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Fishing Coho run welcomed by Derby entrants
By Mark Yuasa
Seattle Times staff reporter
Waves of coho are streaming into Puget Sound, and last weekend's Everett Coho
Derby was a record-setting affair.
"That was the most fish we've ever weighed in the 14 years of the derby,"
said Mark Spada, coordinator of the largest salmon derby on the West Coast.
"Almost 50 percent of the people in the derby caught fish ... It was amazing,
especially after coming off a bad one like last year."
There were 2,524 adult tickets sold, and 368 kids tickets were issued for
free. A total of 1,166 coho were weighed in.
Adam Dierck caught the winning 17.11-pound coho and took home $2,500. Second
place went to Larry Munson with a 15.98-pound coho, and third was Marcella
Rockenbach (15.79).
"The top three fish were all caught in saltwater, but the Lower Snohomish
turned on [Sunday] although the first day fishing wasn't that good in the
river," Spada said.
Coho fishing from Everett to Brown's Bay and down to Edmonds continues to be
good. Don't overlook Point No Point, Possession Bar, the west side of Whidbey
Island and out to Sekiu in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Fishing was slower Tuesday, but Wednesday was pretty good fishing again, said
Gary Krein, owner of All-Star Charters in Everett. "The fish are scattered
all over the place," he said, "and as you troll around you'll come across
small and big schools of fish."
Salmon fishing closes after Sunday in Areas 8-1 and 8-2, but coho fishing
remains open in North Sound (Area 9) and Central Sound (Area 10).
Salmon fishing closes after Sunday at Sekiu (Area 5). Port Angeles (Area 6)
anglers may keep up to one chinook in a two-salmon daily limit from Oct.
1-31. Anglers in south-central Puget Sound (Area 11) may keep wild or
hatchery chinook from Oct. 1-Dec. 31.
A lack of rain kept the local rivers low and clear, which doesn't bode well
for fishing.
"There are coho in the Snohomish, but the fish are just pooled up in spots
and it's hard to get them to bite," said Bryan Nelson at Three Rivers Marine
and Tackle in Woodinville. "Once we get some rain, I'll guarantee it'll get
them to bite a lot better."
Other rivers worth trying are the Skykomish, Puyallup, Duwamish and open
sections of the Green, Skagit and Skokomish.
Other reports
Pheasant hunting in local areas: Pheasant hunting opens daily starting
Saturday in the Skagit and Snoqualmie wildlife areas.
Birds will be planted at the Skagit Wildlife Area units on Saturday, Sunday
and Wednesday evenings for the rest of the season; and Saturday, Sunday,
Wednesday and Friday evenings in the Snoqualmie Wildlife Area units.
Other release sites are Sea Plane Base, OLF Coupeville, Ebey Prairie/Arnold
Farm and Bayview on Whidbey Island; Belfair and Hunter Farms in Mason County;
Fort Lewis in Pierce County; and Lake Terrell in Whatcom County.
Salmon in Grays Harbor and its tributaries: The late fall king fishery in
Grays Harbor will be the big draw when it opens Oct. 1-31, and anglers may
keep one king daily.
Try the SC Buoy (a green and red buoy on the south side of the channel) east
to the entrance of the Johns River; and throughout the south channel up to
the Chehalis estuary near the 28th Street boat ramp.
"They're getting fish in the Wynoochee, and we are seeing salmon rolling all
the way up to the Satsop, which is a good sign for when it opens [Monday],"
said Scott Barbour, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist.
The Lower Humptulips River is open for hatchery coho Oct. 1-15.
The Lower Chehalis River is open Oct. 1-Nov. 30 for salmon with a two-adult
fish daily limit, and only one may be an adult chinook. The Satsop River and
East Fork is open Monday for hatchery coho.
Salmon and tuna off the coast: With bad weather, only one coho was landed off
Ilwaco, but charters had a couple of good days in the lower Columbia River,
said Wendy Beeghly, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist.
"Tuna is starting to fade, but a few charters [about 50 miles] out of
Westport were doing pretty well [averaging 10 tuna per person]," she said.
The Last Chance Derby at La Push is this weekend. At La Push, 101 anglers
caught nine kings and 10 coho last weekend. The La Push bubble fishery is
open until Oct. 7.
Trout at Jameson Lake in Douglas County: The trout fishery reopens Oct. 1-31,
and should be a good autumn bet.
Salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River and tributaries: "Lots of bank
anglers and coho at the mouth of the Toutle [in the Cowlitz], and some coho
are being caught by boat anglers at the mouth of the Cowlitz," said Joe
Hymer, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist.
The sturgeon retention fishery is open daily from Bonneville to Wauna power
lines. Chinook fishing reopens Saturday in the Columbia from Buoy 10 to
Priest Rapids Dam, and anglers may keep up to four adult hatchery coho below
Bonneville.
Anglers must release chinook in all the Lower Columbia River tributaries
until further notice.
Fishing is fair for coho in the Kalama and fair for chinook in the Lewis.
Boat anglers in the Hanford Reach averaged one king per 3.3 rods.
Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780 or myuasa@seattletimes.com |
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