OLYMPIA - Anglers will have at least four more days to fish for hatchery-reared spring chinook salmon on a section of the Columbia River stretching 163 miles upstream from Bonneville Dam.
Citing the late timing of this year’s run, fishery managers from Washington and Oregon today agreed to extend the fishery through May 6.
According to current projections, anglers will catch only about 232 of 1,689 salmon available for harvest through May 2, when the fishery was initially scheduled to close pending an updated run assessment.
"Fishing above Bonneville Dam has been slow, with the bulk of the run yet to arrive," said Cindy LeFleur, Columbia River policy manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). "Both states agree we can safely give anglers an additional four days of fishing above the dam with little risk to the resource."
The extension does not apply to salmon fishing below the dam, which has been closed since April 23 pending the run update. By then, anglers had taken about 70 percent of their initial quota of upriver chinook for that stretch of the river - most during the last week of fishing.
Above Bonneville Dam, boat and bank anglers are allowed to fish from the Tower Island powerlines to the Washington/Oregon state line, 17 miles upriver from McNary Dam. Bank anglers can also fish from the powerlines downriver to Bonneville Dam.
Falcon International Reservoir Tops List of Best Bass Lakes in the U.S.
ATHENS—Fabled Falcon has been ranked the number one bass lake in the country by the editors of Bassmaster magazine, but the good news doesn’t stop there.
Another Texas-Mexico border reservoir, Amistad, is number six on the list, and six other Texas reservoirs made the top 100.
The Texas lakes on the list with their rankings are:
OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will delay the start of the salmon fishery at the Tulalip Bay Terminal Area by two weeks to accommodate the Tulalip Tribes' ceremonial and subsistence fisheries.
The recreational salmon fishery in the Tulalip Bay Terminal Area - known as the "bubble" - is now scheduled to open Friday, May 18. That fishery was originally scheduled to open May 4.
"At the request of the Tulalip Tribes, we are delaying the sport fishery by two weeks to ensure treaty tribal fishers can meet their ceremonial and subsistence fishing needs," said Pat Pattillo, salmon policy coordinator for WDFW.
Even with the delay, the Tulalip bubble will be open for recreational salmon fishing two weeks earlier than in previous years, said Pattillo.
The John D. Parker East Texas Fish Hatchery will host an Open House April 27-28. Some parts of the facility are still under construction, but the fish production cycle has begun. Open House visitors will be able to see it in action. After this weekend, the facility will be closed to the public until construction is completed later in the summer.
The new hatchery is located near Sam Rayburn Reservoir at 900 CR 218, Brookeland, Texas 75931. Open House hours are:
Friday, April 27, noon to 5 pm
Saturday, April 28, 10 am to 2 pm
Anglers targeting grouper in Florida state waters of the Atlantic, including Monroe County, will be able to take some of their catch home starting May 1, when the season reopens to harvest. Species included in the recreational and commercial opening are gag, black, red, yellowmouth, yellowfin and tiger grouper; scamp; red hind; rock hind; coney; and graysby. State waters in the Atlantic are from shore to three miles out.
The harvest of these species of grouper will remain open through Jan. 1, 2013. The harvest closure was put in place to ensure the long-term sustainability of Atlantic grouper species.
Recreational anglers targeting these species cannot take more than three grouper per person per day. Within this three-fish limit, anglers can only possess one gag or black grouper (not both). The captain and crew of for-hire vessels are not allowed to keep any grouper.
Heber City — One of the country's best trout fishing waters could be ice free within the next week or two.
Scott Root, regional conservation outreach manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, says many of the shoreline areas at Strawberry Reservoir have open water. On April 12, the open water extended at least 100 yards from the shore to the edge of the ice. He says anglers who have been fishing in the open water over the past two weeks have reported mostly good success.
"Two anglers in float tubes caught and released more than 30 trout by casting black marabou jigs to the edge of the ice," Root says. "Placing the jigs where they did enticed trout that were lurking under the edge of the ice."
Root says another angler reported catching a 7-pound cutthroat trout. "Though some anglers have reported slow to fair success," he says, "most anglers have been very pleased with their success rates."
To catch trout at Strawberry over the next couple of weeks, Root says you should cast white tube jigs or other lures that imitate a minnow. "Several anglers are using their float tubes and kick boats to get closer to the edge of the ice," he says. "Most of those anglers are using wooly bugger fly patterns or leech patterns."
OLYMPIA - State fishery managers are planning another morning razor-clam dig this month on Washington's ocean beaches, as long as marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat.
As usual, the final word on beach openings will be announced once toxin test results are available, said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
Proposed beach openings for upcoming digs, along with morning low tides, are:
April 21, Saturday (7:28 a.m., -0.3 feet): Long Beach, Twin Harbors only
April 22, Sunday (8:01 a.m., -0.4 feet): Long Beach and Twin Harbors only
April 23, Monday (8:35 a.m., -0.4 feet): Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks
OLYMPIA - The sport fishery for spring chinook salmon on the lower Columbia River has been extended through April 22 to allow anglers to catch more hatchery-reared fish available for harvest.
Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon today approved an eight-day extension, based on catch reports that show current harvest levels remain well below expectations. The fishery was initially scheduled to close at the end of the day Friday, April 13.
During the extended fishing period, the sport fishery will be closed Tuesday, April 17, to accommodate a possible commercial fishery.
Cindy Le Fleur, Columbia River policy manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), said poor river conditions continue to delay the run, resulting in low catch rates for anglers.
The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is reminding anglers that trout season is open and stocking continues through May 25 in waters throughout the state. Early reports indicate a high level of satisfaction as fish are abundant from pre-season and ongoing stocking.
Anglers should note an error in the Freshwater Digest on page 18 in the section headed "Spring Trout Stocked Waters With No In-Season Closures": the first paragraph should read, "After opening day, these waters may be fished on the day they are stocked." The existing text incorrectly states that these waters are closed on their designated stocking dates.
Also, in the Fly Fishing Areas section on page 21, the 3rd time frame listed should read: "April 7 at 8 a.m. - April 16 at 5 a.m. No gear restrictions except on Blewett Tract." The existing text gives an incorrect time frame.
Robert Macejka of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey reeled in the new state record Hickory Shad on November 20, 2011. The fish weighed in at 2 pounds 13 ounces eclipsing the previous state record by 13 ounces. Robert was fishing from the surf at Mantoloking and using a St. Croix Triumph rod and Penn reel when he landed his catch.
The other state record was reeled in by Raul de la Prida of Elizabeth, New Jersey on February 10, 2012. His 3 pound ½ ounce Cunner was caught fishing from the Norma K III off Point Pleasant and measured 16 inches in length with a girth of 13 inches. Raul was using an Ugly Stick rod and Penn boat reel with clam as bait. The previous state record weighed in at 2 pounds 9 ounces.
Congratulations to our newest state record holders!
