Clarification: Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) is open for pink retention July 1. Area 9 opens to hatchery chinook retention on July 16.
BAIT BALLS ABOUND close to shore in Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay), setting up quality opportunities to bring home a limit of king salmon, and maybe even an early running pink.
“Wherever you see the birds you’ll find the salmon,” Joey Lawrence of Big Salmon Resort (360-645-2374) in Neah Bay said.
“There are a lot of birds and a lot of bait inside the Strait [of Juan de Fuca] here.”
It’s likely the bait fish are hugging close to shore to find the coolest water temperatures and escape the blob of warm ocean water that scientists say stretches across the Pacific to Japan.
“The bait fish look for those pockets of cold water and it pushes them closer and closer in,” Lawrence said.
Anglers have the option to stick close to port or head out to deeper water to find chinook.
“Salmon are right at the Green Buoy at the entrance to the harbor here at Neah Bay,” Lawrence said Thursday.
“We had our kicker boat go out today, our rental boat and one of our employees, Ben Della, just fished for his limit in an hour-and-a-half, maybe two hours.
“We could see him fishing from our shop.”
Lawrence said Della was using a simple setup, employing a downrigger, a flasher and a green hoochie.
“The bite is really shallow, 60 to 100 feet of water right toward the bottom,” Lawrence said.
Another successful spot recently has been in 180 to 300 feet of water off Tattoosh Island, less than a mile from Cape Flattery.
“Even the humpies are starting to show up early,” Lawrence said.
“There hasn’t been a lot of them, but a few are being caught.
“Most of the guys say it’s an early bite in the morning, then it dies down in the afternoon before picking back up around 7 p.m.”
Lawrence said Swiftsure Bank also keeps producing in good numbers.
That thought was echoed by Ward Norden, a fishing tackle wholesaler and former fishery biologist who lives in Quilcene.
“Chinook fishing has been excellent for the commercial trollers out of Neah Bay in the past couple weeks with lots of ‘pigs’ being caught,” Norden said.
Sports anglers also should do well.
“This cold, deep ocean water also will cause the chinook to hug the shoreline so Neah Bay jetty anglers should get a few of those big Columbia River summer kings when using the right jigs.”
Marine Areas 5 (Sekiu), 6 (Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca) and 12 (Hood Canal) south of Ayock Point open to chinook fishing Wednesday.
The hatchery chinook season opens in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) Thursday, July 16.
Sekiu also has shown plenty of signs of chinook in advance of the opener.
“There’s been bait flying out of the water,”John Richardson of Olson’s Resort (360-963-2311) in Sekiu said.
“There’s fish around, we just can’t catch them so far.”
Richardson did have success between Seal and Sail Rock, hitting into two chinook, including a healthy 24.76-pounder.
Albacore tuna
Ocean-going anglers also can try to find tuna, as Norden says they are along the coast “as far north as mid-Vancouver Island.”
“They are about 20 miles off the northern Oregon Coast and about 35 miles off the mouth of the Queets River,” he said.
“They would get even closer by the end of this week, but the weatherman is predicting hotter weather and northerly winds.
“Those northerly winds will drive the tuna farther offshore because they bring cold deep ocean water to the surface near our shoreline.”
Flatfish in Canal
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife approved opening a flatfish fishery in Hood Canal north of a true east line from the mouth of Turner Creek (north of Brinnon) to the Toandos Peninsula.
Anglers will be able to fish for flounder, sole and other flatfish (except halibut).
The rule change goes into effect Wednesday, in time for salmon anglers wishing to cast for humpies to make it a two-fer.
Now or never prospect
Brian Menkal of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More (360-683-1950) in Sequim took a trip to the Calawah River recently.
“Everything is so low and the fish are so spooky and cagey,” Menkal said.
“I was using 4-pound test leaders and 6-pound test main line with a camo float, and had two steelhead hit on that.
“But it’s a little crazy that you have to use anything that light and that stealthy to get something to hit.
“That 4-pound test is what you can use for trout, not the usual 10-pound for steelhead.”
Menkal also advised sneaking up from behind on any pool you may wish to target.
“Approach from behind and be as quiet as you can.” Menkal said.
“And you have to be on the top of your game with your setup.
“Use too big a leader, too big a float, and they will just flare away from them.
“If somebody is using too big or too bright a tackle it spooks them.
“And if there’s any pressure and one guy spooks them, it makes it challenging for everybody else.”
Lake fishing solid
“I’ve been hearing good reports at Lake Sutherland for kokanee,” Menkal said.
“I had a customer who came in and said he was fishing off a dock in 4 feet of water with a bobber and a worm and he caught two 18-inch kokanees.”
So, if you don’t have a boat to get out to the deeper stretches of the lake, make friends with a lake resident to get access to those docks.
Also, with the warm weather forecast for the next week and beyond, anglers will need to head out early to beat the heat and the personal watercraft and speed boats that chop up the water, to have a better shot at a bite.
“Bass fishing continues to be good at several Jefferson County lakes, but as we progress farther into summer, anglers will need to get out early or near sunset to get that big bite,” Norden said.
“Perch fishing also is good at Sandy Shore and Leland lakes, while a few bluegill are starting to appear at Lake Leland.
“I haven’t heard of many catfish taken yet, but they should go on the bite soon at Ludlow and Leland.”
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Outdoors columnist Michael Carman appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
