A SERIOUS RUN on panko and breadcrumbs at area grocery stores.
Spotting some serious truck and boat trailer traffic heading west up the Tumwater Truck Route to the happy fishing grounds off LaPush, Neah Bay and Sekiu.
These point to one thing: hoards of halibut hunters heading out for the all-too-short flatfish season.
The recreational halibut season opens Saturday in all Marine Areas (3-6, and 9) off the North Olympic Peninsula.
The weather report for much of the North Olympic Peninsula forecasts sunny weather and temperatures in the low to mid-60s, a bonus since westerly winds predicted between 15 to 20 miles per hour could provide a chill on the water.
It’s time for recreational anglers to have some fun and put the angst of what may be an ugly summer and fall salmon season, on the back burner — for a day or two.
Yes, halibut season is here and the voracious eaters await . . . well, pretty much anything you can send down to the bottom.
Keeping in constant contact with the bottom is priority No. 1 for halibut anglers — whether anchored and letting the fish come to you, or drifting into the path of the fish.
Making sure to have some herring, a piece of mackerel, squid or octopus on the end of your line also is important, but there’s not the same necessity to match the hatch as with salmon fishing.
Neah Bay anglers can fish the Pacific Ocean for flatties at spots like Swiftsure, Blue Dot, Compass Rose.
Of course, Neah Bay anglers who wish to stay inside the Strait of Juan de Fuca can fish for flatties inside Area 4B at popular spots like the Garbage Dump, Duncan Rock or even off Tatoosh Island.
Sekiu (Marine Area 5) also opens Saturday for Strait of Juan de Fuca anglers.
Anglers might try the flat, sandy stretches offshore from rivers like the Hoko and Sekiu .
Try putting gear in the 100 to 200 feet range and then work into deeper water.
Off Port Angeles, anglers will cluster at The Humps, 4 miles northwest of town; Green Point about 5 miles east of Ediz Hook; the Rock Pile, 7 miles north of Ediz Hook, and Coyote Bank, straddling the U.S.-Canada border about 13 miles north of the hook.
Freshwater Bay, west of town, is a hit-or-miss prospect, but the hits can be of the slab variety.
Protection Island, a short run from Sequim or Port Townsend, also can offer some good halibut catches.
Midchannel Bank off Port Townsend or Mutiny Bay on the west side of Whidbey Island also provide options for those in Marine Area 9.
Low tide ranges from 7:30 a.m. at LaPush to 11 a.m. off Port Townsend.
Keep that in mind before setting off Saturday morning.
I’ll be working . . . and bemoaning my misfortune at having to pass up an invite on a charter trip out of Neah Bay.
Derby tickets
Anglers can pick up a $40 Port Angeles Salmon Club Halibut Derby ticket at three North Olympic Peninsula locations.
These outlets are Swain’s General Store and Jerry’s Bait & Tackle in Port Angeles, and Brian’s Sporting Goods and More in Sequim.
Fishing will be contained in Marine Area 6, between Low Point to the west and the Dungeness Spit to the east.
Fishing hours are daylight to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 28, and daylight to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 29.
A total of $20,000 in cash prizes will be up for grabs, including $5,000 for the winner.
Anglers can launch their boats for free thanks to the Port of Port Angeles.
The weigh-in will be held at the West Boat Haven ramp and docks, and all fish must be brought in by water.
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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Outdoors columnist Michael Carman appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 57050 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
