CHINOOK AND COHO will arrive in abundance again this year off the Pacific Coast, according to three alternatives for ocean salmon sport fisheries.
Those three alternatives were released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council on Thursday, and show likely catch quotas similar to last year for chinook and slightly lower for coho.
Last year saw recreational ocean fishing quotas of 59,100 chinook and 184,800 coho.
This year’s proposals are:
■ Alternative 1 — 64,000 chinook and 159,200 coho.
■ Alternative 2 — 62,000 chinook and 134,400 coho.
■ Alternative 3 — 58,000 chinook and 117,600 coho.
But don’t fret about the lower coho estimate, according to Tom Burlingame of Excel Fishing Charters and The Inn at Neah Bay (360-374-2225).
Burlingame is one of two area advisers for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and is the main spokesman for the charter and recreational fishing outfits in Neah Bay.
“Last year’s coho run was one of the best, if not the best I’ve seen in 25 years in the business,” Burlingame said.
“This year, the projections are still well above the 10-year average for coho, and with the addition of the pinks there will be ample recreational opportunities for sport fishing.”
All three alternatives provide for a selective hatchery chinook fishery.
Alternative 1 allows for a selective fishery in Marine Area 3 (LaPush) and 4 (Neah Bay) to run May 15-16, 22-23 and May 30-June 12, with a daily limit of two hatchery chinook.
The traditional summer fishery would go from June 13 to Sept. 30 in each area, plus Oct. 1-11 off LaPush.
Anglers can keep two salmon, plus two additional pinks.
“As fishers, we would like to have Alternative 1 because that provides the most fish and most time on the water,” Burlingame said.
“But it’s a little more complex than that because we have conservation issues to address.”
Burlingame said that fisheries managers aren’t beholden to picking one alternative in favor of another. Instead, they can mix and match to come up with the season that best maximizes sport fishing opportunities with species preservation.
“When it gets right down to it, it boils down to the impact on endangered runs and wanting to stick to the limits on the runs,” Burlingame said.
Alternative 2 allows for a selective fishery in Area 3 and 4 from May 22-23 and June 6-19.
The same two-hatchery chinook limit as Alternative 1 would apply.
Traditional season dates for LaPush would run from June 20 to Sept. 20 and from Sept. 27 to Oct. 11 in the LaPush late season area.
The season would go from June 20 to Sept. 30 off Neah Bay.
The limit would stay the same: two salmon and two additional pinks.
Alternative 3 pushes the selective hatchery fishery to a two-week run from June 13-26, with the same two-salmon limit.
The traditional season would run from June 27 to Sept. 20 in Area 3 and 4, with LaPush getting a late-season boost from Sept. 27 to Oct. 11.
Rain in West End
Rain pushed the water levels up on the West End river systems Wednesday and more is planned for tonight and Saturday.
Wednesday’s rain increased river flows but those flows were so low due to the sunny winter weather that rivers are still in pretty solid shape.
Head west for the last shot to responsibly catch-and-release a wild steelhead, or to take a crack at an early spring chinook.
Small blackmouth
Anglers are having some luck catching the latter portion of the winter blackmouth run in Marine Area 6 (Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca).
Puget Sound Anglers members such as Dave Dewald have been sending back what they have run into lately, mainly shakers and a couple wild stock of about 6 to 8 pounds on a recent trip to Freshwater Bay.
Dewald mentioned the small fish were caught on a cookies and cream coho killer and a gold silver coho killer, while the larger adipose-finned fish were caught using Junkyard Dog and Yellow Tail spoons.
Further east in Area 6, herring and hoochies have attracted the attention of blackmouth.
Razor clam digs
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife approved a series of razor clam digs that start with evening tides Monday, then switch to morning tides Saturday, March 21.
Upcoming digs are scheduled on the following dates, beaches and low tides:
■ Monday: 4:15 p.m., 0.3 feet — Long Beach and Twin Harbors.
■ Tuesday: 5:08 p.m., -0.2 feet — Long Beach and Twin Harbors.
■ Wednesday: 5:57 p.m., -0.5 feet — Long Beach and Twin Harbors.
■ Thursday: 6:42 p.m., -0.5 feet — Long Beach and Twin Harbors.
■ Friday, March 20: 7:26 p.m., -0.4 feet — Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks.
Seasonal tidal switch
■ Saturday, March 21: 7:55 a.m., -0.5 feet — Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks.
■ Sunday, March 22: 8:42 a.m., -0.7 feet — Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks..
■ Monday, March 23: 9:31 a.m., -0.6 feet — Long Beach and Twin Harbors.
■ Tuesday, March 24: 10:21 a.m., -0.3 feet — Long Beach and Twin Harbors.
Diggers can take 15 razor clams per day and are required to keep the first 15 they dig.
Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.
All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2014-15 fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach.
Licenses can be purchased from fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov and from license vendors around the state.
Send photos, stories
Have a photograph, a fishing or hunting report, an anecdote about an outdoors experience or a tip on gear or technique?
Send it to sports@peninsuladailynews.com or P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
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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.
