The salmon are finally here.
After a few weeks of so-so fishing, kings and silvers were being hauled in at pretty good numbers this past week.
At least in the ocean and the western Strait of Juan de Fuca, anglers were catching fish, normally in the 7- to 10-pound range.
Off of Port Townsend wasn’t so good but out of Neah Bay, LaPush and Sekiu, most anglers were coming back with keepers.
If it wasn’t for that darn morning fog.
Persistent fog all week has been keeping some boats in the harbor until it clears later in the day.
“This fog has been a killer,” Eric Elliot of the Fishing Hole (360-385-7031) in Port Townsend said.
“Some [anglers] are hanging back for the fog to clear before they go out.”
It’s been the same in Neah Bay.
“We have been socked in with morning fog all week,” Joey Lawrence of Big Salmon Resort (360-645-2374) in Neah Bay said.
“Some guys have pretty good navigation equipment and the fog doesn’t bother them. But others have to hold back.”
Monster king caught
One of those anglers who has good navigation equipment on his boat is rejoicing after catching a 45-pound king in the fog out of Neah Bay on Wednesday morning. (See photo on Page B4).
Scott Reynolds of Hoquiam caught the monster chinook off of Table Top using uncut herring at 8:30 a.m. It was the biggest salmon he has ever caught.
“I caught a 36-pounder about 10 years ago,” Reynolds said.
“It was exciting,” he said about Wednesday’s catch. “It’s been awhile since I have caught a big fish.”
What makes it extra special is that Reynolds caught the king while on the maiden voyage of his new boat, a 24-foot Mainliner Trophy without a name.
“It’s not a new boat but it’s new to us,” he explained. “We haven’t even named it yet. We haven’t figured out a name yet.”
How about Monster King?
At any rate, the boat gets at least an assist in catching the huge king because Reynolds was able to go out in the fog due to the boat being equipped with GPS and radar.
“It was completely fogged in,” he said.
It took Reynolds 25 to 30 minutes to land the fish.
“It ran on me six to eight times,” he said. “It did not tire. I had it to the boat and it would run on me.”
It was one tired puppy, though, when Reynolds was able to finally reel it in.
“It just laid in the boat in the end.”
Overall, the salmon were plentiful out of Neah Bay this past week, according to Lawrence.
“It’s been going very well with a lot of silvers moving in,” Lawrence said. “There are kings and silvers at Swiftsure Bank.
“The fish are starting to get closer to shore.”
The silvers have been in the 7- to 9-pound range.
Reynolds definitely walked away with the prized fish.
Fishing also is looking up in LaPush this past week.
“We’ve been traveling south 20 to 30 miles south to get fish,” Randy Lato of All-Ways Fishing (360-374-2052) said.
“But [Thursday] a bunch of kings were right out in front, about 3 miles out.”
Almost everyone was catching kings Thursday, Lato said.
“It’s a little hit-and-miss deal. When they’re snapping, they are there.”
What’s puzzling is the fish are normally biting later in the day, according to Lato.
“They’re just being lazy,” he said. “They bite at 11 [a.m.] and 3 [p.m.]. I’m about ready to start sleeping in a little bit.”
Lato normally heads out at 5:30 in the morning.
Sekiu hopping
The Strait also is getting its share of fish.
“Fishing has picked up quite a bit in the past week,” Adam Jannausch of Van Ripper’s Resort (360-963-2334) of Sekiu said.
“They are catching silvers, blackmouth and some kings in the 7- to 10-pound range.”
Even though coho are in the Strait, anglers are ignoring them for the kings, according to Jannausch.
“Everybody is fishing for kings,” he said.
And some of the chinook are not tiny.
“Some bigger ones are being caught,” Jannausch said. “I have seen a couple in the 30-pound range and several in the 20s. That’s big for hatchery fish.”
The hatchery kings are the only ones that can be retained right now. The wild chinook must be thrown back. And that makes for some interesting fish stories.
“Everybody has a story on the big one they had to release,” Jannausch said.
The fish evidently haven’t quite reached Port Townsend yet.
“Fishing is pretty slow, that’s all I can tell you,” Elliot of Port Townsend’s Fishing Hole said.
“But crabbing has been good,” he added. “There’s been a lot of full buckets and a lot of smiling faces.”
Freshwater fishing
No one is saying the “D” word yet but boy has it been dry for a long time.
This may not be an official drought but the monthlong-plus of no rain is keeping the rivers low and clear, which means river fishing is terrible.
The few sprinkles forecast for the weekend may not be enough to make the fish happy.
“If we get a shot of rain, the rivers would be OK,” Lato said.
“I have have some pretty good luck early on the Bogachiel [River] but it’s normally early September that you get a little push of kings there.”
Hunting season
Black bear season started Sunday but other hunting seasons don’t open until September.
Early archery season starts in September for elk while early archery and muzzleloader seasons for deer.
Also opening in September are seasons for forest grouse, mourning dove, band-tailed pigeon and Canadian geese.
The general hunting season for cougar also gets under way with a statewide archery-only season followed by a muzzleloader hunt.
Also . . .
• The state Fish and Wildlife Commission will address the revised management policy for Puget Sound Dungeness crab fisheries during meetings today and Saturday.
The commission is also scheduled to take action on proposed 2010-11 migratory waterfowl hunting seasons at the meetings, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. both days in Room 172 of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. S.E., in Olympia.
The draft policy for crab, which will be discussed Saturday, is available for review at http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/policies/draft_c-3609_16jul2010.pdf.
• The Wapiti Bowmen will hold its hunter warm-up on Aug. 21-22 at its club range east of Port Angeles.
Archers will get to shoot at 30 targets, with prizes on the line for those who participate in both days of shooting.
For more information on the event, call club president Pete Joers at 360-681-2972 or send an e-mail to joersclan@msn.com.
• Jim McGinnis will talk about beach fishing for salmon at the Puget Sound Anglers-East Jefferson Chapter monthly meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting, open to the public, will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Marina Room at Hudson Point Marina in Port Townsend.
Send photos, stories
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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 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.
