THE RETURN OF thecoho, back after a dreadful one-year hiatus, is delighting anglers.
“I can’t remember this many fish since I was commercial fishing back with my dad in the early 1970s,” said Randy Lato of All-Ways Fishing (360-374-2052) in Forks,
“I’d imagine the whole coast line there is just littered with them.”
In Marine Areas 3 (LaPush), three weeks into the season, anglers are bagging coho at a rate well over one per angler.
That’s second best among the four coastal fisheries, with only the Columbia River area producing at a better clip.
At one point on Thursday, Lato couldn’t get his gear down fast enough.
“It just got so stupid that I couldn’t even keep up with the downrigger,” he said.
‘”There were 20 or 30 fish [under the boat] just sitting there waiting for it to drop.
“They were stuffed, but they were still eating.”
Reports out of the Rock Pile have been nearly as sunny, with one angler telling me of a two-hour trip that ended in limits for everyone on the boat.
Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay) has spit out quite a few silvers as well, although not at the rate of LaPush.
It has, however, seen a little more action on the kings.
“If people get out early enough and fish shallow enough they are getting some nice kings,” said Dean Crittenden of Big Salmon Resort (360-645-2374) in Neah Bay.
“But there’s just so many more silvers right now.”
The lingcod and sea bass fisheries have remained steady in both areas.
A few pinks are there for the taking too.
All coastal anglers are waiting on now are the kings.
“You’re lucky to get one a day,” said Lato, who hooked into a few at Umatilla Reef this week.
“There’s just not a lot around.”
Sekiu
Hear me now — and call me Nostradamus later.
The humpies are coming, and they are taking no prisoners.
Whispers of a pink parade are already coming out of Marine Area 5 (Sekiu).
It’s only a matter of time before they head eastward.
“We’ve had pinks in here every day since we started,” said Gary Ryan of Van Riper’s Resort (360-963-2334) in Sekiu.
“But we get more and more every day.”
Here’s guessing that’s going to continue.
Keep in mind, Puget Sound is supposed to get millions (yes, millions) more than the famed humpy takeover of 2007. And that was a free-for-all two years ago.
“We had a couple of guys here last week, they went out two days in a row, let the kids do the fishing and had 16 pinks in about two hours,” Ryan said.
“Pinks can be really fun for kids.
“Once you find them, you can get out there with really light tackle and just jig them.”
Of course, you might want to spend some time going after the coho and chinook first.
Both have been showing up in fair numbers, the kings around the Caves and Mussolini Rock and the coho out near the shipping lanes.
“Guys that are good fisherman are getting kings,” Ryan said. “If you go out in about 350 feet of water, you’ll get the pinks and silvers.”
Eastern Strait
Those fish are but an afterthought in Marine Area 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca).
It’s king or bust around Port Angeles and its surrounding waters.
Unfortunately, there’s been nearly as much bust as there’s been boom.
“It was pretty tough last weekend,” said Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles.
“When I came in on Friday, between me and my friend we had three of the five fish [caught] after 22 boats had come in.”
Things did pick up some this week, Aunspach said, with a pair of 20-plus-pounders being brought into Swain’s on Thursday.
“They are coming up with some nice fish,” Aunspach said.
“Guys just got to go out there and work it.”
Talk about putting in some work.
Mid Channel Bank, the epicenter of Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) fishing, was a veritable bumper boat ride during Thursday’s much-anticipated salmon opener.
Yet that didn’t keep anglers from hooking a few fish, according to Wayne Bibbins of Down Home Charters (360-643-1960) in Port Townsend.
“A lot of boats, a lot of people, a lot of excitement and lots of fish caught,” Bibbins said.
“I don’t think all of the people limited out, but there were lots of wild fish release and fish hooked and lost.
“[The kings] are loaded with candlefish, so they are having a ball.”
Start the mantra
It’s that time of year again, when river reports can be boiled down to one phrase: “We need rain.”
Brian Menkal of Swain’s Outdoor (360-385-1313) in Port Townsend said this summer seems to be especially needy.
“It’s the quietest I’ve had in a couple of years on the summer steelhead,” he said.
“It’s such low water that it’s really tough conditions out there.”
So as West End rivers remain low and clear for the foreseeable future, a freshwater angler’s best bet might be to head to the hills.
Alpine lakes throughout Olympic National Park tend to get bitey during these mid-summer days.
Brook trout, rainbows and cutthroat should all be present in Seven Lakes Basin.
Although, it might take a little work to hook them.
Both Mink and Hidden lakes can be reached in a day hike, while all of the others require a more robust foray.
As was mentioned last week, one can almost never go wrong with the Grand Valley lakes as well.
Got clams?
Shellfish will have no place to hide during the next week.
A series of extreme low tides will expose clams and oysters alike across the Peninsula.
Pillar Point, Sequim Bay (oysters, no butter clams), Oak Bay County Park and Dosewallips State Park are among the few beaches that might be worth a look.
Here are the best dates and tides to hit:
• Pillar Point — Tuesday: -2.02 feet at 7:16 a.m.; Wednesday: -2.16 feet at 8:04 a.m.; Thursday: -2.06 feet at 8:49 a.m.; Friday: -1.73 feet at 9:32 a.m.
• Sequim Bay — Monday: -2.69 feet at 8:59 a.m.; Tuesday: -2.96 feet at 9:48 a.m.; Wednesday: -2.87 feet at 10:36 a.m.; Thursday: -2.38 feet at 11:23 a.m.
• Oak Bay — Monday: -3.01 feet at 9:28 a.m.; Tuesday: -3.28 feet at 10:17 a.m.; Wednesday: -3.17 feet at 11:05 a.m.; Thursday: -2.62 feet at 11:51 a.m.
• Dosewallips — Monday: -3.31 feet at 9:58 a.m.; Tuesday: -3.76 feet at 10:48 a.m.; Wednesday: -3.74 feet at 11:36 a.m.; Thursday: -3.18 feet at 12:23 a.m.
For information on beach openings, visit http://www.doh.wa.gov/ and click on “Shellfish” under the heading “Beach closures.”
Crabbing
Poor reports have been nonexistent three weeks into the summer recreational crab season.
That could mean one of three things: A) We’re overdue for a fall; B.) Crabbing is hot; or C.) People don’t want to be a buzz kill.
Let’s hope it’s the second one.
Crabbing is open seven days a week in Areas 4 and 5. Areas 6 and 9 are open Wednesdays through Saturdays only.
Area 12 (Hood Canal) opens to recreational crabbing July 29.
Also . . .
• There are recent reports of decent shrimping inside Port Angeles Harbor.
As for those tasty squid . . . nada.
• Birders can take a break from the lavender fields with a one-mile bird walk through the riparian forest next to the Dungeness River Audubon Center, 2151 Hendrickson Road in Sequim, on Saturday at 8:30 a.m.
• Port Townsend’s final hunter education course of the summer will be held at the Jefferson County Sportsmen’s Association, 112 Gun Club Road, from July 27 to Aug. 8.
Classes will be held from 6-9 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with a live fire and walk through set for the final Saturday.
Those interested can sign up at Swain’s Outdoor in Port Townsend or Just Ask Rental in Port Hadlock.
For more information, contact Riley Brazil (360-732-4003), Rick Olson (360-765-3947) or Mark Castillo (360-732-4402).
• Washington Trails Association will gather a volunteer work party on the Lower Dungeness Trail beginning next Thursday.
A group will meet at Louella Forest Service Bunkhouse at 8:30 a.m.
Volunteers will spend much of their time clearing blowdowns.
You must pre-register 48 hours in advance to join the work party.
To pre-register, contact Washington Trails at 206-625-1367.
• There are only a few spots left on the “puffins and dinner” cruises from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. today and Saturday.
The trips aboard the Glacier Spirit circumnavigate the Protection Island seabird refuge and include a salmon dinner.
Cost is $65 per person.
For more information, or to reserve a spot, contact the Dungeness River Audubon Center at 360-681-4076.
• The Wapiti Bowmen Archery Club will hold its annual summer 3-D archery shoot July 25-26.
The tournament will have 40 full-size 3-D animals such as elk, deer and dinosaurs set at unmarked distances along a trail that meanders throughout the range’s 20 wooded acres on 374 E. Arnette Road in Port Angeles.
Adult fees are $12 for one day or $20 for both days. Door prizes and awards will be given out for various age groups.
For more information on the club or the upcoming shoot, contact John Woodin at 360-670-5204 or WapitiBowmen2@hotmail.com.
Call us, photos welcome!
Want your event listed in the outdoors column?
Have a fishing or hunting report, an anecdote about an outdoors experience or a tip on gear or technique, why not share it with our readers?
Send it to me, Matt Schubert, Sports Department, Peninsula Daily News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362; phone, 360-417-3526, fax, 360-417-3521; e-mail matt.schubert@peninsuladailynews.com.
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Matt Schubert is the outdoors columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column appears on Thursdays and Fridays.
