BLINK AND YOU might miss the chinook fishery that opened Thursday in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet).
Scheduled for a scant 30 days, chinook retention likely will be shuttered by early August, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife fish pamphlet.
The rationale for betting on pessimism in regard to a compressed king season is two-fold.
In a move away from last year’s one hatchery chinook per angler bag limit, the state pushed the daily limit back to the traditional format that allows two chinook of a minimum 22 inches in length.
The state implemented the change last year after hearing concerns from sport fishing interest groups that are focused on increasing the amount of time on the water.
That move did seem to help slow the chinook catch down, as the season remained open last season for all of the scheduled days.
The absence of a chinook season in neighboring Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) will surely add to the pressure in Area 9.
In a rare decision, state fishing regulators closed Area 10 to allow at least a year for the endangered fish to rebuild the dwindling stocks returning to the Lake Washington basin.
The last time the central Puget Sound was closed to chinook fishing was 2006.
That means anglers in the state’s most populated sections will be heading to nearby spots such as Edmonds in Area 9 to have a chance to go fishing for kings.
In addition to the two-hatchery-chinook limit, anglers also can keep two pinks.
The waters of Hood Canal in Area 9 south of a line from Foulweather Bluff to Olele Point are closed to salmon fishing.
There is one exception to that rule. Anglers can fish for pinks or an early coho from shore between the southern and northern boundaries of Salsbury Point Park just across the Hood Canal Bridge in Kitsap County.
The daily limit there is two salmon plus two additional pinks. Release all chinook and chum.
Jig fishing success
Freshwater Bay yielded up a successful catch of chinook last Saturday for a group comprised of Port Angeles angler and lure designer Pete Rosko, Eric Thomson of Port Angeles and Ryan Rodgers of Tallahassee, Fla.
“This season’s excellent jig fishery continues at Freshwater Bay,” Rosko said.
“Saturday produced over 25 chinook salmon with the largest hatchery chinook of 26 pounds being caught by Eric Thomson on his favorite green/glow white 1 1/2-ounce Kandlefish.”
Rodgers hauled in the second biggest catch of the day, a 22-pound specimen.
Rosko advised to vertically jig the glow-in-the-dark Kandlefish lure next to the edges of kelp beds, 5 to 10 feet from the bottom.
“Also, a highly effective and consistent salmon producer has been a 1/3-ounce silver Kandlefish cast to large inside pockets within the kelp coves,” Rosko said.
“This is a very active lure with vibration to attract fish as it flashes and flutters on the fall.”
Rosko says the No. 2 single hook on that smaller Kandlefish is capable of holding larger chinook as well as pink, silver and non-salmon species.
The fishing on Freshwater Bay remained excellent Monday for Rosko, Thomson and Thomson’s cousin, Matthew Rohrbach of Montana.
“It was a mixed bag of Fraser and Elwha River chinook and a jillion pinks,” Rosko said.
“Fraser River salmon are short and girthy, whereas Elwha River salmon are long and slender.
“Some of their eggs have been very mature already.”
The vertical jigging technique was effective once again.
“When casting 1/4- and 1/3-ounce Kandlefish on windy days, try to eliminate a bow in your line by casting directly down-wind for best line control,” Rosko said.
“Once the lure hits the water, retrieve the Kandlefish with short vertical rod twitches with the rod held at about 10 to 11 o’clock.”
Rosko said the lure is designed to provide all the action you need below the surface.
“Avoid high lifts or hard jerking as they cause an unnatural action,” Rosko said.
Traditional archery
The Wapiti Bowmen Archery Club of Port Angeles is sponsoring a tournament for traditional archers at their club facility Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 8-9.
The club is located at 374 E. Arnette Road, off Monroe Road in Port Angles.
Traditional shooters (no compound bows) will be able to shoot at 30-plus full-size 3-D targets.
Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. each day, and breakfast and lunch are available on both days.
For more information, visit www.wapiti-bowmen.org, or phone Walt Koneziski at 360-531-2153 or Steve Morgan at 360-460-9132.
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Outdoors columnist Michael Carman appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
