Fish & Feathers: 2016 fishing seasons announced

Published 10:16 am Tuesday, February 16, 2016

With fishing seasons just around the corner, some have been announced. For others, fisheries managers are evaluating recommendations and public input, with final plans to be announced soon.

We do know are that:

• OCEAN LINGCOD: The season in Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) will be March 12 through Oct. 15. Minimum size limit is 22 inches. The daily bag limit is two per angler.

Marine Area 4: April 16 through Oct. 15. Minimum size limit is 22 inches. Daily limit is two per angler.

• HALIBUT: The 2016 recreational halibut season for Columbia River (Marine Area 1) opens Sunday, May 1, four days a week, (Thursday through Sunday) in all depth areas until the sub-area quota is taken or Sept. 30, whichever comes first. Daily limit catch is one of any size. Anglers must record their catch on a WDFW catch record card. The total quota for Marine Area 1 is 10,254 pounds.

• ALBACORE: Mike Colbach, captain/owner of the specialty charter tuna boat Shake n Bake says, “We may be fishing for tuna for in June if the water temperature offshore holds up. Water in our traditional tuna grounds off the Washington coast is currently 4 to 6 degrees warmer than it was during this period last year. It’s all relative, and we’ll just have to see how it pans out, but it’s a good omen.”

• STURGEON: Butch Smith, owner of CoHo Charters and who has the inside track on everything having to do with fishing said, “We definitely will have a catch-and-release sturgeon fishery this season. Although Washington fishery managers were against it — a limited retention fishery or catch and release — Oregon was not, and in a case of a split decision, the decision reverts back to last season’s decision. We certainly could have had a limited retention season, but Washington fishery mangers used tunnel vision and would not pay any attention to fish biologists, local suggestions or field tests and gave the proposal a thumbs down.”

Another longtime local fishing guru, Curtis Bade, suggested selling separate fishing licenses for the upper part of the Columbia River and the Lower Columbia Basin (below Bonneville Dam), since “numerous fisherman on the upper river travel down river to eat up our quota of sturgeon, but very few fishermen go the other way. The upriver guides have always started fishing where ever the fish are and when new sturgeon move in from the ocean they come down here and follow the fish as they move upriver, double dipping on the quota.”

• SALMON: All anglers, commercial fishers who are interested in Washington state salmon fisheries can get a preview of this year’s salmon returns and potential fishing seasons during a public meeting March 1 in Olympia. The meeting is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3p.m. in room 172 of the National Resources Building, 1111 Washington Street S.E. in Olympia.

Final adoption of the 2016 salmon fisheries is expected to take place at a (PFMC) scheduled April 8-14 in Vancouver, WA.

Ron Malast can be reached at 665-3573 or raiders7777@centurylink.net.