In what has to be some sort of piscatorial record for Western Washington, the upcoming Anacortes Salmon Derby sold out its self-imposed limit of 800 tickets in just 14 days. I mean, WOW! Everyone knew the slots would go fast because the same event sold out last year in slightly over a month, but two weeks? These guys obviously are doing something right.
Now the pressure is on the lucky 800 to catch a fish.
The third annual derby is scheduled for March 28-29, with headquarters at the Cap Sante Boat Haven. The event boasts a $12,000 first-place prize plus thousands more in cash and merchandise, free launching and moorage at Cap Sante, a free barbecue lunch on Sunday, a no-host social on Saturday night, and a Friday evening fishing seminar with charter skippers John Keizer, Jim Agergaard and Jay Field. The sponsoring Fidalgo Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers uses the proceeds to fund scholarships in fisheries and related sciences.
Discovery Bay results
The 33rd running of the Discovery Bay Derby over the Presidents Day weekend was a solid success, even though the number of fish weighed was down slightly from last year and the fishing couldn’t be described as hot. Because of its location and timing, the event is sometimes impacted by rough weather, but conditions were excellent this year and the winning fish were generally in prime condition and of nice size.
The top money ($5,000) went to Tom Casey of Sequim, who worked a Coho Killer spoon at 100 feet on Midchannel Bank for his mint chinook of 18.85 pounds. The eventual derby winner was, by coincidence, the first fish entered on Saturday morning. Second went to Keith Deyo of Bremerton, at 18.05 pounds. He trolled a flasher/green hoochie rig at Lip Lip Point. Third place went to James Cook of Lakewood, at 16 pounds even, also on a Coho Killer.
Flat water and sunshine enabled many contestants to run out to Hein, Partridge and Eastern banks, and other exposed spots in the Strait where chinook hadn’t been hassled for a while. Slightly over 800 tickets were sold and a total of 102 chinook were entered, the top 40 averaging just under 13 pounds.
State Department of Fish and Wildlife checks at the Port Townsend Boat Haven ramp reflected the derby’s success rate, counting 169 anglers on Saturday with 31 chinook, and 134 on Sunday with nine fish.
Local salmon
Marine Areas 8-1 and 8-2 have slowed considerably from earlier in the season, but fair fishing is still available at such spots as Baby Island. Area 9 remains dismal, with the better fishing to the west — Point No Point, Double Bluff, Midchannel Bank.
The San Juans offer the best winter salmon fishing right now, with state creel checks at the Washington Park ramp near Anacortes showing a catch rate of about one chinook for every three fishermen. Fish are scattered through many of the usually productive spots, and it becomes a matter of finding bait and putting in your time.
Steelhead
In what has become another lackluster winter steelhead season, reports from most of Western Washington are poor. Anthon Steen at Holiday Sports in Burlington (360-757-4361) said wild fish are slowly arriving in the Skagit and a lot of folks are fishing shrimp, drifting pink worms, or pulling plugs. March 16 is the date when selective gear, catch and release regulations kick in, allowing only single, barbless hooks and no bait or scent.
Guide John Thomas (lamiglas@hotmail.com) has been scratching a fish or two on the Skykomish. He enjoyed a pretty good day last Friday, with a 14-pound hen, a buck that would have approached 20 pounds, and a third takedown. He was using backtrolled diver/shrimp combinations with a pink Spin N Glow, just below Sultan. The Sky is running very high for this time of year, he said, but the Sultan has been putting in just enough color to keep it from becoming too clear — an odd combination. Look for it to drop for this weekend, probably making fishing even tougher, Thomas said.
Smelt
State biologist Joe Hymer in the agency’s Vancouver office said this Saturday may be the best opportunity so far this season for dippers to hit some smelt on the Cowlitz River. Two commercial netters took almost 3,000 pounds from the lower Cowlitz within the past week, and substantial bird activity has been seen on the lower end for several days now, Hymer said.
Springers
Still no meaningful recreational catches of spring chinook on the lower Columbia River, but at least Washington and Oregon got together long enough to set some of the spring season as follows:
The two states are still at odds over the spring chinook recreational-commercial quota split, and the season may be extended when the dispute is settled.
Trout
Unseasonably warm temperatures may put trout on the bite in a fair number of local lakes this weekend — the indicator being whether or not you see insect hatches developing. Year-around lakes to the north that might be worth a shot include Campbell, Clear, Samish, Pass (flies only) and Big Lake. Around here, try Goodwin, Blackman’s or Stevens, for rainbows, or off the mouths of the Cedar or Sammamish in Lake Washington for big cutthroat.
Olympia
The Fishing, Hunting &Natural Resources Forum, which monitors the progress of outdoor-related bills in the state Legislature, said the major hot button item on the burner is a proposal from the governor to merge the Department of Fish and Wildlife enforcement division into the State Patrol. Early indications are the proposal may already be in deep trouble, but it’s still too early to know for sure.
“What’s clearly evident is there is no doubt that should the proposal advance, the issue will become an ugly battle,” a forum spokesman said.
Knowledgeable outdoor activist and radio talk show host TJ Nelson of Lake Stevens said his take on the issue is that the well-documented budget shortfall may necessitate dropping some enforcement agents and the proposed move to the State Patrol is an effort to “make up” the difference.
“Not going to happen,” Nelson said. “You really think these guys in their shined shoes, clean cars and straight-brimmed hats are going off wading through the weeds?”
And to train and equip the officers properly to handle fish and wildlife violations probably would cost more than the salaries of the missing agents, he added.
Help wanted
The Stilly-Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement Task Force is soliciting volunteers to plant native trees and shrubs in riparian habitat along the Snoqualmie River.
Planting vegetation along denuded banks helps provide soil stability and shade to salmon habitat, and helps deliver organic materials to the river. Also, participants in the program can learn a lot about water quality, erosion, riparian ecosystems and the critters that live there.
Two Saturday dates are scheduled: Feb. 28 and March 14. For more information or to sign up, contact Claire Atkins-Davis at 425-252-6686 or via e-mail at claire@stillysnofish.org.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
