CHANGES ARE IN effect for the annual Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby.
The first change is a switch in dates for the derby, from the accustomed President’s Day Weekend to Friday through Sunday, Feb. 20-22.
Derby organizers the Gardiner Salmon Derby Association made the switch in response to a late-season opening in Marine Area 9.
Starting with this year’s derby, all tickets must be purchased in advance, either from a retail outfit or online at tinyurl.com/PDN-OPDerby.
No ticket sales will be conducted at weigh stations for this derby.
Anglers can purchase tickets in person for $40 until the Wednesday before the derby.
North Olympic Peninsula retailers include Swain’s General Store in Port Angeles, Brian’s Sporting Goods in Sequim, the Fishin’ Hole and Westside Marine in Port Townsend, Four Corners Store near Port Townsend, Olympic Equipment Rental in Port Hadlock, Fishing Supplies and Gear in Discovery Bay and the Longhouse Market and Deli in Blyn.
Online buyers will pay $42.50 and can purchase tickets until the Wednesday before the event.
Anglers buying online will pick up their tickets during the derby at a weigh station of their choosing — these are Freshwater Bay, the Ediz Hook boat ramp, John Wayne Marina, the Gardiner Boat Ramp or at the Fishin’ Hole at the Port Townsend Boat Haven.
Tickets will allow anglers to fish all three days of the derby.
The final day of fishing, Sunday, Feb. 22, will wrap at 1 p.m., not noon, and the awards ceremony will start at 3 p.m. at the Gardiner Boat Ramp.
Top prize for the largest blackmouth is expected to remain at $10,000, with second place earning $2,000 and third place picking up $1,000.
All told, 55 prizes worth a total of $22,833 were distributed last year, and organizers expect to offer a wide variety of prizes again for this edition.
As a bonus, all ticket buyers will be entered into a drawing for one beauty of a boat, a 21-foot Hewescraft aluminum hard top, powered by a Mercury Marine 150 horsepower four-stroke engine.
The boat comes fully stocked with radar and a Lowrance depth sounder, Scotty downriggers and will come with a tandem-axle EZ Loader trailer.
This boat is the grand prize of the Northwest Marine Trade Association-sponsored Northwest Salmon Derby Series and will be awarded in September.
For February’s derby, only legal clipped-fin chinook/blackmouth at least 22 inches long, submitted during derby hours (daylight to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday and daylight to 1 p.m. Sunday) are eligible for prizes.
Anglers can drop lines from Tongue Point to a point west by northeast of the north buoy at Hein Bank and to Rocky Point on Whidbey Island.
The open area extends southward from Double Bluff at Whidbey Island to Foul Weather Bluff off Kitsap County and Tala Point near Port Ludlow.
Only fish weighing six pounds or more will be considered for “Mystery Fish” prizes.
Fish must be transported by boat via water to one of the five official derby weigh stations/launch ramps.
All fish are subject to inspection by derby officials and/or fish biologists.
All fish are returned immediately (no storage or display) unless anglers choose to donate a fish to the annual derby appreciation dinner set in March.
Each person on each vessel must have a ticket, whether fishing or not and regardless of age.
Every legal pole in the boat needs its own ticket on hand.
Net proceeds support area emergency services and other worthwhile causes such as the Gardiner Community Center.
Hoko closure slated
A five-week closure of the Hoko River near the Makah tribal fish hatchery will be in effect from Monday through Jan. 15.
Fishing from boats and both banks on the portion of the Hoko River from the hatchery fish ladder downstream 100 feet will be prohibited.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife said that closing the portion of the river near the fish ladder will allow hatchery employees to work safely in the area, and allow steelhead to aggregate outside the ladder and move up into the facility to ensure egg take requirements are met.
Duck hunting
Ward Norden, a fishing tackle wholesaler and former fishery biologist living in Quilcene, had a solid day duck hunting on Hood Canal on Wednesday.
“I changed spots a few yards and altered the decoy set and the birds kept trying to land in our decoys without having to call. Amazing,” Norden said.
“My partner almost lost a widgeon to bald eagles in the reach between his kayak and the circling ‘fish buzzards [eagles].’”
Send photos, stories
Have a photograph, a fishing or hunting report, an anecdote about an outdoors experience or a tip on gear or technique?
Send it to sports@peninsuladailynews.com or P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
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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.
