Razor clam digs look like good bet this weekend

Despite the lousy weather, there are some fishing options to be had, and many are making plans to head to the coastal beaches for another series of razor clam digs.

Twin Harbors will be open for digging Saturday-Tuesday, while Long Beach, Copalis and Mocrocks are open Saturday-Monday. Kalaloch Beach will be open for digging on Monday. Digging is allowed between noon and midnight.

Dan Ayres, the head state Fish and Wildlife coastal shellfish manager, warns diggers to check weather and surf forecasts before heading out.

"I was pleased that people paid attention to the surf warnings during the last opener [Nov. 4-7]," Ayres said. "Overall the turnout was about 15 percent of what we would have expected had the weather been more acceptable."

A total of more than 3,000 diggers turned out, and most hit the beaches on Nov. 4, the first night of digging, and averaged 14 clams per person. The first 15 clams dug regardless of size or condition is a daily limit.

By Nov. 5, weather conditions deteriorated with 18-foot plus swells, but 160 diggers at Grayland averaged 10 clams per person.

"By the night [of Nov. 6] the 30-foot surf was amazing, and I have lived my whole life on the coast and had never seen anything like that," Ayres said. "Everybody seemed to heed the warnings and stayed home, and it was a big goose egg as far as anyone coming out."

The weather improved on Nov. 7, and 600 diggers turned out at Long Beach and 400 more at Twin Harbors, averaging 10 clams per person.

Ayres said the good news to all the bad weather last week was that enough clams remain in the quota to offer more digs later on.

Low tides: Saturday, minus-0.3 feet at 4:34 p.m.; Sunday, -0.7 at 5:21 p.m.; Monday, -0.9 at 6:05 p.m.; and Tuesday, -0.8 at 6:47 p.m.

The best time to dig is an hour or two before low tide.

Quick bites

• Better chum fishing in estuaries off Johns Creek in Oakland Bay, Chico Creek, Kennedy Creek in Totten Inlet (66 bank anglers last Sunday caught 67 chum), Hoodsport Hatchery (81 bank anglers last Sunday caught 67 chum), North Bay near Allyn, Perry Creek in Eld Inlet, McLane Creek and Eagle Creek south of Potlatch State Park.

• Squid jigging is inconsistent at Des Moines and Edmonds piers, and Pier 86 in Seattle.

• The crab fishery is good in central and most of northern Puget Sound; both are open daily through Jan. 2. Also open are Neah Bay, Sekiu and South Sound.