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Feeds Hunting Blogs General Hunting Northwest Outdoor Report
Northwest Outdoor Report
Changes Ahead for Sol Duc Steelhead
WDFW recently announced that it will shut down the Snider Creek hatchery program on the famed Sol Duc River. The program has been operated by the Olympic Peninsula Guides Association for 25 years and is used to bolster the winter steelhead run on the Sol Duc. The State recently designated the Sol Duc as a wild steelhead management zone and hopes to preserve the steelhead gene pool there by reducing interactions with hatchery steelhead. It’s the first river to get this designation in the state and other rivers could follow suit in the near future.
Roche Harbor Derby
Jason King of Bellingham took top honors and $10,000 in cash in the Roche Harbor Derby last weekend with a 16.6 pound winter blackmouth. 293 anglers caught 93 blackmouth in the big San Juan Island derby amidst some of the nicest winter weather imaginable. Another name that keeps appearing in salmon derby series news is Derek Floyd, who along with his wife and another couple took the total team weight category at the Roche. They weighed in 44.13 pounds for $2,000 in cash.
Multi Season Permit Increase Approved
The commission approved WDFW’s proposal to increase the number of multi season deer permits from 4,000 to 8,500, and the number of elk permits from 850 to 1,250. A lucky hunter that draws one a multi-season permit can hunt the rifle, muzzleloader, and archery season in Washington. State wildlife managers have assured the commission that increasing permit levels will expand hunting opportunities without posing a risk to deer and elk populations.
Razor Clam Dig Scheduled
The next razor clam digs are scheduled for Feb. 18-19 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks. Low tide is at 4:13 pm on Saturday and 5:00 pm on Sunday. Final approval for the digs will be made on Monday.
First Spring Chinook Bagged on Columbia
Mark Yuasa at the Seattle Times reported that the first sport-caught spring Chinook of the season hit the deck last Sunday. The fish was between 12 and 14 pounds and was caught in the Vancouver area. Anglers are gearing up for the 4th largest spring Chinook forecast in 50 years on the Columbia River.
Walleye Fishing Steady at Mar Don
Annie Meseberg at Mar Don Resort reported that two 7 plus pound walleye were caught off the dock at the resort last night and that the action has been fairly steady. A small 3 inch rainbow trout pattern swim bait has been the ticket. The dock has been closed to public access this winter, which means the folks that purchase the dock pass from the resort get this premium fishing area virtually to themselves.
Almost a World Record Yellowfin
Ronnie Tegland’s 430 pound yellowfin tuna caught out of Puerta Vallarta, Mexico last month may not be a world record, but it’s still the biggest yellowfin ever caught. The huge tuna was hooked up by a mate aboard the “Tenacious” and then handed off to Ronnie, which immediately disqualified the fish from making the IGFA record book. What’s more ironic is that they hooked the huge yellowfin on a Mustad circle hook and it would have qualified for $1 million in cash in the Mustad Hook-A-Million contest. When Bloody Decks columnist Charlie Levine asked Ronnie about missing out on the big money he said, “That one stings, but I’m not losing any sleep over it.”
Ice Fishing Bar Pops up in Minnesota
Two important Minnesota winter traditions—drinking and fishing—can be found at a new establishment doing a brisk business on Lake Lida in Minnesota. The Ice Hole Bar opened on January 19th and has been packed to the gunwales ever since. "People are usually wall-to-wall on the weekends," said Chris Haugen, co-owner of The Ice Hole bar.
Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com
WDFW recently announced that it will shut down the Snider Creek hatchery program on the famed Sol Duc River. The program has been operated by the Olympic Peninsula Guides Association for 25 years and is used to bolster the winter steelhead run on the Sol Duc. The State recently designated the Sol Duc as a wild steelhead management zone and hopes to preserve the steelhead gene pool there by reducing interactions with hatchery steelhead. It’s the first river to get this designation in the state and other rivers could follow suit in the near future.
Roche Harbor Derby
Jason King of Bellingham took top honors and $10,000 in cash in the Roche Harbor Derby last weekend with a 16.6 pound winter blackmouth. 293 anglers caught 93 blackmouth in the big San Juan Island derby amidst some of the nicest winter weather imaginable. Another name that keeps appearing in salmon derby series news is Derek Floyd, who along with his wife and another couple took the total team weight category at the Roche. They weighed in 44.13 pounds for $2,000 in cash.
Multi Season Permit Increase Approved
The commission approved WDFW’s proposal to increase the number of multi season deer permits from 4,000 to 8,500, and the number of elk permits from 850 to 1,250. A lucky hunter that draws one a multi-season permit can hunt the rifle, muzzleloader, and archery season in Washington. State wildlife managers have assured the commission that increasing permit levels will expand hunting opportunities without posing a risk to deer and elk populations.
Razor Clam Dig Scheduled
The next razor clam digs are scheduled for Feb. 18-19 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks. Low tide is at 4:13 pm on Saturday and 5:00 pm on Sunday. Final approval for the digs will be made on Monday.
First Spring Chinook Bagged on Columbia
Mark Yuasa at the Seattle Times reported that the first sport-caught spring Chinook of the season hit the deck last Sunday. The fish was between 12 and 14 pounds and was caught in the Vancouver area. Anglers are gearing up for the 4th largest spring Chinook forecast in 50 years on the Columbia River.
Walleye Fishing Steady at Mar Don
Annie Meseberg at Mar Don Resort reported that two 7 plus pound walleye were caught off the dock at the resort last night and that the action has been fairly steady. A small 3 inch rainbow trout pattern swim bait has been the ticket. The dock has been closed to public access this winter, which means the folks that purchase the dock pass from the resort get this premium fishing area virtually to themselves.
Almost a World Record Yellowfin
Ronnie Tegland’s 430 pound yellowfin tuna caught out of Puerta Vallarta, Mexico last month may not be a world record, but it’s still the biggest yellowfin ever caught. The huge tuna was hooked up by a mate aboard the “Tenacious” and then handed off to Ronnie, which immediately disqualified the fish from making the IGFA record book. What’s more ironic is that they hooked the huge yellowfin on a Mustad circle hook and it would have qualified for $1 million in cash in the Mustad Hook-A-Million contest. When Bloody Decks columnist Charlie Levine asked Ronnie about missing out on the big money he said, “That one stings, but I’m not losing any sleep over it.”
Ice Fishing Bar Pops up in Minnesota
Two important Minnesota winter traditions—drinking and fishing—can be found at a new establishment doing a brisk business on Lake Lida in Minnesota. The Ice Hole Bar opened on January 19th and has been packed to the gunwales ever since. "People are usually wall-to-wall on the weekends," said Chris Haugen, co-owner of The Ice Hole bar.
Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com
