By Bob Brown
Here's what you need to know in the latest fishing news:
• Beginning July 1, salt water anglers will have the opportunity to catch a daily limit of four fall chinook south of Marine Area 12’s Ayock Point.
The new daily limits are the result of an agreement reached last spring between state and tribal fishery managers during the annual season-setting process. This corrects the limit listed in the 2017-18 Sports Fishing Rules pamphlet.
Anglers may fish with a two-pole endorsement, but all waters within channels created by exposed tidelands at the Skokomish River mouth are closed to salmon fishing. Other rules for waters south of Ayock Point remain unchanged, including Hoodsport Hatchery Zone, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
• The department also will open the Hoh River and South Fork River July 1 through Aug. 31 to fishing for trout and steelhead. The daily limit will be two trout over 14 inches, except there will be no size limit on hatchery origin (adipose fin clipped) trout. Non-clipped trout must be released. Also, the use of bait is prohibited, and only one barbless hook with up to three points may be used. Fishing from a floating device equipped with an internal combustion motor is prohibited. Any chinook and coho salmon caught plus any wild steelhead must be released. Fishing for other game fish is open under statewide minimum-size and daily-limit regulations.
• Flows in the Cowlitz River have finally settled down to respectable shape, making fishing somewhat less formidable.
River flow at Mayfield Dam was approximately 6,200 cubic feet per second on June 12, with a water viability of about feet.
Samplings taken June 5-11 counted 258 rods with 27 adults and two jack spring chinook and three steelhead kept. One steelhead and one cutthroat were released. Twenty-nine boat rods kept 15 steelhead and released one cutthroat. Effective June 16 through Oct. 31, night closure is in effect except for anglers enrolled in the Pikeminnow Sport Reward Program and actively fishing for pikeminnows.
• Fishing on the Kalama and Lewis rivers has been very slow, with light angler pressure.
• Effective June 16 through July 31, the daily limit for salmon and steelhead caught in the lower Columbia River from the Megler-Astoria Bridge upstream to the 395 Bridge at Pasco is six fish, of which no more than two may be adult salmon or one adult salmon and one hatchery steelhead. For salmon, only hatchery chinook or any sockeye may be retained. Sockeye count towards the adult daily limit.
• Anglers fishing for pikeminnows in the Columbia and Snake rivers continue to catch good numbers of pikes. Last week, the hot spot was in The Dalles area, where 404 anglers caught 4,822 pikeminnows, of which four were tagged fish worth $500 each. To date, a total of 58,359 pikes have been caught, plus 114 tagged fish. Anglers have been averaging six fish per rod.
• The Nisqually River opens to fishing July 1, with night closure and anti-snagging rules in effect, plus barbless hooks are required. The Puyallup River doesn't open to fishing until Aug. 10.
Bob Brown can be contacted at robertb1285@centurylink.net.
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