Summer salmon fishing season is off to a good start, despite bad weather on the coast

The heat of the summer salmon fishing season is upon us, and depending on where you go success has been peppered with glory moments followed some days of lackluster fishing.

King fishing in the Strait off Sekiu and Port Angeles was fairly good.

"It has been pretty good fishing and close to a chinook per boat average at Sekiu," said Larry Bennett, the head state Fish and Wildlife fish sampler. "There's been a few small coho and pinks showing up. We've seen nice chinook up into the 23 to 25 pound range."

Some of the best local king fishing is happening in the San Juan Islands.

"It has been unbelievable [in Rosario Strait], and I've limited everyday by noon and put five kings in the boat from 20 to 28 pounds," said Jay Field, owner of Dash One Charters in Anacortes. "We are sorting through fish and getting plenty of chances. There is lots of feed [candlefish and herring] in the water."

The weather on the coast has continued to stymie anglers, but the good news is that the kings and coho are around in decent numbers.

"The weather was bad [Sunday and Monday], and many boats went down south and got their limits of mostly coho," said Mark Cedergreen, president of the Westport Charter Association. "A few boats who stayed up closer to the harbor off the South Bowl didn't have limits but got more kings. There are a lot of fish in the ocean and once we get some consistency weather wise we are going to have some good fishing."

Down at Ilwaco, anglers reported good fishing for mainly coho, and up north Neah Bay and La Push were good for mainly smaller-sized coho and pinks.

"[Erica Crust, a state Fish and Wildlife technician] was up at La Push, and couldn't keep the coho off her line, and said the coho were everywhere," said Wendy Beeghly, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist.

The inner-Elliott Bay opened with lackluster results, but expect this fishery to pick up later this month.

"It is still early for the bay, and the good sign is that we are seeing more adult fish [about 80 percent] in catches," said Pete Sergeef, a state Fish and Wildlife checker at the Armeni ramp in West Seattle. "Dolphin Point was dead, and the bay catches came from Todds [Shipyard], grain terminal, and both waterways."

Hood Canal south of Ayock Point is slow for salmon. In south central Sound, hatchery chinook fishing is slow in the Tacoma area, south of the Southworth Ferry Landing and Dolphin Point off Vashon Island.

Fast cast: The Edmonds pier is OK for chinook. North and Central Sound open for hatchery chinook on July 16. The Lower Skagit River opens Thursday for kings. The Bellingham Salmon Derby is Friday through Sunday; details: www.northwestsalmonderbyseries.com. Thanks to a Puget Sound Anglers member who reported they're catching herring at Cornet Bay pier, and NOT smelt.