GOOD WEATHER MEANT good results for anglers fishing for blackmouth chinook opener last Sunday in Marine Area 6 (Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca).
A total of 46 chinook were counted by fish checkers in 54 interviews with 110 anglers at the Ediz Hook boat ramp off Port Angeles.
That accounts for a 42 percent success rate.
A total of 14 anglers checked in four chinook on opening day in counts at the Port Angeles Boat Haven ramps.
Anglers fishing Marine Area 6 out of Port Townsend also fared relatively well with 22 anglers bringing in nine kings.
Monday was cloudy but the bite was even better for the eight hardy souls who went out on the water. They all were rewarded with one chinook apiece in fish checks conducted at Ediz Hook.
Scuttlebutt is that the largest chinook of the first couple of days was around 14 pounds, with the average somewhere around seven pounds.
The going was slower in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) off Port Townsend with 39 anglers landing seven chinook Sunday.
Let’s hope the fishing stays active ahead of the Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby set for March 13-15.
Razor clam digs
Razor clam diggers will get some solid negative tides for much of a six-day dig at Pacific Ocean beaches.
The approved dig is for the following beaches, dates and low tides:
• Friday: 4:11 p.m. -0.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
• Saturday: 4:59 p.m. -0.7 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
• Sunday: 6:43 p.m. -1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
• Monday: 7:25 p.m. -1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
• Tuesday: 8:06 p.m. -0.8 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
• Wednesday: 8:46 p.m. -0.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis.
No digging is allowed before noon for allowed digs, when low tide occurs in the evening.
“With abundant clams and smaller crowds, this time of year is great for digging enthusiasts,” said Dan Ayres, Fish and Wildlife coastal shellfish manager. “The sun is setting later as spring approaches and diggers who head out early often fill their bags before dark.”
Anglers meet
Angling expert John Beath will discuss blackmouth fishing at the East Jefferson chapter of the Puget Sound Anglers’ monthly meeting Tuesday.
The meeting will be held in the Port of Port Townsend Commissioners Office, 333 Benedict St., in Port Townsend.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for socializing and fishing stories with the business meeting and presentations beginning at 7 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.
Beath has fished area waters for more than 40 years and guides fishing charters in Alaska during the summer.
He will be discussing his techniques for trolling for blackmouth, including the types of tackle used and how to determine currents in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Beath also will offer custom tackle he manufactures with salmon, halibut and shrimp as his specialities.
Derby deadline
Monday is the deadline for in-person ticket sales for the upcoming Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby.
The Derby is March 13-15 in the waters of Marine Area 6.
Tickets are $40.
Retail vendors on the North Olympic Peninsula are: West Marine, Four Corners Store, the Fish N Hole and Quimper Mercantile all in Port Townsend; Wild Birds Unlimited in Gardiner, the Longhouse Market and Deli in Blyn and Swain’s in Port Angeles.
Online tickets are available at www.gardinersalmonderby.org through Wednesday. Tickets purchased online are $40 plus a $3.95 service fee.
Geoduck Derby on tap
The 38th annual Geoduck (Murray) Salmon Derby on Hood Canal is Saturday and Sunday.
The derby wraps up that Sunday afternoon with an awards ceremony at 2 p.m. at the Geoduck Restaurant and Lounge along U.S. Highway 101 in Brinnon.
Top prize is $1,500, with $750 going to the runner-up and $500 for third place. Anglers also will compete for many other prizes such as $25 for the first blackmouth caught or $100 for the biggest fish caught Saturday. Prize drawings also will be held for those who attend the awards ceremony.
Tickets are $15 per angler and can be purchased at the Geoduck or at the Brinnon General Store.
For more information, call the Geoduck at 360-796-4430.
