A SEAFOOD FEAST to ring in the New Year is certainly possible for brave outdoors enthusiasts.
It might take today and tomorrow due to lack of daylight, but crab pots could be sunk today for a Saturday haul-in; anglers could then catch a hatchery steelhead out west before digging a limit of clams tonight or Saturday at Copalis or Mocrocks beaches.
The year-end clam dig will be held today at 7:22 p.m. and Saturday at 7:57 p.m.
Low-tide is at -0.4 feet both nights.
Diggers should watch for tidal swells up to 10-feet today and from 8 to 10-feet Saturday.
Hatchery steelhead fishing picked up over the past week on the Bogachiel and Calawah rivers.
“We sold all of our sand shrimp last week,” said Kevin Hinchen of Forks Outfitters (360-374-6161).
“That is usually a pretty good indicator that people are out there trying.”
Crab closing
Crabbers will need to keep in mind Puget Sound marine areas currently open for recreational winter crabbing will close at 5 p.m. Saturday, after which all sport crabbers licensed to fish for Dungeness crab will have through Feb. 1 to report their winter results.
“Crabbers should be prepared to take a few extra minutes to navigate our new online system,” state Department of Fish and Wildlife Shellfish Policy Lead Rich Childers said. “Crab reporting is not only required but is essential to managing our crab fisheries.”
To report online, crabbers will need to create an account by creating a user name and password and providing an email address.
Individuals can use these accounts for a variety of purposes, including crab reporting and purchasing hunting and fishing licenses.
The online reporting system will be available Sunday through Feb. 1 at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/
For more information, phone 360-902-2464 or email licensing@dfw.wa.gov.
Cold weather coming
Lake anglers and duck hunters won’t like next week’s forecasted frigid temperatures, according to Quilcene’s Ward Norden, a former fisheries biologist and owner of Snapper Tackle Company.
“In the past couple weeks Lake Leland has had a skim of ice over much of it almost every morning meaning the lake water is in the low-30 degree temperature range,” Norden said.
“If the weather predictions are right about frigid temperatures next week, Lake Leland will be fully ice covered by early next week and remain ‘Ice Station Leland’ for a couple weeks. In answer to the obvious question, no, the ice will not be safe to walk on. Don’t even think about it.”
Duck and coyote hunting
“The frigid weather also will likely end much of the waterfowl hunting on Hood Canal bays,” Norden said.
The freshwater in the bays also will freeze, driving ducks to warmer spots to the south likely through the end of the hunting season according to Norden.
“On the good news side, coyote hunters will be seeing some excellent furs for several weeks if they are fortunate enough to find one that isn’t too mangy.”
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
