Fishing Updates

[Tedster]

Last Chance for Blackmouth and the State of the Salmon Season

What happened to February? The Roche Harbor Salmon Derby, fishing for blackmouth during President's Day weekend and March all ready.

In last month's column, I wrote about fishing the San Juan Islands for winter chinook salmon. Practicing what I preach, I fished Coyote and Hein Bank during President's Day weekend. It was terrific. Big blackmouth, into the mid-teens, especially at Hein Bank. If you are reading this, thinking you missed it, guess again. The blackmouth live on the banks at least through March. Take a closer look at the tide table, this upcoming weekend will be good at both spots, weather permitting. Your move.

While I hope to participate in the 24th annual Geoduck Restaurant Salmon Derby near Brinnon on Hood Canal during the first weekend of March, this is a time of year when I participate in the development of the Washington salmon fishing seasons effective through April of 2007. I will know more a month from now that I intend to share with you in my April column. Preliminarily, Columbia River coho salmon stocks are forecasted to be in the tank this year. This forecast will result in limited salmon fishing seasons in the lower Columbia River and the Washington coast. Columbia River Chinook salmon stocks are not on the same bus, however, they will be down slightly too. Remember, Columbia River stocks, both chinook and coho salmon, drive the ocean seasons from Neah Bay to Ilwaco.

Again, from a preliminary perspective, Puget Sound chinook and coho salmon stocks appear to be "okay." Okay means status quo; some bright spots, some not-so-bright spots.

Mother Nature is the dealer in this card game. She controls the ocean environment which is the single most important domino in the survival rate of salmon stocks.

The freshwater nursery is important, the food chain, predators both man and mammels, floods, drought, but the big driver is the ocean. We have enjoyed good ocean survival rates beginning in the late 90's up until and through 2003-4. Now, we are on the backside of the curve. We can only hope that the curve does not dive too far and will not last too many years. If you choose to light your hair on fire, with fewer salmon available for catch, so be it. Remember, survival rates are cyclic excluding the bigger picture of global warming. Don't worry, I'm not going there.

On the Dungeness crab front, the seasons appear to be similar to 2005. I believe and hope the current season restrictions are temporary. If and when the Fish and Wildlife Commission has the political will to take on the allocation issue, we have everything to gain and little to lose. Regardless, it will not happen in 2006 and it's time to break out the cliché, "Just wait until next year." To think that the voters of Washington, through initiative, created the Fish and Wildlife Commission as a vehicle to reduce politics in fish issues, well, politics have this issue locked-up for the time being. Disappointing.

So, March is here. Plan to go fishing the weekend of March 4th or the weekend of the 18th during some great tides. Blackmouth fishing is in its prime. It's time to put a few more entries on your catch record card before the new license year goes into effect April 1st. See you on the water.


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[SomeSailor]

Doesn't look good for fishin' this summer. :(

[Go Aweigh2452]

Yep, fishing don't look good in the PS... however... at Lake Powell

http://www.freewebs.com/striperdirector/danporter38bstb.jpg

[Tedster]

That is a beaut! :D

[SomeSailor]

I can see why they have no limits. Wouldn't take too many years for those to kill a lake at that size.

Did you say many people are eating them?

[Go Aweigh2452]

Stripe bass are good tasting fish. More oily then salmon but a lot less than mackerel or blue fish. Just got a report that this weekend one fisherman and his buddy on LP caught over 60 of them in two days (They actually landed 2/3 of those hooked). But they were in the 4-8# range. Nice thing about them is they like to dance on the water trying to throw the hook when they are that size... Those will fatten up real fast as summer approaches.

[Pegasis]

Here's the latest from the WDF&W

Puget Sound fisheries similar to last year;
coastal waters could face restrictions


OLYMPIA - Salmon fishing prospects should be similar to last year in Puget Sound, although additional restrictions will likely be required in the ocean and the Columbia River to protect weak stocks, according to preseason forecasts developed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and treaty tribes.

The forecasts released today for chinook, coho, sockeye, pink and chum salmon mark the starting point for developing 2006 salmon-fishing seasons for Puget Sound, the Columbia River and Washington coastal areas. Fisheries managers have scheduled a series of public meetings in March before finalizing fishing seasons in early April.

"Conservation is one of our most important goals as we go about setting these salmon seasons," said Jeff Koenings, director of WDFW. "We want to provide the best possible opportunities to fish on healthy runs of salmon and hatchery fish, but we must do that without harming weak wild stocks that require our protection."

Salmon fisheries are structured to avoid weak wild stocks. For example, selective fisheries offer anglers a chance to catch marked hatchery fish.

In Puget Sound, the forecast for coho salmon, which has been consistently strong in recent years, looks good again this year, said Phil Anderson, WDFW special assistant to the director. About 1 million coho are expected to return to Puget Sound streams, mirroring last year’s forecast.

Anglers will face additional restrictions on the Columbia River and along the Washington coast to avoid impacts on lower Columbia River wild coho, listed last year as "threatened" under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The Columbia River hatchery fall chinook forecast is about 465,000, down nearly 185,000 from last year’s forecast, Anderson said.

The fall upriver "bright" chinook return on the Columbia River also is expected to be down this year.

"While the fall upriver bright return looks lower this year, the run is still expected to be strong enough to provide anglers good opportunities for chinook, particularly in the Columbia River," Anderson said.

For Puget Sound chinook, another group of salmon stocks protected by the federal ESA, the forecast is similar to 2005, said Anderson. A few individual stocks, including the mid-Hood Canal natural chinook population, are expected to return at low levels and will continue to require protective measures comparable to last year, he said.

Fall chum salmon, an important species for the commercial fleet and one that is increasing in popularity with recreational anglers, are once again expected to return to Puget Sound and Hood Canal in strong numbers.

But the prospects for a Lake Washington sockeye fishery are not good this year, said Anderson. The sockeye forecast is about 210,000, far below the minimum return of 350,000 sockeye necessary to consider a recreational fishery.

[SPUD]

Ted, did you fish Hein on Presidents Day weekend ?
We fished Eastern Bank as this was the Disco Bay Tourney. We got a 13 and an 8 pounder to make the ladder. Not too many fish were caught at Hein and it was not fishable on Monday due to weather. The big winners were caught at Lagoon. A 19 and a 20 were caught this past Sunday in Useless so the Springers are coming in close !

Spud

[Tedster]

Nope just a cut and paste article I found. Ted

[SomeSailor]

Didn't think you were much of a fishin guy. Thought Spud had finally converted ya :)

[Tedster]

What do you mean I love fishing, fishing in the supermarket, fishing in the fishmarket, fishing in the reasturants, fishing when Spud hands me one, etc, etc. :lol:

[SPUD]

I thought you were becoming a convert when I read it ! No problem Ted, I'll go catch you a fishy. Today installed a pair of Lowrance 104C
color GPS/Sonar ! Big 10 inch screens like my Northstar GPS. I don't need running lights anymore, just another battery or two (and a lead jacket) !

Spud

[beyond kelp]

Gee Ted, I thought you were the man! Maybe you still are. Can you rig a cut plug herring?

[SomeSailor]

Ted gets his herring from a can.

When he get that little key thingie started :)

[Tedster]

Actually truth be known, I was quite a fishy guy way back in my youth, esp. trout, and a fair share of mouching salmon. But those were the days when you could catch thing without all the gear Spud has on his beautiful fish killing machine. But alas now I would rather just play with big yachts that someone else pays for the fuel on. :lol:

[SomeSailor]

I always knew there was something "fishy" about you... :D