ANGLERS ON THE North Olympic Peninsula, and many from outside the area hoping to fish on the Peninsula this weekend, are holding their collective breath and crossing their fingers, hoping the rainy and stormy weather holds off this weekend.
Good luck.
Our friend, the weatherman (person?), is being pessimistic about the forecast, calling for rain coming back Thursday night (after a short respite Thursday morning and afternoon) through today and Saturday, tapering off Sunday and going away Monday.
Thanks a lot, the weekend anglers are saying.
If that comes true, it will mean blowing out the West End rivers to make it difficult to fish for the huge steelhead showing up right now and make it tough fishing for blackmouth salmon on Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Otherwise, things should be just ducky for anglers.
“We can’t handle any more rain right now,” Bob Gooding of Olympic Sporting Goods (360-374-6330) in Forks — right in the midst of all that great West End fishing — said Thursday morning.
“The Sol Duc [River] is about two feet deeper than you would like it to be.
“The water’s just too dirty to see.”
Brian Menkal of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More (360-683-1950) in Sequim agrees that the rain is making it difficult for steelhead fishing in the West End.
“If it starts raining again, it will be a tough one [for river fishing this weekend],” Menkal said.
Things were getting better on Thursday when the sun came out, holding off the rain.
“There are boats in the river [on Thursday],” Gooding said.
But the water level needs to keep dropping to make conditions good for fishing, Gooding added.
The Sol Duc, the best river to fish for steelies, was still muddy Thursday but visibility had improved to see about a foot-and-a-half into the water.
“Ideally, you would like to see four to six feet deep,” Gooding said.
“Clear enough for the fish to see the bait and strike.”
But not clear enough that they can see the anglers on the surface.
Some anglers have been going out no matter what the weather.
“You will probably run into fish here and there,” Gooding said.
Menkal suggests that anglers check the water level of rivers before they head out to fish.
A good web site for that is on Real-Time Water Data (http://tinyurl.com/nzwbqf). All anglers have to do is punch in the river they want the data on and they can find out the current water conditions.
“That site is a real tool that fishermen should use,” Menkal said. “It’s a huge tool for fishing success.”
As of Thursday, the river levels were better, Menkal agreed.
Another two inches of rain, though, will blow out the rivers, he said.
Menkal also suggests that in rainy conditions anglers should fish the smaller rivers first.
“The small rivers flood later than the bigger rivers,” Menkal said.
“And on the way back, fish the [larger rivers] Sol Duc or Bogachiel if the rivers are dropping.”
The small rivers flood later than the big ones and they get back into shape faster.
Steelhead anglers take heart. The big steelies should continue to make their appearance through March and the season goes through to the end of April.
While the rivers get back into shape, there’s always saltwater blackmouth fishing right now, Menkal said.
“Blackmouth fishing is where it’s at while waiting for the weather to clear for steelhead fishing,” he added.
PA fishing derby
That brings us to the Port Angeles Salmon Club’s monthly Salmon/Halibut Derby in the Port Angeles area that started this month and continues through October.
The club pays out for the top four fish each month. Depending on the season, it’s either salmon or halibut that get put on the ladder.
Tickets cost $40, which also includes entry in the Salmon Club’s Memorial Day weekend halibut derby.
Actually, the tickets are for the Memorial Day derby and double for the monthly derby.
The tickets can be bought at derby headquarters, Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) at 602 E. First St. in Port Angeles.
Swain’s also is the weigh-in station.
Prize money is $100 for first, $75 for second, $50 for third and $25 for fourth.
The derby area is Marine Area 6, which includes Port Angeles and Freshwater Bay.
The seasons include blackmouth salmon now through April 10, halibut in May and June (there’s a two-day halibut season in June), then back to salmon in July through mid-August (kings), September (silvers) and October (kings and silvers).
The Memorial Day Halibut Derby does not count toward the monthly derby.
Right now the top salmon on the monthly ladder are 16 pounds, 12 ounces, 16-08; 14-13; and 14-11, according to Bob Aunspach of Swain’s.
“The monthly derby is an exciting thing for the local anglers,” Aunspach said.
“They are testing their skills against one another.”
Sekiu blackmouth
The first week of blackmouth season in the Sekiu area was slow as expected because of the Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby with a $10,000 top prize and 500 square miles of saltwater to fish and also the stormy and windy weather.
“We had only five boats go out,” Donalynn Olson of Olson’s Resort (360-963-2311) in Sekiu said.
“We had only one boat report in, and they caught one 14 pounds and another 11 pounds.”
The water was good for fishing Thursday when the sun peaked out, Olson said. and she’s hoping for a good weekend of fishing.
“I think we have fish, everything looks to it,” she said.
Olson recommends watching the wather, and if it’s good, to come on out.
Outdoors writer Mark Yuasa of The Seattle Times is touting Sekiu and anywhere in the northern Puget Sound area as a good place to fish this weekend.
“Pick any traditional winter fishing spot from Sekiu west to Discovery Bay, and it should be a decent bet for hatchery chinook,” Yuasa wrote in Wednesday’s column.
Two salmon, one 16 pounds and the other 14, were caught Saturday off the Caves at Sekiu, Yuasa wrote.
Also, a few fish were caught at Midchannel Bank off Port Townsend and the Misery Point area in Hood Canal, according to Yuasa.
Puget Sound Anglers
Tom Burlingame of Excel Fishing Charters will be the guest speaker at the March 15 meeting of the Puget Sound Anglers- North Olympic Peninsula Chapter (360-582-0836).
Burlingame’s 20 years of Puget Sound fishing provides his customers with outstanding success rates for salmon, halibut, ling cod and bottom fish off the northwest Washington coast.
The meeting will offer information on fishing techniques and opportunities with Excel Charters out of Neah Bay at 6:45 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave., Sequim.
Discover Pass available
The state’s new Discover Pass for vehicle access to state parks and recreation lands is available for sale at recreational license dealers and online.
The Discover Pass provides access to 7 million acres of state park and recreation lands and will generate funding to keep those lands open following steep state budget cuts.
“We are optimistic that people will support state parks and recreation lands and buy the Discover Pass,” said Don Hoch, state parks director.
“Without the pass to support state parks, we would have been closing park gates all over the state.”
Beginning July 1, the pass is required for vehicle access to recreation lands and water-access sites managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
State recreation lands include state parks, boat launches, heritage sites, wildlife and natural areas, campgrounds, trails and trailheads.
“The Discover Pass will help ensure that the beautiful recreation lands of the state remain open for all to enjoy,” said Commissioner of Public Land Peter Goldmark.
“For less than the cost to take the family out to the movies, we can keep popular places such as Mount Si, Capitol State Forest and Ahtanum State Forest open.”
The annual Discover Pass fee is $30, and a one-day pass is $10.
A Discover Pass purchased from a recreational license dealer, by phone or online will cost a total of $35, which includes the $30 pass fee, a 10-percent transaction fee and $2 dealer fee.
A one-day Discover Pass costs a total of $11.50, which include the $10 base price, a 10 percent transaction fee and a 50-cent dealer fee.
There are several ways to purchase the Discover Pass, including online at www.discoverpass.wa.gov and at nearly 600 sporting goods and other retail stores that sell recreational fishing and hunting licenses.
“The Discover Pass allows state natural-resource agencies to maintain public access to millions of acres of state recreation lands,” said Phil Anderson, WDFW director.
“Sport fishers and hunters have traditionally supported WDFW wildlife areas and water access sites through their license fees; now all who enjoy these lands will share in their support.”
The Discover Pass must be visible in the front windshield of street-legal motor vehicles on state recreation lands.
Holders of certain types of fishing and hunting licenses, registered campers in state parks and certain others are not required to buy or display a Discover Pass.
There is a $99 penalty for failing to display the pass as required.
On the July Fourth holiday weekend, the first few days of Discover Pass implementation, public education and compliance with the new pass requirement will be emphasized, according to agency officials.
Revenue from the Discover Pass will fill budget gaps created by the loss of state General Fund support for parks and state recreation lands.
