FISHING

Without getting into too many details, the top color choice for any lure, hoochie squid skirt or jig is pink. Yes, pinks like pink, and be sure once you hear when the seasons are set in early April to stock up on all the pink gear you might think you’ll need before they become slim pickings at tackle shops.

If I were to place a bet on any other salmon fishery in the summer, it would lean toward Buoy 10. Located at the mouth of the Columbia, Buoy 10 is rated as one of the hottest latesummer salmon fisheries in the Pacific

Northwest as millions of Chinook and coho salmon stage here before heading further down the coast or into the big river. Once this year’s dates are set in early April be sure to book a moorage spot in the ports of Ilwaco or Astoria because they fill up quickly. The fishery usually opens in early August and peaks by around the third and fourth week of the month, but can be good especially for coho all the way into September.

Prime fishing spots aren’t at Buoy 10, but just outside of Ilwaco at the Wing Walls; Desdemona Sands area;

Jigging for squid off Puget Sound piers has long been popular, but recent years have seen more anglers doing so off of boats and kayaks as the annual “run” surges in in fall. Author Mark Yuasa shows off a double he jigged up in November 2020 along the Seattle waterfront off the Smith Tower. (MARK YUASA) the buoy line off the town of Astoria above the Astoria-Megler Bridge; outside the Port of Astoria Marina to Fort Stevens State Park; the Hammond area; above the bridge on the Washington side; and the Church Hole off Fort Columbia State Park.

Gear can consist of a weighted diver or 8- to 10-ounce cannonball sinker to a KoneZone or Fish Flashtype flasher tied on a tandem-hook leader on a whole or cut-plug herring. Spinners like a Toman’s Thumper Flex, with a blade in red/white or chartreuse attached to a plastic squid, or a Brad’s Super Bait Cut Plug lure catch their share of fish too.

September

After the drought saga of 2015, it appears coho salmon returns to Puget Sound are rebounding, and they provided fair to good fishing in marine areas of the inland sea and Strait of Juan de Fuca in fall 2022.

“I think the Puget Sound coho fishery grade was a B+,” says Justin Wong, owner of Cut Plug Charter (seattlesalmonfishing.com) in Seattle. “We had some great moments of coho fishing, with September being pretty darn good. The shining light to the lack of rainfall last fall was that we caught coho later in the season than we have been the last couple of years.”

The salmon forecasts that come out in early March should give us a better look into the crystal ball, but a number of places should be on your list of where to fish in September. If Marine Areas 9, 10 and 11 are open for coho, look to Midchannel Bank off Port Townsend; Bush Point and Lagoon Point off the west side of Whidbey Island; Marrowstone Island; Point No Point, Possession Bar, the waters off the Edmonds Marina, Pilot Point south to Apple Cove Point (named by Charles Wilkes in April 1841 on the Wilkes Expedition for the crabapple trees blossoming around its shorelines) and Jefferson Head; West Point south of Shilshole Bay and Meadow Point north to Richmond Beach; and Brace Point,

The Leelock Magnum Skeg

Drastically improve performance and steering of bow-mounted electric trolling motors with the LeeLock Magnum Skeg. The use of bow-mounted electric trolling motors for salmon trolling is a game changer. Not only does this skeg improve performance, it makes bow-mounted electric trolling motors much more efficient. Your batteries will run longer on a charge. The LeeLock Magnum Skeg can be a vital part of your trolling motor system!

The skeg is made of anodized 5052 aluminum. The size is 8 3/4 inches high by 10 inches wide and it’s 3/16 inch thick. The anodization keeps the aluminum from corroding in fresh- and saltwater. The LeeLock Magnum Skeg is available to fit most Minn Kota and MotorGuide (pictured) motors. It comes with clear PVC-coated stainless steel hose clamps. Call 360-380-1864 or write info@ leelock.com if you have any questions about fit.

Leelock Crab Cracker

This new tool from Leelock will allow you to measure your Dungeness crabs to determine which ones are legal to keep. Then use the Crab Cracker to crack them in half, separating the two clusters from the shell and guts.

The Crab Cracker has been designed so that it sits nicely on top of a 5-gallon bucket, perfect for when you clean crabs. The bucket gives you a stable base, which makes it easier to clean – the guts and shell go into the bucket, making cleanup a snap. Crabs cleaned this way take up half as much space as whole crabs, so you can cook twice as many in your kettle.

The Crab Cracker is a unique tool made from solid aluminum, and comes in handy for cleaning Dungeness crabs.

360-380-1864 www.leelock.com