3 minute read
Tight Lines
By Mark Yuasa
Trick or Treat!
This time of year, many start lamenting over the fact that it’s October. After all, it’s a time when summer is a distant memory, daylight hours are waning, and Halloween and Christmas swag are appearing on store shelves. But, it also equates to local marine waterways still teeming with autumn fishing opportunities! Let’s start off with the upcoming winter Dungeness crab season as we should hear from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) very soon. “We know we’ll have winter Dungeness crab fisheries in Puget Sound, but the big question is where they’ll occur,” said Don Velasquez, a WDFW Puget Sound shellfish manager. “If we have enough data from angler summer catch record cards to support a winter fishery, then just like in past years, we’ll likely open it between Oct. 1 and 7.” One place guaranteed to have a winter crab season is the San Juan Islands, as the summer fishery never achieves the state’s share of the recreational total allowable catch. In recent years, the winter fisheries happened in the northern waters, from the Apple Cove Point-Edwards Point line north into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and are usually open daily through Dec. 31. Crab populations in southern reaches of Puget Sound were either in poor health or attained their share of the catch in the summer. In 2019, the summer and winter Puget Sound sport Dungeness crab fishery landed 1,660,752 pounds (compared to 1,585,956 in 2018 and 1,764,633 in 2017). Summer generates the highest participation level with an average of 192,798 catch cards issued compared to 23,578 during the winter fishery. “In general, there was definitely a lot of interest this past summer,” Velasquez said. Despite lower turnout during the winter, Dungeness crabs are highly sought after for their firm meat for holiday feasts. Winter catch rates are often better, and it keeps folks busy when other saltwater fishing options are minimal. For updates visit https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfishing-regulations/crab. The salmon fishing season isn’t over just yet with some decent opportunities for coho, known as “silvers” for their shiny chrome bodies. The front end of the migratory run started to appear in Puget Sound during early Sept. and usually provides decent action through Oct. In central Puget Sound, try from Kingston south to northern tip of Vashon Island, which is open for silvers through Nov. 15; south-central Puget Sound from Vashon Island south to Narrows Bridge open until Oct. 31; Hood Canal open until Nov. 30; and the Dungeness Bay terminal fishery open through Oct. 31. Southern Puget Sound remains open year-round for hatchery coho or hatchery Chinook only. Down on the coast, the eastern portion of Grays Harbor is open through Nov. 30 and generates some of the largest silvers in our state with good fishing right up to Thanksgiving. In eastern Washington, the Hanford Reach area is open until Oct. 15 for a last chance at fall Chinook in the longest free-flowing stretch of water—50 miles between Columbia River dams. Before heading out check the WDFW regulation pamphlet, app, or website https://wdfw.wa.gov/. I like to say October is definitely not a trick, but more a like treat with the sweet reward being a fresh Dungeness crab or chrome-bright salmon!
