Outdoors notebook | Program pays anglers for catching squawfish

How would you like to get paid to go fishing?

One way is the Northern Pikeminnow Bounty Fishing Reward Program that is underway in the Columbia and Snake rivers.

Not only can you earn some bucks while wetting a line, but you can also do your part in getting rid of these juvenile salmon- and steelhead-devouring predators better known as squawfish.

The cash-reward project funded by the Bonneville Power Administration began in 1990, and is open through Sept. 28 from the Columbia River mouth to Priest Rapids Dam, and from the Snake River mouth to Hells Canyon Dam.

The first 100 fish (9 inches or longer) caught by each angler is worth $4 apiece; the next 300 are $5; and after 400 fish it is $8. Specially tagged fish are worth $500 apiece.

The weekly field catch report from May 19-25 showed 1,144 anglers caught 4,523 for a 4.0 fish-per-rod catch. Overall, 3,873 anglers have caught 12,369 fish.

Last year, 26,827 anglers caught 191,154 fish, including 168 tagged fish. Since 1990, more than 3.1 million squawfish have been eradicated from both rivers. The highest catches started at the end of May and went through July 1, and ranged from 12,234 fish per week to a high of 14,008.

Some anglers haul in hundreds of dollars during the season, but a few make much more catching these pesky fish.

In 2006, David Vasilchuk of Vancouver caught 5,714 squawfish (eight were tagged fish) and earned $48,348 before taxes. Second was Nikolay Zaremskiy of Gresham, Ore., who got $45,351, and third went to Thomas Papst of West Linn, Ore., with $42,388. That year, the top 20 anglers cashed in 61,262 fish (47 tagged) for $487,229.

Some of the best catches came from the The Dalles Boat Basin check station; Boyer Park in the Snake River below Lower Granite Dam; and the M. James Gleason ramp in the Lower Columbia River Washougal.

It didn't take long this spring for someone to possibly break the state squawfish record.

Pamela Ramsden of Deer Park was fishing near Boyer Park when she caught a 26.25-inch fish that weighed 7.91 pounds on May 16, said Melissa Dexheimer with the state Fish and Wildlife's Sport Reward Fishery.

The previous record (caught by Andrew J. Wallman) was 7.36 pounds from Mason Lake near Shelton on April 5, 2000.

The fish caught aren't just thrown away in the trash; they are used to make liquid organic fertilizer for agriculture and fish meal for poultry and dairy cattle feed.

There are 17 check stations along both rivers. Anglers must register in person each day before fishing.

Catches must be checked in at the station each day, and reward vouchers will be given.

The fish prefer rocky areas with fast currents near dams, islands, river mouths, points, eddies, rows of pilings and ledges or bars in the river. They prefer depths of 7 to 25 feet.

Early morning, near sunset and at night are prime time to catch them. Baits of choice include worms, salmon eggs, fish entrails, chicken livers, crayfish tails, shrimp and grasshoppers. Artificial plastic lures like grubs, worms or shads work well. Squawfish are attracted to light-colored lures in the day and darker ones at night.

Details: 800-858-9015 or www.pikeminnow.org.

Huge Bremerton Marina opens to boaters

The new Bremerton Public Marina, which opened on Saturday, has more than 300 moorage slips and 2,000 feet of public access to Sinclair Inlet.

The Port of Bremerton Project, most of which is on a massive 1,400-foot long and 25-foot wide breakwater, offers slip rates that are in the 90th percentile compared to other marinas.

Rates range from $8 a square foot per slip space per month for 36-foot slips to $10 for 60-foot slips. Already, 25 percent of available moorage has been leased.

The nearby Port Orchard Marina has 337 slips, plus 44 guest slips and 31 side ties, but it has a waiting list for larger slips.

The industry trend is showing a need for larger slips. The new Bremerton Marina has 65 permanent slips of 50 feet or longer, as well as side ties along the breakwater.

The marina was designed and engineered by Art Anderson and Associates of Bremerton. The marina has two major components: The mammoth breakwater was constructed by McClure & Sons, Inc. of Everett, and the marina docks and floats were installed by American Construction Company.

The marina cost about $32 million and was paid principally from a general purpose bond serviced through an Industrial Development District tax levy, federal grant funds and Port cash reserves.

The new marina sits adjacent to the newly revitalized Bremerton waterfront, which includes the Kitsap Conference Center, Anthony's Restaurant, Starbucks, the Naval Museum, the waterside Fountain Par, and the USS Turner Joy, a destroyer from the Vietnam War.

Early special hunting applications deadline nears

Hunters have until June 18 to apply for special fall hunting permits, but wildlife managers suggest they submit their applications as soon as possible to avoid potential delays and complications.

The permits, available to winners of a random drawing, afford special hunting opportunities for deer, elk, mountain goat, moose, bighorn sheep and turkey not otherwise available with a general hunting license.

"We strongly encourage hunters to apply for these special permits as early as they can," said Dave Ware, a state Fish and Wildlife game manager in a news release. "It's best not to wait until the last minute, when the system can become busy and complications can occur."

Application instructions and details on special-permit hunts are described in the 2008 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations pamphlet, available at state Fish and Wildlife offices, license vendors, and online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regs_seasons.html.

Hunters will be notified of the result of the random drawing for special-hunt permits by July 31.

Before applying for a special-hunt permit, hunters must purchase an application and any necessary hunting licenses and transport tags on line, by phone, or from a licensed dealer for each species they wish to hunt. The cost for each application is $5.48 for residents, $54.75 for nonresidents, and $3.29 for youth under 16 years of age.

Ware reminds hunters to update their mailing address in the system when purchasing their special hunting permit applications and licenses.

Each year, hundreds of special hunting permits are returned due to invalid addresses, he said.

All applications must be submitted online at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov or via a toll-free telephone number (1-877-945-3492). Paper applications will not be accepted.

Ware noted that this year's special fall hunting permits include:

• Continuation of expanded permit levels for antlerless elk in the Mt. St. Helens area.

• An increase in branch-antlered bull permits in the Blue Mountains.

• An increase in moose special permits in the Mount Spokane, 49 Degrees North B, Huckleberry Range and Hangman hunt units.

Ware noted, however, that permits for Game Management Unit 371 have been dropped from this year's hunt because the U.S. Army recently scheduled expanded training exercises at the Yakima Training Center this fall.

Mick Cope, a state Fish and Wildlife upland bird and turkey manager, said applications for both early fall turkey permits and late fall turkey permits must be submitted by June 18.

The early fall turkey permit season is Sept. 27-Oct. 3 in units throughout much of Eastern Washington. The late fall permit hunt is Nov. 20-Dec. 15 in northeast GMUs 101-124 only. Details are in the 2008 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations pamphlet (page 64).

Notes

• National Trails Day, organized annually by the American Hiking Society, is Saturday and involves nearly a million trail enthusiasts across the country.

The Washington Trails Association is hosting eight trail-work parties to repair winter storm damage and to prepare trails for hikers this summer. No experience is necessary. All work parties are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Details: 206-625-1367 or www.wta.org.

• The Lake Chelan chinook fishing season will remain open until further notice. Areas within 400 feet of tributary mouths are closed.

Preliminary efforts to provide a fishery based on summer chinook stocking have been successful. But information on abundance and fish origin is needed to guide future management decisions, and a sampling of fish caught is designed to provide it. Minimum size is 15 inches, with a daily limit of one salmon.

• The Lower and Middle Yakima River hatchery spring chinook fishery has been extended, and will remain open through June 30. The reason for the extension is due to last month's late return of spring chinook to the Yakima, and high flows and turbidity from quickly melting snow pack.

• Tom Nelson of Salmon University will be the speaker at the IBEW Local 46 Union Sportsmen's Club meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday at 19802 62nd Ave. S. in Kent. Details: 253-395-6500 or www.ibew46.org.

• The Orvis Store at 911 Bellevue Way N.E. is hosting a gala champagne book signing party from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday with authors Les Johnson, Bruce Ferguson and Pat Trotter, who will sign copies of their book, "Fly Fishing for Pacific Salmon II."

Fly angler Kevin Ryan will also be tying some saltwater fly patterns and will discuss the resident coho fishery in Puget Sound. Details: 425-452-9138.

• The Washington Butterfly Association is hosting a free presentation at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 N.E. 41st St. in Seattle, It is titled "Exciting New Ventures in the World of Butterflies" and will be done by Jonathan Pelham, author of "The Catalog of the Butterflies of the United States and Canada." Details: 206-364-4935 or www.naba.org/Chapters/nabaws.

• The Sekiu Halibut Derby is June 14-15. Cost is $15 per angler. First place is worth $10 per pound, second is $100 and third is $100. The largest sea bass is worth $100. Details: 360-963-2311 or 360-963-2334.

• Warmer weather has arrived, but the surrounding areas at Mount Rainier National Park are still covered with lots of snow.

Places that would normally open this and next month will not be open for a few more weeks or longer.

Paradise at 5,400 feet received 898 inches of snow so far this winter, and there is still more than 15 feet of snow on the ground, and at Longmire 27 inches of snow still remains on the ground.

The Stevens Canyon Road connecting the east and west sides of the park will most likely open in mid-June. The public opening for the Sunrise Road is July 3.

No opening date has been announced by the state Department of Transportation for State Route 410 east over Chinook Pass.

Some campgrounds that are normally free of snow by Memorial Day are still covered.

The Ohanapecosh Campground has reopened, but the Cougar Rock Campground will not open until June 6. The Ohanapecosh Visitor Center will open June 13.

Hikers are warned that snow covers all the trails above 3,000 feet, and backpackers headed to the Wonderland Trail should anticipate a lot of travel on snow throughout July.

Paradise Inn has reopened, and offers lodging, dining, and a gift shop. In addition, the National Park Inn located at Longmire is also open for lodging, dining, a gift shop and small store. Details: 360-569-2275.

Before heading to the park, call 360-569-2211 or www.nps.gov/mora.

• The Mount Rainier National Park Education Program is offering two middle-school teacher workshops this summer.

The Living with a Volcano in Your Backyard — Mount Rainier workshop is July 22-25, and is designed for middle school teachers who teach about volcanoes, volcanic process, product, and hazards. Teachers will receive copies of the curriculum and additional resources to use with their students, and earn three quarter credits or 31-35 clock hours.

The Curriculum Review Workshop for Mount Rainier-Mount Fuji Sister Mountain is Aug. 7-8. Teachers can provide feedback on the draft materials developed to date for this international interdisciplinary middle school curriculum project. Teachers will receive copies of the draft materials to pilot test with your students for further feedback, and earn one quarter credit or 12 clock hours.

Advanced registration is required, and the deadline is July 1. Details: 360-569-6039 or email anne_doherty@nps.gov or www.nps.gov/mora/forteachers/professionaldevelopment.htm.

• The Lake Chelan National Recreation Area is celebrating its 40th Anniversary, and the Stehekin and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area are providing plenty of opportunities for family fun this summer.

Stehekin is accessible by foot, air, or passenger ferry. Hike down the Pacific Crest Trail from Highway 20 or over Cascade Pass and along the Stehekin River to arrive in Stehekin. The Lake Chelan Boat Company operates two boats (www.ladyofthelake.com) and Chelan Airways flies floatplanes (www.chelanairways.com).

Hikers of all ages and abilities can trek through nearly 400 miles of trails and more than 100 backcountry campsites accessible to hikers, boaters, and stock users are available. Details: 360-854-7245 or www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit.htm or www.stehekin.com.

• The Washington Sea Grant, part of the University of Washington's College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences, is offering a First Aid at Sea Course 8 a.m.-4 p.m. June 12 at the Nordby Building, at Fishermen's Terminal in Seattle.

Topics include cardiopulmonary resuscitation, patient assessment, shock, trauma, burns, fractures, hypothermia, cold-water near-drowning, immobilization, backboards, first-aid kits, and more. Cost is $80. Details: 206-543-1225 or email sfisken@u.washington.edu.

• The North Cascades National Park Visitor Center, near the town of Newhalem, is open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The center features exhibits, theater presentations, and is staffed by park rangers and volunteers. The center has access to the scenic Sterling Munro Overlook and a network of easy hiking trails such as the 1/3 mile Rock Shelter Trail and the 1.8 mile River Loop Trail.

The Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount is currently open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and opens daily beginning May 18. The center offers trip planning information and is the main location for backcountry users to obtain permits required for all overnight stays. Details: www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/hiking.htm. Reservations for campgrounds can be made at www.recreation.gov.

• Due to a lack of funds Mount Rainier National Park could be faced with selling land to developers inside the park's borders.

Mount Rainier National Park is one of 55 national parks with vital land now on the public market. Mount Rainier itself has 800 acres within its boundaries for sale at an estimated cost of $4.5-million.

To try and stop development inside park boundaries and enable the Park Service to purchase these so-called "in-holdings" from willing sellers, the National Parks Conservation Association is encouraging Congress to provide the Park Service with at least $100 million this year from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Plus, additional funding in the years leading up to the Park Service's centennial in 2016. Details: www.npca.org/landforsale.

• The Summit for Salmon climb of Mount Rainier is Aug. 22-25, and Save Our Wild Salmon is looking for participants that raises funds to help protect and restore healthy, sustainable wild salmon in the Columbia and Snake river basins. Experienced guides from Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. will lead the group. Details: 206-286-4455 or www.wildsalmon.org.

• The National Alpine Ski Camp is offering a summer snow camp for children and young adults of all ages at Mount Hood in Oregon.

The camp offers six- and ten-day sessions in the summer for children of all ages. There is also a masters program for those over age 20. Race training is the foundation for the camps, with an emphasis on free skiing and free skiing drills. Designated for intermediate and advanced skiers, campers must have basic ski skills to attend.

Ski training is conducted in the morning, followed by windsurfing, rock climbing, rafting, swimming, hiking, mountain biking and go-cart racing in the afternoon. Details: 800-453-6272 or www.skicamp.com.

• The Wilderness Awareness School in Duvall holds numerous outdoors events, including a monthly "Tracking Club," that meets in Sultan on the third Saturday of each month now through May from 9 a.m. to noon.

The program is open to naturalists, hunters and people curious about learning to identify, follow and understand stories written in tracks left by animals on the Skykomish River shoreline. Details: 425-788-1301 or www.wildernessawareness.org.

• The Washington Trails Association offers statewide trip reports and trail conditions. Details: www.wta.org.

• The Northwest Fly Anglers offers various public classes through the year. The public also is invited to club meetings on the third Thursday of each month, at the Haller Lake Community Center, 12579 Densmore Ave N., in North Seattle. Details: 206-684-7524.

• The Emerald Sea Dive Club offers year-round activities including the big buddy program and weekly and monthly dives. The club meets on the first Wednesday of every month, 7-9 p.m. at Alfy's Pizza, 4820 196th S.W. in Lynnwood. Details: 425-775-2410 or www.emeraldseadiveclub.org.

• The Seattle Audubon Society offers field trips and classes every month. Details: 206-523-4483 or www.seattleaudubon.org.

• Northend Bassmasters is accepting new members who want to learn more about bass fishing. The group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Crystal Creek Cafe, 22620 Bothell-Everett Highway (Canyon Park) in Bothell. Details: 206-789-4259 or e-mail Gary Millard at glmillard@comcast.net.

Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780 or myuasa@seattletimes.com