FISHING
Cash In On Black Friday Fisheries
More Western Washington lakes, trout planted for late fall, but Eastside ops too. By Mark Yuasa
H
ere’s a post-Thanksgiving activity where you can leave the credit cards in your wallet, but still cash in on an enticing fishing outing. During the past several years, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has been boosting late fall and early winter fishing with a successful program dubbed “Black Friday,” where anglers can head to a lake instead of the mall. “One of the best things about our Black Friday event is we plant some lakes with trout that are larger (1¼ pounds apiece) and to get people away from the craziness of the holiday shopping spree,” says Steve Caromile, a WDFW fish program manager. “The annual event went pretty well last year, and I heard it was one of the worst (in-person Black Friday) shopping seasons due to the pandemic,” Caromile says. “We know people wanted to avoid crowds. We’ve also heard since Covid began that fishing and outdoor activities have been a game-changer.” A total of 27 lakes will be planted for Black Friday with a total of 48,188 “jumbo-sized” trout (averaging 1 to 1½ pounds apiece), an increase from 20 lakes with 27,157 in 2020. Twentythree of those lakes are in Western and Southwest Washington. Add to that another four Eastern
Not all fall stockers are the size of this one Jim Rodin of Components Northwest caught on a Southwest Washington lake last November, but plenty of jumbos are being released to boost angling opportunities on select waters across the state this time of year. (FISHING PHOTO CONTEST)
nwsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2021
Northwest Sportsman 163
