Puget Sound Anglers – Gig Harbor & Tacoma

Club Members,

Well, our fishing season is all but over. As I mentioned last month, the coho fishing for us in Marine Area 11 has been a bit tough for many of us., but some did have success, some days. I’m not sure the coho returned in the numbers predicted. Now to look forward to next year.

This past month has been a relatively quiet one for the club. The only club events/outings this month have been the weekly nutrient enhancement trips. We had a total of 5 trips, 9 different club members helped (plus 3 from the Auburn chapter), 21 totes, more than 3,392 fish and 21,450 pounds. There will not be an outing on October 29th but may be one in November. If you can, please consider helping. An email will be sent when a date is determined.

The club annual Christmas party is scheduled for Friday, December 5th, at the VFW Hall on 4741 N Baltimore St, Tacoma, WA. We have a team of cooks to prepare the food, but still need someone to coordinate the party. We will also need volunteers to purchase and cook a turkey or a ham (purchase is reimbursed), as well as set-up and clean-up. Volunteer sign up and more information will be available at the club meeting on November 12th.

The speaker at our November meeting will be Rachael Easton of Harbor Watch, discussing the Gig Harbor Donkey Cr. salmon recovery program. It should be an interesting and informative presentation, given our interest with establishing a net pen operation in Gig Harbor. Unfortunately, we do not have a Tech Tips presentation this month. Remember, if you have a special way or tip of doing something, consider sharing it in Tech Tips. Thank you to Tony S. for offering to present at a future meeting.

Thank you to the club officers who offered to return next year. Patrick Sanchez will remain as the club Vice President, Ron Hunt will remain as the Treasurer, Larry Bucklin will stay on as the club Secretary. Jeff Stockman will keep the raffle going and Ted Martinez will remain as the Nutrient Enhancement coordinator. Unfortunately, Marty will not be able to remain as the Membership chair. If you are interested in serving as the Membership chair, please see Bill or Patrick. THANK YOU to all!

Here are a few key dates for club events in 2026. We will have a 2026 calendar available at the November club meeting and the Christmas party. January 31 Puyallup Sportsman show; February 7th Seattle boat show; April 8 – clam and spaghetti dinner; August 8 – 39th annual salmon derby; September 12 – club picnic at Titlow Park; December 4 – Christmas party. There will also be a club Blackmouth outing in April and coho outing in September, subject to fishing seasons.

Last month we had a winner in our monthly membership drawing. Congratulations Jeff. Through the generosity of John Haggard of Southworth Marine, the next membership drawing will be for an amount of $150. If you haven’t yet done so, please renew your membership and come to the general meeting to be eligible for the drawing.

Reminder about the club’s Lucky Fish Award. Take a picture of that huge fish that didn’t get away, and complete the form. Forms are available at club meetings and on our Web site. Submissions are due by November 25th.

Our Board meetings are held at Ben Dew’s Clubhouse on the first Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. The address is 6501 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA. All club members are invited, and encouraged to attend this meeting.

The club general meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month, and this month that will be November 12th. We meet at 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA. Guests are encouraged to attend.

Thank you,

Bill Macaras

President

October President Message

Club Members,

Fall is here, and so far the weather has been very cooperative and conducive for outdoor activities. The coho bite in Marine Area 11 has been hit or miss. Some club members have been able to get their limit rather quickly one day, and the next day barely a strike. Good luck if you are able to get out and fish.

This past month has been a busy one for the club. The annual picnic and smoked salmon contest was held on Sunday, September 7th. It was a good time for all who attended, the food was good and the company was excellent. Bill took first place in the smoked salmon contest, with Pete and Ron tied for second place and Ted taking third place. All the smoked salmon was excellent and some was available for guests to take home. A huge Thank You to Patrick and Alicia Sanchez for planning and coordinating this club event. They did an excellent job!

The annual club members only coho derby was the following Saturday, with more than 20 club members entering the contest. Club member Pete Jr. took first place with an 8.38 lb coho. A total of 8 fish were weighed in.

The speaker at our October meeting will be Jason Smith, WDFW Hatcheries Operations Manager for the south Puget Sound. It should be an interesting and informative presentation, providing insight into hatchery operations and behind the scenes activities. Unfortunately, we do not have a Tech Tips presentation this month. Remember, if you have a special way or tip of doing something, consider sharing it in Tech Tips.

During this month’s meeting, we will continue to receive nominations for, and hold elections for, the 2026 club officers. Last month we received the names of several individuals for some of the officer positions. If you are interested in serving as a club officer, consider attending a Board meeting, and please let one of the current officers know.

Again, a thank you to Ted Martinez for volunteering to coordinate the nutrient enhancement program this year. The first nutrient enhancement outing on September 24th went well, but it appears the fish are not arriving at the hatchery in large numbers right now. The next is outing is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, October 1st. If you can help on this, or future outings, please see Ted at the next meeting on October 8th.

Last month we had a winner in our monthly membership drawing. Congratulations Donald. Through the generosity of John Haggard of Southworth Marine, the next membership drawing will be for an amount of $150. If you haven’t yet done so, please renew your membership and come to the general meeting to be eligible for the drawing.

Reminder about the club’s Lucky Fish Award. Take a picture of that huge fish that didn’t get away, and complete the form. Forms are available at club meetings and on our Web site.

Our Board meetings are held at Ben Dew’s Clubhouse on the first Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. The address is 6501 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA. All club members are invited, and encouraged to attend this meeting.

The club general meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month, and this month that will be October 8th. We meet at 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA. Guests are encouraged to attend.

I hope to see you on the water and at a meeting.

Thank you,

Bill Macaras

President

September President Message

Club Members,

I hope you are taking advantage of this weather by enjoying time with your family, and had the opportunity to get out and fish. Even though chinook fishing is closed in MA-11, coho fishing is beginning to pick up. I heard the coho bite is pretty good at West Point, near Elliot Bay.

I would like to take a moment and thank everyone who helped with the planning and execution of this year’s salmon derby. Many members put in a lot of time planning, seeking donations, hanging banners, man the weigh station, set-up and take down of the ceremony. The derby was very successful and would not have been possible with their help.

The presenters at our September meeting are myself and Patrick Sanchez. We will be discussing our trip to Sitka Alaska in June and our experiences chartering a boat with Fish Baranof. If you have thought about doing a self charter trip to Alaska, this may be a presentation you would want to see. The Tech Tips presentation this month is by Patrick Sanchez and Tim Mullen. The topic is fly fishing for pink salmon from a beach. This will be followed up with a fly fishing “field trip” on a yet to be determined date. Remember, if you have a special way or tip of doing something, consider sharing it in Tech Tips.

There will not be a wives get together this month, as we are having our annual club picnic this month.

At the September meeting we will be soliciting nominations for Club officers. If you know of a club member who might be interested in holding an officer position, consider nominating them. Or better yet, if you are interested in being a club officer, please let one of the current officers know.

A couple upcoming club events you may be interested in. The club’s annual picnic is Sunday, September 7th, 11:00 am, at Titlow Park in Tacoma. Food will be served at 11:30 am. If you did not sign up for the picnic at the August meeting, please email Patrick soon. See my email that was sent out on August 21st.

During the picnic we will have a smoked salmon contest. The best smoked salmon, as judged by all picnic attendees, wins. So, break out your smoker, your favorite recipe, and submit your entry. Ensure you bring enough for all the picnic attendees to taste and judge.

Then on Saturday, September 13th, the club will have a club members only coho fishing event. The cost is $10 per club member participating. Fishing from sunrise to weigh-in at 11:30 am. Signup with the club president ahead of time. Payment is due at the club meeting on September 10th, or not later than weigh in. Weigh-in at the Point Defiance Boathouse. Post derby get together is 1:00pm at Ben Dew’s restaurant. The sign-up sheet and more information will be available at the September 10th meeting.

A huge thank you to Ted Martinez, who has volunteered to coordinate the nutrient enhancement program this year. Ted will be working closely with Frank Baker, who built this program from ground level and has coordinated this event for years. The first nutrient enhancement outing is

tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, September 17th. If you can help, please see Ted at the next meeting on September 10th.

No one won the membership drawing in August. Again, we are very pleased to announce that our next membership drawing, sponsored by John Haggard of Southworth Marine, will be for an amount of $700. If you haven’t yet done so, please renew your membership and come to the general meeting to be eligible for the drawing.

Our Board meetings are held at Ben Dew’s Clubhouse on the first Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. The address is 6501 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA. All club members are invited, and encouraged to attend this meeting.

This month’s general meeting will be held on the second Wednesday of the month, September 10th, 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA.

See you at the picnic and good luck in the club coho fishing outings.

Thank you,

Bill Macaras

President

August President Message

Club Members,

I certainly hope you have had the opportunity to get out and do some fishing this past month.  I have heard of some nice fish getting caught by club members in MA-11.  I hope this success continues into August.  And by the way, Pinks are being caught in MA-11 already.

As you know, our annual salmon derby is August 9^th, and I am very excited for this year’s derby.  Fellow club members have been working hard for eight months to solicit and procure donations, and this year I am happy to report that we have approximately 40 companies and individuals who are helping to sponsor this year’s event with some fantastic prizes.  The names of the companies and individuals are too many to list here, but I would like to recognize our key sponsor this year, Beau Mac SMI Enterprises.

If you have not yet purchased a derby ticket, please do so soon.  Tickets can be purchased on our website, but do so before midnight August 8^th as the PayPal link will be removed.  A QR code has been attached below that will take you to our web site where derby rules and PayPal can be located.

We still need volunteers to help with the weigh station.  The weigh station opens at 8:00 am and runs through 1:00 pm.  If you are available and can help, please send me an email at: wmacaras@centurytel.net

The presenter at our August meeting is club member Dave Bergeron.  Dave will be discussing fishing the Columbia River for fall chinook and coho.  Dave knows this fishery well and has great success.  If you have ever wanted to participate in this fishery, this is one presentation you won’t want to miss.  Unfortunately, at the time I am writing this, we do not have a Tech Tips presentation this month.  Remember, if you have a special way or tip of doing something, consider sharing it in Tech Tips.

Club officer nominations and elections are quickly approaching.  If you know of a club member who might be interested in holding an officer position, consider nominating them.  Or better yet,   if you are interested in being a club officer please let one of the current officers know. 

A couple upcoming club events you may be interested in.  In addition to the annual derby on August 9^th, the club’s annual picnic is Sunday, September 7^th, 11:00 am, at Titlow Park in Tacoma.  Patrick will have more information about the Picnic at the August club meeting.  Then on Saturday, September 13^th, the club will have a club members only coho fishing event. 

As of our July meeting, we had 87 paid members.  No one won the membership drawing in July.  Again, we are very pleased to announce that our next membership drawing, sponsored by John Haggard of Southworth Marine, will be for an amount of $590.  If you haven’t yet done so, please renew your membership and come to the general meeting to be eligible for the drawing.

Our Board meetings are held at Ben Dew’s Clubhouse on the first Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m.  The address is 6501 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA.  All club members are invited, and encouraged to attend this meeting.

This month’s general meeting will be held on the second Wednesday of the month, August 13th, 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA.

Good luck in the derby.

Thank you,

Bill Macaras

President

July President Message

Club Members,

Summer has officially arrived, at least the calendar says so. But as we know, summer normally doesn’t show up in western Washington until after the 4th of July. I’m sure warmer weather will follow soon.

First, I would like to thank all the club members who have helped, and volunteered, in so many ways the past month. Club members have helped feed the fish, release the first batch of smolt, cleaned and restored the nets, and restocked the pens with additional smolt. And finally, we had volunteers represent our club and help with the trout pond at Cabela’s. Club members, you are impressive!

I hope you had the opportunity to get out and do some fishing this past month. From river fishing, to lake fishing, and the sound, I have been hearing about some very good results. If you are a kokanee angler, Merwin Lake, American Lake, and finally Lake Roosevelt have been good. If you fish for bass or walleye, lakes on the east side have been producing good size and plentiful fish. In our local MA-11 waters, fishing results have been mixed. Some days have been better than others, but fish are getting caught. The fish seem to be a bit larger this year. I have heard of a 14lb, 17lb, 18lb, and 29+lb fish getting caught. Let’s hope this is indicative of what we can expect in July and August. Hopefully fellow club members will share at the next meeting. Remember, MA-11 closes on July 1 and opens again on July 18-20 for only three days, until August 1st.

The presenter at our July meeting is club member Art Tachell. Art will be getting us ready for our annual salmon derby by sharing some tips and locations for successful fishing in Marine Areas 11 and 13. The Tech Tips presenter this month will be myself, and I will be sharing some ideas, tips and tricks to using dodgers and flashers for salmon fishing. Some I am sure you may not have seen before. Remember, the Tech Tips discussion begins at 6:15 pm.

Speaking of the annual salmon derby. As you know, our 29th annual salmon derby is rapidly approaching and will be held on Saturday, August 9th. The top three prizes are: 1st place – $3,000, 2nd place – $2,000, and 3rd place – $1,000. A huge thank you to Beau Mac Enterprises/SMI for donating the 1st place prize money. The raffle grand prize is a Lowrance Fish finder. Derby rules and additional prize information can be found on our website, https://gigharborpsa.org, as well as a link to purchase tickets online. We will also have tickets for sale at the next members general meeting on July 9th. The tickets are $40 again this year, and every adult ticket is eligible for a raffle prize, even if you don’t fish.

Please be thinking about how you can help with the derby. We need help with the weigh station, set-up and clean-up. We will have sign-up sheets at the upcoming members general meeting. Remember, all volunteers are eligible for the Scotty 2106B downrigger drawing held during our annual Christmas party.

Heads up on upcoming club events. In addition to the 29th annual salmon derby, the club picnic is scheduled for Sunday, September 7th, and the club coho fishing outing for Saturday, September 13th. More information on all events will be available at future meetings.

As of our June meeting, we had approximately 82 paid members. No one won the membership drawing in June. We are very pleased to announce that our next membership drawing, sponsored by John Haggard of Southworth Marine, will be for an amount of $480. So, don’t forget to renew your membership and come to the general meeting to be eligible for the drawing.

Our Board meetings are held at Ben Dew’s Clubhouse on the first Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. The address is 6501 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA. All club members are invited, and encouraged to attend this meeting.

This month’s general meeting will be held on the second Wednesday of the month, July 9th, 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA. Tech Tips begins at 6:15 pm.

Unlike the general meetings of the past two months, rumors have it the club president will be in attendance at this meeting!!

Bill Macaras

President