By Mark Yuasa The statewide opening day of trout fishing occurred this past weekend, and those who slept in or simply opted out due to the rainy and dreary weather should have plenty of time to wet a line in the months ahead. “The weather didn’t cooperate and effort was down a bit, but in […]
By Mark Yuasa The slicing and dicing of the salmon seasons have turned into a difficult process in recent years as stakeholders vie for their piece of the pie, and this year’s two-month undertaking showed just how hard it has become with ever dwindling salmon returns or issues related to recovery. Despite a lack of […]
By Mark Yuasa Do you consider yourself a planner? I must confess to being a detailed organizer especially when it comes to any type of fishing excursions, and now is the time to lock in your schedule for a spot shrimp season that gets underway on May 19. “We’ve been conducting our test fisheries and […]
By Mark Yuasa It’s a great time to live in the PNW especially if you enjoy fishing! One of those spring-time rites of passage is the thrill of pulling in a pot loaded with giant prawn-size spot shrimp, and anglers can plan on a likely mid-May opening with specific dates being finalized and could come […]
Sport smelt dip-netters will get a chance to try their luck in a section of the Cowlitz River on Tuesday (March 2) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. from the Highway 432 Bridge to the Al Helenberg Memorial boat launch located approximately 1,300 feet upstream from the Highway 411/A Street Bridge in Castle Rock. “The […]
By Mark Yuasa It’s time to buckle up for a possible big salmon season in some areas! State fishery managers are unveiling the 2021 forecasts at a public meeting today (Feb. 26), and while there are big hurdles to overcome in establishing Puget Sound chinook seasons, it appears a boatload of pinks will arrive in […]
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 There’s nothing better than the smell of spring in the air especially after our recent “snowmageddon” and while it’s vital to keep close tabs on the upcoming salmon season process, it’s also a time to cure cabin fever by making plans to pursue halibut, lingcod and other bottomfish species in the months […]
By Mark Yuasa Word has been swirling like a hard rip current through the PNW salmon fishing chat lines that a very strong coho return was expected to arrive off the coast in 2021, and the Columbia River recreational advisor group received confirmation on Wednesday that brighter days could be on the summer horizon. The […]
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 […]
