WITH LESS THAN a month to go before salmon season wraps, or at least rests, in most of the marine areas bordering the North Olympic Peninsula, it’s a good time to offer a rules primer.
Furthest west, anglers can take part in Marine Area 3’s LaPush late season fishery which runs through Sunday, Oct. 12.
This fishery is restricted to the area north of 47 degrees 50 minutes north latitude and south of 48 degrees north latitude.
Anglers can keep hatchery kings of a minimum size of 24 inches or wild and hatchery coho of a minimum of 16 inches.
There’s no size limit on other salmon species, but all anglers are limited to two salmon of any species.
LaPush derby
This weekend sees the annual Last Chance Salmon Derby, cosponsored by the Forks Chamber of Commerce, the Quileute tribe and the city of Forks, on Saturday and Sunday.
I wrote about this derby last week so visit tinyurl.com/PDN-Derbies or www.forkswa.com/salmonderby or phone 360-374-2531.
After the late-season fishery closes, salmon fishing won’t resume in Marine Area 3 until mid-May.
Marine Area 4
The long wait until the arrival of May’s halibut and early chinook seasons is on in Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay).
If you can’t catch a fish, catch a wave instead this weekend.
Hordes of paddle-surfing enthusiasts should be in the Neah Bay and on the water this weekend.
Typically, the Hobuck Hoedown, a gathering of the Northwest paddle surfing community, occurs around this time of year at Hobuck Beach just outside of Neah Bay.
Planning for this year’s Hoedown hit a snag, so there’s no sanctioned and sponsored event this time around, but a “back to the roots of Northwest surf paddling” expression session will occur instead.
Marine Area 5
Now through Oct. 31, anglers can retain hatchery chinook of a minimum 22 inches in length, while no size limit exists for other salmon species in Marine Area 5 (Sekiu).
Send back wild chinook and coho and pay attention to the Kydaka Point closure. Waters south of a line from Kydaka Point about 4 miles west to Shipwreck Point are closed to salmon fishing.
Barring any changes, Marine Area 5 will reopen mid-February for late-winter blackmouth chinook season.
Olson’s derby
Olson’s Resort in Sekiu will hold a two-day salmon derby Saturday and Sunday.
Entry fee is $25 for ages 15 and older, while a free kids derby is planned for ages 14 and younger.
A first place prize of $1,000 awaits the winner, with smaller amounts for second-and third-place prizes.
Bonus prize drawings also are planned.
An award ceremony and derby lunch is planned for noon on Sunday.
For more information, phone 360-963-2311.
Marine Area 6
Marine Area 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca) is open for salmon through Oct. 31.
Anglers can keep chinook that reach a minimum 22 inches in length, with no size restrictions for other species.
Daily limit is two salmon, only one of which can be a king.
Dungeness Bay is open to hatchery coho retention through Oct. 31.
The Bay is closed to all other salmon fishing for the other 11 months of the year.
After a November break, blackmouth chinook fishing opens Dec. 1 in Marine Area 6.
Building group derby
The North Peninsula Building Association will hold a salmon derby in Port Angeles on Saturday.
Derby tickets are $40 and can be obtained by phoning the association at 360-452-8160.
Fishing starts at dawn and weigh-in is at 2 p.m. at derby headquarters at the Port Angeles Yacht Club.
Marine Area 9
Chinook season remains closed in the waters of Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) through Oct. 31.
But anglers have plenty of coho options, as well as a stray sockeye or pink.
No minimum size restrictions exist and the daily limit is two salmon combined.
Chinook will open back up Nov. 1 in Marine Area 9, with anglers able to take kings 22 inches or larger.
Hoh closure
Away from the marine waters, the upper Hoh and South Fork Hoh rivers have closed to fishing through Oct. 15.
The action closes the Hoh River from Morgan’s Crossing boat launch upstream to the Olympic National Park boundary and the South Fork Hoh River outside Olympic National Park to all fishing.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife closed the river because returns of spring/summer chinook to the Hoh have been low for several years.
Escapement, i.e., the number of fish that make it past recreational and commercial fisheries to spawn, have been consistently on the low end of the spectrum.
So the state is enforcing the closure to protect these chinook as they stage and spawn in the upper Hoh River.
Fishing remains open on the remainder of the Hoh river below Morgan’s Crossing.
Crabbing open
Area waters reopened to sport crabbing Tuesday.
Open waters include Areas 4, 5, 6, 9 and 12 (Hood Canal).
In each area, crabbing will be allowed seven days a week through Dec. 31.
The daily catch limit is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of
6¼ inches.
In addition, harvesters may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across.
Additional information is available on the state’s website at www.tinyurl.com/pdnCrabinfo.
________
Outdoors columnist Michael Carman appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.