IN THIS ISSUE: OFFICERS NOTEBOOK, SALT PATROL, FISHING TAILS , COLUMBIA RIVER REGION, SPORTFISHING INSTITUTE, FISHING CLUBS, AND MORE… THE KINGS OF BC GLORY, GLORY, GLORY TO THE KINGS OF […]
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DAVID WAS HOOKED
By Jim Goerg
A few decades ago we lived on the Issaquah Plateau (as it was called then) about a mile from the famed Pine Lake. It was April 15th, the opening day […]
Featured Posts — A ‘Sample’ of This Month’s Editorials
Fishing Tails | TROUT TIME IS HERE!
Flowers are blooming, days are getting longer, winter seems like eons ago, and that in turn means it’s time to get out on the water to wet a line!
While there are so many choices to go fishing in the spring, the one that stands out from the rest is the much-anticipated statewide lowland lakes trout fishing opener on April 27-28.
The trout opener is when thousands of anglers will converge to hundreds of lowland lakes stocked for a chance to catch millions of fish planted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) hatchery facility crews.
“The trout plants are pretty consistent from 2023, and we’ve got enough fish going into lakes to satisfy the needs of everyone who participates,” said Justin Spinelli, a WDFW Puget Sound regional biologist. “These trout are quality sized, and our hatcheries do a great job raising them before they’re released into lakes.”
In 2024, WDFW expects around 14.5 million trout will be….
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OFFICERS NOTEBOOK
By Becky Elder
Sewer Teatment Treats
Detachment 66 once again showed the importance of teamwork. A WDFW Detective had provided information to Officer Hoffarth regarding some illegal shellfish harvesting near a sewer treatment plant. Officer Hoffarth placed cameras in the area once likely access points were identified. Officer Schrader once again showed his keen timing and was working when a suspect finally appeared on camera accessing the beach. He responded with Officer Branscomb and Student Officer Mibus. The Officers were able to catch the suspect with commercial limits of oysters being harvested from a sewer treatment beach. The most interesting part: the suspect caught was the original informant for the illegal harvest being committed.
Get to the Chopper
Officer Garrison and OSP Trooper Cross flew with USCG for the commercial crab opener. No violations were located. The helicopter was able to cover ground quickly, as conditions were ideal for WDFW vessels. Back on the water Sergeant Dielman and Officer Garrison conducted a vessel patrol for commercial crab. They checked several commercial crabbers to ensure compliance with the requirement to have extra buoy tags on board the vessel. They focused on boats that mainly moor and offload in Astoria, Oregon. They also found a pot that was fishing unlawfully, without an attached buoy tag. The pot was pulled and WDFW will be in contact with the fisher…
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Columbia River Region
By Terry Sheely
UPRIVER SPRINGERS AND MORE…
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Coho and Summer Steelhead Forecasts • Who’s Trying to Abolish the WDFW Commission • Oregon Floats Out • Gillnet Buyback Campaign • Double Dip Smelt • Sturgeon Poachers Potted • Sturgeon Quota Increase • $$ For Sea Lion Removal • Southwest Washington’s Ocean Salmon Options And…
The early spring Chinook opener that is just now wrapping up between Buoy 10 and Beacon Rock was nothing to write about on the boathouse memory wall, but there’s still hope for this month when those coveted salmon move into tributaries, and swim uphill from Bonneville Dam.
Unfortunately, springer seekers are facing a 21 percent drop from the 10-year average in the number of springers forecasted above Bonneville and a total run size that is expected to top out below last year’s.
Also floating downriver this month is an effort to abolish the Washington fish and wildlife commission, the three options on the North of Falcon negotiation table for ocean salmon fishing out of Ilwaco and Westport, predictions for coho and steelhead, Oregon’s first salmon season underway, smelt dip results, Oregon now wants to buyback killnets and….
First up, the next chapter of this year’s spring Chinook fishery.
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IT’S FAMILY TROUT ADVENTURES
By John Keizer
Washington’s statewide trout opener happens the 4th Saturday of this month and its now officially past time to get the boat and tackle ready to go. Everybody likes the April trout opener as its one of the biggest fishing days of the year. Taking the wife, kids and grandkids out to wet a line and experience some fun on your favorite local lake for a few trips makes for some great family memories.
Hitting the shoreline of the lake, casting your spinning rod with power bait below a sliding egg sinker is what many families look love to do from the beach or on a boat is inexpensive and works quite well on trout cruising the shoreline.
For us hardcore salmon anglers it’s just a matter of downsizing your gear for trout. Most of the techniques are like salmon fishing to include trolling Scotty downrigger ‘s or just tossing out an anchor and baiting up a worm under a float. You can make the experience as simple or…
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