OLYMPIA -- Crab lovers rejoice!
The Dungeness crab season is now underway and Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists are predicting good times for recreationists.
"The opportunities look good through Labor Day and beyond if the weather
holds," said Morris Barker, WDFW shellfish manager.
Historically, Pack Saddle Park near Anacortes has yielded good results for
crabbers, and there have been recent reports of excellent recreational crab catches in
Port Townsend Bay, Barker said.
Good crabbing spots that haven't been getting much attention include Willapa
Bay, Grays Harbor and the lower Columbia River.
Columbia River recreational crabbers also will benefit from recently liberalized
bag and size limits that were revised to match Oregon's regulations.
For crabbing success, Barker recommends using chicken backs as bait. Fresh
fish also works well, he said, but may be stolen by marine mammals.
For those heading home with a crab catch Barker offers the following recipe:
| Crab Omelet |
|---|
Coat omelet pan with olive oil or spray oil and heat.
Whip: 1 T. water with 4 eggs . Pour into pan.
Add: 1 to 2 c. picked crab meat
1/4 c. finely minced green pepper
1/4 c. finely minced mild onion or green onion
Grated Jarlsberg cheese to taste
Fold over and serve on toast (French or sourdough).
Can be served with tartar dressing as a sandwich
|
The Puget Sound Dungeness pot season begins July 16 and runs through April
15, except where recently delayed due to softshell conditions. Coastal waters pot
fishing will close Sept. 15. Ring net and star-trap crabbing is open year-round.
Crabbers must purchase a shellfish license which costs $5.
Sport fishers may use crab pots in portions of Marine Area 7, including
Bellingham, Samish, Padilla and Fidalgo bays. The San Juan County portion of Marine
area 7 as well as Marine Areas 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay) and
8-2 (Ports Susan and Gardner) also are open for crab pots.
Sport fishers should consult WDFW's Fishing in Washington pamphlet for
regulation information. The pamphlet is available statewide at WDFW offices and
sporting goods stores. Fishing opportunities are subject to emergency closures for
conservation reasons.
Besides crabbing there are many other fishing and wildlife opportunities available
now. Some of these include:
- Tide pools -- When the tide goes out, the area where land and ocean meet
reveals a wondrous sample of marine life that is easily accessible to land
dwellers. Rocky shores provide the best opportunities for viewing a variety of
plant life, shellfish, mussels and snails. Low tides provide golden opportunities
for finding the greatest variety of intertidal life. Edmonds Beach, Kalaloch and
Rialto beaches on the coast, Salt Creek on the Strait of Juan de Fuca and
Rosario Beach in Deception Pass State Park all provide excellent tide pool
recreation.
- Wildflowers/Butterflies -- You can find butterflies just about anywhere there
are flowers, sunshine and open spaces. The high country offers spring and
summer flowers from July through late August as snow fields recede and melt.
Many areas around the state offer both wildflowers and butterflies including
Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park; the Sunrise and Paradise areas
in Mount Rainier National Park; Hart's Pass Road in Wenatchee's Tumwater
Canyon, and WDFW's Oak Creek Wildlife Area near Yakima.
- Lunkers -- Fish for lunkers at Stevens County's Deer and Loon lakes, and
Pend Oreille County's Diamond Lake which were recently stocked (late in week
of July 13) with surplus Spokane Fish Hatchery rainbow trout broodstock
averaging about 2 pounds each.
- Peregrine falcons -- Watch for endangered Peregrine falcon chicks trying out
their wings for the first time around their nest under Spokane's Sunset Highway
bridge over Latah Creek. The nest is visible from below in Highbridge Park.
- Sturgeon -- Fishing has been hot in the lower Columbia River. Anglers may
harvest a sturgeon between 4-5 feet in length in the Columbia River and its
tributaries between John Day and McNary dams. Anglers must release
sturgeon caught between John Day and Bonneville dams.
- Halibut -- Fishing for halibut is excellent in the Strait of Juan de Fuca,
especially in the Port Angeles area. The season is open Thursday through
Monday and closes August 3.
- Bottom fish -- There is good fishing for rockfish, lingcod and other marine
species in Westport, LaPush and Neah Bay areas. The season is open year
around in the above areas with the exception of Area 4 which closes for lingcod
Nov. 30.
- Salmon -- The San Juan Islands area and central Puget Sound opened July 1
for salmon angling. Chinook must be released.
- Bighorn sheep -- Groups of lambs and ewes can be seen on the Wooten
Wildlife Area near Dayton and sometimes can be spotted in high draws above
the Tucannon River in southeast Washington.
- Elk -- Calves and cows can be seen in groups at dawn and dusk grazing in
meadow areas in the southeast's Blue Mountains, central Washington's
Colockum and Yakima areas.
People fishing and hunting in Washington must purchase licenses. Licenses are
sold at WDFW offices as well as many sporting good stores.
