Reel Times with Mark looks at plenty of fishing options in November and beyond

This is the time of the year when anglers often deal with torrential rainfall and windy weather situations. Tack on a lack of fishing opportunities for Puget Sound winter chinook and you just might think November is a lost cause.

Such distress could have you crying out the “sky is falling” like Chicken Little aka “Henny Penny,” but no need to dig that deep into the abyss as there are places to go and fish to catch.

First and foremost are chum salmon who don’t get the respect despite being one of the hardest-fighting salmon species often ripping line off the reel like an angry king.

A preseason fall chum forecast of 1.2-million – 543,000 destined to central, south-central and southern Puget Sound (Areas 10, 11 and 13) and another 500,000 heading to Hood Canal (12) – should be reason enough to get anglers hungry for something other than a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving.

“The chum run this season is decent and similar to preseason forecasts the last couple of years although northern Puget Sound returns – Nooksack, 77,152; Stillaguamish, 21,640; and Snohomish, 26,091 – are poor,” said Marisa Litz, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologist.

A look back to 2017, revealed central, south-central and southern Puget Sound had a return of 584,420 chum; Hood Canal, 1,060,763; Nooksack-Samish, 45,028; Skagit, 7,108; Stillaguamish, 3,749; and Snohomish, 2,707.

“November is when the recreational fisheries really get going at Whatcom Creek (in Bellingham), Hoodsport (in Hood Canal) and Kennedy Creek (in Totten Inlet),” Litz said. “Look for a later timed chum run in Chehalis and Satsop (river systems).”

Estuarial locations are prime staging spots like Johns Creek in Oakland Bay; Chico Creek in Dyes Inlet; Curly Creek near Southworth; North Bay near Allyn; Perry Creek in Eld Inlet; McLane Creek, Eagle Creek south of Potlatch State Park; and the public-access shores off Highway 101 from Eldon to Hoodsport.

Recent WDFW fish checks showed 27 anglers Sunday (Oct. 28) caught 27 chum at Hoodsport in Hood Canal; six anglers caught Sunday (Oct. 28) three at John’s Creek estuary in Oakland Bay near Shelton; and four anglers Saturday (Oct. 27) caught two at Kennedy Creek estuary in Totten Inlet.

In marine areas, anglers will target chum at Jefferson Head; West Point south of Shilshole Bay; Point Monroe; Allen Bank off Blake Island; Southworth; Colvos Passage; Point Dalco off south side of Vashon Island; Point Defiance Park at Clay Banks off Tacoma; Anderson Island; and Fox Island.

Hitting a “trifecta” is a possibility in south-central and southern Puget Sound (Areas 11 and 13) for a coho, chum and hatchery chinook. Note: In Area 13 you must release wild coho.

Those looking ahead should put Marine Catch Areas 8-1 and 8-2 (east side of Whidbey Island) on the “must do list” which reopens Dec. 1 through April 30 for hatchery-marked chinook. WDFW has set a preseason chinook encounter prediction of 5,473 for both areas. The fishery could shutdown if the encounters exceed 80 percent.

Lastly, don’t forget to bring along your crab pots as some areas of Puget Sound are also open daily through Dec. 31 for Dungeness crab.

Late season trout a viable option

More than 147,000 rainbow trout will be planted in many statewide lakes to keep the good times rolling through the winter holidays.

“Some lakes in (Puget Sound) region will be getting thousands of trout,” said Justin Spinelli, a WDFW biologist.

Beaver Lake is receiving three allotments of 700 to 800 rainbow trout averaging 1 ½ pounds apiece. The first occurred in mid-October, and others are scheduled around Nov. 20 and Dec. 20. The fishing had been good soon after the plants occurred last month.

“Instead of dumping all the fish in at one time we have spread out the plants to make the fishery less of a “circus-like” atmosphere and will allow folks to catch fish well into January and beyond,” Spinelli said of the year-round 60.3-acre lake located on the Issaquah Plateau.

To the north Padden Lake in Whatcom was planted with 1,100 trout and the fishing season has been extended from Nov. 1 through Jan. 6.

WDFW is also ramping up plants at Gissburg Ponds and Tye in Snohomish County; Campbell, Clear and Grandy in Skagit County; Black, Long and Offutt in Thurston County; American and Tanwax in Pierce County; and Anderson in Jefferson County.

“We will also stock Lake Goodwin (northwest of Marysville) in mid-December and this has developed into a nice winter trout fishery,” Spinelli said.

For a list of stocked lakes, go to http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/fall-into-fishing/. To view weekly plants, go to https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/plants/weekly/.

Coastal razor clam season off to a great start

The coastal razor clam season opened last month with very good digging and the most recent coastal razor clams dig series on Oct. 25-28 was a mixed bag of success depending on the beach location, and weather and timing of surf conditions.

Digging at Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks, the only three beaches open during this series, saw 8,891 diggers with 92,559 razor clams for 10.4 per person average.

It appeared overall the better digging occurred at Mocrocks beaches where 2,901 diggers Oct. 26 and 28 dug up 36,977 clams. In fact digging was so good on Oct. 26 – 2,233 diggers with 33,762 clams – for 15.1 clams per person (the first 15 clams dug regardless of size or condition is a daily limit) so there was a bit of over-the-limit digging that occurred. Be sure to count your clams!

At Twin Harbors, 3,606 diggers Oct. 25-28 took home 36,640 clams for 9.6 per person average, and at Copalis, 2,384 diggers Oct. 25 and 27 had 20,941 clams for 8.8 per person average.

The season totals at the three beaches was 8,891 diggers with 92,559 clams for a 12.5 per person average. A breakdown season total is 8,210 diggers at Twin Harbors with 102,639 clams for 12.5; 4,367 at Copalis with 50,031 for 11.5; and 5,858 with 78,893 for 13.5.

All digs are reliant on testing for a marine toxin known as domoic acid — a natural marine toxin produced by certain types of marine algae. A high amount of marine toxins can be harmful or even fatal if consumed in adequate quantities. WDFW usually gives final approval one to two weeks prior to each series of digs.

Final approval on the next series of digs should be announced later this week or early next week. Next digging dates are: Nov. 8, minus-0.8 feet at 6:57 p.m. and Nov. 10, -0.4 at 8:15 p.m. at Twin Harbors and Mocrocks; and Nov. 9, -0.7 at 7:36 p.m. and Nov. 11, 0.0 at 8:56 p.m. at Twin Harbors and Copalis.

Other tentative dates are: Nov. 23 and 25, and Dec. 7, 9 and 20 at Twin Harbors and Mocrocks; Nov. 22, and Dec. 6, 8, 21 and 23 at Twin Harbors and Copalis; Nov. 24 at Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks; and Dec. 22 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks.

For details, visit https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclam.

Word on 2019 NW Salmon Derby Series

The 2018 NW Salmon Derby Series ended on a high note and plans for 2019 include 14 derbies in Washington, Idaho and British Columbia. We should have an announcement soon on our new boat/motor sponsor!

First up are the Resurrection Salmon Derby on Jan. 4-6 in Anacortes (http://www.resurrectionderby.com/); Roche Harbor Salmon Classic on Jan. 17-19 (https://www.rocheharbor.com/events/derby), there is currently a waiting list; Friday Harbor Salmon Classic on Feb. 7-9 (http://fridayharborsalmonclassic.com/); and Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby on March 8-10 (http://gardinersalmonderby.org/).

For details, go to www.NorthwestSalmonDerbySeries.com.

While many are getting their holiday shopping lists, and dinner or party plans in order, I’ll be gathering my rain gear and heading out the door to my favorite fishing or razor clam spots.

After all there’s nothing like a feisty chum tugging on the end of your fishing line or digging up a batch of tasty razor clams from a coastal beach!