ODD YEARS AREN’T for everyone on the North Olympic Peninsula.
Those who fall into the “king salmon or bust” category simply can’t be bothered to waste their time targeting something as lowly as a pink salmon.
Those content to bring any old salmon back to the docks, however, couldn’t be much happier.
After all, they always have a fall-back option.
Luckily for anglers out west, that hasn’t been all that necessary the past few days. There’s more than enough kings to make things interesting.
“The last two days have been the best king bite of the year so far,” Chris Mohr of Van Riper’s Resort (360-963-2334) in Sekiu said.
“Excellent king fishing . . . just really good; a lot of fish, a lot of big fish.”
Yes, those worried about the hordes of pink salmon gumming up the works — as they do from time to time during odd-number years — need not fret.
From the waters off LaPush all the way to Sekiu, there’s a king bite worthy of your time.
It seems only a matter of time before those fish start pushing into the holes around Port Angeles and Port Townsend, filled with plenty of feed to attract some hungry chinook.
And for the other fellas, a few pinks as well.
Coastal fishing
It’s always a little easier to catch kings on the coast.
Just by virtue of the regulations in Area 3 (LaPush) and 4 (Neah Bay), which allow native retention, such is the case.
Out by LaPush, however, it requires a willingness to dive deep, according to Randy Lato of All-Ways Fishing (360-374-2052) in LaPush.
“We set the downriggers at 325, 350, 375 [feet],” said Lato, who’s consistently fished 17 miles northwest of LaPush this summer.
“Once in a while you can still be mid-water around 200, but wherever the bait is at, if you see lots of bait down by the bottom, down you go.
“The ones that are willing to go down after them are doing OK.”
One of the more prevalent problems has been finding ways to get down to them through all the pinks, especially Thursday.
“There’s little flushes that come, though, because it had been pretty mellow through the weekend, but man [Thursday] was the second worst day I had on pinks,” Lato said.
“You couldn’t get down through them.”
The humpies have been just as common, if not more, inside the Strait of Juan de Fuca near Neah Bay.
According to Douglas Dunlap of Big Salmon Resort (360-645-2374) in Neah Bay, anglers targeting kings have been able to run into them near shore.
“The kings, they are coming in close, like 80 feet or so,” Dunlap said. “Wherever you go you’re going to catch a king if you’re in close and shallow.
“There’s a lot of coho in the Strait, but there’s not a lot of clipped. Most of the coho are from Swiftsure and Table Top.
“Father and son is doing well down south, too.”
Sekiu salmon
The kings are starting to pile up near Slip Point.
According to Mohr at Van Riper’s, the past two days have been lights out.
“People should be taking advantage of this fishery,” Mohr said.
“It doesn’t get much better in Sekiu than it is right now.”
As is typical of the area, the most king action has come right at dawn and just before dusk.
In between, anglers have been hooking loads of humpies, which have made their presence known around Area 5 (Sekiu) since saltwater salmon fishing began earlier this month.
Thanks to that, anglers have been averaging more than a salmon per rod all season.
“The coho run kind of dropped off, and the pink run has just kind of been at the same level,” Mohr said. “If you want to go out and target pinks, you can get limits by eight in the morning.
“Actually, in the morning they have been right here on the beach [near the kings]. Then it seems like as the day lightens up they are moving off shore.
“It isn’t red hot, but it’s pretty darn good.
“If we got pinks here this time of year, I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like in August.”
Strait to PA
If a few of those Sekiu kings start heading east, things could really start to heat up around Port Angeles.
That would certainly jibe with what Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles expects.
With so much bait present in the waters around Ediz Hook and Freshwater Bay, a king feeding frenzy could hit Area 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca) sometime soon.
“There’s definitely lots of bait around,” Aunspach said. “I’m marking tons of it, every place I’ve been from shallow to deep.
“Some of the fish I’ve been catching are just plumb full of bait, big herring in them.”
Despite the foul weather, anglers fared well last weekend.
Aunspach and his son ran into four kings by 8 a.m. on Saturday, with the biggest one topping out at 22 pounds.
There’s been a few other fish entered into the Port Angeles Salmon Club’s monthly derby ladder in the mid 20s, as well as a 37-pound behemoth caught a couple of weeks ago.
“Just over the weekend I would say up and down the Hook was the favorite place, and that was from one end of it to the other,” Aunspach said.
“Winter Hole, they are catching them out in the deeper water than out near the flats, but up and down the Hook was definitely the premier place for the weekend.”
PT pointers
It’s king or bust on the northeastern tip of the Peninsula.
Many of those who made it out for Saturday morning’s Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) opening day fog fest got to experience the former.
That included Puget Sound Anglers club member Jerry Johnson, who, along with his fishing partner, hooked three kings ranging from 21 to 25 pounds.
“That’s the best year I’ve had in many years as far as opening day goes,” the longtime Port Townsend angler said.
“If the salmon are in there, they are fairly thick on opening day, and there’s a lot of feed.
“The fish I opened up had both candlefish and shrimp in their bellies.”
Randy Powers of Westside Marine in Port Townsend had a similarly successful opening day.
And while things haven’t been quite as productive since, there’s still some decent-sized fish around, according to Powers.
“We don’t have the smaller fish and lots of them like we’ve had in the last couple of years, but we had a 25-[pounder] and a 23-[pounder] on Saturday,” Powers said.
“There’s been some nice fish being caught, several in mid 20s. I know of a couple of 23s, and there was a 32 that came in here [Tuesday].
“It’s not red hot, but the fish we are getting are nice.”
Also . . .
■ Brian’s Sporting Goods and More will host a free saltwater salmon fishing seminar at its Sequim store, 542 W. Washington St., on Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
To reserve a spot, contact the store at 360-683-1950.
■ Complaints have been few and far between for the Dungeness crab fishery inside the Strait.
Outside of some crab pot kleptomania — thievery seems to be on the rise this year — crabbers have fared awfully well from Pillar Point all the way to Dabob Bay.
■ Surf smelt should be spawning on Peninsula beaches during the next few weeks.
Keep an eye on Kalaloch, Ruby and Rialto beaches on the coast. If there are feeding birds around, that may very well mean smelt are present.
Netters have already reported nice catches out by West Twin River this summer, according to Aunspach.
■ Now that the snow is finally going away in the Olympics, alpine hikes are in full bloom.
Trails to Mount Walker (south of Quilcene) and Mount Zion (south of Blyn) should both be bustling with rhododendrons and great views of Puget Sound.
Hurricane Hill Trail should also be accentuated by a wide array of wildflowers.
■ The Wapiti Bowmen will offer free introductory archery classes for ages 10-16 at its Port Angeles headquarters, 374 E. Arnette Road, on Saturday and Sunday as well as July 23 and 24.
There will be separate two-hour classes for 10-13-year-olds and 13-16-year-olds, with the former meeting from 10 a.m. to noon and the latter from noon to 2 p.m.
To register, contact Scott Gordon at ScottinSequim@olypen.com or 360-460-5636.
■ Brian Menkal will discus river fishing for coho at the Coastal Conservation Association-North Olympic Peninsula Chapter meeting Thursday.
Menkal, owner/operator of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More, will begin his talk shortly after the meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at Moon Palace Restaurant, 323 E. Washington St., in Sequim.
■ Waters West Fly Fishing Outfitters will host a free casting clinic this Sunday beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Lincoln Park in Port Angeles.
The clinic will focus on standard overhead casting and roll casting. Those without a rod can contact Waters West (360-417-0937) and one will be provided.
Send photos, stories
Want your event listed in the outdoors column?
Have a fishing or hunting report, an anecdote about an outdoors experience or a tip on gear or technique, why not share it with our readers?
Send it to me, Matt Schubert, Sports Department, Peninsula Daily News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362; phone, 360-417-3526; fax, 360-417-3521; email matt.schubert
@peninsuladailynews.com.
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Matt Schubert is the outdoors columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column appears on Thursdays and Fridays.