Puget Sound Anglers – Gig Harbor & Tacoma

October President message

Club Members,

Where did summer go? Area 11 summer chinook fishing came and went, fall coho fishing is upon us, and before you know it, we will be talking about the club Christmas party. I am hearing of some club members having coho fishing success on some days, and struggling on other days. The two areas I am hearing that are producing the best are the slag pile and the Gig Harbor side. Come to the next meeting and hear directly from those that are having success.

We had a very successful picnic this past month. Even though it was lightly attended, I believe everyone had a good time. The weather cooperated, the food was good and the company was great. In addition to hamburger, hot dogs, potato salad, baked beans, and more, there was even a smoked salmon contest. Voting was close, with only two votes separating first and second place finishers. Ted Martinez and Ron Hunt tied for second place, while the reigning champ won again this year. Thank you to Alicia and Patrick Sanchez for organizing and planning a great picnic.

The club annual coho salmon fishing activity took place on Saturday, September 19th. 16 club members participated in the activity, with 5 fish getting weighed in. Pete took first place with a 7lb 11oz coho. Thank you to all that participated and to Ron Smith who helped coordinate the event.

The next major club activity scheduled is our annual Christmas Party on Friday, December 4th. Club member (and chef) Steve Ng, has again agreed to coordinate the food preparation. Hopefully he can again get his elves to help with food prep. Activities during the party will include: Lucky fish award, Lure Christmas tree, Volunteer Award, Pot puller raffle, club member raffle, wives gifts, and more. More information will be forthcoming.

Past president Pat Leahy has again offered to facilitate a razor clam dig for club members and their families. The dig is currently planned for Mocrocks Beach on Saturday, October 10th. The last razor clam dig in March was very successful with attendees getting clams and everyone having a good time. Pat will again have extra clam guns available and provide instruction and assistance if desired. Soda and light snacks will be provided by the club and Pat will have a bon fire. A general time line is a follows: 1:00 pm meet on the beach just south of the Roosevelt Beach access, try some surf fishing until around 3:00pm, bon fire with soda and snacks until 5:00pm, then start clamming. Sunset is at 6:41pm and low tide is at 7:02 pm. If interested, contact Pat Leahhy directly at (253) 680-9603 or via email at: patleahy71@gmail.com. An email with more information and directions has been sent to all club members.

During our October club meeting we will have nominations for the 2027 Board officers. If you are interested in volunteering for one of the positions, or if you want to nominate someone for one of the positions, please do so. Elections for Board officers will held during the November club meeting.

We have completed four Nutrient enhancement outings so far this year, with more to come. The next “fish toss” is scheduled for Tuesday, October 6th, 8:30 am, (but subject to change due to the availability of spawning fish.) If you are available, and interested in helping, please contact Ted Martinez at (253) 380-8240 or by email at kobeconst@yahoo.com.

The guest speakers for our September club meeting are club member Phillip Olson and guests Alex Van Hine and Gabe Miller. Many of you know Phillip from his You Tube videos “Badger Fishing”. Phillip, Alex, and Gabe will be addressing Puget Sound chinook fishing opportunities, why our chinook seasons are shrinking, and potential ways we can be involved to support WDFW during the North of Falcon process.

The Tech Tips presentation this month will be a little different this month. We will not have a specific speaker, but it will be an opportunity for all of us to share their favorite Tech Tip or two, with those who attend. We all have something we do that helps us to be better anglers while on the water. From tackle tips, rigging tips, bait tips, to fishing tips, we all have something to share and of interest to others. So, bring your Tech Tip or two and share it with other club members. The Tech Tips session begins at 6:15 pm on Wednesday, before the club meeting.

During our September meeting, we did not have a winner in our monthly membership drawing. Through the generosity of John Hager of Southworth Marine, the next membership drawing in August will be for an amount of $480. Be sure to 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.

The next club meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 14th, 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA.

Thank you,

Bill Macaras, president GHPSA

September President message

Club Members,

August is behind us, and so is our summer chinook fishery. I hope you were able to get out on the water and have some success, as the fish were here in good numbers and were slightly larger than in years past. But now it is time for us to shift our focus onto the coho fishery, where I am hearing mixed results for MA-11. But it is early in the season and the fishery should pick up soon.

We had a very successful salmon derby this year. As you know, it was the club’s 30th annual derby and it was the largest derby in the south sound this year. We had approximately 341 participants, with 104 fish weighed in. The adult winning salmon weighed in at 23.10 lbs and the youth winning salmon at 14.99 lbs. The winning mystery weight fish was weighed in at 14.66 lbs and there were 16 fish that were weighed in that were 14 lbs or larger. More than 200 prizes were claimed by the participants.

The derby wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the many, many volunteers. Both, in the planning for the derby and the help on the day of the derby, the help was extraordinary. Not to mention those that helped to procure the more than $21,000 in donations. I can’t list all the volunteers here, but I would like to specifically thank the club’s vice president, Patrick Sanchez, for his work on planning the derby and organizing the many volunteers required for a successful day. THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY VOLUNTEER!

A few upcoming dates for club members: the club picnic and smoked salmon contest is on Saturday September 12th at Titlow Park, 11:00 am. On Sunday, September 13th at 11:00am, the second fly fishing outing. The first nutrient enhancement outing on the Puyallup watershed is scheduled for Wednesday, September 16th, with more information provided at the club meeting. There is also a club member only coho fishing activity on Saturday, September 19th. Fee is $10 and sign-up at the club meeting. These dates will also be available on the website and at our monthly meetings.

The guest speaker for our September club meeting is lure and rod builder, Shane Hunter. Shane is also a member of the Fallen Outdoors veteran group, who have participated in our annual salmon derby the last couple years. Shane will be discussing coho fishing strategies. There will not be a Tech Tips presentation this month.

During our August meeting, we did not have a winner in our monthly membership drawing. Through the generosity of John Hager of Southworth Marine, the next membership drawing in August will be for an amount of $370. Be sure to 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.

The next club meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 9th, 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA.

Thank you,

Bill Macaras, president GHPSA

Club Members,

I hope your summer is off to a great start and you have the opportunity to spend time with family and friends. Marine Area 11 finally opened for summer Chinook on July 23rd, and from my limited outings and the reports I have heard, it has been a fairly good season so far. The fish appear to be a bit larger this year. As I mentioned last month, Marine Area 11 is scheduled to be open July 23-Sept. 30 for hatchery Chinook fishing, with the summer Chinook harvest quota set at 3,379, and the total sub-legal encounter set at 5,105. Be aware, I am hearing there are concerns we are rapidly using up the sub-legal encounter quota. More on this at the August club meeting.

On this upcoming Saturday, August 8th, the club will host our 30th annual salmon derby. The weigh station is located at the Pt. Defiance Boathouse and will be open from 8:00 am until 1:00 pm, and the awards ceremony starts at 3:00 pm. More than $14,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded this year. Remember, you must be in line at the weigh station by 1 pm if you have a fish to weigh in. Also, make sure to weigh in all salmon caught, even if you don’t think it will finish in the top ten. There is a cash prize for the mystery weight fish and a cash prize for the largest fish caught by a GHPSA club member. More information and the rules are available on our website. You can purchase tickets on our website and at the club meeting on Wednesday, August 5th.

A few upcoming dates for club members: the club picnic and smoked salmon contest is on Saturday September 12th at Titlow Park, a coho fly fishing outing on Sunday August 16th and again on Sunday September 13th. There is also a club member only coho fishing activity on Saturday, September 19th. These dates will also be available on the website and at our monthly meetings. One date to note, the August club meeting will be on the first Wednesday of the month, on August 5th, to facilitate the derby fishing tips presentation planned for this meeting.

Thank you to the volunteers who helped with the smolt release on July 17th. We had 17 club members help with the smolt release and the net pen removal and disassembly. We needed all the help we could use, as removing the nets and disassembling the pens is very labor intensive. Thank you to all who helped.

The guest speaker for our August club meeting is renown club member Art Tachell, who will be sharing ideas, tips, and secret locations for a successful salmon derby outing. The Tech Tips presenters this month are Tim Mullin and Jim Klug, and their topic will be fly fishing knots and how to set up for fly fishing for sea run cutthroat trout, to include the selection of flies. These tips will help you to improve your fly fishing, and get you ready for our fly fishing outings in August and September. Remember, the Tech Tips discussion begins at 6:15 pm.

During our July meeting, we did not have a winner in our monthly membership drawing (sorry Wayne & Rosanna). Through the generosity of John Hager of Southworth Marine, the next membership drawing in August will be for an amount of $260. Be sure to 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.

The next club meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 5th, 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA. Remember, the August meeting will be on the first Wednesday in August, on August 5th.

Thank you,

Bill Macaras, president GHPSA

July President message

Club Members,

Summer is here and June is behind us. A slight surprise to many of us, Marine Area 11 was open for the entire month of June. Hopefully you were able to get out and fish, and catch a fish or two. I have heard of some very nice fish getting caught, but unfortunately a fair number of unclipped fish were caught as well. Beginning July 1st, many saltwater areas open for chinook and coho fishing. I would list openings, but the regulations and openings are way too involved and convoluted to list here, so visit the WDFW website Blog for details and “emergency” closures. This year Marine Area 11 is open July 23-Sept. 30 for hatchery Chinook fishing, with the summer Chinook harvest quota set at 3,379, and the total sub-legal encounter set at 5,105. In addition to salmon fishing, MA-11 opens to the harvest of Dungeness crab on Sunday, July 5th, Sundays and Mondays only.

In addition to the fishing dates listed above, here are a few key dates for upcoming club activities. The 30th annual salmon derby is Saturday August 8th, the club picnic is on Saturday September 12th, and a coho fly fishing outing on Sunday September 13th. These dates will also be available on the website and at our monthly meetings. One date to note, the August club meeting will be on the first Wednesday of the month, on August 5th, to facilitate the derby fishing tips presentation planned for this meeting.

Thank you to the volunteers who helped with the trout pond at Bass Pro Shop during two weekends in June, and to the members of the South Sound chapter who helped with the trout pond at Cabela’s. We still don’t have any information about the volunteer opportunity at the Puyallup State Fair trout pond this year. The dates and times are yet to be determined, but we have been told volunteers will be provided free access to the fair, free parking, and lunch or dinner. We hope to have information available prior to the next meeting.

Thank you to the June guest speakers Jason and Tyler Van from Father & Son Fishing and to Tech Tips presenter Larry Bucklin, who provided tips and ideas to get us ready for crabbing. Both presentations were very interesting and timely.

The guest speaker for our July club meeting is Jarity Lowe from the Washington State Department of Licensing. Jarity will be discussing the state Fuel Tax & Unlicensed Refunds program, a program that provides refunds on some boat fuel taxes paid. The Tech Tips topic is a repeat of one done last year that was a huge success. The Tech Tips presenter this month is Gabe Miller, and his topic will be plug fishing. If you want to improve your plug fishing, and catch bigger fish, this is one you won’t want to miss. Gabe is known for his plug fishing success. Remember, the Tech Tips discussion begins at 6:15 pm.

Finally, the 30th annual salmon derby, scheduled for Saturday, August 8th, is quickly approaching. Tickets are available on our website and will also be available at the next two club meetings. Ticket prices remain at $40.00 for adult tickets. To have a successful event, we will need many volunteers to help ensure the event runs smoothly. On the day of the derby, we will need assistance with the weigh station and setup for the awards ceremony. If you are interested in helping and volunteering with the event, please let Vice President Patrick know.

We still need volunteers to assist with the feeding of the chinook salmon smolt. The fish are fed three times daily; morning, afternoon, and evening, and it only takes a few minutes to feed the fish. Please visit our web page to sign up to feed the fish. In addition, you are recognized as a volunteer and are eligible for the volunteer award drawing at the Christmas party. The first time you feed the fish, your name is added to the hat. And every five times thereafter, your name is added to the hat. We need your help, so please sign up.

During our June meeting, we did have a winner in our monthly membership drawing. Through the generosity of John Hager of Southworth Marine, the next membership drawing in July will be for an amount of $150. Be sure to 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.

The next club meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 8th, 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA. Remember, the August meeting will be on the first Wednesday in August, on August 5th.

Have a great 4th of July!

Thank you,

Bill Macaras, president GHPSA

June President message

Club Members,

Well, June is finally here, and for us in Marine Area 11 that means the beginning of chinook season. On May 20th, WDFW announced the opening of MA-11 for salmon fishing seven days a week, starting June 1. It is scheduled to be open the whole month of June, but if similar to recent years, that may be dependent on available quota and test fisheries. If you are able to get out and fish, be careful, as I am sure there will be a lot of other boats out in Marine Areas 11 and 13. These are the only areas open to salmon fishing in the Puget Sound.

On May 9th, the club participated in the annual Point Defiance Boathouse rummage sale. Although not as profitable for the club as compared to recent years, we still had a successful sale. Thank you to the club members who donated items for sale this year.

In addition to the rummage sale, our club sponsored a youth trout pond at the Boathouse. This was an extremely successful activity. We don’t have a way of tracking the exact number of kids who participated, but I’m sure there were many more than 150. There were a LOT of very happy and excited kids, who caught a LOT of fish. Some of the kids didn’t want to stop, so they caught two, three, four, five and even six fish. The sheer joy and overwhelming excitement of the kids as they caught their first ever fish, made sponsoring the event well worth the effort.

Thank you to the many volunteers who helped with the rummage sale and trout pond: Les, Pete, Patrick, Michael, Dan, Everett, Jim, Joe, and Ted. And a special thanks to Art and Ron who worked many hours behind the scenes to coordinate procuring the trout pond. This day wouldn’t have been possible without the help of these volunteers.

Our club has been asked to help with trout ponds during two weekends at Bass Pro Shop in Tacoma and Cabela’s in Lacey. The dates are June 13th and 14th, and June 20th and 21st. Times are 10:00am to 2:00pm each day. We have asked the South Sound PSA chapter to help with the Cabela’s trout pond. Please consider helping at either of these venues on any of the dates.

Heads up on another potential volunteer opportunity. We have been asked to help with the trout pond at the State Fair in Puyallup this year. The dates and times are yet to be determined, but have been told volunteers will be provided free access to the fair, free parking, and lunch or dinner. We have also asked the Auburn and South Sound PSA chapters to assist. As we obtain more information about this activity, we will let you know.

A few Key dates for upcoming club activities. The dates will also be available on the website and at our monthly meetings. Trout ponds June 13th, 14th, 20th and 21st, the Annual salmon derby August 8th, club picnic on Saturday September 12th.

Thank you to the May guest speaker Rob Larson and to Tech Tips presenter Tony Scoccolo. Unfortunately, I was not present, but I heard both had excellent presentations and had a lot of timely information.

The guest speaker for our June club meeting is Jason Van, from Father and Son Tackle. Jason and Tyler design and manufacture their own line of jigs and tackle. Hopefully, Tony shared one of his favorite jigs, a jig made by Father and Son Tackle. The Tech Tips topic is another one of great interest to us in the south sound, especially since the season opening is next month. Club member Larry will be discussing tips and techniques he uses for very successful crabbing in Puget Sound.

As you may know, club member Phillip Olson of Badger Fishing, donated a new Scotty 2500 electric line puller for our big ticket item raffle. Raffle tickets will be sold at all club events and activities. Price is $10 per ticket. The Scotty 2500 electric line puller raffle drawing will be held at our annual Christmas dinner, scheduled for Friday, December 4th. You do not need to be present at the Christmas party to win. See Jeff Stockman (the raffle guy) to purchase the raffle tickets.

As you may have seen in recent emails from the club, the Point Defiance netpen salmon are in great shape, large and healthy. The Clarks Creek hatchery manager said the Salmon need to be released soon. The salmon will be released on Wednesday, June 3rd at 11:30 am. Help is needed to remove the predator suppression material, drop the corner of the inside net, pull corner weights and push the Salmon out. After the salmon are released we will then prepare the netpen for the second batch of salmon smolt, scheduled for delivery on June 8th at 10:00 am. There will not be any feeding of the smolts after June 3rd until June 10th.

We still need volunteers to assist with the feeding. The fish are fed three times daily; morning, afternoon, and evening, and it only takes a few minutes to feed the fish. Please visit our web page to sign up to feed the fish. In addition, you are recognized as a volunteer and are eligible for the volunteer award drawing at the Christmas party. The first time you feed the fish, your name is added to the hat. And every five times thereafter, your name is added to the hat. We need your help, so please sign up.

During our May meeting, we did not have a winner in our monthly membership drawing. Through the generosity of John Haggard of Southworth Marine, the next membership drawing in June will be for an amount of $260. Be sure to 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.

The next club meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 10th, at 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA.

Thank you,

Bill Macaras, president GHPSA