OLYMPIA — If you’re looking to get in a winter clam dig this holiday week, digs have been approved on evening low tides for the beginning of January.
Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager, recommends that diggers hit the beach about an hour or two before low tide for the best results.
“We are opening Long Beach to give visitors a chance at some clams for the holidays, but diggers should expect some smaller clams in their catch,” said Ayres.
Long Beach has been closed for much of the season to give the high number of juvenile razor clams a chance to grow.
Diggers want to be sure to come prepared with good lighting devices and always keep an eye on the surf, particularly at this time of year when the best low tides come after dark, Ayres said.
WDFW is also announcing tentative digs through February, beginning with a proposed five-day dig beginning Jan. 2. Proposed razor clam digs are listed below, along with evening low tides and beaches:
• Jan. 2, Wednesday; 4:22 p.m.; 0.2 feet; Twin Harbors
• Jan. 3, Thursday; 5:06 p.m.; -0.2 feet; Twin Harbors
• Jan. 4, Friday; 5:46 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
• Jan. 5, Saturday; 6:23 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Twin Harbors, Copalis
• Jan. 6, Sunday; 6:59 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
For a complete list of proposed digs, visit WDFW’s recreational razor clam website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams.
All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2018-19 shellfish license to harvest razor clams on any beach.
Licenses, ranging from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, are available on WDFW’s website at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov and from license vendors around the state.
Under state law, diggers at open beaches can take 15 razor clams per day and are required to keep the first 15 they dig, regardless of size or condition. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.
Blackmouth chinook opening
Remember, the winter hatchery-marked blackmouth chinook opening for Area 9/Admiralty Inlet begins Tuesday. Possession Bar off the southern tip of Whidbey Island in particular is expected to be good for chinook.
From Mark Yuasa on the “Outdoor Line” blog (http://www.theoutdoorline.com):
“Northern and central Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands (Marine Catch Areas 7, 9 and 10) are the most hyped salmon fishing destinations in this region and anglers will be licking their chops since success in the winter-time can be better than summer.
‘Areas 9 and 10 are both good bets for the opener, and Jefferson Head was alive with baitfish and blackmouth (a term used to describe chinook for their black gumline) before it closed (on Nov. 15),’ said Justin Wong, owner of Cut Plug Charter in Seattle. ‘Possession Bar will also be hard to beat when it comes to blackmouth fishing.’
“In [Area 9], the encounter prediction is 10,004 chinook; and in central Puget Sound [Area 10] it is 3,596. WDFW will provide in-season catch estimates for Areas 9 and 10 around Jan. 18.”
The season is set to stay open until April 15, but could close earlier if chinook guidelines are reached.
Free days at state parks
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is offering two free days in January when visitors to state parks will not need a Discover Pass for day-use visits.
The first free day is Tuesday, which gives visitors the opportunity to take part in a First Day Hike, a nationwide initiative that aims to get people outdoors on New Year’s Day.
The second free day is Monday, Jan. 21, in honor of the holiday celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.
