Low tides and rising temperatures will greet saltwater-going anglers this weekend.
These full-moon inspired low tides are at their lowest tomorrow morning with Sekiu set for a minus-3-foot tide at 8:49 a.m. and Port Angeles dropping all the way to minus-3.4 at 10:06 a.m.
Similar tides at the end of May caused some trouble at boat launches around the North Olympic Peninsula, so pack some patience as anglers try to figure things out.
That being said, it could be difficult to for cooler heads to prevail with temperatures expected to be in the 80s even on the Strait of Juan de Fuca this weekend.
Tom Burlingame of Excel Fishing Charters (360-374-2225) said the best spot to be is on the water.
“We are fortunate out here on the West End, especially on the water. If it gets above 80, it’s really hot,” Burlingame said. “For this stretch of high temperatures, I’m glad I’ll be on the water.”
Burlingame also said to expect a large number of tourists to head our direction.
“We have the hotel there [The Inn at Neah Bay], and I did Pacific Fisheries Management Council meetings yesterday virtually, and bet I got about 40 phone calls from folks from the city looking to spend the weekend over here,” Burlingame said.
Burlingame has been making the long run out of Sekiu to Pacific Ocean halibut spots most open days this season.
“When the weather has cooperated, it has been a really good season,” Burlingame said. “Halibut fishing has been very good, limits each day out. But we have had several weather days where it’s been difficult to get out, or we’ve just called it entirely. The ocean has been a little angry at times during the season.”
Burlingame and The Cabazon had success again Thursday, as a group of anglers from Port Townsend and Sequim all brought home good-sized halibut while fishing the southwest corner of the C-Shaped Closure which straddles Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay) and 3 (La Push).
Halibut will close after fishing Saturday with quota tonnage remaining for the North Coast and Puget Sound areas. That leftover quota will be up for grabs when halibut is expected to re-open (pending approvals) Aug. 19.
Salmon inside
With halibut days running short and a one-king limit out of Neah Bay, anglers prioritized the flatfish during the first week of the Pacific Ocean salmon season.
Deep-water offshore spots like Swiftsure Bank, 72 Square and Blue Dot didn’t offer up much to get excited about.
But those fishing along the Strait of Juan de Fuca did have success.
“The ocean has been really quiet,” Burlingame said. “I haven’t gone out for salmon yet, but seems to me, it’s been pretty slow. Guys are getting into them off Waadah Island.
Ben Maxson of Neah Bay’s Windsong Charters (360-640-8728) has sat out fishing seasons since the pandemic forced the Makah Tribe to shutter the reservation.
He’s ready to get back on the water and hopes to be making some tuna trips out of Westport at some point this summer.
“For the sporties that were out here, the salmon have moved into the Strait,” Maxson said. “All of my guys caught fish, and they are catching them in good numbers off of Waadah Island.”
To take advantage of the final halibut days and to catch a king, Maxson has a plan.
“You still need to get offshore, and this offers a fantastic opportunity to run to 72 Square and fish for your halibut,” Maxson said. “With that one salmon limit, that’s how I’d run in. And I’d troll for salmon the whole way back. Hit up 72 Square, Blue Dot, then salmon troll and troll the top of Table Top and in and work those key spots.”
Take care
Remember that even with the hot weather, our waters are cold, especially this early in summer.
The briny depths of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean are cold year-round, and water in most rivers and lakes remains cold from snowmelt runoff.
There’s still plenty of snow visible on the higher Olympic peaks, so most river and creek water temperatures will range from the upper 30s to the mid-40s — temperatures that can easily cause cold-water shock.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-406-0674 or mcarman@peninsuladaily news.com.
