Coastal fishers landing bigger kings

BOB BROWN, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published July 27, 2001

WESTPORT -- Washington coastal salmon fishing continues to be hot and the fish are getting bigger.

Boats are limiting each day within hours with a mixture of kings and silvers, said Larry Giese of Deep Sea Charters.

Last week, a 54-pound king was boated and a 40-pounder was landed Monday. On average, kings have been weighing 15-20 pounds Giese said. Silvers are averaging 8-10.

At Ilwaco, most of the catch has been silvers from 6-10 pounds, but a few chinook up to 25 pounds are being landed, said a spokesperson at Pacific Salmon Charters.

By Wednesday, 26.8 percent of the Columbia River coho quota and 25.5 percent of the chinook quota had been taken.

Westport has hit 21.6 percent of the coho quota and 40.5 percent of the chinook quota.

Saltwater

-SOUTH SOUND: A couple of kings were caught near the green buoy in the Nisqually Delta last week.

Action also has been reported around Ketron Island.

-TACOMA: Fishing has been pretty good, said Art Tachell of Point Defiance Boathouse & Marina.

The best spots have been between Point Defiance and the slag pile.

Trolling has been better than mooching.

Anglers have averaged one fish per five rods. Kings have ranged from 8-32 pounds, silvers from 5-10.

Plugs have worked for kings; flashers and hoochies for silvers.

-HOOD CANAL: Pink salmon fishing has improved near the hatchery and at Hoodsport, said Walt Harvey of Verle's Sports in Shelton.

Fish are hitting 2- to 2.5-inch pink buzz bombs.

Pink Blue Fox lures are working, too.

Drifting and casting has been effective.

Crabbing has been good at Saltwater Park.

- COWLITZ: Steelhead fishing has been pretty good from Blue Creek down river, said Karen Glazer of Barrier Dam Campground.

Bank fishers using sand shrimp, or corkies and yarn, have caught limits.

The fish are between 7-12 pounds.

Cutthroat fishing has been good near Ethel Bar.

The Cowlitz opens Aug. 1 to coho salmon fishing. Chinook must be released.

-LEWIS: Hatchery steelhead are being landed in the North Fork and the mouth of the river.

Flows below Merwin Dam will be about 1,500 cubic feet per second this week.

-CHEHALIS: The river is low, but clear. Fishing has been fair, said Ray Dean of Monte Square Food Mart in Montesano. Sand shrimp has been the bait of choice.

-COLUMBIA: Including fish released, bank fishers averaged one hatchery steelhead per three rods last week.

Pressure has been heavy at Woodland, Kalama and Longview.

Sturgeon fishers on private boats averaged one legal-sized fish kept per three rods last week, while charter boat anglers managed one legal kept per rod, said Joe Hymer of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife's Vancouver office.

-COASTAL RIVERS: Fishing has not been good, said Bob Gooding of Olympic Sporting Goods in Forks. The Sol Duc and Hoh are the best choices.

-KALAMA: Fishing has been slow, but recent rains brought in some steelhead and things should improve.

-NISQUALLY: Things remain slow.

Lakes

-LEWIS COUNTY: Fishing is booming at Riffe Lake on the Cowlitz River, said Mike Weigant of Wild Country Sporting Goods in Mossyrock.

A recent creel check of 54 bank anglers found 20 steelhead, 37 coho and one cutthroat trout.

The lake is 36 feet below full pool.

Things have been excellent on the Tilton Arm of Mayfield Lake.

A Saturday creel check counted 28 boaters with 81 rainbow trout. Bank fishers were limiting.

-PIERCE COUNTY: Limits are still being taken at Spanaway Lake, but fishing has tapered off, said Bud Herlitzka of Spanaway Boathouse.

The south end has been good for boaters still-fishing with green PowerBait. Trolling has been slow.

Last week, Richard Larson of Tacoma caught a 9.5-pound rainbow.

American Lake is producing 10- to 13-inch rainbows, Ken Anderson of Bill's Boathouse said. Kokanee are being landed on Wedding Rings and maggots trolled 20-25 feet deep.

Keith Milner of Tacoma landed a 6.8-pound channel catfish using crankbait last week, said Carrol Abbott of Harts Lake Resort.

Trout fishing has been slow, but crappie are biting on jigs.

-THURSTON COUNTY: Trout fishing has been fair in early mornings and slow during the day at Lawrence Lake. Green Wedding Ring/worm combinations work for trout and perch. The perch have been biting hard all day.

Bank fishing is slow.

The water level is down, so boaters should be aware that launching can be more difficult.

Boat fishers are doing better than bank anglers at Offut Lake near Tenino.

Bass and perch are starting to show.

-MASON COUNTY: Fishing has slowed on most waters. Early mornings and late evenings are best.

Fly fishing

-SALTWATER: Fishing has been good in South Sound and should get better, said Greg Edwards of the Streamside Anglers store in Tumwater.

Mixed catches of coho and sea-run cutthroat are being reported.

Pink salmon fishing has been good at the Hoodsport hatchery.

The best flies are Clouser minnows, woolhead sculpins and small pink Charlies for pink salmon.

-RIVERS: Good fishing for steelhead on Hoh, Sol Duc and Queets on Olympic Peninsula and the Kalama, Cowlitz and Lewis.

Try black woolly buggers and muddlers.

Deschutes, Newaukum, Skookumchuck and Tilton are low, clear and excellent in the evenings for cutthroat and rainbows.

For dry flies, try elk-hair caddis, Stimulators and Parachute Adams.

Use bead-head hare's ears, Muddler minnows and caddis emergers under the surface.

-LAKES: Thurston, Mason and Pierce County lakes are good for bass and panfish, but slow for trout.

Small leech patterns and damsel nymphs are working for trout.

Bass are hitting top-water poppers.

Bob Brown is a correspondent for The Olympian. He can be reached at 754-5432.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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