ILWACO — Although stormy weather scuttled the start of the recreational ocean fishing season in Washington over the weekend, fishermen are optimistic about the year ahead.

“Rest assured, I am totally pumped about the upcoming season,” Sea Breeze Charters owner Steve Sohlstrom said last week.

Ocean salmon seasons

The Pacific Fishery Management Council last week adopted three alternatives for 2022 ocean salmon fisheries off Washington, Oregon and California for public review. The council will make a final decision on salmon seasons at its meeting on April 6-14.

Forecasts for many Chinook and coho stocks have improved over last year. The Sport season alternatives of greatest local interest:

For the ocean sport fishery north of Cape Falcon the alternatives with Chinook recreational quotas range from 26,500 to 32,500, compared to 27,250 in 2021. For coho, recreational quotas range from 134,400 to 176,400 marked coho, compared to 70,000 in 2021. Starting dates range from mid- to late-June and ending dates range from mid-to-late-September. Chinook and coho retention is allowed generally throughout the proposed seasons.

Detailed information about season starting dates, areas open, and catch limits for the three alternatives are available on the council’s website at www.pcouncil.org.

Sohlstrom said their seven-vessel charter fleet has already booked more than 1,250 advance reservations for the upcoming season, which officially kicked off with recreational bottom-fishing opening March 12 in Washington.

Ilwaco-based Pacific Salmon Charters has historically been among the first charters to begin bottom-fishing once the season opens, but weather kept their boats in port over opening weekend. The charter said they anticipate their first official trip of the season this Saturday, March 19 — weather permitting.

Final inspection, projects

On March 10, the F/V Sea Breeze was at the Ilwaco Boatyard awaiting a final inspection for the Coast Guard, a final step before the season can begin.

“We’re finishing the final remaining projects before we put it in the water to go fishing,” Sohlstrom said standing next to the 43-foot vessel, capable of carrying 16 fishermen and crew.

In the offseason, Sohlstrom and vessel co-owner Brian Alexander invested roughly $25,000 in an overhaul of the electronics, including a new Furuno radar, 17-inch color GPS plotter, marine radio, depth sounder and side-scanning sonar.

“We put in brand-new marine electronics. We’ve been working on it all winter long and it’s turning out absolutely beautiful. We spared no expense getting it just right,” Sohlstrom said, adding that Dwight Nunamaker, Wayne Westby and Craig Lilly were essential in the overhaul.

Sohlstrom estimated that that former electronic system was at least 15-20 years old, and was somewhat antiquated compared to marine technology today.

“It served its purpose but it was time to take it all out, then go through the trouble of wiring it back in. It’s hundreds of hours. Just the new electrical panel took two guys 23 days. We had four garbage cans of old wire that came out of the boat. It’s a labor of love.”

The new electronics are expected to have an immediate impact, whether bottom-fishing for rockfish and lingcod just off the coast or pursuing schools of tuna offshore.

“When we go fishing off Cannon Beach and we’re looking for those reefs and pinnacles, where there might be big haystack of fish, our side-scanning radar will look several hundred yards forward, left, right and reverse. It will see the fish and we’ll be able to move over on top and drop right in on them. Sometimes you can be 100 yards away and not catch one, and then you’re right on them and you’ll catch 50,” Sohlstrom said.

More changes

Other changes in the fleet include the addition of skipper Toni Wisner, who purchased the F/V Dolphin from Tim Harrell in December, and will skipper the vessel this season. The seventh vessel in the Sea Breeze charter fleet, the F/V Bluefin, will be officially added in the coming weeks, Sohlstrom said.

“It’s been undergoing a complete restoration at Little Hoquiam Shipyard. We’re bringing it home later in March. Chris Schenk (former Sea Breeze Charter owner Pat Schenk’s son) will be running the boat. He just achieved his 50-ton captain license. He’s been clicking his heels to run this new boat.”

Sohlstrom said they will start the season in mid April, before rapidly ramping up in May in June.

“We bottom-fish to start the season, then we get into sturgeon in mid-May. Halibut season is May and June, so during this time we have three fisheries going and we’re running seven days a week,” he said. Sohlstrom is hopeful there will be a sturgeon retention season similar to last year, which can further boost bookings. Halibut has always been a popular draw with a high success rate — and the chance for jumbo lingcod.

“Halibut is a bright shining star for us. Last year we ran every date during the season. We did excellent, caught our limit on about 98% of our trips. While we’re fishing for halibut if we catch any big lingcod out there, we get to keep them too. It’s like an added bonus. People love lingcod and in the deep water they’re good size — 25-30 pounders.”

Salmon looking good

Much of the optimism surrounding the upcoming fishing season centers around salmon, which is expected to be a banner year for Washington waters. An estimated 1.4 million Coho salmon are anticipated to return to Washington coastal waters this year, the most since 2014 according to WDFW forecasts.

“Salmon is a big deal. That’s a lot of fish that we’re going to have the chance to catch, the largest (Coho) run since 2014,” Sohlstrom said.

“It’s seven-days-a-week starting as early as June 15. It’s going to be a great season and everyone loves salmon fishing. For our port it’s a big deal. Our reservation book has been unbelievable with the number of calls and people booking online. We’re in the neighborhood of 1,250 people already on the books and it’s early. Once they announce sturgeon and salmon dates, the phones will light up again.”