Marine Areas 5 - Sekiu and Pillar Point & Marine area 6 - East Juan de Fuca Strait Opens For Salmon February 16

Marine Area 5 - Sekiu and Pillar Point & Marine Area 6 - Easr Juan de Fuca Strait will open for salmon tomorrow February 16th. Both of these area will open with just a one fish limit with 22" minimum size restriction on Chinook. This fishery will remain open through April 10th. These areas "DO NOT" have a hatchery only restriction during this fishery and wild fish may be retained.

Both of these areas usually put out some very good winter blackmouth fishing during this opener.

Tomorrow Last Day for Steelhead Fishing On Puget Sound Streams

Tomorrow, Febuary 15th is the last day to fish steehead on the remaining open areas of Puget Sound steams. From now on you will have to be traveling in order to fish steelhead. For those that are willing to travel there are "Lots" of angling opportunities on the Grays Harbor streams as well as Columbia River tributaries.

Razor Clam Dig - February 18th & 19th

WDFW approves evening razor-clam dig for Feb. 18-19.

OLYMPIA – The last evening razor-clam dig of the season will take place Feb. 18-19 on three ocean beaches. After that, clam diggers can look forward to a series of digs on morning tides.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved this month’s evening dig at Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks beaches after marine toxin tests showed that the clams on those beaches are safe to eat.
No digging will be allowed at any beach before noon.
Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager, said Copalis beach will remain closed for razor-clam digging this month, due to a relatively low abundance of clams. That closure will affect beaches near Ocean Shores, Oyhut, Ocean City and Copalis.
“We want to save some of the clams available for harvest in the Copalis management area for spring digs,” Ayres said. “The other three beaches have enough clams to take us right through the end of the season.”
Kalaloch Beach will also remain closed, due to a low abundance of razor clams. The National Park Service, which manages that beach in cooperation with WDFW, has announced plans to open Kalaloch for a razor-clam dig April 7-9.
For the upcoming dig, the evening low tide Saturday, Feb.18, is at 4:13 p.m. (0.0 feet), and on Sunday, Feb.19, at 5 p.m. (-0.2 feet).
Ayres recommends that diggers hit the beach one to two hours before evening low tide for best results.
Once the harvest is totaled for this month’s dig, WDFW will announce plans for future digs, starting in early March, Ayres said. Because of the change in tides that occurs in spring, those digs will all be held during morning hours.
Under state law, diggers can take 15 razor clams per day, and are required to keep the first 15 they dig. Each digger's clams must be kept in a separate container.
All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2011-12 fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licensing options range from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, which can be purchased on WDFW's website (https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/) and from license vendors around the state.

Nooch - Nate

Shane managed to connect with a very nice native steelhead this weekend on the Wynoochee. He hooked up fishing a K-9 Kwickfish. With the rest of our local steelhead opportunities closing after this next Wednesday February 15th it will make all of us to travel for our fishing. Unfortunately it will put more pressure on those few streams that remain open.

Bill Hayes Hot Plug's 26th Annual Blackmouth Derby - February 25th, 2012

Circle your calender for the Bill Hayes Hot Plug's 26th Annual Blackmouth Derby to be held on February 25th, 2012.

Prizes are as follows:
1st prize - 50% of total entry fees
2nd prize - 20% of total entry fees
3rd prize - 15% of total entry fees
4th prize - 10% of total entry fees
Two additional $100.00 prizes will be drawn for any Derby ticket holder. (must be present to win)

Weigh in will be between 3:00 pm and 4:30 pm at the Stanwood Eagles located at 6419 Pioneer Hwy, Stanwood. For Directions call 360-629-3224

Entry Fee - $50.00 per person

You can enter at the following locations:
Sanwood Eagles
Elger Bay Grocery
Camano Marine
Hook Line & Sinker
Holiday Sports
John's Sporting Goods
Ted's Sports Center

For any additional information contact Ed Keller 425-308-9437

Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby - February 18 - 19 -20

The Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby is coming up this next weekend, February 18 - 19 - 20. Ticket sales for us has been far greater than it had been last year, so it appears there is more interest this year. There are "Lots" of great cash prizes as well as "Lots" of donated prizes, with everything from soup to nuts.

Tickets are $40.00 - Everyone must have one!

We will have tickets through closing on Friday, February 17th.

For additional information. www.GardinerSalmonDerby.org

Lake Samamish

Lake Samamish has been putting out some outstanding cutthroat fishing with the fish running between 13 - 20 inches. Most of the guys have been finding them from the surface down to around 15 feet. Many anglers have been fishing lead core line with needlefish spoons or gang trolls with wedding ring spinners baited with worms / night crawlers. Offereings fished off your downriggers also have produced well. Just make sure to fish well behind your releases when fishing so shallow. This is reel class fishery, don't keep any more that what you really need as to maintain the quality of this fishery. There are a good number of some really nice Kokanne being caught incidental to the cutts, however these fish can not be retained. Make sure that you can tell the difference! You don't want to risk a citation! Also, these are a really frail fish so the minimum amount of handing is a necessity as not to have high hooking mortality factors. It would be nice to get these fish reestablished to a point we just might have a retention fishery somewhere in the future.

Lake Goodwin Trout Fishing

Though there is very little pressure, the few guys that have been fishing Lake Goodwin have been finding some vary nice fish. The rainbow have been averaging around 17 inches. The fishing has not been hot by any means with most of the folks averaging about a fish per hour of effort. Most have been trolling Needlefish spoons or black or black/olive woolly bugger flies. This may not be a bad spot to put in a little time if you happen to have a morning off.

Looking For Waders? - Closeout On A Number Of Products

We are closing out a number of waders and wading boots. If you are looking for a new pair this might be the time. Here's what we have on "CLOSEOUT"!

Simms Closeouts:
Freestone Zippered Waders - Regular $299.95 Closeout $$299.95
Freestone Waders - Regular $$199.95 Closeout $149.95
Blackfoot Waders - Regular $149.95 Closeout $112.95
Headwater Wading Boot Vibram Sole - Regular $149.95 Closeout $112.95
Blackfoot Wading Boot Vibram Sole - $99.95 Closeout $74.95

Dan Bailey Closeouts:
Yellowstone Guide Waders - Regular $399.95 Closeout $299.95

Redington Closeouts:
CPX Zipperfront Wader - Regular $299.95 Closeout $ $224.99

All Closeouts Are Limited To Stock On Hand!

Stop by or give us a call for sizes on hand.

Reiter Ponds Steelheading

Just spoke with John who spent the vast majority of the day at Reiter Ponds getting in one of his last days for the winter season on the Skykomish. He said the pressure was not overwhelming with around 20 guys fishing throughout the day. John managed to hit six fish today, landing two, loosing two and having two on for just a second. There was a mixture of fish there today with some nice bright hatchery fish landed as well as some that definitely has been in the system for awhile. We have just through the 15th to be able to fish before the closures take place so if you want to get in a little steelheading you have just a short time left.