Port Angeles
WDFW sent me a note today with this years Halibut Openers. For LaPush, where I usually fish, it will be just as we suspected. May 10, 12, 17 and 19th these are Thursday, Saturday. If there is quota left there will be an open on May 31 or June 2. If there is still Quota left after that there will be periodic openers Thursdays and/or Saturdays till the quota is filled.
For the rest of the coastal Marine areas and the Puget Sound you can check the press release here.
Good Fishin' To Ya'
Kerry W Allen
Quotas are up this year. The seasons will remain mostly the same as last year. WDFW says that the last two years sport catch in Puget Sound has exceeded allotments so they are hoping the combination of increased quota and the same seasons will help fix that.
The 2011 recreational halibut seasons approved for Washington’s marine areas :
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Columbia River (Ilwaco):Marine Area 1 will open May 5, three days a week, Thursday through Saturday until 70 percent of the quota is reached, or until July 17. The fishery will then reopen on Aug. 5 and continue three days a week (Friday through Sunday) until the remaining quota is reached, or Sept.30, whichever occurs first. The 2011 catch quota is 15,418 pounds.
South Coast (Westport/Ocean Shores): Marine Area 2 will open on May 1, two days a week, Sundays and Tuesdays. During the fourth week in May the fishery will be open Sunday only (May 22). Beginning the following week the fishery will resume the Sunday, Tuesday structure until the quota is reached. The northern nearshore area will be open seven days per week, until the quota is reached. The 2011 catch quota is 43,500 pounds.
North Coast (La Push/Neah Bay): Marine areas 3 and 4 will open on May 12, two days per week, Thursdays and Saturdays, through May 21. If sufficient quota remains, the fishery will reopen the week of June 2. If sufficient quota remains after that opener, the fishery will reopen starting June 16. The 2011 catch quota is 108,792 pounds.
Strait of Juan de Fuca/Puget Sound: Marine areas 6 through 10 (Strait, Port Angeles, Admiralty Inlet and Everett) will be open May 5 through May 29. Marine Area 5 (Sekiu) will be open May 26 through June 18. These fisheries will be open three days a week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday closed Sunday through Wednesday except for Memorial Day weekend when they will be open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The 2011 combined catch quota for these areas is 58,155 pounds.
This year is looking good but remember to check with WDFW for updates before you hook up the boat and make a long trip somewhere.
Good Fishin' To Ya'
Kerry W Allen
Here is a link to a great article on Olympic Peninsula and Northwestern Washington rivers by Matt Schubert.
They might be putting on some color as fall salmon season winds down on the North Olympic Peninsula, but I’d be blushing, too, if droves of voyeurs looked on while I tossed out pickup lines.
Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
Read more here.
Good Fishin' To Ya'
Kerry W Allen
As the 10th anual Port Angeles Halibut Derby closes its first day of fishing there are 30 fish on the ladder and the biggest is a 68 lb’er caught by 59 yr old Port Angeles resident Gary Coffey at 8:30am. Most of the top ten fish turned in Saturday were caught buy Peninsula residents. Fishing continues today until 2:00pm with prizes being awarded at the Port Angeles Yacht Club immediately following.
Good Fishin’ To Ya’
Kerry W Allen
Good Fishin' To Ya'
Kerry W Allen
So I heard about this new two pole endorsement the WDFW is offering this year, and I was considering getting it. After all who wouldn’t want to be able to fish different rigs while fishing alone. Learning of this conjured up images of the days when you could fish multiple poles and no one cared as long as you observed the limits.
My hopes were dashed though when I learned the two pole endorsement is not for saltwater or rivers in general. The two pole endorsement is only for select lakes with the potential of it maybe being used for surplus fish “WDFW is evaluating areas and times when surplus fish may be available for harvest and the two-pole option could be allowed.” In my opinion this is not enough hope to spend $25.00 on the endorsement.
I thought I better put this out in case others were caught by surprise also.
Good Fishin’ To Ya’
Kerry W Allen
Good Fishin' To Ya'
Kerry W Allen
My buddy Scott from the Washington Salmon Anglers Forum reports from LaPush off the coast that they ate catching lots of nice Halibut, and some big Ling Cod too, on Pipe Jigs. LaPush is open till May 22 thursday through Saturday and again June 3rd and 5th if sufficient quota remains. I would not cont on the June fishery, Guys have been catching Halibut like crazy so the Quota will likely be filled.
Good Fishin’ To Ya’
Kerry W Allen
Good Fishin' To Ya'
Kerry W Allen
In the last week I’ve received reports of Great halibut fishing from all over the straits of Juan De Fuca from Admiralty Inlet to Neah Bay. One guy reported from Sequim of catching three over 40 lbs while guys in Port Angeles are catching smaller “Chicken” halibut in shallower water around 60 to 90 feet in Freshwater Bay. Whidbey Island has been good as well as Seiku and Neah Bay closer to the Ocean. Most of the big fish I have heard about have been caught on big herring and octopus.
Good Fishin’ To Ya’
Kerry W Allen
Good Fishin' To Ya'
Kerry W Allen
Gig Harbor Fly Shop
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