Marine Area 9 - Admiralty Inlet - Reopens Sunday 16th January

Marine Area 9 - Admirality Inlet - reopens for salmon fishing this Sunday 16th January! This is perhaps the single most popular salmon fishing area of all of Puget Sound! This encompasses the popular Posession Bar area off the southern end of Whidbey Island, Point No Point and Mid Channel Bank off Port Townsend. How this area will produce this year is a "Crap Shoot" to say the least. So far this winter the local blackmouth fishing has been far from "Good"! The local area of 8-1 & 8-2 that generally produce quite well during the winter season have been lackluster to say the least. There were a few nice blackmouth caught when it first opened and was fair for the first few weeks but subsequently fizzled out! Not that there are not a few fish being caught but you are definitely earning each and every one you catch. Area 10 has turned out a tad bit better fishing lately but nothing that I would say "Fair" at best. We have seen a few nicer fish in the 7 - 10 pound range being caught off Richmond Beach as well as the Kingston / Jefferson Head area in the past few weeks, when the water is conducive to getting out. (Which hasn't been very often.) Anyway, if I had to guess what will happen in Area 9 - I would have to say that I think that there will be some fair fishing for the first couple of weeks with some nice fish being landed and once these few fish are either caught or wise up the fishing will be scratch fishery after that. I hope that I am wrong - but I will be amazed if it produces well beyond the first couple of weeks.

Remember this is a two salmon limit area - minimum 22" on Chinook and all "Wild" Chinook must be released. There is no size or wild fish restriction on other salmon species.