South Sound anglers starting to land hatchery blackmouth
SALT WATER
South Sound: State creel reports indicates action is improving. The Point Defiance Boat House Marina staff said some hatchery blackmouth started showing up in recent days. Those having luck are fishing between the boathouse and the clay banks.
North Sound: The state surveyed 51 anglers Sunday at the Bellingham and Anacortes boat ramps. Bellingham anglers caught 26 chinook, while Anacortes anglers caught 21.
Razor clams: The state announced Tuesday that Twin Harbors will open for a five-day dig beginning Wednesday (April 5). The first four days, digging will take place on evening tides, with a morning dig on the final day. The low tide times are: Wednesday, 3:06 p.m., 0.5 feet; Thursday, 4:08 p.m. 0.4 feet; Friday, 5:01 p.m., 0.4 feet; Saturday, 5:46 p.m., 0.4 feet; and Sunday, 6:25 a.m., 0.5 feet. Pending results of marine toxin tests, the state plans to open Twin Harbors April 12-16, Copalis on April 13 and 15, and Mocrocks on April 14 and 16.
Strait of Juan de Fuca: The best action has been off Sekiu, based on state creel reports. The state last weekend checked 42 anglers, who caught and kept 57 chinook. One fish weighed 21 pounds. In eastern parts of the strait, 67 anglers checked Friday and Saturday at the Ediz Hook ramp in Port Angeles brought in 34 chinook.
LAKES
Cady: The Mason County lake was stocked last week with 75 rainbow trout.
Duck: State records show more than 1,000 rainbows were added last week to the Grays Harbor County lake.
Leland: Last week, 2,024 rainbows were added to the Jefferson County lake.
Long: Kitsap County added 7,200 rainbows last week to this lake.
Spanaway: Bud Herlitzka of the Spanaway Lake Boathouse said anglers are limiting quite easily since the lake was stocked with 8,000 rainbows last week. Anglers in boats are doing best. Herlitzka recommends fishing near the Enchanted Island bridge.
Tanwax: With 1,000 trout planned for release each week through April, fishing is good and expected to get better, said the Rainbow Resort staff. Boat anglers are doing better than dock anglers, but both are catching fish. Boat anglers are using flies or spinners, and dock anglers are using worms and Power Bait. Worms also are attracting perch for dock anglers.
RIVERS
Cispus: Last week, Tacoma Power released 18 winter-run steelhead adults and nine spring chinook adults near Yellow Jacket Creek in Lewis County.
Columbia: The count, through Sunday, of 20 adult spring chinook is the second-lowest on record through April 2, said Joe Hymer of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Only in 1949 were there fewer: 17. Sturgeon and walleye fishing has been slow.
Cowlitz: Don’t panic if you hear emergency sirens early Wednesday (April 5) at Kinswa State Park, Mayfield Lake Park and the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery. Tacoma Power and the Lewis County Department of Emergency Management plan to check the emergency notification system at 11 a.m. Last week, Tacoma Power recovered 149 winter-run steelhead adults, two steelhead jacks, 13 spring chinook adults and a cutthroat trout at the hatchery separator.
Kalama: Action is quite slow, according to state statistics. Last week, 30 bank anglers caught two steelhead and one chinook, while nine bank anglers caught one chinook.
Tilton: Tacoma Power released 10 winter-run steelhead adults, two steelhead jacks and a cutthroat trout last week at Morton’s Gust Backstrom Park in Lewis County.
This story was originally published April 4, 2017 at 11:00 AM with the headline "South Sound anglers starting to land hatchery blackmouth."