GOOD NEWS IS not to be kept quiet, especially this year when the fishing announcements have been so grim.
So the state Department of Fish and Wildlife sent word last week that the crab harvest would begin early in some areas, including on the North Olympic Peninsula at Neah Bay, Sekiu and Hood Canal.
This week, the state announced the complete summer sport crab fisheries schedule for Puget Sound, which, in the state’s parlance, is all saltwater areas east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line of Neah Bay, including the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Hood Canal.
“We were still working out the details for some fisheries when we publicized the June openings last week,” Rich Childers, state shellfish policy lead, said in a news release.
“With that work completed, we can now announce crab seasons for the rest of the Sound.”
In all areas, recreational crabbing runs Thursdays through Mondays each week — meaning it’s closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Shellfish gear must be removed from the water on closed days.
Here is the schedule for the North Olympic Peninsula’s crabbing areas, including reminders of the early openings, which begin next week:
■ Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu) and 12 (Hood Canal): Open 6 a.m. next Thursday through Sept. 5.
■ A portion of Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet): Waters north of the Hood Canal Bridge to a line connecting Foulweather Bluff to Olele Point. Open 6 a.m. next Thursday through Sept. 5 in.
■ Marine Areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca) and the rest of 9 (Admiralty Inlet): Open July 1 through Sept. 5.
State regulations prohibit setting or pulling shellfish gear from a vessel from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise.
The daily harvest limit is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches.
Six red rock crab of either gender can be harvested per day, provided they measure at least 5 inches across.
And, of course, sport crabbers are required to record their harvest of Dungeness crab on summer catch record cards immediately after retaining crab.
The state’s website has more details on the rules and regulations of crabbing, as well as an educational video. Check it all out at www.tinyurl.com/PDN-CrabStuff.
Surf day celebration
In honor of International Surfing Day, the Olympic Peninsula chapter of the Surfrider Foundation will hold a celebration next Friday, June 17, at Habinger Winery.
The family-friendly event is open to all ages. Tickets are $20, or $10 with ASB card. Ages 12 and younger get in free.
Ticket purchase includes raffle entry and a complimentary glass of beer, wine or a soft drink provided by Harbinger Winery.
There also will be treats provided by H2O Waterfront Bistro.
There will live music by country singer/songwriter Buck Ellard.
Raffle prizes include a Lib Tech waterboard and Gnu snowboard.
The event runs from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Harbinger Winery is located at 2358 Highway 101, west of Port Angeles.
For more information about Surfrider’s Olympic Peninsula chapter, visit its website at www.olympicpeninsula.surfrider.org.
Anglers meeting
The next meeting of the North Olympic Peninsula chapter of Puget Sound Anglers is Thursday.
Chapter member Walt Blenderman will give a presentation on techniques for catching chinook during the shortened Marine Areas 5 and 6 seasons.
The meeting begins with swapping of fish stories and viewing of raffle prizes at 6:30 p.m.
There is a short club business meeting at 7 p.m., followed by Blenderman’s presentation.
The meeting is at Trinity United Methodist Church at 100 S. Blake Ave. in Sequim.
Catching two fish with one rod
The North Olympic Peninsula chapter of Puget Sound Anglers recently enjoyed three days of fishing with charters from Neah Bay, according to chapter secretary Sherry Anderson.
Excel Fishing Charters and Jambo Sportfishing took 30 anglers on near shore groundfish and lingcod trips, and all caught their limits.
Vic Burri caught the largest lingcod, which measured 40 inches long and weight 25 pounds.
Bob Keck, though, won the day with a two-for-one: he reeled up a 22-plus-inch lingcod that had a 30-inch Cabazon clamped on its rear third.
Sutherland report
Port Angeles angler and lure designer Pete Rosko went fishing for kokanee and cutthroat at Lake Sutherland on Wednesday.
“Water temp was 67 degrees — getting out of the comfort range for kokanee, but the cutthroat trout are very active,” Rosko said.
“The weather was very unsettled with showers, constant wind direction changes and intermittent gusty winds.
“During the few times the wind subsided, vertical jigging over 72 to 79 feet of water, in the eastern end, produced kokanee at the 35-40 foot level.”
But they weren’t much.
“In fishing Lake Sutherland for over 35 years, this June’s kokanee size is the smallest that I have ever experienced,” Rosko said.
“All ran between 11-12 inches.”
To catch kokanee, Rosko recommends the Mack’s Lure one-third-ounce Sonic Baitfish in the glow-chartreuse and fire tiger finishes.
Rosko was impressed with the cutthroat population he encountered.
“It’s growing both in numbers and size,” he said. “The larger fish were located within 5-8 feet of bottom, over 59-69 feet of water, about 150 yards out of the public boat ramp.
“A bare three-fourth-ounce glow-chartreuse Sonic BaitFish was very effective while being bottom-bounced during periods when the wind was up and the drifts were faster. A good electronic fish locator, and reading it correctly, will result in better catches.”
Important reminders
Three important things to remember about this weekend:
■ Saturday and Sunday are the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Free Fishing Weekend.
No license is required to fish or gather shellfish on and of the state’s waters that are open to fishing.
Also: No vehicle access pass or Discover Pass are needed to park at the nearly 700 water-access sites maintained by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Anglers also will not need a two-pole endorsement to fish on waters where two-pole fishing is allowed.
■ Saturday also is Get Outdoors Day, so entrance to state parks in Washington and Oregon is free.
■ The extra day of halibut fishing on the northern coast, off La Push and the Pacific Ocean side of Neah Bay, is Saturday.
The halibut fishery is included in the free fishing weekend.
For more about these items, see Thursday’s column online at www.tinyurl.com/PDN-Thursday.
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.
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Sports Editor Lee Horton is filling in for outdoors columnist Michael Carman, who has the week off.
