Fishing
Notebook: Salmon yields vary

By Mark Yuasa
Seattle Times staff reporter

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The salmon fishing season opened off the coast with mixed results, and the best catches came from the North Coast.

"Fishing at Neah Bay was pretty good, and I fished Monday and we got four coho averaging 6 pounds apiece, which are nice-sized fish for this time of the year," said Scott Barbour, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist.

Since fishing opened Sunday, Neah Bay anglers averaged about one chinook for every other rod, and almost one coho per angler.

"The chinook were hanging right off Waadah Island and Mushroom Rock, but the guys who went down to Umatilla didn't do well," Barbour said. "Anglers on opening day released about 200 chinook, so we know they're hanging up north, and the biggest coho I saw weighed 10 pounds."

In recent days, the Neah Bay boat basin has been filled with schools of herring, anchovies and sardines, and people are jigging up their bait to fish for salmon.

Just south at La Push, anglers averaged a third of a chinook or coho per rod.

Catch results at Westport were not what many had expected but should improve this month.

"I'd say it was fair at best and most of the (charter and private boat) fishing fleet was about 20 miles northwest of Westport," said Tony Floor, director of fishing affairs for Northwest Marine Trade Association.

Floor fished Monday, and eight anglers got six coho, and two chinook that weighed 31 and 20 pounds. The catch at Westport was predominantly coho, averaging 5 to 7 pounds. Anglers averaged 0.17 chinook and 0.81 coho per rod this week.

The water temperature off Westport was a balmy 62 degrees this week, and fish who follow the warm summer currents are showing up earlier than normal.
 
"The commercial anglers are killing the albacore about 50 miles offshore, and one guy was getting 400 albacore per day," Barbour said. "I know a guy who commercial fishes for black cod off Neah Bay, and he reported there was albacore schools less than 40 miles offshore."

Private and charter boats in the ocean off Ilwaco averaged 1.56 coho per rod, which is close to a two-fish daily limit.

Salmon fishing in open areas of Puget Sound continues to be decent, especially in the Tacoma area. Elsewhere, fishing has been slow to fair for chinook south off Southworth ferry landing; Dolphin Point off Vashon Island; the Des Moines-Redondo area; Point Dalco; and south of Brace Point off the Condo Drift.

In Central Puget Sound (Area 10), catch-and-release king fishing remains fairly good off Point Monroe, Jefferson Head and Kingston. Anglers in Area 10 may keep coho in their catch beginning today.

"It has been very consistent. We ended up with two chinook and one coho yesterday, and we've been averaging a little more than a fish per person," said Keith Robbins, owner of A Spot Tail Salmon Guide in Seattle. "I had a three guys from the San Diego Padres on board Saturday, and pitcher Brian Lawrence released a 24-pound king."

The eastern side of Area 10 has received light fishing pressure, and places from the oil docks off Point Wells south to Richmond Beach were spotty.

The Tulalip Bay terminal chinook fishery near Everett was slow to fair, but this should improve. Tulalip is open Fridays to Mondays only. Fishing at the Edmonds pier has fizzled, and they haven't seen a king salmon landed in the past four days.

In southern Puget Sound (Area 13), salmon fishing is slow but should pick up this month.

The Strait of Juan de Fuca from Sekiu to Port Angeles opened today for a selective hatchery-marked-chinook fishery.

The Sauk and Skagit rivers were pretty silted. The Baker River opens today, and the silted water could reduce the number of sockeye caught.

The North Fork Stillaguamish was in excellent fishing condition in the Cicero-Deer Creek area, and there are a few wild steelhead for catch-and-release fly fishermen. The Green River has been slow for steelhead.

Lake Washington sockeye update

As predicted, the Lake Washington sockeye fishery won't be open in time for the July 4 fireworks show, and fisheries managers are still taking a wait-and-see attitude.

"It is still just too early to make a call yet," said Steve Foley, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist.

Through June 29, at total of 91,118 fish had been counted at the locks. At least 350,000 sockeye are needed to open a fishery.

Top spots of the week

Shellfish and crab in Puget Sound and Hood Canal: "The big minus tides this week are good clam and geoduck tides, and it has been decent for crabs off Camano Island and in Area 9 (northern Puget Sound-Admiralty Inlet)," said Mike Chamberlain at Ted's Sports Center in Lynnwood.

Low tides: Today, minus-3.6 feet at 10:37 a.m.; tomorrow, -4.1 at 11:25 a.m.; Saturday, -4.0 at 12:13 p.m.; Sunday, -3.5 at 1 p.m.; Monday, -2.5 at 1:48 p.m.

Steelhead and chinook in Cowlitz and Lewis rivers: "The steelhead fishing is hot on Cowlitz, and I fished Friday and limited in no time," said Bryan Nelson at Three Rivers Marine and Tackle in Woodinville.

Most of the Cowlitz steelhead catch is happening from Mission Bar to Blue Creek.

Trout in Lake Washington and other local lakes: "Still pretty good on cutthroat in Lake Washington, for a mix of resident and migrating cutthroat," said Jerry Beppu, owner of Linc's Tackle Shop in Seattle. "I know one guy who caught five fish and three had sea lice on them. Both I-90 and 520 bridges and near (Gene) Coulon Park in Renton are best."

Kokanee fishing has been fair to good on Lake Stevens, and some were pushing 16 to 17 inches," Chamberlain said.

Other worthy lakes are Goodwin, McMurray, Mineral, Pass, Lone, Green, Spanaway, Riffe, Mayfield, Pine and American.

Chinook, steelhead, sockeye, shad and sturgeon in Columbia River: "Scattered catches of summer chinook below Bonneville Dam, but steelhead fishing dropped off a little bit although it should pick up with the stronger tides this weekend," said Joe Hymer, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist.

The sturgeon catch-and-keep fishery in the estuary will close after Saturday. Sockeye fishing is open from Rocky Point-Tongue Point line to Priest Rapids Dam. The run size has been upgraded to 115,000 sockeye.

Chinook and steelhead in local rivers: "Lots of kings in the Skykomish, but the steelhead are few and far in between," said Nelson.

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