Recession fails to keep fishermen from passion

Facing the worst economic times in 70 years, Washington’s anglers have not flinched.

They’ve kept doing what they always do — go fishing.

“Business has been, given the economic times, pretty good,’’ said Phil Anderson, director of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Our license sales are about holding even. We had a pretty strong increase last year (2009), when we had a good fishing year.’’

Washington has seen a modest increase in fishing license sales in the past five years, coupled with about a 2 percent decrease in hunting license sales, he said.

That’s really no surprise to anyone who understands the passion of fishermen. Fishing is simply what they do.

Someone is fishing somewhere every day in Southwest Washington, where some waters never close. Clark County has water on three sides, and thus it’s no surprise there is plenty of fishing opportunity locally. Include nearby Skamania and Klickitat counties and there are 15 species available for anglers.

They are chinook (three types), coho salmon, steelhead (two types), shad, sturgeon, northern pikeminnow, kokanee, trout (five types), bass (two types), tiger musky, bullheads, bluegill-sunfish, crappie (two types), yellow perch and walleye.

But before doing any fishing, an angler needs a state license. A resident freshwater fishing license costs $26. A combination license, which also allows saltwater fishing and shellfish digging, costs $48.20. A one-day fishing license costs $10.18.

Washington’s licensing cycle runs April 1 to March 30. Don’t ask why, it’s a long and complicated story. Here’s a look at a few of the major fisheries locally:

• Chinook

Columbia River chinook salmon are the premier fish of the region. Spring chinook, which arrive in March, April and May, are, arguably, the best salmon in the world. Summer chinook, which migrate in mid-June and July, are a close second. Fall chinook enter the Columbia from August into November, peaking in September.

Fishing for chinook is managed tightly to avoid overharvest and to share the catch between sport, commercial and tribal groups. Seasons open and close on short notice and the regulations are often convoluted.

Most chinook fishing is done either trolling herring, spinners or plugs, or from an anchored boat during outgoing tides. Look at the river in early April and late August and early September and “hoglines’’ of boats at anchor are common.

Spring chinook return to the Willamette, Cowlitz, Kalama, Lewis, Wind, Little White Salmon and Klickitat rivers, too. Summer chinook are main-stem fish, passing through to the upper Columbia. Fall chinook are caught in the lower Columbia and many tributaries. Chinook range from 10 to 40 pounds.

• Coho

Smaller than chinook, coho are caught mostly in the ocean off the Washington and Oregon coasts, plus in some tributaries, including the Cowlitz and North Fork of the Lewis. They also bite at Buoy 10 and the lower 16 miles of the Columbia, but not much upstream of the Astoria Bridge.

Coho range from 6 to 18 pounds. They are taken in July and August off the coast, during late August and early September at Buoy 10, and in September, October and November in the tributaries. Coho fishing in the Columbia upstream of the Astoria Bridge is minimal, and happens mostly off the mouths of the Cowlitz, Washougal, Sandy and Klickitat rivers.

• Steelhead

Winter steelhead arrive mostly in December and January. They are fished almost exclusively in the tributary streams, both by bank fishermen and boaters in drift boats.

Summer steelhead enter the Columbia and tributaries from April into October, but peak in June, July and August. They are caught in the main Columbia and many tributaries including the Cowlitz, Kalama, Lewis, Washougal, White Salmon and Klickitat rivers, plus in Drano Lake.

Although only 4 to 15 pounds, steelhead are great fighters.

• Sturgeon

These slow-growing bottom dwellers live in the Columbia and connected waters, such as the lower Willamette and lower Cowlitz rivers.

There are completely different sets of rules for fishing sturgeon in the estuary (downstream of Cathlamet) and the river between Cathlamet and Bonneville Dam. Each reservoir in the mid-Columbia has a quota, and closes once the quota has been caught.

Lower Columbia sturgeon must be at least 38 inches long to keep and no longer than 54 inches, measured from the tip of the snout to the fork in the tail. There’s a five-fish annual limit.

Shore fishermen do well, particularly in fall, near Bonneville Dam. But sturgeon angling is best by boat. There’s a huge boat fishery in the Chinook-Ilwaco-Astoria area in late May and June.

• Trout

Washington stocks thousands of rainbow, cutthroat and brown trout in Southwest Washington lakes.

Klineline Pond in Salmon Creek Park was planted with 26,600 trout in 2010. Other numbers were 64,000 at Swift Reservoir, 21,500 at Lacamas Lake, 37,000 at Battle Ground Lake, 26,600 in Horseshoe Lake, 16,600 in Horsethief Lake and 13,800 in Goose Lake. Canyon Creek in eastern Clark and western Skamania counties and the Little White Salmon River in eastern Skamania also were stocked.

While salmon, steelhead and sturgeon get the attention, there are more fishing trips annually for trout. They are the bread-and-butter of the ordinary angler.

Trout lakes are close to home, most have shore access and many have boat ramps. Inexpensive gear and bait are all that’s necessary to outwit hatchery-origin trout.