by John Kruse, November 29, 2019

THE WASHINGTON OUTDOORS REPORT

November 22 – November 29, 2019

BLACK FRIDAY IS FOR FISHING


Tens of thousands of one to three-pound trout, primarily rainbows averaging 15-inches or longer, are being stocked in lakes all over the state. This gives you a great reason so skip a hectic trip to a big box store or mall on Black Friday and instead, head out for a relaxing day on the water to catch some really nice fish!
Jason Wettstein, a spokesman for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) was asked why the agency rolled out this fall stocking program a few years ago. He replied, “Anglers, especially in Western and Southwestern Washington, asked for increased fall and winter trout stockings” and that was the initial impetus. The program has worked. WDFW has seen an increase of license sales since Black Friday stocking became an annual event.
Wettstein says an additional reason they do this, “Is because they know people are with friends and family around Thanksgiving and they wanted to help people start a new tradition of connecting with one another over fishing and getting outside.”
Jumbo trout are being stocked in various lakes across the region. Those lakes include:

WESTERN WASHINGTON:

CLARK COUNTY - Battleground Lake and Klineline Pond
COWLITZ COUNTY – Kress Lake
JEFFERSON COUNTY – Anderson Lake
KING COUNTY – Beaver Lake (near Sammamish), Green Lake, Steel and Five-Mile Lake
LEWIS COUNTY – Fort Borst Park Pond and South Lewis County Park Pond
MASON COUNTY – Spencer Lake
PIERCE COUNTY – American Lake and Tanwax Lake
PACIFIC COUNTY – Cases Pond – (Juvenile Fishing)
SKAGIT COUNTY – Clear and Cranberry Lakes
SNOHOMISH COUNTY –Tye, Silver and Ballinger Lakes plus the Gissberg Ponds
THURSTON COUNTY – Black, Offut and Long Lakes
WHATCOM COUNTY Padden Lake

EASTERN WASHINGTON:

KLICKITAT COUNTY – Rowland Lake
YAKIMA COUNTY – Elton Pond North

Additional lakes were not planted with trout but have been stocked by WDFW with fry plants in recent years and will be open for Black Friday. According to WDFW, the following lakes are expected to provide “great fishing” this fall and winter.

LINCOLN/ADAMS COUNTY – Fourth of July Lake
SPOKANE LAKE – Hog Canyon Lake
STEVENS COUNTY – Hatch and Williams Lakes

TACTICS:

Whether you are fishing from a boat or the bank, soaking bait can work well. Nate Treat, the Sportsman’s Warehouse Fishing Dept. Manager in Everett, suggests using Berkley PowerBait or PowerBait Mouse Tails. Nate ties on a five-foot leader below a weight. With the PowerBait floating up, you’ll often end up in the zone where the fish are found. As for lures, spinners and spoons can work with Treat favoring an Acme Kastmaster spoon. Finally, Treat says late morning to afternoon fishing is best this time of year so feel free to sleep in!

If you are trolling for trout from a boat, don’t troll deep. Wes Malmberg, author of
“The Fly Fisher’s Guide to Lowland Lakes”, trolls flies such as a Woolly Bugger or a Mack’s Lure Smile Blade Fly behind a sinking fly line. He only fishes four to twelve feet deep at a speed of 1 to 1.5 miles per hour. He also trolls in a long S Pattern, which changes the depth of the trolled fly as the boat turns.

BLACK FRIDAY IS FOR OREGON FISHING TOO!

If you live close to the Oregon border a trip with a fishing pole, crab pot or clam shovel on Friday the 29th or Saturday the 30th could be a good and inexpensive bet. That’s because the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is offering Free Fishing Days on both these dates with no license required to fish, crab or clam.

According to “The Guide’s Forecast” crabbing has been good at the mouth of the Columbia River and in Tillamook Bay this month and Oregon limits are much more liberal than Washington States (12 Dungeness and 12 red rock crab are allowed per day). Razor clam digging has also been very good on the Clatsop County beaches north of Tillamook to Warrenton. Go to http://myodfw.com and check out the weekly Recreation Report for details about how the fishing is in various regions of the Beaver State.


John Kruse – www.northwesternoutdoors.com and www.americaoutdoorsradio.com