5th Annual Everett Blackmouth Derby - Saturday March 19, 2011

The 5th Annual Everett Blackmouth Derby will take place on Saturday March 19th, 2011.
This derby is limited to just 100 tickets! Price is $100.00 per boat and allows up to four anglers to participate. Fishing will take place in Marine Areas 8-1,8-2 & 9. Weigh in will be from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at the 10th Street boat launch and the prizes will be awarded at Bayside Marine at 4:30pm.

Prizes:
1st Place $3,000.00
2nd Place $1,500.00
3rd Place $ 500.00
4th Place $ 250.00
Mystery Fish $300.00

Tickets are available at the following locations:
John's Sporting Goods
Everett Bayside Marine
Greg's Custom Rods
Hook Line & Sinker
Ted's Sports Center
Ed's Surplus
Three Rivers Marine
Performance Marine

This derby is presented by The Everett Steelhead and Salmon Club / Everett Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers.

For additional Information go to the derby web site - www.everettblackmouthderby.com

Willamete River Spring Chinook - Tech Tips by Buzz Ramsey

If you fish the Willamette this next months (March) Tips and Techniques comes from Mr. Buzz Ramsey of Yakima Bait and gives you a run down on fishing these waters, not only on how to rig up but exactly how you should be fishing. Though this report is geared specifically toward the Willamette these same techniques also apply to the Columbia. Buzz is perhaps one of the most knowledgeable individuals on Northwest salmon and steelhead fishing that there is! When Buzz speaks, believe me people listen!

Thanks Buzz

Time To Start Thinking Pink?

After the "Record Setting" Pink Salmon run that we had in 2009 folks are already starting to prepare for this years upcoming fishery. Though we have not received any official notice of exactly how large the predicted run size is going to be I am sure that we will have a better than average return at worse. We did not have any major flooding in our Puget Sound river systems and the outward migration of the pink fry was nothing but outstanding. Hopefully, the ocean conditions have been good and with that we should see a good return for 2011!

We have already been receiving lots of our pink salmon gear and all of it scheduled to be here before June 1.

Remember to stock up early and not get caught with your pants down as the gear goes quickly when the fish arrive!

Think Pink in 2011!

"New" Colors of Mini Octopus for Kokanee & Landlocked Silvers

We have two "New" colors of the popular Yamashita Golden Bait Mini Octopus 1.5 that will undoubtedly become very popular with the Kokanee and Landlocked Silver fishermen here in the Northwest. The first is the OG240 which is a Double Glow Fluorescent Hot Orange and the second is the OG 244 which is a Clear UV Body with a Fluorescent Hot Orange Spatter Back. We have a limited supply of these at the present time and feel these will become very popular in the upcoming seasons. $5.69/pkg of 5

Give us a call and we'll be glad to ship them out. (425) 743-9505

Hot Plugs Derby Results

Just received the results of the "Hot Plugs" Derby held this past weekend in Marine Areas 8-1 & 8-2. Though the numbers of fish were not great, the size of the fish was not bad! There were a total of 77 participants with only 7 fish caught! Here's the rundown on the results.

1st Place Curt Schaffer 20.03 pounds $2,100.00

2nd Place Darrell Clark 16.00 pounds $ 925.00

3rd Place Ralph Brodie 11.40 pounds $ 625.00

4th Place Geoff Aldcroft 10.07 pounds $ 465.00

When you look at the results, I would have to say the results are not too bad. The winning fish was larger than the winner in the Olympic Penninsula Salmon Derby.

Congratulations to all!

Olympic Penninsula Salmon Derby Results

The Derby results are in! With 248 Blackmouth entered into the derby making for a very respectable showing of fish this year. The 1st place fish was caught by Rob Schmidt of Sequim weighting in at 18.90 pounds. Congratulations!

If you would like to look over the official results of the derby take a look at their web site:

www.GardinerSalmonDerby.org

Cowlitz River - Steelhead Reports

Though I wouldn't say that things are "Hot" down on the Cowlitz at the present time, but at least there are a few more fish showing in the catches. Everyone has been awaiting the larger "B" run fish that typically show up in the later part of February and run into mid April. The water has cleared up some, with visibility running about 24 inches. The fish that we have been seeing have been nice and bright and have been in the ten pound and up range, with the largest pushing into the upper teens.

Olympic Penninsula Salmon Derby

As of yesterday there have been 189 blackmouth entered into the derby. The fish have ranged in size from 18.05 pounds for the leading derby fish to 4.60 pounds for the smallest entry. Looks as if they are having a "Great" day on the water today for the final day of the derby. When I get the final results of the derby I will give you a little rundown on how things finished.

Port Angeles Blackmout Reports

The reports that we have received out of Port Angeles the past couple of days has been quite good. Most of the folks have had no problem getting their single blackmouth limit. The fish have been in the 8 - 10 pound range on average with a few going into the teens. Most of the fish have come out of the Winter Hole. This sounds quite good for the derby over this three day weekend.

Big Island Needlefish (Aha)

With the weather the way it has been lately and the prospects of rain/snow mix over the next few days, it would be nice to see some nice weather. Tim took a minute to tease me with this picture of nice blue & warm water from the Big Island and this am's catch of a really nice needlefish (Aha). These are a real unique species and lots of fun to catch. I remember catching them when I lived in the Philippines many years ago. Despite their strange appearance they were in fact not too bad to eat. They have a bluish green meat that turns white when cooked. Tim also took a couple of Mahi this morning.

Bill Hayes Hot Plugs 25th Annual Derby - February 19 & 20 th

The Bill Hayes Hot Plugs 25th Annual Blackmouth Derby will be held this weekend, February 18th and 20th. The areas that can be fished is Areas 8-1 & 8-2. This is a "Great" little local derby that is extremely popular with the Saratoga Passage fishermen. Prizes are cash, based upon the number of derby entries.

1st Place 45%
2nd Place 20%
3rd Place 15%
4th Place 10%

5% for the largest blackmouth weighed in on Saturday as well as two $100.00 prizes that will be drawn from Saturdays entries. (Must be present to win)

Tickets Will Be Avaiable At The Following Locations:
Stanwood Eagles
Eldger Bay Store
Camano Marine
Hook Line & Sinker
Holiday Sports
John's Sporting Goods

Tickets are $60.00

For additional Information look back at the February 3rd post.

Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby - February 19-20-21 2011 - Presidents Day Weekend

The "Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby" will be held this weekend, February 19-20-21 - Presidents Day Weekend. This is a revamped version of the Discovery Bay Derby. The "Newer" version is Bigger! Larger Cash Prizes! Greater Fishing Area! Part of the Northwest Salmon Derby Series! Here's a little run down on the main "Cash" prizes!

First Prize - $10,000.00
Second Prize - $5,000.00
Third Prize $1,500.00
Fourth Prize $500.00
Mystery Fish - $1,000.00

Lots of other "Great" prizes!

Tickets are $40.00 per person, good for the entire derby!

For additional information:
www.GardinerSalmonDerby.org

Ted's Sports Center will have tickets for sale until 7:00P.M. on Friday February 18th.

Marine Areas 5 & 6 - Open February 16th

Marine Areas 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point) & Marine Area 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait)will open for salmon fishing on Wednesday 16th February and will remain open through April 10th. Daily limit will be one salmon, with Chinook having a 22 inch minimum size restriction. Yes, you can retain "Wild" Chinook! With perhaps the best blackmouth fisheries in years in Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands) we should see some of that action in these areas. Hopefully, we will get some decent weather for getting out during this opener.

Winter Steelheading Coming To An End On Northern Puget Sound Streams

The last of our Northern Puget Sound Steelhead Streams will close after Tuesday 15th February. We have just a few days left to fish the last terminal area fisheries and then its either travel to other areas of the state that remain open or wait until we open in June for summer runs. The reports that we have been receiving from these termainal fisheries has been nothing to write home about. John was up at Reiter yesterday and drew a blank, he mentioned that he saw just three or four fish landed during the time frame that he was there. Nothing spectacular!

Steelheading - Cowlitz River

In one word! SLOW! Shawn was down on Wednesday and found some very disapointing fishing to say the least. They did not have one single fish in their boat and perhaps saw just three fish amongst 25 or 30 boats. The water was still quite colored with perhaps 18 inches of visability. Even with the low visability and the higher water conditions there should have been better fishing than what he saw. Hopefully, the February fish will show up not too far in the future.

Big Island Mahi

The swell and surf has finally settled down off the Big Island and Tim has been able to get back out on the water. He is finding a few fish, as you can see by the two Mahi that he is holding up that he landed earlier today. He managed to hook four and land three. Not a bad morning on the water!

Smelt Fishing - Oak Harbor

If you are wanting to get a mess of smelt, this is the time to be doing it. The smelt fishing at the Oak Harbor Marina was good today with lots of nice sized smelt caught. Most were in the 5 1/2 to 6 in range. There are a few herring in the catches but not enough to say there are enough being caught that you can target them. Make sure that that you take some chum with you to keep the smelt in your fishing area. If you need any additional information make sure to stop by and we'll be glad to fill you in on things.

We have lots of Gamakatsu Smelt/Herring Jigs on hand in both size 4 and 5 as well as the chum.

Skagit River

Though all of our steelheading here in our neck of Puget Sound is winding to a close there are still a few fish around for those still will to put in a little time and effort. Here's a really nice wild steelhead that our good friend Frank Chang caught today in the Rockport / Cascade section of the Skagit while fishing with John Koenig of John's Guide Service (who by the way was the originator of John's Jigs). Very nice fish Frank! This section of the River will be open through the 15th of this month.

If you would like to get in one of the last few days you can give John a call and perhaps he might have a seat in his boat still left.

John's Guide Service
(360) 853-9801

Potholes - Walleye

We have been seeing some very nice catches of walleye coming from this central Washington reservoir. The lake is free of ice and the hard core walleye guys are fishing these pre spawn fish. Blade baits, vertically jigged have been producing well. Most of the fish that are being taken are in the 1 1/2 - 7 pound range. February can produce some of the best fishing of the year if you happen to hit thing right and the weather is cooperative. February can be a very tough time with cold weather and lots of wind. But if you hit thigs right it can be outstanding fishing. For up to date information give the Messbergs a call at MarDon's resort.

Lake Sammamish - Cutthroats

The cutthroat fishing on Lake Sammamish has been good for most of the folks that we have spoke with. The fish are averaging in the 13 - 14 inch range with the smaller fish around 10 and the largest pushing the 20 inch mark. Most of the guys have been finding them in the 10 - 15 foot range. It is a mix of techniques with some fishing off downriggers and others fishing lead core line. As far as gear goes it is all over the board, with #2 or #3 Luhr Jensen Needlefish spoons, small Tomic trout plugs and gang trolls with wedding ring spinners baited with worms or small crawlers have been doing just fine. There are many colors of Needlefish spoons, but the Rainbow Trout finish has been a color that keeps coming up time after time. This fishery should last a while longer before they start up the tributaries to spawn.

Smelt - Coronet Bay & Oak Harbor

For those of you that have been wondering about the smelt at Coronet Bay and Oak Harbor I am please to say that it is happening! Both of these popular spots are putting out these tasty little fish. This is a great thing to do with the kids on a nice winter day, to get them out of the house and get some fresh air as well as some tasty fare for the table. We have lots of Gamakasu smelt/herring jigs on hand as well as chum. Stop by and we'll be glad to give you a hand and give you some insight into fishing them.

American Lake

Had one of the customers fishing this popular Lakewood area lake this week and he managed to find a few kokanee. He said that they were small in the 9 - 10 inch range but kokanee none the less. It seems there are more than a few people with Spring Fever this year that are willing to get out and test the water. Perhaps we all have been missing a bet by not getting out a little sooner to go prospect for these popular and tasty landlocked sockeye. In fact the winter season is very productive on Lake Roosevelt for some really nice 20 inch kokanee. This fishery has been quite popular recently.

Our customer mentioned that he also caught a number of nice sized rainbows as well as some jumbo perch.

Foulweather Bluff - Blackmouth

If you are wanting to get out this weekend blackmouth fishing here in Area 9 you might just want to give Foulweather Bluff a try. We have been getting some very good reports from this area for the past week. Most of the fish have been good sized with most falling in the 7 - 15 pound range. In fact we heard that there was a really nice one of around 23 pounds landed! This has in fact been as good of blackmouth fishing as we have heard of since the area has opened. We have also been hearing of fish being caught off the Possession Bar area, Pilot Point and the Skunk Bay / Point No Point areas also.

Great Deal From Shimano

Shimano has a "Great" promotion on their Convergence - Clarus - Compre series of rods. Shimano will send you a rebate on these rods when you send in a proof of purchase and a completed rebate coupon.

$10.00 OFF Convergence Rods

$10.00 OFF on Clarus Rods

$20.00 OFF on Compre Rods

This promotion will run from February1 - May 31 2011

Stop by and we'll fill you in on the promotion.

Lone Lake - Whidbey Island

It seems the trout fishing at Lone Lake on Whidbey Island has slowed down for the fly fishermen the past couple of weeks. For some reason the "Slow Down" is fairly typical of the lake for this time of year. Why this happens no one seems to know. Though the fishing has slowed, most of the guys are still landing 6 - 8 fish in a day of fishing. Most fly fishermen are fishing small leech type patterns or chrinomids. Generally, the fishing will pick up greatly come March!

Lake Steven's Kokanee

Though winter generally isn't a time that is associated with kokanne fishing, there are in fact a few being landed up at Lake Stevens presently. The few guys that we have spoke with have been getting a few "Flat Lining" a Kokanee Dodger followed by a wedding ring with shoo-peg corn. The largest fish that we have heard of is pushing the 15 inch mark! It is not by any means "Hot" fishing but there are a few that are willing to bite. If you are looking for something to do to clean the winter cob webs off your gear this just be something to try on one of those nice winter days.

Bill Hayes Hot Plug's 25th Annual Blackmouth Derby February 19th & 20th 2011

The 25th Annual "Bill Hayes Hot Plug's" Blackmouth Derby will be held on February 19th & 20th. This is a "Great" local derby that generally puts out some fairly good results. Here's a little run down on the derby!

Rules: All weather derby. Everyone in the boat must be entered. Washington State fishing regulations apply. Not responsible for accidents or injuries.

Fishing allowed in Area 8-1 and 8-2 only.

Prizes:

1st 45% of total entry fees
2nd 20% of total entry fees
3rd 15% of total entry fees
4th 10% of total entry fees
5% of total entry fees for the heaviest blackmouth weighed in on Saturday
Two $100.00 prizes will be drawn at 5:00 for fish weighed in on Saturday. (Must be present to win.)

Any blackmouth caught on Saturday or Sunday is eligible for a prize.

All prizes to be awarded on Sunday.

Weigh in 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM sharp by MY watch at the Stanwood Eagles located at 6419 Pioneer Hwy, Stanwood. For Directions call (360) 629-3224

ENTRY FEE $60.00 PER PERSON

Entry fees may be paid at the following locations:
Stanwood Eagles
Eldger Bay Grocery
Camano Marine
Hook Line & Sinker
Holiday Sports
Johns Sporting Goods

For any additional information call Ed Keller at (425) 308-9437

Have a "Great" time!

Skykomish Steelheading - Reiter Ponds

Though most of the Puget Sound streams are closed to fishing as of this Past Monday (January 31 st) there are still some terminal fisheries that are still open through February 15 th. The upper Skykomish from the Big Eddy Access / High Bridge up to the forks at Index is still open. Though most of the hatchery fish are through there are a still few that are being caught at Reiter Ponds. We have not been hearing any "Great" reports over the past couple of days but there are still a handful of steelhead being caught every day. John was up there this AM and gave me a call from the river, he had landed a smaller hatchery fish and had a nice wild fish of around 17 pounds to hand.