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Topic: San Juans trip in June  (Read 2268 times)

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  • WS Commander 120, OK Trident 13, Revo 13
  • Location: Creswell OR
  • Date Registered: Jan 2011
  • Posts: 804
For my wife and I's Anniversary this year we have decided to take a vacation in the San Juans. We will be on Lopez Island Specifically. Going to be there the middle of June.

This will mostly be a leisure trip and fishing a second. So I did some poking around on the WDFW regs site looking for the fishing regulations. For the area (MA7) we will be at during the time we will be there trying to navigate the rules there are a headache! Just want to be sure what I am reading is right. Are there many mid-season changes that I should be aware of?
What I am reading is:

1.   Salmon season will not be open yet
2.   Closed for Rockfish in the Puget Sound
3.   Cabezon is open- minimum size 18” Limit 1
4.   Lingcod closes on June 15th. (Min size 26” Max size of 36” Limit 1)
5.   Can only fish in 120 feet of water or less.
6.   “Other Food Fish”- Not sure what species this means
7.   Crabbing will likely be open
8.   Shrimping is open: June 1 through October 15.  DAILY LIMIT OF 10 POUNDS, heads and tails, of all shrimp species combined (maximum of 80 spot shrimp - if open for spot shrimp).
Not sure I will be willing and able to rig for them with a kayak

Yes, I have and studied the Current Atlas and Wagoner Tables.  Any other suggestions or intel would be appreciated. Heck.. maybe even a visitor out there would be welcome.
Better to keep ones mouth shut and presumed a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
<Proverbs>


Northwoods

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Formerly sumpNZ
  • Location: Sedro-Woolley, WA
  • Date Registered: Nov 2011
  • Posts: 2308
Quote from: WDFW Fishing Regs pg 11
Other Food Fish When used in this pamphlet,
this refers to species which occur in our waters
irregularly, usually in coastal areas during the
summer months and includes barracuda, white
sea bass, bonito, yellowtail, and pomfret.

Crab dates aren't available yet.  Probably won't be open when you're there, but possible.

For shrimp, you need different pots for spot vs coonstripe/humpy.  There's also depth restrictions for the non-spot shrimp.  Most areas have very short spot shrimp seasons.  If you want to try to catch shrimp you'll probably need to focus on the smaller species as spot season is highly unlikely to be open past May.

Note that in the Puget Sound you must use barbless hooks for basically EVERYTHING (only exceptions are jigs for herring, smelt, etc).  Not just when fishing for salmon.  See page 98 under "Tackle/Gear Rules". 
Formerly sumpNZ
2012 ORC 5th Place



Lee

  • Iris
  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Fuck Cancer!
  • Location: Graham, WA
  • Date Registered: Jul 2009
  • Posts: 6091
Use Deep Zoom for the currents as well.  San Juan currents are no joke.  I learned the hard way.
 


DWB123

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Location: Seattle, WA
  • Date Registered: Aug 2013
  • Posts: 841
Total longshot, but you may get lucky with an open halibut day, depending on weather


Tinker

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Kevin
  • Location: 42.74°N 124.5°W
  • Date Registered: May 2013
  • Posts: 3338
Use Deep Zoom for the currents as well.  San Juan currents are no joke.  I learned the hard way.

+1  My experience is from Shaw to Orcas, and it can get interesting. 
The fish bite twice a day - just before we get here and right after we leave.