2015 Hot Plug’s Derby Results

Here’s the results from Ed Keller on the 2015 Hot Plug’s Derby:

1st Place Terry Pitt of Sedro Woolley 15.12 lbs $2350 Northend of Camano Island on a spoon

2nd Place Ron Lampers of Whidbey Island 12.05 lbs $940 Whidbey Island side somewhere on bait.

3rd Place Glenn Helton of Sedro Woolley 10.05 lbs $705 Greenbanks on a squid

4th Place Jack McKeehan of Arlington 9.14lbs $470 Racetrack on a spoon

We had 94 entries and 13 fish weighed in. It was probably the best weather the Hot Plug’s Derby has seen in a very long time. Flat as glass and nice and sunny. Doubled the fish of last year too. There was people fishing from the Langley all the way up to the north end of Camano. My boat even put two fish in the boat. 9 and a 6 lb right off Pebble beach, just couldn’t be a better day to be fishing.

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Fishing Report 3/6/14

Fishing Report 3/6/14

 

We have seen a few more boats hitting the water as the weather has allowed these past couple weeks and while we’ve seen a couple of fish brought by the store, it still could be a lot better. There seems to be quite a bit of bait in the water, and some fish are being marked on finders but they are really reluctant to bite.

 

Here are the results for the Hot Plug’s Derby that took place last Saturday:

 

1st Place    Zac Mackey       12.11 lbs   $2100    Camano Head.     On a spoon

2nd Place   Gary Brossard    11.09 lbs  $840       Not sure where.

3rd Place    Ron Lampers     10.11 lbs   $630      Not sure where.   Running bait.

4th Place    Doug Schneider 10.01 lbs   $420      Onamac Point.     Running squid.

There were 84 entries in the derby and 7 Fish weighed in total.

The weather was cold but flat as glass in the morning till late afternoon. Then a East wind picked up and made it a little choppy. Other then that a good day to be fishing Blackmouth.

 

The Stanwood Eagles Derby is coming up on April 12th-13th and we will have flyers and sign ups for that in the store soon.

 

Joshua Flickner
Elger Bay Grocery(www.elgerbaygrocery.com)

New Chinook Fishing Video

No one can argue with the fishing prowess of John Martinez. Here’s the link to a new video he put out on Chinook Fishing in the Puget Sound, check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sa-UgcnLUA&feature=plcp .

Fishing Report 11/12/12

While most anglers would not say it has been a “stellar” Winter Blackmouth opening, it also hasn’t been terrible. We’ve had fish weighed in for our running derby almost every day, with a couple of days last week producing 3-5 fish each. So far, the leader in our derby is Howard Peterson with a 9.56lb Blackmouth. Make sure you stop in the store before you go fishing and sign up for our derby, its just $10 per person and you can win many times that in prize money!

Areas producing the best results right now are: Point no Point, Elger Bay and Greenbank. Fish just off the bottom with Red Racer, Cookies n Cream or Irish Cream spoons 42″ behind an 11″ UV flasher.

Crabbing is also doing decent, though it is obviously not the windfall it is during the Summer season. People having the best luck are crabbing deep(70-100ft) so make sure you have plenty of leaded line and get those pots in deeper water if you want to have a better shot at limiting. A reminder, crabbing is open now through December 31st, seven days per week.

Fishing Report 10/31/2012

First of all: I apologize for the lack of reports lately, we’ve had a series of family emergencies the past month and a new baby that have kept me from my usual routine. Thank you for your patience and I hope you’ve had at least some time to do some fishing and/or crabbing.

Aside from the unpredictable weather, this Fall and Winter should prove fruitful for Puget Sound Anglers and Shellfishers. Crabbing is open now through December 31st in most areas of Puget Sound(and yes, the areas around Camano are included in that). Also, Winter Blackmouth opens on November 1st and is open through April 30th. Daily limit is 2 combined Chinook/Coho, must release wild Chinook. Coho fishing in the Puget Sound and rivers is pretty much died down but look for some stragglers and Steelhead in those rivers.

 

Join our 4th Annual Running Winter Blackmouth Derby:

 

Cost: Just $10 per person!

Who: All anglers, regardless of age. In fact, everyone in your boat must be entered for your fish to count, even kids, to prevent cheating.

When: November 1st – April 30th (Winter Blackmouth Season). Sign up RIGHT NOW at Elger Bay Grocery. You can join the derby at any point in the season, just as long as you sign up before you go fishing; catching a fish then signing up is cheating!

Where: Hatchery Chinook(Blackmouth) from Marine Areas 8-1, 8-2 and 9 are allowed to be weighed. Bring fish to Elger Bay Grocery for weigh-in 6am-9pm, 7 days per week. Limit 1 fish per person per day but you can weigh a fish everyday that you catch one. 

Prizes: Cash for 1st place and a mystery weight, special prize for the most fish weighed in throughout derby duration so weigh every Blackmouth you catch!

Rules: All WDFW rules and regulations must be followed. Elger Bay Grocery is not responsible for injuries or accidents. A chart will be up inside store with current standings so come by often to check it out.

Fishing Report 10/1/12

This report is very similar to the last one: Anglers are still catching lots of Coho Salmon(aka Silvers) from the coast to the Stilly River. Most of the fish still seem to be schooled up in the saltwater near Possession and Shipwreck, but Camano Head and the sides of the island should get better and better until they run into the rivers. In the saltwater, the rig that seems to be producing the best results is anything white or mother of pearl(like a squid or coho killer spoon) trolled behind a purple haze or red racer flasher. Off the shore: buzz bombs, blue fox spinners and krocodile spoons are all working well on both sides of Camano. The daily limit is 2 per person per day, no minimum size other than common sense, and you can keep wild Coho. You must still release Chinook Salmon until November 1st. Also, don’t forget that you can only use single-point, barbless hooks so pick up a pack of those when you buy your buzz bombs/spinners.

Sturgeon are now closed for retention until next June(unless the rules change next year) so they are catch and release only until then.

Don’t forget, until the Winter season is announced, crabbing is closed around Camano Island.

Fishing Report 9/20/12

Silvers, Silvers everywhere… at least that’s what it seems like. Catch reports of Coho Salmon(aka Silvers) are great from The coast to the Stilly River. In the saltwater, the rig that seems to be producing the best results is anything white or mother of pearl(like a squid or coho killer spoon) trolled behind a purple haze or red racer flasher. Off the shore: buzz bombs, blue fox spinners and krocodile spoons are all working well on both sides of Camano. The daily limit is 2 per person per day, no minimum size other than common sense, and you can keep wild Coho.

Also open for retention for just the month of September is Sturgeon in Port Susan. Sand shrimp is the bait of choice for these shallow-water monsters, which can be tricky this time of year because the tides make it hard to harvest shrimp. We have sand shrimp available every day that we freeze while they are still alive and at peak freshness. Just spray some shrimp scent in the cup when you thaw them and they work just fine.

Don’t forget, until the Winter season is announced, crabbing is closed around Camano Island.

Fishing Report 8/6/12

While crabbing has not been the windfall it was last year, it is still by and large a good season. If you’re having trouble getting the limits you’re used to, the best advice is to drop your pots deeper(around 80-100 feet) because many of the shallow keepers got scooped up by tribal and commercial fishers earlier last month.

While Coho is indeed open around Camano, chances of hitting them are pretty slim until mid-late August simply because they’re not quite here yet.

Important season updates to know:
*Sturgeon are now catch and release in the Puget Sound until September 1st
*Crabbing is open Thurs-Monday until Labor Day with a daily limit of 5 dungeness and 6 red rock crab. Dungeness must be at least 6 1/4″ diameter, males only and in hardshell condition*San Juan CRABBING opens on July 15th, same rules as above
*Area 9 opens for Chinook, Sockeye and Coho(release Chum and wild Chinook) July 16 – Aug. 31. Daily limit of 2 combined, Chinook must be 22″ minimum.
*Areas 8-1 & 8-2 are open Aug. 1- Oct. 31 for Salmon, release Chinook. Daily limit of 2 combined, no min. size.
*Area 7, Open for Chinook August 1-Sept 30

Fishing Report 7/20/12

I couldn’t type up a better report myself so I figured: why try? Here is the link to yesterday’s Herald article about how hot the Salmon fishing in Baker Lake and Area 9 is right now, and includes a youtube video of the writer’s fishing trip:

http://heraldnet.com/article/20120719/SPORTS/707199963

Fish Smart

This article is designed to help all anglers increase the survival rate of fish they catch & release and thereby increase populations and our ability to fish recreationally for generations to come.

General guidelines for releasing marine recreational fish:

* Plan ahead: pack the gear needed to release fish before you go on your trip.
* Avoid encountering fish that you are required to release or don’t want to keep; Change location or tactics.
* Use tackle suited to the size of fish you hope to catch.
* Don’t play fish to exhaustion; use higher # test line to minimize playing time.
* Land fish as quickly as possible and leave them in the water if you intend to release them. Knotless/rubberized landing nets and gloves help protect a fish’s slime layer. Support their body when lifting.
* Carry release tools when fishing.
* Release fish as quickly as possible; the less time out of water, the better.
* Do your homework. More information on increasing survival rates can be found at http://www.fishsmart.org