ANNOY, ANNOY, ANNOY.
Are we talking about what Seattle Seahawks fans should do if they encounter a rare sighting of a New England Patriots fan in the wild?
Hopefully not. I trust my fellow Hawks fans will mind their manners, be respectful and let the athletes do the talking if they encounter a Tom Brady true believer or someone garbed in a Rob Gronkowski jersey.
Especially since Sunday’s big game appears likely to be an out-and-out brawl between the NFL’s top two teams.
What I’m referring to up top is what you have to do to complete a pass to a steelhead and get the skittish fish to take the hook.
These fish have been around the block a bit on their trip to the Pacific Ocean and back to their native streams and have one directive bouncing around their brain: to spawn.
So anglers have to rile them up a bit, take them off their game and play a little press coverage on the water.
This is similar to the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom defensive backfield, now that I think about it.
Stream flow charts and a glance at the Quillayute River web cam show West End Rivers have rebounded into fine form after last weekend’s deluge.
Sunshine and warm temperatures are on tap today and Saturday, so head west for a chance to pester a wild steelhead or cast about for the last traces of the hatchery run.
Based on creel reports from last weekend, the Sol Duc River again is your best bet for steelhead.
Blackmouth biting
With the Seahawks on a bye last weekend, the pressure increased based on fish checks conducted at Ediz Hook in Port Angeles and John Wayne Marina in Sequim.
So did the blackmouth bite, with good catch totals found at each location.
A total of 31 chinook were kept by 65 anglers in 38 boats at Ediz Hook from last Friday through Sunday.
The bite was less impressive at John Wayne Marina, with 17 chinook landed by 57 anglers in 33 boats.
Submit catch report
State fishing rules require that all sport crabbers with winter catch record cards submit catch reports for the winter season to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife by Sunday — even if they did not catch any crab.
Sport crabbers should be aware that if they fail to submit a winter catch report, they will receive a $10 fine when they purchase their 2015 crab endorsement.
Catch Record Cards can be mailed to: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Fish Program Catch Record Cards, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia WA 98501-1091.
They also can be sent online, probably the best-case scenario in a time-crunch situation like this.
To submit online, visit tinyurl.com/PDN-CrabCard.
Halibut season setting
As you read this, the International Pacific Halibut Commission is meeting in Vancouver, B.C. to review the latest halibut survey results, discuss recommendations from commission staff and the public, and make a final determination on the appropriate total allowable catch for the upcoming halibut season.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife plans to take these results and meet in Olympia to discuss the recreational halibut season on Monday, Feb. 9.
The meeting is set for 9:30 a.m., in room 175 A at the Natural Resources Building in Olympia.
The angling public can attend the meeting.
For more information, phone the state’s Coastal Marine Resources Policy Coordinator Heather Reed at 360-249-1202.
No-go in Anacortes
The blackmouth season in Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands) has been so good the state has already reduced the limit of keepable fish to one and moved fishing to limited fishing to Fridays through Sundays.
It appears almost certain the state will close Area 7 very soon, likely after the Roche Harbor Derby next weekend.
These actions caused the ninth annual Anacortes Salmon Derby, originally set for March, to cancel the event.
Think snow for Ridge
What a bummer this winter season has been for Hurricane Ridge snow sports enthusiasts.
Lots of teasing so far, with some big blasts of snow getting snow boarders and skiers excited for a time, only to see Pineapple Express weather systems wash out most accumulations.
The Hurricane Ridge web cam showcases a brown field, the closest white stuff miles away on much higher peaks.
Such is the way of an El Niño winter, he’s a powerful little bugger.
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 Michael Carman appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
