BLACKMOUTH ANGLERS HAVE taken advantage of the relatively benign weather and tidal conditions in recent weeks around the Port Angeles area, successfully jigging for chinook feasting on an abundant supply of candlefish.

“Freshwater Bay has been productive and a lot of folks are jigging for them,” said Brian Menkal of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More (360-683-1950) in Sequim.

“With jigging, the conditions have to be really good for that. Not much tidal movement, not much wind. Flat water is the best time to jig. You’d have to troll if wind or tide comes up, but if the weather stays like this [try jigging].”

Port Angeles area angler and lure designer Pete Rosko said his Kandlefish jigs have been flying off the shelves in larger sizes, such as the 2½, 3½ and 4½-ounce varieties.

He passed along a number of photos of his summer fishing partner Eric Thomsen’s success using metal Kandlefish jigs between 150 and 180-feet of water off Port Angeles.

“They are feeding on candlefish, up to 10 inches in length, while scraping them off the bottom,” Rosko said. “One of the guides there said that every salmon caught had deep rake marks on their gill plates from feeding on those burrowing candlefish.”

Some larger blackmouth have been caught, including a 22-pounder that would have won the recent Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby if it had been caught a week earlier.

Canal shellfish

Menkal said he’s heard of good shellfish harvests on Hood Canal.

“Hearing some folks are getting some nice oysters and clams down on the canal,” Menkal said.

That’s a good thing to hear. The future may not bode well for shellfish on Hood Canal.

That’s the takeaway from an article on an ancient species of phytoplankton called coccolithopores by Alana Linderoth in last Sunday’s Living on the Peninsula magazine in the Peninsula Daily News.

Coccolithophores surround themselves with a microscopic scale-like plating made of limestone. The one-celled organisms can have at least 30 scales apiece and the plating reflects light causing Hood Canal’s waters to take on a turqoise color during heavy blooms the last three years and in 2006-2007.

Shellfish companies operating on Hood Canal believe significant oyster mortality events, which all have occurred during periods of heavy coccolithopore blooms, are connected. The shellfish ingest the organisms and their digestive systems are believed to get “gummed up,” starving shellfish, stunting their growth and making them weak and more susceptible to high-temperature, low-tide events.

Other data show crab fisheries also decline after heavy blooms.

Shrimp move up and down Hood Canal and appear to stay in waters below the blooms.

Lake Leland warming

I met up with Quilcene’s Ward Norden, a former fisheries biologist and owner of Snapper Tackle Co., this week and he let me know how the recent weather has impacted Lake Leland.

“As of last Sunday the water temperature at Lake Leland was up to 52 degrees at the pier,” Norden said. “That is an 18-degree rise in barely two weeks which is astounding for a body of water that size.

“Normally, it would now be time to expect an early trout plant, but I don’t think it will happen for a few more weeks. The cold weather temporarily stunted growth of the trout at the hatcheries. Currently catchable trout planted at lakes around Shelton are far less than half a pound and if those fish were planted in Leland, the cormorants would eat all of them.”

So hold off on the trout fishing, but take aim at crappie, yellow perch or largemouth bass.

“The good news for anglers at the lake is that the warming is activating the crappie spawn and may even bring on some pre-spawn activity among the largemouth bass,” Norden said. “The yellow perch may also be on the move to spawning areas. That may be why I have observed several fancy bass boats on the lake recently. Cold water crappie and yellow perch make mighty fine table fare if you can locate a school of big ones.”

Salmon/steelheading course

Brian Menkal of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More will offer another two-part Introduction to Salmon and Steelhead River Fishing course at his store, 609 W. Washington St., No. 21 in Sequim, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday with part two following at the same time Tuesday, April 9.

Menkal knows a ton of tips, tricks and locations and offers the course for $40 per person plus tax.

To reserve a space, phone 360-683-1950.

Free halibut seminar

The flatties are on the schedule in May and Menkal said his store will host a free halibut seminar from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 26.

Carlsborg-based angling expert John Beath will present the seminar.

“He’ll cover everything to do with halibut here in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, including Canadian waters,” Menkal said.

“Techniques like anchoring, jigging and drifting. Places to fish, working the tides. It’s a very complete seminar and all taught on our local waters. John Beath is kind of the halibut guru.

“All are welcome. It’s our annual contribution to our fishing fraternity.”

Menkal asks those interested in attending to RSVP to 360-683-1950.