A LOT OF salmon, but not much good weather.
That’s the saltwater fishing story so far this week.
Let’s start with the bad news.
“They’re definitely catching fish, but guys have to brave the weather, with the tides, the wind and the fog,” Bob Aunspach of Swain’s General Store (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles said.
“It’s tough out there. It takes some of the fun out of it.”
One longtime Port Angeles resident told Aunspach that he has never seen a July where the water is as rough as it is this year.
The wind is affecting salmon fishing to the west of Port Angeles, but the blowing isn’t as brutal near Sekiu and Neah Bay.
“We’ve been experiencing some westerlies, but the fishing has been good when the weather is good,” Joey Lawrence of Big Salmon Resort (360-645-2374) in Neah Bay said.
Chris Mohr of Van Riper’s Resort (360-963-2334) in Sekiu said “gigantic” minus tides have probably been a larger detriment to salmon fishing than the wind, because it has been windy in Sekiu since the salmon fishery opened nearly a month ago.
Mohr did say that afternoon winds — beginning about 1 p.m. and lasting until approximately 10 p.m. — every day for almost three weeks have impacted afternoon fishing.
Another weather occurrence has hurt the fishing more than wind off Port Townsend as well.
“It hasn’t been that windy, although there has been some wind in the afternoon,” Eric Elliott of The Fishin’ Hole (360-385-7031) in Port Townsend said.
“The fog, though, the fog has been lingering.
“But the fishing has still been pretty good.”
‘Plenty of fish’
Now the good news.
“There is plenty of fish. It’s a terrible problem to have,” Brian Menkal of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More (360-683-1950) in Sequim said with a laugh.
Hatchery kings have been the biggest catch near Port Angeles and Freshwater Bay.
Outside of the crummy weather, that is how most anglers prefer it to be.
But competition is on the way.
“Pinks have slowed down, but I’m told another big batch is coming, and I hear it is thick,” Aunspach said.
Indeed, it appears the humpies have left Sekiu.
In fact, salmon seem to be taking a break from Sekiu, which is usually one of the hottest spots for whichever salmon is in season.
“The fishing has dropped off for chinook,” Mohr said.
“The pink bite is off, too, but it isn’t into full swing yet; the invasion has not occurred.
“The fishing has been pretty spotty. My gut tells me we are in between runs.”
As for those minus tides, Mohr said that according to the tide charts, the last of them is Saturday, so expect Sekiu to return to its typical stellar salmon-fishing status soon.
On the northern coast, Neah Bay has been producing a good mix of kings, coho and pinks, when the weather allows.
Lawrence said the wind should die down today or Saturday, so the fishing should be solid on the coast this weekend.
Port Townsend hot
After opening two weeks later than the rest of the North Olympic Peninsula, the Port Townsend hatchery chinook fishery is off to a solid start.
“The king fishing is excellent in Area 9,” said Ward Norden, a fishing tackle wholesaler and former fishery biologist.
Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) regulars Wayne and Brenda Chisholm said they “continue to have hot fishing on Midchannel [Bank].”
On Wednesday, they caught 13- and 18-pound kings by Midchannel, fishing with a white lightning Coho Killer in 90 feet of water.
Port Townsend also offers a salmon fishing opportunity for anglers without boats.
Menkal said Fort Worden and Marrowstone Island are great spots for beach casting for salmon.
He recommends using 1-ounce Point Wilson Darts and Buzz Bombs, or using a noodle rod with a strip of herring. Some anglers even catch salmon by fly casting.
Last year, beach casting became more prevalent during the prime coho season, but hatchery kings can be caught, too.
“I even heard about a 25-pound king caught on a pink Rotator Jig — a locally made jig in Sequim similar to a Buzz Bomb — by a beach caster at Lagoon Point on Whidbey Island,” Norden said.
Crab the same
Not much change with the crab harvest — Sequim crabbing has remained solid, and Port Angeles crabbing is still a bust.
It looks like Port Angeles will be granted another fall and winter crab season, unless things change.
Rivers still low
The West End rivers can’t get much lower than they currently are.
There’s fish in the rivers, but catching them isn’t easy.
Menkal said a customer caught some kings in the Sol Duc, but “they are going dark. They’re OK, but not prime. They’re getting soft now.”
It stopped raining about this time last year on the Peninsula, and we didn’t receive significant rain again until the middle of October.
Remember that? The only place for consistently good fishing of any kind was the saltwater near Sekiu.
The dry spell seems to have hit the Peninsula earlier this year, so let’s hope it doesn’t last as long.
Although, I will admit that covering high school sports outdoors is much easier when my notebook isn’t waterlogged.
Two hikes
The Olympic Outdoor Club will have two hikes this weekend, one on Saturday and another on Sunday.
Saturday’s hike is the Mount Zion Trail, which is a moderately easy 4.6-mile round-trip hike with an elevation gain of 1,300 feet.
On Sunday, the club will hike the Ned Hill Trail. This moderate hike has an 850-foot elevation gain and is a total of 2.2 miles up and back.
For more information about the Olympic Outdoor Club, contact Dean at olympic.outdoor@gmail.com.
Warm up your bows
The Wapiti Bowmen Club is holding a hunters’ warm-up Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 10-11.
The event features 30 full-sized 3-D targets.
There also will be raffle drawings for a Bear Encounter compound bow and a Rinehart 18-1 spot target.
The cost is $12, with registration at 7:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Breakfast and lunch will be served for a cost of $5 both days.
For more information, visit www.wapitibowmen.us.
Hunting prep
The bear hunt begins Thursday, and Norden suggests some prior planning.
“Hunters should be out this weekend, exploring their favorite berry patches for bear signs,” he said.
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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North Olympic Peninsula outdoors reports by Lee Horton appear here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.
