LEE HORTON’S OUTDOORS COLUMN: Shrimp season set to open Saturday

A BIG WEEK becomes even bigger with the opening of the spot shrimp season Saturday.

Unlike halibut, which opened for fishing in Marine Areas 6 (Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca) and 9 (Admiralty Inlet) on Thursday, the shrimp season will last longer in most areas this year.

In past years, the nontribal shrimp harvest was split evenly between sport and commercial fisheries. This year, recreational shrimpers are allotted 70 percent of the harvest.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

That’s a significant increase, and more of the quota means more shrimping days for the sport harvesters.

The largest beneficiary is Marine Area 6 (excluding the Discovery Bay Shrimp District) recreational fishery, which will receive 22 percent of the harvest this year, up from 15 percent in 2012.

Fortunately, Hood Canal has escaped the tweaking of the spot shrimp allotments — the sport fishery will still receive 100 percent of the harvest.

Now, you can drop your pot and focus solely on shrimp, and your day wouldn’t be the least bit wasted. Just being out on the water is an enjoyable experience.

But, you can also multitask by dropping a shrimp pot on your way out to fish for halibut, and then picking it up on the way back in.

After sitting in the water for an extended period of time, the pot likely will have filled up — if not to the daily limit of 80 shrimp, then close.

Here are the spot shrimp details for the North Olympic Peninsula:

■ Hood Canal Shrimp District (Marine Area 12): Open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday, and May 8, 15, 18 and 22.

■ Discovery Bay Shrimp District (Marine Area 6): Open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday, and May 8, 15, 18 and 22.

■ Marine Areas 4 (east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line), 5 (Sekiu) and 6 (Port Angeles, Sequim): Open daily at 7 a.m. beginning Saturday.

Areas close when the quota is attained or Sept. 15, whichever occurs first.

■ Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet, Port Townsend): Open Saturday and Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lake update

Anderson Lake is still open, and appears to have had a solid opening weekend last week.

Lake Leland isn’t producing quite like it did in late March and early April.

“It’s hit or miss; you either get them, or it’s nothing,” Brian Menkal of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More (360-683-1950) in Sequim said.

But, there are still fish to be had at Leland.

In fact, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife might have given the lake a boost on Wednesday.

“[Wednesday morning] as I was passing the launch, I saw the WDFW planting truck leaving,” said fishing tackle wholesaler and former fishery biologist Ward Norden.

“Unless he was just rinsing out the tank, one must assume the lake just got its big plant of catchables — 8- to 10-inch rainbow trout.

“I recommend flatlining — trolling a lure near the surface — a small red or orange spoon near the surface for a quick limit, or a day of a lot of catch-and-release [fishing].”

Norden also added that he saw an angler reel in a 16-inch rainbow at Leland earlier in the week.

The state did catch surveys at four Jefferson County lakes during last Saturday’s lake opener.

Here are the results, which include the anglers surveyed, average fish caught per angler and average fisher kept per angler.

Anderson Lake — 60 anglers; 4.2 fish caught per angler; 3.3 fish kept per angler.

Horseshoe Lake — Five anglers; five caught; zero kept.

Ludlow Lake — 11 anglers; 2.7 caught; two kept.

Silent Lake — Eight anglers, four caught; 3.6 kept.

In other lake news, Wentworth Lake received a plant of 2,250 rainbow trout late last month, which makes it the only Clallam County lake to be stocked by the state so far this year.

Class rescheduled

Menkal rescheduled his two-part river salmon and steelhead fishing class to begin this Tuesday, May 7, and conclude Tuesday, May 14.

The class was originally going to begin earlier this week, but Menkal decided to push it back a week.

Both sessions start at 6 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m.

Bring a notepad, pen or pencil and a chair.

The cost for the class is $25.

Class attendance is limited to 12 participants. To reserve a spot or for more information, phone Menkal at 360-683-1950.

The classes are held at Brian’s Sporting Goods and More at 542 West Washington St. in Sequim.

Send photos, stories

Have a photograph, a fishing or hunting report, an anecdote about an outdoors experience or a tip on gear or technique?

Send it to sports@peninsuladailynews.com or P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362.

________

Outdoors columnist Lee Horton appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.

More in Sports

Jay Cline/Peninsula College Athletics
Peninsula College's Cinco McNeal completes a slam dunk during the Pirates 75-74 overtime loss to Bellevue on Wednesday.
MEN’S BASKETBALL: Peninsula College falls in OT thriller to Bellevue

Peninsula College sent its NWAC North Division men’s basketball… Continue reading

Emily Matthiessen/Olympic Peninsula News Group 
Sequim’s Solomon Sheppard is surrounded in the paint by three Bremerton basketball players during a contest Monday at Rick Kaps Gymnasium.
PREP BASKETBALL: Sequim boys fall to Bremerton, will take No. 3 seed into district tourney

Bremerton and Sequim produced another thrilling boys basketball contest, the… Continue reading

The Klahhane Xcel Gold team from left, includes Lainey DePiro, Raynee Ciarlo, Lorelei Sanders and Emily Bair. Four out of the six Xcel Gold members got 9.0 or higher in the floor exercise at the Realm Classic meet in Everett this weekend. (Klahhane Gymnastics)
GYMNASTICS: Klahhane gymnasts shine at Realm Classic

The Klahhane Gymnastics Xcel Team competed at the Realm Classic… Continue reading

East Jefferson
PREP BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: East Jefferson girls win to lock up .500 season

Forks girls lose playoff opener; play again tonight

Sequim's Jericho Julmist drives to the basket against Bremerton in Sequim on Monday night. In on the play is Sequim's Zeke Schmadeke. Sequim won 66-61 to earn a share of the Olympic League title. (Emily Mathiessen/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
BOYS PREP BASKETBALL: Big night for Sequim and Port Angeles

Wolves earn share of league title; Riders punch postseason ticket with win

Sequim Wolves
PREP BASKETBALL: Sequim boys earn share of Olympic League title

The Sequim boys basketball team overcame a hot-shooting Bremerton squad… Continue reading

Ethan Melnick, Sequim basketball.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Ethan Melnick, Sequim basketball

Sequim has been getting big contributions all year from Solomon Sheppard and… Continue reading

Sequim’s Gracie Chartraw dribbles against North Kitsap on Friday in the Wolves’ final home game of the year. (Emily Mathiessen/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
PREP BASKETBALL RECAP: Sequim boys, PA girls victories set up huge games

Snow and icy roads disrupted the basketball schedules of… Continue reading

The Port Scandalous Roller Derby League begins Feb. 22 at the Sequim Boys & Girls Club.
AREA SPORTS BRIEFS: Roller derby season opener set for Feb. 22

The Port Scandalous Roller Derby League will begin with… Continue reading