Two marine areas in Puget Sound will reopen to recreational crab fishing Sunday. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife made the decision based on summer catch assessments that show more crab are available for harvest.

Starting at sunrise Sunday, Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), and most of Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) will reopen for sport crabbing seven days a week through Jan. 2.

The part of Marine Area 9 that will remain closed is south of a line from Foulweather Bluff to Olele Point.

Crab fishing will remain open seven days a week through Jan. 2 in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu) and 13 (south Puget Sound), where the fishery has continued uninterrupted since summer.

Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal), currently open Wednesdays through Saturdays, will close for the season at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Sport crabbing will not reopen this year in marine areas 6 (Strait of Juan de Fuca), 7 (San Juan Islands), 8-1, 8-2 (east of Whidbey Island) and 11 (Tacoma/Vashon Island), where the summer catch reached the annual recreational quota, said Rich Childers, shellfish policy lead.

"We want to give crabbers as much opportunity to fish as possible, but with great weather this summer, we had a lot of people out crabbing and catch rates were high," Childers said in a news release.

Of the more than 236,000 people that were issued Puget Sound crab licenses, 104,634 complied with the Sept. 21 reporting deadline. That includes 70,172 who filed their summer catch reports online.

"The data we receive is important for managing the Puget Sound crab fishery, which is why people are required to submit catch reports," Childers said.

To increase compliance, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in 2008 approved a $10 fine for failure to file a catch report. Crabbers failing to submit their winter reports, due by Jan.15, will receive the fine when they apply for a 2010 Puget Sound crab endorsement.

State fishing rules require that all sport crabbers submit catch reports whether or not they went fishing or were successful in catching crab. Childers suggested that people who have winter catch cards, but do not intend to go crabbing, send in their catch cards now.

Catch record cards may be mailed to WDFW CRC Unit, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091. The online reporting system will be available Jan. 3-15 at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wdfw/puget_sound_crab_catch.html

The daily catch limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6π inches. Fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across.

Click here for more information about recreational crabbing in Puget Sound.

The state has raised the daily adult coho limit on three portions of the mainstem Columbia River.

The increased limit is in effect from Thursday through Dec. 31.

Here is the rest of the release:

Lower Columbia River from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse through Red Buoy #4 to the orange marker atop the dolphin on the lower end of Bachelor Island - The daily limit is 6 fish. Up to 3 may be adults of which no more than 2 may be hatchery steelhead. Release all salmon other than hatchery coho. Salmon minimum size is 12 inches.

Lower Columbia River from a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse upstream to Bonneville Dam - The daily limit is 6 fish. Up to 3 may be adults of which no more than 2 may be hatchery steelhead. Only one adult Chinook may be retained. Release all salmon other than Chinook and hatchery coho. Salmon minimum size is 12 inches.

Bonneville Dam upstream to the Hwy. 395 Bridge at Pasco - The daily limit is 6 fish. Up to 3 may be adults. No more than 2 may be hatchery steelhead or Chinook or one of each. Release all salmon other than Chinook and coho. Release wild coho from Bonneville Dam to the Hood River Bridge. Salmon minimum size is 12 inches.

Reason for action: The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) reviewed the early and late Columbia River coho stock status and reported the overall run was tracking at or above expectations of a total return of 700,000 adults. TAC observed that the early stock return appears to be tracking slightly less than the preseason forecast of 466,700 fish, while the late stock return appears to be currently tracking ahead of the preseason forecast of 236,600. At Bonneville Dam, 196,300 adult coho had been counted through October 18, compared to the preseason expectation of 160,100 fish. Surplus hatchery origin coho are available for harvest.

Tthe first razor-clam dig of the fall season got the final go ahead this afternoon.

Evening digs are scheduled at Twin Harbors (Friday-Monday); Long Beach and Copalis (Friay-Sunday); and Mocrocks and Kalaloch Beach (Saturday-Sunday). Digging at all beaches is limited to the hours between noon and midnight.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife approved the digs at the five beaches after a series of marine toxin tests confirmed the clams were safe to eat.

Look for more details in Thursday's Adventure section.

The state just announced that anglers must release adult chinook
on a section of the lower Cowlitz River starting Saturday.

Here is the rest of the release:

Action: Anglers must release adult chinook on the Cowlitz River from Blue Creek upstream to Mill Creek.

Species affected: Adult chinook salmon

Effective dates: Saturday through Dec. 31

Location: Cowlitz River from Blue Creek at the trout hatchery to Mill Creek near the salmon hatchery.

Reason for action: Protects naturally spawning fall chinook. This section is the primary spawning area for fall chinook on the lower Cowlitz.

Other information: Historically, all chinook had to be released in this section of river from October through December. With the advancement of mass marking, hatchery chinook jacks may continue to be retained. In addition, this area remains open for hatchery coho, hatchery steelhead, and hatchery sea run cutthroat trout.

On Wednesday, the state announced the dates for the first digs of the upcoming razor clam season. The first dig will start Oct. 16 at two beaches.

Here is a link to our story looking ahead to this season.

Here is the list of tentative dates for the early-season digs. Digging will be allowed if marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat.
Proposed dates (low tide time, tide height):
Oct. 16: ( 5:50 p.m. -0.5 feet) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 17: (6:38 p.m. -0.8 feet) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
Oct. 18: (7:23 p.m. -1.1 feet) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
Oct. 19: (8:06 p.m. -1.1 feet) Twin Harbors
Nov. 4: (7:33 p.m. -1.3 feet) Long Beach, Twin Harbors
Nov. 5: (8:18 p.m. -1.2 feet) Twin Harbors
Nov. 6: (9:07 p.m. -0.9 feet) Long Beach, Twin Harbors
Nov. 7: (9:59 p.m. -0.5 feet) Long Beach, Twin Harbors
Nov. 14: (4:34 p.m. -0.3 feet) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Nov. 15: (5:21 p.m. -0.7 feet) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Nov. 16: (6:05 p.m. -0.9 feet) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
Nov. 17: (6:47 p.m. -0.8 feet) Twin Harbors
Dec. 2: (6:32 p.m. -1.2 feet) Long Beach, Twin Harbors
Dec. 3: (7:18 p.m. -1.4 feet) Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Dec. 4: (8:04 p.m. -1.3 feet) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
Dec. 5: (8:51 p.m. -0.9 feet) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
Dec. 31: (6:16 p.m. -1.1 feet) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
Jan. 1: (7:01 p.m. -1.8 feet) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks, Kalaloch
Jan. 2: (7:45 p.m. -1.6 feet) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
Jan. 3: (8:29 p.m. -1.2 feet) Twin Harbors

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife opened a new wheelchair-accessible fishing site at the department's Hoodsport Hatchery.

The Hood Canal site includes an ADA-compliant ramp, grated walkways and a new fishing platform with a gate, fencing, handrails and fishing slots.

Only persons with disabilities who permanently use a wheelchair and/or those who have a designated harvest card are allowed to use the site and to fish adjacent waters inshore from the yellow marker buoys to the mouth of Finch Creek, according to a press release.

A designated harvest card issued by the department allows a licensed fishermen with a disability to receive assistance from another licensed individual. Persons with disabilities who permanently use a wheelchair have priority over others if the site becomes crowded.

Able-bodied anglers are allowed to fish in other designated areas at the hatchery.

All anglers are required to have appropriate fishing licenses and follow fishing seasons and rules for Marine Area 12.

Wheelchair-accessible parking and restrooms also are available at the hatchery. Anglers should be aware that space is limited at the new site, which can accommodate only two or three wheelchairs at a time. The new site is available on a first-come, first-served basis during hatchery hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., seven days a week. People may call the hatchery at 360-877-6408 for more information.

The Hoodsport hatchery is located on the east side of Highway 101, 200 feet north of the intersection of Highways 101 and 119.

This story was just posted on the National Park Service's Web site. It tells a tragic accident all because a fish took a rod overboard and the anglers were not wearing lifejackets.

The Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area is run by the Park Service.

Roger Dudley, 67, and a friend headed out from the Seven Bays marina area in their boat to go trout fishing around midday on Aug. 25. They were trolling at just over a mile an hour when Dudley got a bite. The fish pulled his pole overboard and he immediately jumped overboard in an attempt to recover it.

After a few moments, Dudley, who was not wearing a lifejacket, told his friend that he needed help and began struggling in the water. His friend jumped into the water, also without a lifejacket, and soon found himself in trouble, with their boat floating away. He was able to get back onboard, though, and attempted to throw a rope to Dudley. Dudley was unable to reach it and soon stopped struggling and went under.

After hearing calls for help, passing boaters attempted to pull Dudley from the water. Efforts to do so proved unavailing, so a rope was tied to him and he was pulled back into the marina. One of the passengers on that vessel began CPR immediately after getting him to shore.

Rangers, local sheriff’s deputies, ambulance personnel and Medstar paramedics soon arrived on scene and took over care. They were unable to revive him, though, and he was pronounced dead after about 90 minutes of resuscitation efforts. There was no throwable personal floatation device on board the vessel, and other lifejackets were stored in an area not readily accessible for use in an emergency situation. Dudley was in the water for less than five minutes before he drowned. The weather and wake conditions were calm at the time of the incident.

Submitted by Adam Kelsey, Acting Chief Ranger

The state released this notice a while ago:

Action: Marine Area 1 will reopen to salmon fishing seven days a week starting Monday.

Effective date: Monday through Sept. 30, 2009.

Species affected: Chinook, coho and pink salmon

Location: Marine Area 1 from Leadbetter Point to Cape Falcon, Oregon.

Reason for action: The Marine Area 1 coho sub-area quota has enough coho left over to provide more angling opportunity.

Other information: Marine Area 1 will remain open through Sept. 30, unless the quota is reached before that date.

Joe Hymer, a state fish biologist just sent out this note:

Preliminary: During Aug. 1-31, salmonid anglers made 47,100 trips on the lower Columbia with 5,663 adult chinook and 6,000 summer steelhead kept, plus another 3,700 steelhead released.

The total effort, fall chinook and steelhead catch numbers are all record highs for the month of August since records began in 1969. The previous records for August were 5,133 fall chinook in 2002 while 4,525 steelhead were kept in 2007.

For comparison, the fishery peaked in 2003 when anglers made 113,000 angler trips during an entire uninterrupted fishery. Last year, the lower Columbia was closed for chinook retention in August.

You can now find this type of information on the state Department of Fish and Wildlife's Twitter site.

I was out of town on assignment last week, but wanted to post this notice on the closure of salmon fishing in Marine Area 1. It's the lone downside to a season of great fishing in the area.

Action: Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) closes to salmon fishing.

Effective dates: 12:01 a.m. Tuesday

Species affected: All salmon

Location: Marine Area 1 from Leadbetter Point to Cape Falcon Oregon.

Reasons for action: The salmon quota for Marine Area 1 will have been taken.

Other Information: Marine areas 2, 3, 4, and Buoy 10 will remain open.

The state Fish and Wildlife Commission plans to select a new director for the Department of Fish and Wildlife when it meets Sept. 11-12 in Olympia.

The commission, after interviewing six candidates Wednesday and Thursday, after narrowed the field to two finalists, a commission news release said.

The finalists' references and backgrounds will be checked over the next couple of weeks, according to commission chairwoman Miranda Wecker.

Former director Jeff Koenings resigned last December after serving for a decade. Since then, Phil Anderson has served as interim director.

The state Fish and Wildlife Commission is schedule to interview Wednesday and Thursday candidates for the department director position.

There are six candidates being interviewed. The candidate names and personal information are confidential, according to a commission spokeswoman.

The six were recommended by the state Department of Personnel as the top qualifiers based on the job recruitment announcement and job description approved by the commission a few months ago.

According to the notice from the commission’s office, the public is not permitted to attend the interviews, which will be conducted during executive session.

The public portions of this meeting will be recorded and the audio will be posted on the Internet by the day after adjournment. To listen to the audio afterwards, visit www.wdfw.wa.gov/commission/meetings.html.

The commission began its search for a new director earlier this summer, after the Legislature met and finalized budgets. Phil Anderson has been serving as the interim director since Jeff Koenings stepped down last December.