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Salmon anglers set to tackle record run
Early-bird salmon anglers are already setting their hooks on what promises to be a record-busting season.
Salmon fishing is open now on the mainstem Columbia River from the Interstate 5 bridge downstream to the mouth. And beginning March 12, the fishing boundary moves upstream to Bonneville Dam, offering lower Columbia spring chinook anglers the longest season since the late 1970s.
Joe Hymer, a state Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist in Vancouver, said he expects at least 32,000 salmon will be caught on the lower Columbia, with nearly half - 15,000 to 17,000 - legal keepers.
"Right now, any salmon can be kept on the lower Columbia. When the boundary moves to Bonneville Dam, only adipose fin-clipped spring chinook salmon and steelhead will be legal to keep. All other salmon or steelhead will have to be released," he said.
The majority of the fin-clipped salmon are returning to lower Columbia tributary hatcheries and Idaho hatcheries. This year's spring chinook run is expected to reach 364,600, with nearly 150,000 bound for the Snake River.
Hymer also said he expects the season on the mainstem will remain open every day through April 30, making it the first time the season has remained open that long since 1977.
While no mainstem Columbia fishery is likely above Bonneville Dam, there is some possibility a limited, selective fishery on the Snake River could occur, he added.
"As far as lower Columbia tributary seasons go - including Wind River and Drano Lake - we plan to open them as soon as possible and we'd like to leave them open through June 30," Hymer said.
The state expects to announce this year's lower Columbia River tributary fishing season this week, although it has proposed a March 15 start on Wind River and Drano Lake and an April 1 kick-off on the White Salmon and Klickitat rivers.
On the Wind, fishery experts are anticipating a return of nearly 43,000 spring chinook, which would double last year's run of 21,500, the largest run to date. At Drano, slightly more than 11,000 spring chinook are expected to return, compared with last year's return of 11,900.
Nearly double the number of spring chinook also are expected to return to the Ringold. Last year, 870 adults returned, said Jim Cummins, a Fish and Wildlife Department biologist in Yakima.
"This season, we're forecasting a return of about 1,950 adults, which should provide much better fishing opportunities," he added.
Cummins said the season would be the same as last year - May 15 to July 31 - with a two adult salmon daily limit.
While no spring season has been set on the upper Yakima River, biologists are expecting 26,100 springers will return. Look for a likely season opener around May 15.
The daily limit on lower Columbia tributaries would remain two salmonoids a day - salmon or steelhead. However, that could be increased if the run is as strong as forecast, Hymer said.
However, this could be the best fishing anglers may see for a while for hatchery-reared salmon.
"While the conditions the past couple of years have culminated to make this year's run a success, this is going to be a tough year for adult fish moving upstream and for juveniles headed out to sea because of anticipated low flows," Hymer said.
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Calling all turkey hunters. The Columbia Basin Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is having its second annual fund-raising banquet at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Shilo Inn in Richland. A dinner follows the social hour and silent auction at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 a person for dinner. A membership and dinner package is $45 a head. Vice President Ryan Kilbury said money raised from the banquet supports the federation's turkey trap and transfer program and habitat development, as well as Women in the Outdoors and the children's Jake program.
For more information, call 545-9272. Tickets also can be purchased at Griggs and Critter's Outdoor World in Pasco and Hole in the Wall in Kennewick.
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