MORE TIME ON the water for halibut anglers was recently approved by state Department of Fish and Wildlife fisheries managers.
At least one more day, Thursday, June 1, will be open for the flat fish off La Push and Neah Bay in the Pacific Ocean and in Marine Areas 5-10 in our state’s inland waters.
The state said sufficient quota remains to open another fishing day in the north coast, Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound.
Catch data will be evaluated following the opening on June 1 to determine if enough quota remains for additional fishing days in the north coast and Puget Sound.
That sentence, contained in a Fish and Wildlife press release, is interesting.
Only Sunday, June 4 is left as a potential halibut fishing day on the state’s halibut schedule. So the inclusion of the plural “days” makes me wonder if anglers will receive some “extra” chances to fish this season.
Time, and the halibut catches anglers haul in today and next Thursday, will tell.
Successful outing
Sue Grisaitis, who lives near Joyce, wrote in about her halibut fishing trip last Sunday.
She was fishing off Ediz Hook with her best friend, 75-year old Karen Kitchens of Joyce and Rick Johnson.
Kitchens fought a 70-pound halibut through five trips down to the bottom, eventually triumphing and bringing home the biggest fish she’s ever caught.
All three came home with halibut.
Grisaitis landed a 25-pounder and Johnson caught a 35-pound flattie.
Sixgill shark encounter
Expert angler John Beath of Carlsborg went halibut fishing on the Canadian side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca with Sequim’s Robert Rohner last Monday.
They departed out of Port Angeles on the trip and were fishing near the coast of Vancouver Island when Rohner landed something big.
Big and scary.
He had hooked into what was identified as a sixgill shark, an animal described as one of the world’s largest and most elusive predatory sharks in a recent KCTS-9 public television documentary on the animals. That documentary can be seen at It can be viewed at tinyurl.com/PDN-SixGill.
Rohner brought the beast to the boat before the hook was removed and the animal released. A video of the encounter can be seen on Beath’s You Tube page at tinyurl.com/SixGill Release.
The Seattle Aquarium has been researching these animals, not widely known among the general public but an open secret amongst divers and commercial and recreational anglers.
Encounter frequencies rose in the 1990s and early 2000s, before falling off when acoustically tagged sixgill sharks disappeared from Puget Sound between 2006 and 2008.
Aquarium researchers believe the sharks, normally found thousands of feet deep in the ocean, use the waters of the Salish Sea as a nursery, as females have been seen giving birth to shark pups in these waters and the vast majority of sixgills encountered (more than 300 in total) are of sub-adult juvenile size.
Hood Canal Shrimping
Recreational spot shrimp fishing will reopen from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 3 in Hood Canal (Marine Area 12).
Fish and Wildlife said sufficient recreational spot shrimp quota remains for one more day of shrimping.
Shrimp limit increase
The daily bag limit is increasing to 120 shrimp for all species including spot shrimp in Marine Areas 6 and 7 West beginning Thursday, June 1. Shrimping is open daily.
This doesn’t apply to the Discovery Bay Shrimp District portion of Marine Area 6 which has closed for the season.
The previous limit was 80 shrimp, so this is a sizable step up.
Bring on the iodine poisoning!
Great time for digging
Possess a strong back, a shellfish license and a shovel? You’ll be in business this weekend.
Brian Menkal of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More (360-683-1950) in Sequim said clam and oyster diggers will be in for a treat this weekend.
“Clamming and oystering should be off the charts,” Menkal said. “There are some real nice minus tides this weekend, the optimum ones are -2 and a half to -3 feet.
Menkal also said he will offer his popular Salmon and Steelheading class from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 6 and 13 at his store, Brian’s Sporting Goods and More, 609 W. Washington St. No. 21.
May West End rivers will be opening up on the first Saturday in June. Menkal will offer tips, tricks and even some insight into productive pools on many Olympic Peninsula rivers.
The cost is $35 plus tax. Phone ahead to reserve a space.
