THIS WEEKEND, THE state Department of Fish and Wildlife will look the other way while thousands of anglers fish without a license.
Enabling scofflaws? Nope, it’s the state’s annual paean to the proletariat: a free fishing weekend.
Anglers can fish on the state’s dime today in a promotion that began Saturday.
During those two days, no license is required to fish or gather shellfish in any waters open to fishing in the state.
Also, no vehicle access pass or Discover Pass is required during the free fishing weekend to park at any of the nearly 700 water-access sites maintained by Fish and Wildlife.
Anglers will not need a Two Pole Endorsement to fish with two poles on selected waters where two pole fishing is permitted.
“Free Fishing Weekend is a great time to try fishing in Washington, whether you are new to the sport, have not taken up a rod and reel in years, or want to introduce a friend or young family member to the sport,” said Chris Donley, WDFW inland fish program manager.
Anglers have been catching daily limits of trout at lakes for the past month, and many rivers, including the Bogachiel, Calawah and previously closed sections of the Sol Duc, will open to trout and other game fish.
Other targets on free fishing weekend include hatchery chinook in Marine Area 3 (LaPush) and 4 (Neah Bay); hatchery steelhead on the Bogachiel, Calawah and Sol Duc; lingcod in every Marine Area; spot shrimp in Areas 4, 5 (Sekiu), 6 (Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca); and lowland lake fishing.
Before grabbing your pole(s), always check the current fishing regulations, valid through June 30, at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/.
While no licenses are required on free fishing weekend, this isn’t a free-for-all.
Other rules such as size limits, bag limits and closures will still be in effect.
Anglers will also be required to complete a catch record card for any salmon or steelhead they catch.
Catch record cards are available free at hundreds of sporting goods stores and other license dealers throughout the state.
Shrimp reopens
Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) reopened Monday for recreational coonstripe and pink shrimp fishing, with a 150-foot maximum fishing depth restriction.
The spot shrimp season is over in Area 9. All spot shrimp caught must be returned to the water immediately.
Archery targeting
A 3-D Animal Fun Shoot by the The Wapiti Bowmen Archery Club of Port Angeles continues today.
The club’s facility is located at 374 E. Arnette Road, 1 1/4 miles up Monroe Road in Port Angeles.
Archers from the novice to the professional level are welcome to participate at the event, which will feature more than 30 full-sized targets, including numerous North American animals and some exotic surprises.
Registrations opens at 7 a.m.
Shoot fees are $12 for one day and $20 for two days for adults; $8 and $10 for youth and $4 and $5 for “cubs.”
Ages 5 and younger are free.
Breakfast and lunch will be served daily at 7 a.m. for a nominal fee.
For more information, visit wapitibowmen.us.
No steelhead plant
Fish and Wildlife fish managers will release early winter hatchery steelhead into inland lakes again this year, now that federal fisheries officials have decided to conduct a full-scale environmental impact analysis of all Puget Sound hatchery steelhead programs.
The lone North Olympic Peninsula river affected, the Dungeness, will not receive a plant of 10,00 early winter hatchery steelhead.
Fish and Wildlife leaders announced the action after learning that the National Marine Fisheries Service has decided to develop an environmental impact statement to evaluate the effects of early winter steelhead hatchery programs on the survival and recovery of wild Puget Sound steelhead and chinook salmon, which are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.
The decision was based, in part, on more than 2,000 public comments to the agency, expressing wide range of questions and concerns about the environmental impact of hatchery steelhead programs.
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Outdoors columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
