SPRINGERS ARE SHOWING up in the saltwater and rivers in ever increasing numbers, and just in time for a weekend full of sunshine.
In addition, winds are expected to be down to make saltwater fishing good, and at the same time the west-end river levels are coming down after a couple of mostly calm, rainless days.
“The wind will be decent and it’s supposed to be nice through Sunday,” Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles said.
“Expect to see some more nice steelhead natives showing up in the rivers into late March and April.
“We get the bigger fish this time of year.”
This past week, between the up-and-down weather, anglers have been catching blackmouth and spring chinook in Freshwater Bay as well as the Humps in front of Port Angeles, Aunspach said.
The spring salmon are winning the size war right now with the winter blackmouth.
And the springers should only get bigger going into April.
“Just when the bigger fish are coming in this time of year, the [spring] season ends in April,” Aunspach said.
The salmon season will start again July 1 for the start of the fall salmon season.
The past two mostly dry days have helped the area fishery, and it should only get better as the drier days start adding up.
“Spring means only one thing, springers,” the newsletter of the Chinook Angler’s Guide Service in Forks (360-374-3148), said in an email sent Thursday.
The newsletter continued: “The steelhead fishing is on fire right now with natives spread out in all of the coastal streams from the top all the way to the bottom.
“Chrome-bright steelhead feeling spring-time coming are charging in the rivers, looking for their spawning grounds and biting everything that gets in their way.”
The Chinook Angler’s Guide Service is catching eight to 15 steelhead almost everyday fishing a variety of techniques from bobber dogging, side drifting, float fishing or plug pulling.
“This spring time steelhead fishing is just getting started and will peak around the end of March or first of April, the newsletter continued.
“The Hoh River closes on April 15 and will just keep getting better right up until it closes while the Bogachiel, Calawah and Sol Duc will remain open until April 30, and will be fantastic fishing all the way to the end.”
There has been so much movement in springer chinook fishing that the monthly Port Angeles Salmon Derby ladder, sponsored by Swain’s, has been going crazy this past week.
“We’re playing the battle of the fishing board here,” Aunspach said with a laugh.
As of Thursday afternoon, and the ladder board could have changed again by now, Bill Cargo was on top with a 20.01-pound salmon.
Ron Morgan jumped into second at 17.2 pounds and previous leader Gary Kettel fell to third at 15.12.
Larry Lack, meanwhile, slipped by runner-up to No. 4 at 15.6 pounds.
Cargo first jumped up to the top earlier in the week with a 16-pounder but was knocked down to second whne Morgan brought in his 17-pounder.
But not taking runner-up status lying down, Cargo came right back with his 20-pound monster to nudge Morgan out of first.
And the week’s not done yet.
One thing’s for sure, Cargo has been on the water a lot this past week. Luckily, he’s not calling in sick to work.
“Bill Cargo is on vacation,” Aunspach said. “He’s doing a little bit of fishing on his vacation.”
Sekiu fishing
Saltwater fishing is picking up in Sekiu during the nicer weather, and the calmer water.
“We have been doing pretty good lately,” Donalynn Olson of Olson’s Resort (360-963-2311) in Sekiu said.
A boat had just come in late Thursday morning with two blackmouth salmon, about 7 ot 8 pounds each, she said.
Springers also are starting to show in the area.
For the week, six boats had gone out with 16 anglers, catching 15 fish, averaging 8 pounds with the largest at 15 pounds.
“The weather has not been bad,” she said. “We have had light wind with rain off and on.
“Right now the water is looking flat from here. I think the fish will be good here this weekend.”
That’s good news for anglers wanting to go out in this better weather (if the forecasts hold).
Clams awaiting
We don’t mean to be beating a dead clam with all this clam-digging news this past week, but a lot of shellfish enthusiasts will be heading out to the beaches this weekend for razor clam digging Saturday and Sunday.
It will be good weather for those who plan to make the trip south to the four open beaches for clamming, Aunspach said.
The clams have been deemed safe to eat after marine toxin tests conducted last week.
Four beaches — Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks and Copalis — will be open for digging Saturday, and all except Copalis also will be open for digging Sunday.
No digging will be allowed either day after noon at any of those beaches.
“We’re nearing the end of the season at Copalis, but we still have more clams available for harvest on other beaches,” said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
“We have tentatively scheduled another dig in April and perhaps more to come.”
Morning low tides and beach openings for the upcoming dig are:
■■ Saturday (8:25 a.m., +0.3 ft.): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks.
■■ Sunday (8:59 a.m., +0.3 ft.): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks.
Ayres said that the Saturday dig coincides with the Ocean Shores Razor Clam Festival, featuring craft booths and a chowder cook-off.
Since Ocean Shores — along with Oyhut, Ocean City and Copalis — is part of Copalis Beach, it will not be open to digging Sunday.
Aryes cautions diggers to observe the boundary between Mocrocks Beach and Copalis Beach, which are adjacent to one another north of Grays Harbor.
Mocrocks Beach, which will be open to digging both days, lies north of the Copalis River and includes Iron Springs, Roosevelt Beach, Seabrook, Pacific Beach and Moclips.
Under state law, diggers can take 15 razor clams per day, and are required to keep the first 15 they dig.
Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.
All diggers age 15 or older must have a valid 2011-2012 fishing license to harvest razor clams those days.
However, starting April 1, diggers will need a new 2012-13 license to participate in additional openings this season.
Licensing options range from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, which can be purchased on WDFW’s website (https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov) and from license vendors around the state.
Shellfish managers have tentatively proposed a morning dig in early April, although final approval will depend on the results of future marine toxin tests.
The closest beach to the North Olympic Peninsula, Kalaloch, is scheduled to be open to clamming for the first time in months for the April dates.
Proposed beach openings, along with morning low tides, for that dig are:
■ April 7, Saturday (7:36 a.m., -1.2 ft.): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks, Kalaloch.
■■ April 8, Sunday (8:23 a.m., -1.5 ft.): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks, Kalaloch.
■■ April 9, Monday (9:11 a.m., -1.5 ft.): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Kalaloch.
Updated information on razor clam seasons is available on WDFW’s toll-free Shellfish Hotline at 866-880-5431.
Sprint boat dates
Sprint boat fans, get your calendars out.
The Extreme Sports Park will be putting on two sprint boat races in its water track on the west side of Port Angeles.
The sprint boat races debuted in the area last September for the national finals.
Port Angeles gets the national championships again this year along with a second date.
The races are scheduled for Aug. 11 and again on Sept. 8 for the national finals.
Last year the lone area race attracted thousands of fans, becoming one of the best-attended sports events in the history of the North Olympic Peninsula.
Fans were standing elbow-to-elbow in some instances.
Season delayed
The sport clam and oyster fishing season at South Indian Island County Park will open on May 15 and close on Aug. 31.
The season traditionally opens the first of May.
All clams and oysters will be affected.
South Indian Island County Park is located on Admiralty Inlet in Jefferson County.
State officials are delaying the start of the season because surveys indicate he clam population has decreased, requiring that the season be shortened by two weeks in 2012.
Delaying the season opener and extending the closing date allows more continuous opportunity for harvesters on nearby Admiralty Inlet public beaches (Fort Flagler State Park and Oak Bay County Park).
The oyster season on this beach coincides with the clam season.
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