THE NORTH OLYMPIC Peninsula might reach Helen of Troy territory this weekend.
With so many outdoor activities to choose from, the prospect of 1,000 ships launching doesn’t seem too far fetched.
You know, if you’re OK with calling an 18-foot boat a “ship” . . . which I am.
A quick rundown of outdoors inspirado on the Peninsula this weekend:
• Shrimp openers throughout the saltwater, including Discovery Bay.
• Halibut season openers in the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca and Admiralty Inlet.
• The final razor clam digs of the season at Olympic National Park’s Kalaloch Beach.
• A burgeoning lowland lakes season that still includes hot-to-trot Anderson Lake in Jefferson County (at least for a few more weeks . . . maybe).
• And, if that weren’t enough, a Kids Fishing Derby in Forks sure to have loads of little rascals rampaging around like it’s half-off day at the dollar store.
So, what in the world is a Peninsulite to do?
Case for halibut
Peninsulites get only 13 days to target flatties in Marine Areas 6 (eastern Strait) and 9 (Admiralty Inlet) this spring, and one of those is this Saturday.
Unfortunately, that one-day opener (season details are below) will be greeted by some strong tides.
Not exactly prime conditions for the herring and spreader bar set.
The way Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store in Port Angeles sees it, that should spur anglers to fish shallower locales.
“I’m going to fish that 150 [feet] and under [range],” he said. “There’s definitely some places where we can target those fish in those places, and it will fish better [under those conditions].”
Of course, with so many different spots to choose from — the eastern Strait truly is a top-tier halibut fishery — anglers will likely spread themselves out.
In the Port Angeles and Sequim areas alone there’s the Humps, Freshwater Bay/Observatory Point, The Rock Pile, 31-36 Bank, Hein Bank and Green Point/Dungeness Bar.
Out east, anglers often hit Mid Channel, Hein Bank, Dallas Bank, Foulweather Bluff and just off Protection Island.
The last of those spots, east of Protection, produced a number of memorable fish last year.
That included a 223-pound monster caught by Silverdale’s Ray Frederick and a 234-pounder reeled in by Bremerton’s Mike Mollison.
(Side note: Anglers do not have to worry about the new 120-foot depth restriction imposed on Puget Sound bottomfish fishing. That does not apply to halibut.)
“The halibut will still be in all of the places you found them in April, just maybe not quite as abundant,” said Aunspach, referring to what is generally regarded as the most productive halibut fishing month but was not included in this year’s fishery.
“What seems to produce a lot on the opener is off [Ediz] Hook. That seems to be one of the predominant places, especially if we end up getting windy weather.”
The gear that works is pretty simple: Herring, octopus or hoochies with a spreader bar works best.
Just make sure that A) Your gear is hitting the bottom, and B) It has a nice dabble of scent on it (i.e., Butt Juice).
“They are just going to lay on the bottom and just stay there until something comes along,” Brian Menkal of Swain’s Outdoor (360-385-1313) in Port Townsend said.
“That’s why you want the smelly jellies, scent is important. They turn themselves into the tide and if they can smell something . . . they realize something they want to eat is coming their way.”
Areas 6 and 9 are open to halibut Thursdays through Saturdays the entire month of May.
The one exception is Memorial Day weekend, when both open Friday through Sunday.
Case for shrimp
Mother Nature’s tastiest scavengers take a back seat to no crustacean.
And, in the case of the ever-popular Hood Canal and Discovery Bay fisheries, the opportunity to pull in a pot of them is just as fleeting as the above flatfish.
Discovery Bay opens to shrimping for the first time in five years Saturday and Wednesday morning.
The annual frenzy that is the Hood Canal opener comes the same day. (Details are below.)
Everyone has their own trick when it comes to enticing shrimp.
Fish-flavored canned catfood, shrimp pellets or some crazy concoction of seafood scraps stuffed into a jar with holes drilled into it . . . it all works.
The key is to make sure whatever you use is pasty enough to stay relatively solid in the water . . . oh, and that your pot is actually on the ocean floor (sorry, it has to be said).
“Generally what you want is something that’s going to milk out over time,” Menkal said, “something that’s going to have a lot more substance to it, so it’s to going to fall apart once it hits the water.
“If it’s too water soluble, they are just going to pick it up, and they won’t have to go inside your pot.”
Obviously, depths vary upon the location.
Hood Canal shrimpers sometimes drop their pots as deep as 300-plus feet, while Discovery Bay and Port Angeles shrimpers can get their catch in just 40 feet of water.
Butch Williams of Brinnon once said he generally checks from 180 to 260 feet at beginning of each season in the Canal.
“There’s been years where big masses have been out at 300 [feet], but that’s not real common,” he said last year. “When that sun is out, they will stay down a little deeper.
“Whatever the way the tide is going they are going to ball up. They kind of tumble down the beach in big balls. When the tides are really strong, that’s when you look for those little crevices [to drop your bait near].”
Here are the dates for shrimpers across the Peninsula:
• Discovery Bay — Opens this Saturday and Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Areas 4 (east of Bonilla-Tatoosh), 5 and 6 — Opens Saturday at 7 a.m. Will remain open until Sept. 15 or when the quota is reached.
• Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) — Opens this Saturday and Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Hood Canal — Open Saturdays and Wednesdays through May 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
In the case of Discovery Bay, Admiralty Inlet and Hood Canal, additional harvest dates will be added if sufficient quota remains.
Ocean shrimp fishing (Marine Areas 1, 2, 3 and 4 (west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line) is open daily year-round.
For more information on shrimping, visit http://tinyurl.com/y2gou6w.
Case for trout
Nothing says Afternoon Delight quite like a sunny Sunday at Lake Anderson.
The clock is ticking on the popular Jefferson County lake, which is sure to close sometime soon this spring due to toxic blue-green algae blooms.
Anderson’s opening day catch numbers (74 anglers caught 246 fish last Saturday) were easily the best on the Peninsula. And word is, many of those fish were quote large.
“There were some nice fish that were caught,” Menkal said. “It was all those holdovers in there.”
Talk of 22- and 24-inch rainbow trout has been bandied about in the last few days. Although, the only thing I caught on my Wednesday morning visit was a fishing rod.
“That was the spot,” Aunspach said of Anderson. “There was some whopper fish caught out there. They said it was just crazy with big fish on opening day.”
One other note: Horseshoe and Ludlow lakes both received trout plants this week, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Horseshoe was given 102 rainbows averaging a little more than a pound in size, and Ludlow 81 of the same fish.
More digging
The case for clams is a tough one.
After all, Kalaloch has opened to razor clam harvests several times in the last few months, including a pair of digs in mid-April.
While Saturday and Sunday will be the final harvest dates of the season at the Park beach, neither comes with premier digging conditions. Saturday morning’s 9-foot swells at 10-second intervals appear to be the best of the two.
Then again, we are talking about razor clams, which may very well be the tastiest clam around.
Diggers averaged 10.3 clams per trip during the last set of digs in April, according to state coastal shellfish manager Dan Ayres. The average size was 4.2 inches.
Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks are all open today through Sunday to morning digging. Those beaches will likely get a few more openers in May.
Here are the tides for the weekend harvest dates at Kalaloch, almost morning harvests:
• Saturday: -1.0 feet at 9:15 a.m.
• Sunday: -0.7 feet at 9:58 a.m.
For more information on coastal razor clamming, visit http://tinyurl.com/oyekj.
West End fishing
The rivers are about the only place where Peninsula anglers are running out of options.
The Bogachiel, Calawah and Dickey close to fishing after today, meaning all that’s left are the Sol Duc and Quillayute. Unless you’re a little tyke, that is.
The Bogachiel Hatchery rearing ponds will open for its annual Kids Fishing Derby this Sunday from 6 a.m. to noon.
Fish and Wildlife plans to stock the ponds with 3,800 rainbow trout 8-12 inches in size and 300 rainbows 14 inchers or larger.
Whatever fish aren’t caught by the children will then be taken over to Wentworth Lake.
Rockfish
As was expected, three populations of rockfish in Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia received federal protection under the Endangered Species Act earlier this week.
Two populations — canary and yelloweye — received threatened status, while a third population, bocaccio, has been listed as endangered.
All of this relates to Fish and Wildlife’s Puget Sound Rockfish conservation plan, which could massively affect recreational fishing on the Peninsula.
To view the rockfish conservation plan, go to http://tinyurl.com/yjs8d7o.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is accepting public comments on the plan through May 21.
Comments on the draft plan can be submitted by e-mail to SEPAdesk2@dfw.wa.gov, by FAX to 360-902-2946, or by U.S. Mail to WDFW SEPA Desk, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091.
Also . . .
• Dungeness River Audubon Center Director Bob Boekelheide will lead a birding trip through Railroad Bridge Park and Dungeness Landing Park on Saturday.
Birders will encounter breeding songbirds, shorebirds, gulls and waterfowl during the excursion, scheduled for 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, contact the River Center at 360-681-4076.
• Sequim Gazette bird columnist Dave Jackson will teach a six-week introductory birding course at Dungeness River Audubon Center beginning next Tuesday.
The class meets each Tuesday for six straight weeks from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The focus will be on bird identification and where to go to view them.
To register for the class, contact the River Center at 360-681-4076.
• The Olympic Peninsula chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will hold its annual fundraising dinner in Port Angeles on Saturday at 4 p.m.
The event, which includes an auction, will be held in the Vern Burton Community Center, 308 W. 4th St.
For more information, or for membership inquiries, contact Cliff Smith at 360-457-6950.
• The Peninsula Friends of NRA will hold its third annual banquet and auction at Vern Burton Community Center, 308 W. 4th St., in Port Angeles on May 8.
The doors open at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. and the auction to follow.
For reservations, contact Mike Stenger via phone (360-457-7205) or e-mail (cg_aviator@wavecable.com).
• Hunters can now purchase special-permit applications for the 2010 season.
The application forms are posted on Fish and Wildlife’s Web site (http://tinyurl.com/2bk2j46) and are also available at license vendors around the state. Hunters must return their applications by May 26 to be eligible.
All completed applications must be submitted via a toll-free telephone number (1-877-945-3492) or on-line (http://tinyurl.com/24sfw5a).
• The North Olympic Peninsula chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association will hold its second meeting in Sequim on May 13.
The recreational angler advocacy group will meet the second Thursday of each month at the Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 South Blake Ave., starting at 6:30 p.m.
To learn more about the CCA, visit www.joincca.org.
• Troy Hatler will talk about “Palapas Ventura” fishing resort in Mexico during the Puget Sound Anglers-East Jefferson Chapter month meeting May 11.
There will also be a raffle and refreshments at the meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Marina Room at Hudson Point Marina in Port Townsend.
• Puget Sound Anglers-North Olympic Peninsula Chapter will holds its annual Kids Fishing Day at the Sequim reclamation ponds on May 15.
The free fishing event will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the ponds, located just north of Carrie Blake Park. It is open to children 14 years old and younger.
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; e-mail matt.schubert @peninsuladailynews.com.
__________
Matt Schubert is the outdoors columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column appears on Thursdays and Fridays.