Conditions Are Snappy For Catching Some Crappie

The sunny days of May are here and fishing for crappie has caught the attention of many anglers.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to discover this fishery. It's a good learning experience for anglers of all ages, and successful trips from now through the summer are not uncommon.

As warm weather arrives, crappie return to the shallow spawning beds of some lakes and ponds. They are very aggressive and territorial, which means they'll eat just about any bait or jig thrown in their path.

Crappie anglers concentrate on fishing depths of 10 to 15 feet, using small leadhead jigs or baiting a hook with worms or maggots.

"Small mini-jigs work the best," said Maria Beppu of Linc's Tackle in Seattle. "The popular color choices are red-white, yellow-white, hot pink-white and pearl."

Another choice among freshwater anglers is large- and smallmouth bass. Try early morning or late evening hours, near lily pads, overhanging brush and weed beds. A baited hook with worms works well, but most anglers use a variety of plugs and surface lures. Check with a tackle shop on what lure works best for specific lakes and ponds.

"This warm weather will have an effect on some of these fish. If this holds up, I think we're gonna see things happen a little earlier than normal," Beppu said.

Places to try for a mixed bag of spiny rays: docks, shorelines and bridges of Foster Island, located on Lake Washington near the Arboretum; Angle Lake near Sea-Tac Airport; Sawyer Lake near Black Diamond; Kapowsin Lake southeast of Puyallup; Moses Lake and the Potholes Reservoir in Eastern Washington.

Anglers should be aware of new regulation changes for a couple of popular Eastern Washington areas. Moses Lake has a 10-inch minimum on crappie and an 8-inch minimum on bluegill. The daily limit is five for each species. The Potholes Reservoir has a combined daily limit of 25 crappie and bluegill.

SALTWATER FISHING

-- Neah Bay is slow for chinook, although anglers have caught a few up to 25 pounds off Waadah Island and the garbage dump. Halibut anglers have reported good fishing off the U.S. side of Swiftsure bank. Bottom fishing for lingcod and rockfish is very good.

Sekiu and Port Angeles reported it was slow for blackmouth, with most anglers concentrating on good bottom fishing.

Fair to good for blackmouth, 8-15 pounds, with a few larger, at Midchannel Bank off Port Townsend.

Possession Bar was fair for moochers and jiggers on the incoming tide for blackmouth, 5-10 pounds, a few in the upper teens.

SPRING CHINOOK

-- Here are the Department of Fisheries sampler checks from the weekend and conditions as of yesterday:

Cowlitz (May 2-3), 160 anglers with 20 spring chinook, four jack salmon and one steelhead. The catch rate has improved in recent days. Water conditions are good above Toledo, but sections downstream are muddy. Water has been dirty near the river's mouth.

Kalama (May 2-3), 77 anglers with eight spring chinook, one jack salmon and two steelhead. Water condition is low and clear, but fishing is good.

Lewis (May 2), 79 anglers with five spring chinook. Flows on the river have been good and should make fishing ideal.

Bob Gooding, at Olympic Sporting Goods in Forks, said fishing has been tough on the Soleduck and Quillayute, even though water conditions are clear. Best time is early morning or late evening for spring chinook. The Hoh opens on May 16.

FISHING SPOTS

-- San Juan Islands - Slow for blackmouth.

-- Midchannel Bank - Fair to good mooching and jigging for blackmouth, 8-15 pounds, with a few larger.

-- West Whidbey Island - Slow for blackmouth.

-- Point No Point - Slow at midweek for blackmouth.

-- Possession Bar - Fair at times off the westside for blackmouth, 5 to 10 pounds, with a few in the teens. Anglers report the incoming tide produced the best bite.

-- Hood Canal - Recreational shrimp season, May 16-21. Daily limit is 10-pounds per person.

-- Jefferson Head - Slow for blackmouth but fair at times for resident coho, 1 to 2 pounds.

-- Shilshole Bay - Slow for blackmouth.

-- Elliott Bay - Slow in the bay. Fair at times off Allen Bank and Southworth for blackmouth, 6 to 10 pounds, with a few larger.

-- Point Defiance - Slow at midweek for blackmouth. Anglers should try off the Clay Banks and Point Dalco.

-- Anderson Island - Slow for blackmouth.

-- Skagit River system - Closed to all gamefishing.

-- Stillaguamish River - North fork is open to fly fishing only. Wild steelhead catch and release in effect.

-- Snohomish River system - Closed to steelhead.

-- Green River - Closed to steelhead.

-- Puyallup River - Closed to steelhead.

Compiled by Mark Yuasa.