The search begins today for salmon anglers fishing in the waters off Sekiu (Marine Area 5) and Port Angeles (Marine Area 6).
Longtime Port Angeles angler and lure designer Pete Rosko won’t miss the opener, even if he’s not sure that the tidal conditions will offer much success.
“Probably going to be a real slow day because of the tides,” Rosko said. “They won’t be doing much.”
Today’s morning tides in Port Angeles have a 3.6-foot low tide at 4:10 a.m. and will only rise to 4 feet for high tide at 7:56 a.m.
The afternoon low tide is 1.6 feet with a rise to 6.6 for high tide at 9:57 p.m.
“Usually, we’ll go out to Freshwater Bay, but we are hoping we have a better chance at the Winter Hole,” Rosko said.
Rosko said the kelp beds didn’t offer up many salmon last summer, but he’s hoping recent signs point to the opposite this summer.
“Last year was some of the coldest water I’ve ever seen,” Rosko said.
“I did some fishing for ling cod, and the fishing was pretty poor [this spring], but I did see a huge amount of bait just west of Bachelor Rock, and there were [kings] in there on my finder.”
The mark-selective, hatchery chinook fishery in Marine Area 6 west of a true north/south line through the No. 2 buoy immediately east of Ediz Hook off Port Angeles allows anglers to keep a daily limit of two salmon while releasing any chum, wild coho or wild chinook. The minimum size for hatchery chinook retention is 22 inches, while other salmon species (hatchery coho) have no size restrictions.
From today through Aug. 15, anglers must release any chinook caught east of the No. 2 buoy.
Sekiu spots
Sekiu is the salmon mecca on the North Olympic Peninsula for the second straight summer due to the continued closure of Neah Bay and Makah Tribal lands.
Word is the fishing village is full to bursting ahead of tomorrow’s opener and the July 4 weekend.
Kings generally stick closer to shore here than the middle of the Strait of Juan de Fuca-loving silvers.
Spots like the Caves near Sekiu Point and Slip Point at the east end of Clallam Bay are popular and usually productive.
Mussolini Rock, the Coal Mines and Pillar Point also are good spots to check out.
Anglers can keep a daily limit of two salmon but must release chum, coho and wild kings.
The minimum size for hatchery chinook retention is 22 inches.
New regulations
The 2021-22 state Department of Fish and Wildlife Washigton Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet is available in electronic form for now at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations.
Paper copies of the pamphlets will not be delivered and available at license dealers around the state until mid-July because of difficulties obtaining the materials needed to print the pamphlets, due in part to widespread supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Printing relevant pages of the 100-plus page pamphlet is an option for those wanting a hard copy, and the Fish Washington mobile app has the latest regulations. To download the app, visit https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/app.
The oppressive heat has yielded finally but not after altering conditions at area lakes.
Heat complications
Trout are off the table at Lake Leland.
“As of [Wednesday], the trout have all but quit biting probably for the remainder of summer due to the recent heat wave,” Quilcene angler and tackle manufacturer Ward Norden said. “I checked the water temperature at 18 inches deep, and it is almost 75 degrees, which is nearly lethal for some trout unless there is lots of oxygen. Given the experience of the anglers I spoke with, either the trout have all moved to the two deepest cooler holes or the bottom of the main lake is oxygen deficient. Anglers looking for a fine meal should fish nearer to the bank for yellow perch and catfish for the next couple months.”
Rosko also fished Lake Sutherland recently and said overall the kokanee fishing was good, but the outing was before what Rosko described as “this hot weather fiasco.”
Send photos, stories
If you have caught a nice fish, have an anecdote about an outdoors experience or a tip on gear or technique, send it my way to sports@peninsuladailynews.com and please include your phone number.
