STEELHEAD FISHING REMAINS solid on West End rivers such as the Bogachiel and Sol Duc, with the best weather weekend of the year in the forecast.
The season is winding down and it sounds like the majority of anglers are landing wild fish that have spawned and are making their return trip back to the Pacific Ocean.
“The West End is starting to get a lot of downriver fish,” said Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles.
“Downriver fish have already come back and spawned, and you are seeing that in the color of the fish.
“The longer they spend time in the freshwater, the more they revert to look like a rainbow trout.”
Steelhead don’t take the dramatic way out and die off after spawning like Pacific salmon species. As the fish head back downstream to the salt water, they can regain much of that prized chrome coloration.
Jerry Wright of Jerry’s Bait and Tackle (360-457-1308) in Port Angeles has been out on the rivers recently and liked what he saw.
“It’s been pretty good, actually,” Wright said. “The springers are now in and people are consistently catching those.”
For these spring chinook, Wright recommends rigging up with a banana-shaped plugs such as the K13 Kwikfish wrapped up with sections of sardine or a Mag Lip.
“You can fillet out a sardine and put a strip out on the plug for added scent,” Wright said.
A slowly pulled plug sets up a detectable underwater pulse that the fish home in on.
This vibration can attract the fish’s attention, and the fluttering movement of a plug can mimic a wounded baitfish, leading the salmon to attack.
“There are lots of spawned out steelheads, but a few of the late run are still coming up the rivers,” Wright said.
“I think the boards [on the Sol Duc] are running about five or six so you could still get a drift boat down and definitely a raft or pontoon boat.”
Brian Menkal of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More (360-683-1950) in Sequim had the biggest news of all, at least size-wise.
“Some big, big natives are being landed,” Menkal said. “Some really nice 22- to 25-pound fish.
“There will be perfect conditions this weekend. The water is dropping down and the temperatures are coming up, so it should be excellent.”
Anglers have until Thursday, April 30, to fish for steelhead on the Bogachiel, Calawah, Dickey, Quillayute and Sol Duc rivers.
Wright also had good news, if not too late. The submerged log trapped under the Mora Bridge over the Sol Duc has been cleared.
The log had been there for months, and it caused a boat piloted by a West End guide and his client to capsize in late March.
The guide and client were rescued safely.
Now, though, anglers can take the proper angle around the bridge’s piling.
Lingcod opener
A good report on the lingcod opener in Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay) came in from Joey Lawrence of Big Salmon Resort (360-645-2374) in Neah Bay.
Lawrence said anglers found good weather and some really nice conditions on the inside (Strait of Juan de Fuca), but it was a little lumpy out on the ocean.
“We’ve had reports of nice-sized ling coming in from 60 to 80 feet of water,” Lawrence said.
“They’ve been fishing off Seal and Sail rock[s], Wadah Island and Midway, [which is between Neah Bay and Tattoosh Island.]
“Some guys are using plastic root beer and motor oil worms, or pure white lead jigs.”
Rockfish also are being targeted in this shoulder season before halibut and salmon.
“Guys fishing for rockfish are fishing the kelp line in 30 to 40 feet of water,” Lawrence said.
More salmon info
More details on upcoming salmon seasons have been released, and there’s news both good and bad for anglers.
I’ll start with the good, and unfortunately, like most fishing seasons, it comes wrapped with a ribbon of bad news.
There will be a dedicated pink salmon season in Dungeness Bay from Thursday, July 16, to Saturday, Aug. 15.
Gear restrictions, which have yet to be announced, will be in play, and there will be a four-pink limit.
It’s an odd-numbered year, and the pinks will school up in great numbers heading for the Dungeness River.
But despite the best run in half a century in 2013 and another strong run projected this year, freshwater anglers won’t be able to fish for pinks.
Wright had a good idea that really wouldn’t impact that Dungeness River pink fishery all too much.
“They should open that up for kids,” Wright said.
“If they have that many pinks coming, limit it to kids and keep it closed for adults.
“I think that would be great for the community and good for the kids to go out and catch maybe their first salmon.
“It makes too much sense, though, so they’ll never do it.”
The other major news was a lack of a king fishery in Marine Area 10 (Seattle).
Some recreational fishing advocates believe tribal co-managers convinced the new director of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife Jim Unsworth to agree to the cut.
“That’s a big change and people are going to be screaming bloody murder,” Menkal said.
“It’s like when they shut us down in the 80s and 90s, and we were closed to fishing here and the Seattle area was open.”
The biggest harm to anglers here on the North Olympic Peninsula figures to be increased pressure on the water.
Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet), which shares a border with Area 10, will be open the same dates as last year, with anglers allowed to retain hatchery chinook from July 16 through Aug. 15.
However, the area could close sooner if the quota of 2,483 fish is met. It most certainly will be, and fast, with anglers crossing over from Area 10.
“This will bring more people over and there will be a shorter season,” Menkal said.
Aunspach was upset when he heard the news.
“The state and what they do managing these recreational fisheries, they have a box of rocks for brains,” Aunspach said.
“The more you cut down on opportunity, the more pressure on the other areas. They are in a downward spiral.
“When the opportunity just keeps dipping, the anglers just get frustrated and quit on it and then there’s less revenue for an agency that talks about being short on revenue.”
That winning combo
Wright mentioned that he just got in a shipment of herring bait from the North King Bait Co. of Campbell River, B.C.
“This is the stuff that won the halibut derby two years running, and it’s really nice stuff, firm and tough,” Wright said.
Halibut seminar
Brian’s Sporting Goods and More will host a halibut seminar with expert angler John Beath on Friday, May 1.
The free seminar will run from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the store, 609 W. Washington St., No. 21.
Beath lives in Carlsborg. His presentation will focus on where to go in waters near Sequim and Port Angeles, and out to Sekiu.
Menkal said Beath also will touch on Area 9.
Fishing gear sale
Swain’s is offering its annual brown paper bag sale through Saturday.
Bring in a brown paper bag that was included in Wednesday’s Peninsula Daily News and use it for 25 percent off fishing gear today and Saturday.
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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Outdoors columnist Michael Carman appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.