. More than 85 percent of the fish have been of hatchery origin.
For more outdoor news, read Wayne Kruse’s blog at www.heraldnet.com/huntingandfishing.
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