Weekend Outlook -- South Sound Offers A Taste Of Blackmouth

A salty old friend once said that I would rather fish for winter blackmouth than eat.

So with most of Washington's marine areas closed for blackmouth, what's a starving angler to do?

Eat frozen, farm-raised Atlantic salmon?

Instead of that tasteless option, why not head for South Puget Sound (south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge) or Hood Canal, the only marine areas open this month for blackmouth.

Between flooding storms and knock-the-power-out winds, some anglers have found decent action at a few South Sound locales.

"A buddy of mine who works just outside my office caught fish up to 12 pounds last weekend off Ketron Island, and the fish are feeding at mid-depth on . . . herring," said Tony Floor, a state Fish and Wildlife spokesman in Olympia.

Just south of the sunken Galloping Gertie (the old Tacoma Narrows Bridge) at the Narrows Marina, manager Dave Hurd says fishing pressure remains unseasonably light, but a few diehard anglers have been catching mostly blackmouth smaller than the 22-inch minimum size, along with a few legal-sized brutes up to 6 pounds.

Hurd said his customers were trying Lyle Point on Anderson Island, Gibson Point and Fox Point on Fox Island, Wollochet Bay, and the sand spit and Green Point areas on the west side of Hale Passage.

Other worthwhile spots are Devils Head on southwest side of Drayton Passage and Johnson Point located by Zittel's Marina in Olympia.

In Hood Canal, "not many people are fishing, but I've got one customer who trolls every day off Misery Point and he's catching a few up to 8 pounds," said Mark Goodell at Seabeck Marina.

When the winds abate also try the canal's west side at Hazel Point, Jackson Cove, Oak Head and off Pleasant Harbor.

The key to success for winter blackmouth is locating baitfish (mainly herring, candlefish and squid), then staying right on top of the schools.

All marine salmon fishing areas from Sekiu to Olympia will be closed from Jan. 1 to Feb. 15.

Top spots of the week

1. Trout in Southwest Washington lakes: "Fishing should be pretty good this weekend in the lakes we're planting with rainbow trout," said Joe Hymer, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist in Vancouver.

Sacajawea Lake near Longview gets 3,500 trout; Klineline Pond near Vancouver, 6,500; Battleground Lake, 5,000; Icehouse Lake southwest of Stevenson, 1,000; and South Lewis County Pond in Toledo, 1,500 adult sea-run cutthroat trout. Beginning this week, broodstock trout weighing 5 1/2 to 11 pounds will be released into lakes.

2. Winter steelhead in north coastal rivers: "The rivers are dropping back into shape, and folks fishing the upper sections of the Bogachiel and Calawah caught some fish (yesterday morning)," said Bob Gooding, owner of Olympic Sporting Goods in Forks. The Soleduck River is another decent option, but the Hoh River remains glacially silted and spilling over its banks.

3. Sturgeon in Lower Columbia River: State Fish and Wildlife surveyors said fishing was fair to good this past week between Portland and Longview and in the Gorge. Last weekend, 46 boats from Portland to Longview released 233 sturgeon and kept 15, and in the Gorge, 16 boats released 256 and kept seven.

4. Winter steelhead in Southwest Washington rivers: State Fish and Wildlife surveyors report good bank fishing for steelhead on the Cowlitz and Lewis (also decent for late coho), but terrible boat fishing conditions because of swift currents and debris.

The Cowlitz below Mayfield Dam was gushing at 13,500 cubic square feet per second, and the Lewis was up to 12,000. Once rivers recede, others worth a try are the Humptulips, Elochoman and Washougal.

5. Squid in Elliott Bay: "Jigging has been really good, and most of our customers got limits (5 quarts or 10 pounds) of squid pretty quickly both night and day off the Seattle Aquarium pier and Pier 86," said Maria Beppu, owner of Linc's Tackle Shop in Seattle. Also, try the Seacrest Boathouse pier in West Seattle or in a boat off Todds Shipyard.

Fishing spots

-- Cornet Bay on North Whidbey Island - "Everybody must be Christmas shopping, except for this one guy who jigged 55 smelt last week," said Tuuliki Woods at the Cornet Bay Marina. -- West Whidbey Island - Not great, but a few steelhead caught off the Bush Point and Lagoon Point. Remember, these fish are hugging the shoreline so a short cast of 6 to 20 feet works fine. -- Edmonds Marina fishing pier - Slow squid jigging. -- Hood Canal - Hoodsport area is closed for chum salmon; fading fast around Enetai shoreline. -- Skokomish River - Closed for chum from mouth to Highway 101 Bridge. -- Nooksack River - High and murky. Skip it. -- Whatcom Creek - High and murky. Skip it. -- Samish River - May be fishable by the weekend. -- Stillaguamish River - "Fishing around Fortson Hole was OK for steelhead during the past couple of days," said Darrell Kron at Hook, Line & Sinker Tackle Shop in Arlington. -- Skagit River - "I had one customer catch an 18-pounder plunking along the Sedro-Woolley gravel bars, and areas above the Sauk River should be fishable by this weekend," said Kelly Hawley at Priced Less Sporting Goods in Sedro-Woolley. Also, try the Cascade River for winter steelhead. -- Snohomish river system - Upper river areas like Tokul Creek on the Snoqualmie, and the Reiter Ponds area on the Skykomish have been fair to good this week. -- Green River - High water and murky. Slow to fair last week for winter steelhead in the upper river, and a few ugly, spawned-out chum between Kent and Auburn. -- Puyallup River - River looks like a chocolate milkshake, and had been slow for winter steelhead early last week. Only hatchery-marked fish may be kept. -- Kalama River - Still spilling over its bank and the water was a murky, pea-green color. Upper river below the hatchery is worth a try for winter steelhead once it drops back into shape. -- Freshwater fishing - Fair to good trout fishing at Silver Lake in Everett. Pass Lake near Deception Pass is a decent trout fly-fishing bet. Duck Lake near Ocean Shore is good for crappie using micro-jigs. In Eastern Washington, Fourth of July, Sprague and Newman lakes remain ice-free and were producing fair to good trout fishing.