AN EARLY RUN of coho is making its way in good numbers along the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay) to Marine 5 (Sekiu).
They are in the smaller range, however, the vast majority weighing around 5 pounds.
Gary Ryan of Van Riper’s Resort (360-963-2334) in Sekiu has heard solid reports the past few days.
“Guys were fishing off the bell [buoy by Slip Point] and catching them yesterday,” Ryan said Thursday.
“Today, it sounded like a little farther of a trip to go and get them.”
Tackle-wise, the gear appears to be in flux.
“Guys are starting to switch to using the hoochies, the rubber squid. Some are still using spoons,” Ryan said.
“We’ve been selling a lot more bait lately. Guys are shifting over because the coho are feeding on herring.”
Sekiu has the reputation as the best spot in the state to catch silvers.
Ryan has a theory behind that belief.
“They are coming in out of the ocean and this area just has a tremendous amount of bait fish,” Ryan said.
“They need to fatten up for that last push [to spawn in rivers and streams], so they stay awhile.”
Neah Bay chinook
Anglers fishing in ocean waters off Neah Bay are allowed to keep one chinook per day starting today, state fishery managers announced.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife closed Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay) to chinook retention earlier this summer when the catch of chinook was expected to reach the harvest guideline for the area.
But catch rates dropped in the final days, allowing Fish and Wildlife to reopen the area to chinook retention Aug. 14 and 15.
“Angler participation and catch rates remained low last week,” Doug Milward, state ocean salmon manager, said.
“We’re still below the guideline for the area, which means we can give anglers the opportunity to catch chinook daily in Marine Area 4.”
Anglers fishing in Neah Bay can keep one chinook as part of the two-salmon daily limit, plus two additional pinks, but must release all wild coho and chum.
However, the section of Marine Area 4 that is east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line in the Strait of Juan de Fuca will remain closed to chinook retention.
A total of 141 chinook, 507 coho and 269 pinks were counted at Neah Bay from Aug. 10-16.
Michael Lawrence of Big Salmon Resort (360-645-2374) in Neah Bay has been out on the water recently.
“The king fishing is still pretty good out there,” Lawrence said.
“I did good on the sea bass at Spike Rock and caught two kings down there,” Lawrence said of the spot a little less than a mile from Point of Arches.
“Makah Bay and Skagway Rocks are loaded, and the Umatilla area has been good.”
Lawrence said those fishing for silvers have had their hands full.
“You have to fish through a lot of them to get keepers,” Lawrence said.
“It’s probably a 7-to-1 ratio.”
Hatchery coho must be at least 16 inches in order to be kept in Marine Area 4.
“They are in close around Tabletop Rock,” Lawrence said.
Area 6 report
Eric Brenner of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More (360-683-1950) in Sequim went fishing for pinks Wednesday night near the little red can between Freshwater Bay and Port Angeles.
“I was out last night and limited pretty easily, and in not too much time,” Brenner said.
“We were hooking them like crazy.
“They will hit on anything pink, so pink Buzz Bombs, Coho Killers and Point Wilson Dart jigs are the choice.”
Brenner said he and his fishing partner were trolling about 2 miles per hour. They found the best bite was from 40- to 60-feet deep.
They also caught and released some smaller coho, all below 5 pounds and all wild.
Brenner also heard of some silvers being landed in Port Townsend.
“There are some silvers being caught off the beach at Fort Worden,” Brenner said.
“That seems a little early, but typically the coho get real big right as the season ends, so maybe if things are pushed up we can get some big ones before the regulations shut it down.”
Area 9 pinks
Ward Norden, a fishing tackle wholesaler and former fishery biologist, said this third week in August is typically the height of pink season in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet).
“Beach casters on Whidbey Island also are doing well using the usual array of Rotator Jigs, made in Sequim by Dave Sanford, and Buzz Bombs,” Norden said.
“What is a bit different this year is that many anglers, including both fly fishers and bobber fishers, have discovered that tiny one-eighth-ounce pink jigs are also catching lots of humpies.
“A few coho are being caught, but coho and humpies don’t play well together, so coho will usually wait until most of the humpies have passed before beginning to make their move.
“Usually coho fishing improves markedly just after Labor Day in a humpy year.”
Steelie pressure
Apparently, the amount of angler pressure is as low as the flows on the Hoh River.
Jerry Wright of Jerry’s Bait and Tackle (360-457-1308) in Port Angeles went out to the Hoh for a scouting trip Sunday.
“There wasn’t anybody around,” Wright said.
“It was bathtub water.
“It had to have been above 50 degrees in there. I’ve never seen it so low in my entire life.
“I’m worried for the fall runs.”
Bear sightings up
Black bear hunting season opened Aug. 1, and despite the dry conditions, there are bear for the taking.
“I’ve been hearing a ton of bear sightings,” Brenner said.
“One guy bought his tag and then three days later he came in [for another], and I asked him if he had lost the first tag, but he had gotten a bear and was asking for another.
“Then he came back and said he got another one, too.”
Two is the bag limit for bear during the season.
“With the water being so low and the berries all coming in at the same time, they are out and about all over the place,” Brenner said.
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Outdoors columnist Michael Carman appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
