THE HUMPIES MUST be an impatient bunch.
One week into July and there’s already scads of them (aka pink salmon) showing up in Marine Area 5 (Sekiu).
On the traditional salmon calendar, that’s at least two or three weeks early, according to Chris Mohr of Van Riper’s Resort (360-963-2334) in Sekiu.
“That’s just ridiculous to have them here the first of July,” the longtime Sekiu-area resident said.
“There’s guys running through them that are seeing literally hundreds of them on the surface. If a guy set out with the intention he was going to target pinks, he would have his limit in not too long.”
Of course, that’s very rarely the first option for most self-respecting salmon anglers this time of year.
That’s because the humpies tend to run third in the hierarchy of salmon, with the kings almost always the object of anglers’ desires for obvious reasons.
Namely, because they’re bigger, stronger and much harder to pin down.
The latter has certainly been the case early on this summer, although anglers have been able to pick off a few around Sekiu.
Coho — second on the salmon most wanted list — are also getting hooked in decent numbers.
“There’s three species here, so everybody has something to take home,” Mohr said.
“Guys are fishing about 120 feet of water for the kings and there seems to be a band from 140 to 170 that has silvers and pinks. It’s kind of nice. Everything is bunched near shore.
“There’s a lot of candlefish around, and I think that’s what is sucking a lot of the fish onto the shore.”
After seeing a lot of smaller kings around the Sekiu area the first few days of the season, Mohr said a school of larger spawning chinook began showing up recently.
“The bite kind of dropped off a bit there for two or three days, but this morning I saw quite a few kings,” he said.
“The last couple of days the numbers were down, but boy, the sizes have sure gone up. The big one today was about 27 [pounds], and there was a 25, so there were some nice kings.”
More Strait salmon
There’s been little talk of pinks around Area 6 (eastern Strait) the first week of salmon season.
No, the waters around Port Angeles are strictly for king fishing during the month of July.
And thus far, that fishery has produced decent results, according to Wally Butler of Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles.
“They’ve been catching a few right out off [Ediz] Hook here,” Butler said. “A lot of guys are getting limits, some guys aren’t.
“Freshwater Bay has been really hot. [One angler] was in Wednesday, and he had three [out of there], and he had one that was 30 pounds that he had to release because it was a native.”
Early creel numbers had Area 6 anglers averaging a little more than one king per boat during the first three days of the season.
The largest fish on the Port Angeles Salmon Club’s monthly salmon derby ladder is a 24-pounder submitted by Port Angeles’ Don Hansen.
Derek Madison had a king just below that at 23 pounds, two ounces, while there are two other fish in the ladder a little above 20 pounds.
“They are hooking a lot of large fish also, but of course they are natives [which have to be released in Area 6],” Butler said.
King season is scheduled to last through Aug. 15 in Area 5 and 6.
After that, the focus will fall almost exclusively on coho and pinks in those waters.
Going coastal
The chase for kings has been an arduous one out on the coast.
For some, it’s just been a problem of actually get out in the ocean where they are more abundant, Dean Crittendon of Big Salmon Resort (360-645-2374) in Neah Bay said.
As Pacific Fishery Management Council harvest numbers suggest, the chinook also appear to be out numbered by their coho and pink brethren in Area 4 (Neah Bay).
“I was talking with one of the fish checkers, and he said he’s been seeing more silvers than kings,” Crittendon said.
“There’s good kings down south, down there by Makah Bay and Umatilla. People that can head outside [the Strait] with the bigger boats, they’ve been able to get some decent-sized kings, but most people have been fishing inside due to the weather.”
Those who have made it out to the Area 3 (LaPush) fishery have seen hit-and-miss results the last week.
According to Randy Lato of All-Ways Fishing (360-374-2052) in LaPush, it just takes a willingness to put in some work.
“The people that are willing to travel are doing good,” Lato said.
“There was one boat that came in with two kings today that was fishing close. [One charter boat] did real good [Wednesday]. They had like 18 kings on.”
Lato had some luck fishing a little northwest of the Rock Pile last Saturday, catching four kings, four silvers and two pinks.
“In the morning [the bite]’s been fairly shallow, but then they go down and you’ve got to go down after them,” Lato said.
“There’s been no pressure. For Fourth of July weekend, it was really quiet, which is good with it being seven days a week [for salmon fishing] and a little quota.”
One other note on salmon fishing: Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) opens to selective salmon fishing July 16.
Crabbing
Someone alert the CDC.
The Peninsula is bursting with crabs.
“Crabbing has been absolutely excellent,” Brian Menkal of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More (360-683-1950) in Sequim said. “People are getting great limits, big crab.
“Last weekend was just outstanding. They were done in an hour and a half, two hours most of them. One guy came in and said [he] had nine keepers in [his] first pot.”
Indeed, the first few days of the Dungeness crab fishery couldn’t have gone much better.
From all reports, limits were the norm out in Dungeness and Sequim bays.
And according to Puget Sound Anglers-East Jefferson Chapter member Jerry Johnson, the story was awfully similar out near Port Townsend as well.
“Port Townsend Bay is producing and producing like crazy,” Johnson said.
“We would get three limits out of two pots [last weekend] . . . and most of them were males.”
Added Johnson, “One that I just cooked up here was 7½ inches on the shell, but most of them are 6½ or so.
“We haven’t had to take [many] that were right there [on the limit of 6¼ inches].”
While the Port Angeles area hasn’t been quite as productive, people are still picking off their fair share of crustaceans inside the harbor and out in Freshwater Bay.
And, as always, there’s been a little bit of crab pot thievery.
Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store had one of his pots lifted just last weekend.
All we can hope is said Dungeness degenerates fell victim to some sort of gruesome pincer attack.
Also . . .
■ Want to visit state lands for a little outdoor fun? Better have your Discover Pass.
As of last weekend, the annual vehicle access pass is required for anyone looking to park their cars at state lands.
For more information on how to purchase a pass, as well as where it is required, visit www.discoverpass.wa.gov.
■ Alpine lakes are finally starting to melt out after this year’s significant snowpack.
To check on the status of your favorite trails, visit the Washington Trails Association website at www.wta.org or Olympic National Park’s trail conditions page at http://tinyurl.com/leecbd.
■ Washington Trails Association will gather all-day work parties on the Lower Big Quilcene Trail on Saturday and Sunday.
Volunteers must pre-register in advance. To do so, contact Washington Trails at 206-625-1367 or visit www.wta.org.
■ The Olympic Outdoor Club will lead hikes to Gray Wolf River Trail and Grand Ridge Trail this Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Both hikes include a moderate elevation gain (700-800 feet), with the Gray Wolf hike 8.4 miles round-trip and the Grand Ridge Trek 5.0 miles round-trip.
To join the hike, contact the outdoor club at olympic.outdoors@yahoo.com.
■ State recreational salmon managers Steve Thiesfeld and Tara Livingood will speak at the Puget Sound Anglers-East Jefferson Chapter monthly meeting Tuesday night.
The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Marina Room at Point Hudson Marina, 375 Hudson St., in Port Townsend.
■ Dungeness River Audubon Center will lead a two-day Summer Bike Adventure camp for ages 11-15 on July 19-20.
Campers will explore the Olympic Discovery Trail east and west of Railroad Bridge Park in Sequim, with instruction on bicycle safety, simple bike repair and basic trail riding techniques.
Cost is $80 per camper. For more information, or to register, click on the center’s website at www.dungenessrivercenter.org.
■ The Wapiti Bowmen will offer free introductory archery classes for ages 10-16 at its Port Angeles headquarters, 374 E. Arnette Road, in July.
There will be separate two-hour classes for 10-13-year-olds and 13-16-year-olds, with the former meeting from 10 a.m. to noon and the latter from noon to 2 p.m.
Dates for the classes are July 16, 17, 23 and 24. All classes are free and open to the public, and equipment will be provided.
To register, contact Scott Gordon at ScottinSequim@olypen.com or 360-460-5636.
■ Dungeness River Audubon Center will hold a six-session class on the ecology of Dungeness River on consecutive Thursday mornings from July 14 to Aug. 18.
The six-week class will investigate the geology, plants, and animals along the river, and how humans have affected it during the past 150 years. Students will also go on field trips to unique locations on the river.
The class will meet each Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon. Cost is $50 for River Center partners and $75 for non-members.
■ Greenland national kayaking champion Helen Wilson will give a special presentation July 20 at the Port Angeles Senior Center, 328 E. 7th St., in Port Angeles.
The presentation, set for 7-9 p.m., will examine modern kayaking and how ancient skills are becoming increasingly popular. Admission is $5.
For more information, contact Jo Zuzarte at renodusty@hotmail.com or 360-461-6547.
Send photos, stories
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; email matt.schubert
@peninsuladailynews.com.
__________
Matt Schubert is the outdoors columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column appears on Thursdays and Fridays.