SO MANY BLACKMOUTH chinook remain on Marine Area 5’s (Sekiu) sublegal encounters guideline that the daily limit will rise to two hatchery chinook beginning today.
The in-season estimate shows that anglers have reached 8-percent of the total allowable sublegal encounters (2,168 is the guideline).
State fisheries managers said ncreasing the daily limit will not jeopardize agreed to conservation and management objectives through the remainder of the season.
The chinook minimum size is 22 inches. Anglers must release all salmon other than hatchery-marked chinook.
It’s a short-lived bonus limit unfortunately, as hatchery blackmouth season will be open through Wednesday.
Spot shrimpery
More opportunities for shrimpers in Discovery Bay and on Hood Canal highlight the recently announced spot shrimp season set by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The recreational spot shrimp fishery will open May 21 in many Puget Sound marine areas.
• Marine Area 4 east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh Line: Open daily beginning May 21. Shrimping is allowed during daylight hours only. The recreational spot shrimp season closes when the quota is met or Sept. 15, whichever comes first.
• Marine Area 5 (western Strait of Juan de Fuca): Open daily beginning May 21. Shrimping is allowed during daylight hours only. The recreational spot shrimp season closes when the quota is met or Sept. 15, whichever comes first.
• Marine Area 6 (Port Angeles Harbor, eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, excluding the Discovery Bay Shrimp District): Open on May 21-23, June 6-7, June 20-21 and July 18-19. Shrimping is allowed during daylight hours only.
• Marine Area 6 (Discovery Bay Shrimp District): Open on May 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. only.
• Marine Area 9 (Port Townsend Bay, Admiralty Inlet): Open on May 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. only. An announcement regarding additional dates may be made later in the season.
• Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal Shrimp District): Open on May 21, May 22, June 4, June 18 and July 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. only.
Shrimp managers selected the shrimp dates to offer opportunities to harvest spot shrimp while distributing participants and reducing the chance of exceeding recreational quotas. Due to high expected turnout, some areas cannot support weekend openings while remaining within their current quota.
All shrimp — including spot, dock, coonstripe, sidestripe, and pink shrimp — can be kept as part of the daily limit. However, because only larger-mesh (one-inch) traps are allowed during these announced seasons, most harvest will be spot shrimp. Also known as prawns, spot shrimp are the largest shrimp in Puget Sound and may grow up to nine inches in length.
2025 Puget Sound area recreational spot shrimp seasons
Ferry terminal buffer
A proposed rule prohibiting deploying shrimp fishing gear in state ferry terminal closure zones could take effect when the 2025 spot shrimp season opens. Shrimpers should refer to the WDFW emergency fishing rules webpage for any updates.
If implemented, the proposed rule will prohibit commercial or recreational crabbing, shrimping, and fishing with purse seine or gillnets near 19 state Department of Transportation (WSDOT)-managed ferry terminals in Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands.
These types of fishing and shellfishing equipment can cause significant and costly damage to Washington State Ferries. The closure would prohibit using these types of fishing gear within 400 yards from the end of the ferry terminal dock and 100 yards on each side.
The rule would not apply to trolling or other methods of recreational salmon, lingcod and finfish fishing.
Regulations
In all areas of Puget Sound, the daily limit per shrimper is 80 spot shrimp with a total daily weight limit of 10 pounds (whole shrimp) for all shrimp species combined. Shrimpers who retain only spot shrimp may remove and discard the heads while in the field and before returning to shore.
Shrimpers are reminded that traps can be set one hour before official sunrise during any open period in the marine areas without specified harvest hours. These include Marine Areas 4, 5, 6 (except for the Discovery Bay Shrimp District).
The pots must be removed from the water in these same areas by one hour after sunset at the end of an open period. The start and end times for all other areas are listed above.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@ peninsuladailynews.com.
