Summer Salmon Season Keeping Anglers Busy

It's the peak of summer salmon fishing and anglers continue to find good rod-tugging action throughout the region.

The Strait of Juan de Fuca opened Saturday for pink salmon, and reports were good from Sekiu to Neah Bay.

"There's plenty of pinks, but anglers have had to catch and release a bunch of coho to get a limit of pinks," said Bob Olson at Van Riper's Resort in Sekiu.

The Westport and Ilwaco charter-boat fleet report good coho fishing through yesterday. Most coho are averaging 4 to 7 pounds, with a few up to 12 pounds.

Willapa Bay opens for salmon fishing Wednesday.

In North Puget Sound, pink salmon fishing hasn't been good, but should improve soon. Areas worth a try are Humpy Hollow near Mukilteo and off Meadowdale, Mutiny Bay, Bush Point, Point No Point and Possession Bar.

A decision on the Elliott Bay chinook sport fishery was expected today. If the bay opens, fishing will be allowed from noon tomorrow until 9 p.m. Sunday.

The Seacrest Boathouse fishing pier in Elliott Bay is open, but only a handful of chinook are being caught daily.

Fishing off Dolphin Point on Vashon Island's northeast side and at Southworth has been slow to fair for chinook. Schools of baitfish remain plentiful at both spots.

In South Puget Sound, the Clay Banks off Point Defiance, Commencement Bay and Anderson Island are fair for chinook averaging 12 to 15 pounds.

New Dungeness crab regulations

-- State Fish and Wildlife officials said the daily sport limit for dungeness crab will change from six to five in most North and Central Puget Sound areas Saturday. In Hood Canal and South Puget Sound, the daily limit will drop to four.

Crabbing will remain open seven days a week in the San Juan Islands. In most North and Central Sound areas, crabbing will be open Thursdays through Mondays, and Hood Canal and South Sound will be open Thursdays through Tuesdays.

The announcement came after a federal court ruling allowed tribal members the right to half of Washington's crab catch.

For specific detail on crab regulation changes, call the state Fish and Wildlife hotline at 976-3200 or (360) 427-9500.

Fishing spots

-- Ilwaco - Anglers are averaging about 1 1/2 coho per trip, according to Velma Saint John at Pacific Salmon Charters. Monday's check: 28 private boats with 83 anglers caught 108 coho. Tuesday: 28 charters, 253 anglers, 352 coho. -- Westport - "Coho fishing is very good and some are hitting the 8- to 12-pound range," said Doug Milward, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist. -- La Push - Good for coho at midweek. -- Willapa Bay - Salmon fishing opens Wednesday. -- Neah Bay - Good pink salmon fishing. All coho and chinook must be released. Good bottomfishing from Waadah Island to Koitlah Point. -- Sekiu - Good pink salmon fishing. Coho season is Sept. 11-30. Closed for lingcod and halibut. -- Port Angeles - "A few pinks were caught, but the bulk of the run still hasn't arrived yet," said Cal Metzler at Port Angeles Charters. Open for pink and sockeye salmon fishing. Coho season is Sept. 11-30. Closed for lingcod and halibut. -- San Juan Islands - Salmon Bank should be a fair to good bet for pink salmon. Try for kings at Biz Point, Secret Harbor and Point Lawrence. -- Midchannel Bank - Fair for pink salmon. -- Bush Point - Fair bet for pink salmon only. -- Point No Point - Open for pink salmon only. -- Possession Bar - Mutiny Bay and west side of the bar should be fair to good trolling for pink salmon. Open for pink salmon fishing only. -- Tulalip Bay - Slow for chinook but numbers of fish continue to increase. -- Edmonds fishing pier - Should be fair bet for kings. Try casting and retrieving jigs. -- Mukilteo and Meadowdale area - Still slow for pink salmon, although more have shown up in the past week. Try Humpy Hollow near Mukilteo and from Picnic Point Park to Meadowdale. -- Hood Canal - Hoodsport closed for pink salmon fishing; reopens Oct. 16 for chum salmon. -- Point Monroe - Closed to salmon fishing. -- Elliott Bay - "Slowed down to about five or six kings caught per day off the pier," said Jeff Mirante at Seacrest Boathouse. Piers 62, 63 and 86 also are open for salmon fishing. -- Manchester - Slow to fair for chinook. -- Southworth and Allen Bank - Slow to fair for chinook at Southworth, but schools of herring are abundant. Slow for chinook at Allen Bank. -- Dolphin Point, Vashon Island - Slow to fair mooching and trolling for chinook and coho. -- Point Defiance - Fair for chinook off the Clay Banks, the slag pile and Commencement Bay. -- South Puget Sound areas - Good for chinook off Anderson Island and off the Nisqually flats. -- Skagit River - "The river is very muddy, but anglers are catching and releasing a lot of pink salmon from Hamilton downstream," said Kim Weymouth at Skagit Anglers in Mount Vernon. -- Stillaguamish River - Not fishable through yesterday, but more summer steelhead have moved into the river. -- Skykomish River - "It's slow for steelhead, but fish are in the river," said Trevor Gong at Salmon Bay Tackle, Guide and Outfitters in Ballard. Reiter Ponds area is closed 1,500 feet upstream and 1,000 feet downstream through Sept. 30. -- Green River - Slow for steelhead. -- Coastal rivers - "All rivers dropped into fishable condition yesterday, except for the Hoh River," said Bob Gooding, owner of Olympic Sporting Goods in Forks. Before last Sunday's heavy rainfall, a few summer steelhead showed up in all rivers, and there was decent sockeye fishing in the Soleduck River. -- Kalama River - Slow for steelhead. Open for salmon fishing through Aug. 15. -- Lewis River - Fair for steelhead. -- Cowlitz River - Fair bank fishing for steelhead and good steelhead fishing for boat anglers. -- Columbia River - Good for sturgeon in the estuary. Fair for hatchery-marked steelhead along the lower river sand bars. Good in the Gorge for walleye. Weekend Oregon estuary checks: 39 boats caught 28 legal sturgeon and released 165 sturgeon. Very slow for coho off Buoy-10. Monday and Tuesday Buoy-10 checks: 32 boats with 81 anglers caught six coho. Buoy-10 to Astoria-Megler bridge is open for coho and chinook.