HIGH CATCH RATES for anglers fishing for chinook in the Pacific Ocean waters off Neah Bay and LaPush have forced a change.
Beginning Friday, anglers in Marine Areas 3 (LaPush) and 4 (Neah Bay)will be restricted to one chinook per day as part of their daily limit of two salmon, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced.
Anglers fishing those waters have been allowed to retain two chinook per day since June 13.
“Catch rates out of La Push have skyrocketed in the last month and we’ve already caught more than half the chinook catch guideline for Neah Bay,” said Doug Milward, ocean salmon manager for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“We decided to make this change now to try and ensure a full season of fishing.”
Through Sunday, anglers fishing out of La Push had caught 1,042 chinook, about 40 percent of the 2,600 chinook harvest guideline for that area.
Anglers fishing off Neah Bay had taken 5,553 chinook, which is about 66 percent of the 8,400 chinook harvest guideline for the area.
Ocean salmon fisheries in marine areas 3 and 4 are scheduled to continue through Sept. 30.
Anglers fishing off La Push and Neah Bay also may retain two additional pink salmon, but must release wild coho.
For up-to-date information on state fishing regulations, visit wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations.
State fishery managers will continue to monitor the ocean salmon fishery throughout the summer and will announce any other changes at wdfw.wa.gov/.
Chimacum Derby
The sixth annual Chimacum Alumni Association Salmon Derby was good to former Cowboys.
Chimacum High School alumni claimed the top prizes at the derby.
Trevor Richardson, a 2010 Chimacum grad, turned in the first fish to be weighed in, a 23-pound, 7-ounce hatchery chinook caught in the Straight of Juan de Fuca off Fort Worden State Park last Saturday.
His catch stood up for the two-day derby and Richardson took home the $1,000 top prize.
Jared Thacker, a 2003 Chimacum High School grad and winner of the 2013 and 2014 derbies, caught a 23-pound chinook and took home the second-place prize of $500.
Bob Eldridge of the Chimacum High School class of 1977, was third and earned $250 for a 22-pound, 10-ounce chinook.
The alumni association’s fundraising derby sold 127 adult tickets and 17 kids tickets. This year’s total fish count was 66, with 59 weighed in for adults and seven for children.
Crab pot sale Sunday
Jefferson Search and Rescue is selling refurbished crab pots on Sunday in a fundraising event that supports the program’s efforts to provide search and rescue services to Jefferson County.
The sale takes place in the parking lot of Port Townsend Honda and Marine, 3059 W. Sims Way.
The business, which is closed on Sundays, has donated the use of its location to Jefferson Search and Rescue.
The crab pots come from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, which donates them to local nonprofits after first attempting to return them to their original owner.
The donated crab pots are either unmarked, their owner cannot be located, or the owner has declined to take them back.
Both commercial and recreational crab pots will be sold, along with bait boxes, weighted rope and buoys.
Some of the lighter pots are sold as kits suitable for use by a first-time or light-use crabbers.
Hit up Gibbs Lake
Ward Norden, a fishing tackle wholesaler and former fishery biologist who lives in Quilcene, recently had the chance to fish Gibbs Lake for the first time.
Gibbs Lake is a quiet little lake tucked away in the hills above the Chimacum Valley.
“It is an excellent bass lake, but I was not able to confirm that it is also a quality panfish (bluegill/crappie) lake,” Norden said.
“Since it is a selective fishery, bass fishers may opt for jigs or inexpensive spinner baits.
“I used a detachable spinner harness on crappie jigs, which is both cheap and deadly on bass, even when barbless.”
Anglers have to release all trout, and motors are prohibited.
“Gibbs is only accessible to hand-carriable boats that can be carried 50 yards down a trail,” Norden said.
“The scenery is beautiful.”
There’s a series of trails around the lake as well for those looking for a short and scenic hike close to home.
For more information on hiking at Gibbs Lake, visit tinyurl.com/PDN-GibbsHike.
New state record
Kelly Flaherty of Priest River, Idaho, has set a new state record for the largest tiger trout caught in Washington, Fish and Wildlife confirmed.
The tiger trout is a sterile hybrid cross between a female brown trout and a male brook trout. The fish exhibits unusual markings found in neither parent. Tiger trout are rare in the wild, appearing only in areas where brook and brown trout share spawning grounds.
The 53-year-old angler caught the 18.49-pound fish measuring 32.5 inches on May 5, while bait fishing with a worm and egg at Bonaparte Lake, near Tonasket in Okanogan County.
“The fish skyrocketed out of the water,” said Flaherty, who was fishing from a boat launch.
“As soon as I hooked it, I was whooping it up, while a crowd gathered around the whole time.”
Flaherty estimates it took him 15 minutes to land the fish from the time he set the hook until he pulled his prize onto the boat launch without a landing net.
The new record exceeded the previous record tiger trout record by 3.45 pounds.
The previous record was held by Kirk Herrin on a fish caught in Roses Lake, Chelan County in 2012.
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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.
