The Fishing Corner

By Larry Dublanko

It is not too early to make plans for 4th of July fishing. The big holiday offers a variety of activities for the individual and family, and fishing can be a huge part of the festivities.

For starters, Marine Area 2, out of Westport, opens this Sunday, July 1 for ocean salmon fishing. This fishery has been shortened this year in many ways, but it gets started this weekend. It is a Sunday through Thursday event with some other limitations.

Since the predicted return of Chinook is lower than previous seasons, it appears there will be more restrictions on these fish. The catch limit is two salmon daily limit which, one may be a Chinook. All wild coho must be released in all areas of the ocean.

So, it may be a good thing to jump on this fishery early in the season. If private vessels are not available, charters are definitely the way to go. Charters make it their business to please the angler in all respects. First of all, they supply all the gear needed. Next, you benefit from their knowledge and research by taking you to the salmon. When you catch your fish, they actually clean them and package them for you. If you enter the derby you may even become the big winner. All you need to do is get a fishing license and show up at the boat on time. It doesn’t get any easier than that. This could be a great 4th of July venture which could extend to the next day being a Thursday.

Camping locally at Lake Sylvia always makes for a good fishing opportunity. There will be ample trout in the lake for the 4th of July. The thing that makes this plan so inviting is that by taking a few steps from your campsite puts you easily in the middle of good fishing at day break. If you are fortunate enough to have a campsite on the shore of the lake, you can kick back and it doesn’t get any better than that.

If effort is what you are after, then going for the illusive steelhead may be for you. It is definitely going to take more effort to pursue these fish. Whether you bank fish or drift the river, an early start is highly recommended. On a holiday, it is more than likely that you will experience some competition for a prime location. Keep in mind that when it comes to steelheading, “the early bird gets the worm.” Being on the river and at a good location is going to take some pre-planning — not to mention a great deal of effort.

If the ocean beach is your thing, perhaps surf fishing interests you. I know many people who love to fish the surf or jetty. You will never find fresher fish than what comes out of the ocean.

So, with the 4th of July just around the corner, it could very well be an excellent fishing outing. Whatever the plan, it will still give you an opportunity to see fireworks in the evening.