By Mark Yuasa Spring is less than a month away and anglers received official word during a joint state, federal and tribal fishery managers meeting today on Columbia River spring chinook fisheries that are set to begin this coming Monday (March 1). The forecast calls for 143,200 spring chinook – compared to 135,800 forecast in […]
By Mark Yuasa It’s hard to believe the calendar has already rolled into the second month of 2021! But, before saying goodbye to 2020, it’s a tradition of mine to look back at how salmon fisheries fared before dusting off the crystal ball to see what’s in store for the upcoming season. While it was […]
By Mark Yuasa Another year in the rearview mirror with another in front of us. It’s Day 4 of the New Year with 361 more days ahead. Time moves fast (and maybe it’s just my age) but before we hit the throttle on 2021, let’s take a quick look back. From an angler’s perspective how […]
By Mark Yuasa Are you getting tired of all the bad news? I’m totally worn out from the pandemic, joblessness, economic crisis, presidential election turmoil, fake news, protests, what’s really left or right and the statewide fishing ban this past spring. Despite all the commotion, I’m feeling good about surviving the madness that 2020 threw […]
By Mark Yuasa December already? Wow, where did time go? It seems like the tires on life are spinning fast and with the Christmas just a few weeks away, I’m barely hanging on by a thread. But, before I plunge into the holiday abyss, the good news is there’s options happening around the Pacific Northwest […]
By Mark Yuasa Normally this is a moment in time when chum salmon anglers are in the heat of the action around southern Puget Sound and Hood Canal, but this season has been a washout. Since earlier this month, popular chum areas like the Hoodsport Hatchery fishing zone in Hood Canal closed to all fishing […]
By Mark Yuasa While we’re still more than six months away from pursuing halibut it is nice to know anglers can bank on planning trips, and those who just can’t wait for something to do be sure to hit your favorite Puget Sound pier for excellent squid jigging. Halibut fisheries have become more stable thanks […]
By Mark Yuasa Those who ventured to coastal beaches for the first seven days of the 2020-2021 razor clam season had no need to “clam up” with limits across the board. “It was a very successful opener (Sept. 16-22) and people pretty much had limits on all the beaches,” said Dan Ayres, the head Washington […]
By Mark Yuasa The Columbia River revealed plenty of nice surprises this summer and there’s another place that’ll capture the hearts of those looking at a “final chance” for big fall chinook. One of my favorite times of year is now through mid-October to trek east of the Cascades to the Columbia in the Hanford […]
By Mark Yuasa The sockeye run heading up the Columbia River is waxing expectations, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has decided to open Lake Wenatchee and liberalized the Upper Columbia mainstem sockeye daily limit beginning this Monday (Aug. 3). “We’re expecting a good sockeye return of 35,000 to 40,000 (39,400 is […]
