Puget Sound Anglers – Gig Harbor & Tacoma

Club Members,

Well, fishing season is upon us. Springer fishing on the Columbia River, Blackmouth fishing in areas 10 and 11, and freshwater lakes open later this month. Here we go!

Area 11 Blackmouth fishing opens on Wednesday, April 1st this year, and is open Wednesdays through Saturdays only, until quotas are met. Thus, the club members only annual Dick Smythe fishing outing will be held on Saturday April 4th, from daylight to the weigh-in at 11:30 am. The cost is $10 per person and you must be a paid member to participate. Signup with the club president ahead of time. At the time this is being written, it looks like the weather will be partly sunny and favorable winds. But, if the event is cancelled because of weather, participants will be notified via email ASAP or not later than early Friday evening.

The annual clam and spaghetti dinner is scheduled for Wednesday, April 8th, 6:00 pm. Because we had to order the clams, you must have signed up ahead of time to participate. The price of the dinner remains at $20.00 per person. The dinner will be held at the VFW hall, 4741 N Baltimore St, Tacoma, WA.

Heads up for our May club meeting. Our guest speaker is Rob Larsen, president of the South King County PSA chapter, and the topic is on Baker Lake sockeye fishing. The Tech Tips topic is another one of interest to us in the south sound. Tony Scoccolo will be discussing tips and techniques for successful jig fishing.

The annual Pt. Defiance Boathouse rummage sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 9th. We will again have a booth at the rummage sale. We are looking for donated items for our booth, preferably fishing and outdoor related items, but any items in good repair will be appreciated. If you have anything to donate, you can bring it to the clam and spaghetti dinner or to the booth the morning of the event on May 9th. We will also have a youth trout pond and will need lots of volunteers to help with the youth fishing pond, please consider helping.

Thank you to the many volunteers who helped with the youth fishing ponds at Cabela’s and at Bass Pro on March 14th and 15th. Hundreds of kids participated and lots of fish were caught. Then on March 16th we had 21 club members help with the net pen project to assemble the pens, clean the nets, and install the nets and predator fencing. A lot of work was accomplished in such a short time frame. A huge thank you to the South Sound PSA chapter for assisting our chapter with all these events.

The chinook salmon smolt’s are scheduled for delivery the week of April 7th. We will 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. A club email will be sent when a date is confirmed for people to sign up for the feeding. Please visit our web page to sign up to feed the fish, just click on the “Netpen Feeding Schedule” in the banner. 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 March meeting, we had a winner in our monthly membership drawing. The winner took home $150. Through the generosity of John Haggard of Southworth Marine, the next membership drawing in May will be for an amount of $150. A membership drawing will not be held at the clam and spaghetti dinner. 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.

This month’s club meeting has been preempted by the clam and spaghetti dinner, so there will not be a club meeting in April. The next club meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 13th, at 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA.

Thank you,
Bill Macaras, president

March Message

Club Members,

Here we are nearly a quarter of the way through the new year, and before you know it, Blackmouth and springer seasons will be upon us. Soon we will be back on the water chasing some of our favorite fish.

Area 11 Blackmouth fishing is scheduled to open on Wednesday, April 1st this year, and is open Wednesdays through Saturdays only, until quotas are met. Thus, the club members only annual Dick Smyth fishing outing will be held on Saturday April 4th, from daylight to the weigh-in at 11:30 am. The cost is $10 per person and you must be a paid member to participate. Sign up and pay before April 4th. Contact Bill Macaras if you plan to participate. More details will be available at the March 11th meeting.

The speaker for our March meeting will be Scotty Fishing representative, Nate Alvord. Nate will be sharing information about new Scotty products and downrigger maintenance and repair. There will not be a Tech Tips presentation this month.

While we are at our March 11th meeting, the wives are having a get together at Ben Dew’s Clubhouse restaurant, 6501 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA. This is an excellent opportunity for the wives to meet, socialize, and have fun. All wives are encouraged to attend as Alicia has fun and engaging activities planned. A special thank you to Alicia Sanchez for coordinating this activity.

Art Tachell is working on a potential volunteer activity for Saturday and Sunday, March 14th and 15th. This is Cabela’s annual trout pond at its store in Lacey. The times are 11:00am to 4:00pm each day. We assisted with this event last year and it helps kids learn and enjoy trout fishing. More information will be available at the March club meeting.

The annual clam and spaghetti dinner is scheduled for April 8th, 6:00 pm. Remember to sign up for the dinner, and specify the number clam dinners. The price of the dinner remains at $20.00 per person. You must sign up ahead of time, either at the March club meeting, or online, by March 31st. The dinner is held at the VFW hall, 4741 N Baltimore St, Tacoma, WA.

During our February meeting, we had a winner in our monthly membership drawing, and if I correctly recall, it was a new club member who won $370. Through the generosity of John Haggard of Southworth Marine, the next membership drawing in February 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.

This month’s club meeting will be held on the second Wednesday of the month, March 11th, at 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA.

Thank you,

Bill Macaras, president

Club Members,

I hope you and your family are doing well and your new year is off to a great start. And even though this is a relatively quiet time for the club, the club officers and Board members are busy planning the activities and events for this new year.

During the last club meeting, past president Pat Leahy offered to coordinate a razor clam digging club activity/outing. He is proposing an outing on either Saturday, February 28th or on Sunday March 1st. Low tides on these days are at approximately 4:45 pm with digging starting 1 to 2 hours prior to low tide. The location (Westport, Mocrocks, or Copalis) will be finalized later. Pat has extra clam guns and will provide instructions and assistance as desired. We will also have a wood fire with food and snacks available. If you are interested, please let me know as soon as possible so we can plan and coordinate this activity. Please send me an email at wmacaras@centurytel.net.

The speakers at our February meeting will be Art Tachell and Wayne Harmond. They will be discussing and sharing some of the results of our chinook net pen rearing project. It should be an interesting and informative presentation. The Tech Tips presentation this month will be on tackle and boat organization tips and tricks. (If I can remember to bring the materials this month!!) Don Auman has offered to bring his materials again. Thank you Don! Remember, if you have a special way or tip of doing something, consider sharing it in Tech Tips.

The annual Puyallup Sportsman Show last day is February 1st, and the Seattle Boat show began on January 30th and runs until February 7th. Our club manned the PSA Sportsman Show booth on Saturday, January 31st and will be manning the Seattle Boat show booth on February 7th. If you make it to the show, make sure you stop by and say hi. Thank you to Larry for planning the booths and coordinating our volunteers.

Reminder, the 2025 membership expires January 31st and the 2026 annual dues is due by February 1st. If you have not yet renewed your dues, please do so at the next meeting. Let’s keep our membership chair, Phil Crouch, busy during the meetings. You can also scan the QR code below that will take you to our web site, and pay via PayPal. Membership dues for 2026 remains at $40. You must be an up-to-date registered member to be eligible for the membership drawing.

At our January 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 February will be for an amount of $370. Be sure to come to the general meeting to be eligible for the drawing.

We have begun the process of planning for our annual August salmon derby. Please remember, that we depend on volunteers to make this club, and events such as this, run smoothly. We will need your continued help to ensure this event is a success.

And finally, thank you to every one who completed a club survey during last months club meeting. All comments are reviewed and help direct discussions and decisions for the club this year.

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 club meeting will be held on the second Wednesday of the month, February 11th, at 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA.

Thank you,

Bill Macaras, president

Club Members,

I hope you had a great holiday season with family and friends and your new year is off to fantastic start.

In case you were not aware, on November 19th, WDFW announced its new digital licensing app, MyWDFW, which will be launching soon in alignment with the 2026 license year. If I understand it correctly, in addition to a digital license, it may include catch record cards for select fish species. The announcement is not clear as to which fish species catch record cards will be included in the app. If you want to read more, visit the Newsroom tab on the WDFW site and search for the November 19th news release. On December 3rd, WDFW announced the app is available for 2026 licenses.

The speaker at our January meeting will be Craig Brown, Commander of the Tacoma Power Squadron, discussing the Power Squadron mission and the Vessel Safety Check program. It should be an interesting, informative and useful presentation. The Tech Tips presentation this month will be on tackle organization tips and tricks. Remember, if you have a special way or tip of doing something, consider sharing it in Tech Tips.

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

At our November 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 January will be for an amount of $260. If you haven’t yet done so, please renew your membership for 2026. You can do so with our Membership Chair Phil Crouch at every meeting, or scan the QR code below that will take you to our web site, and pay via PayPal. Be sure to come to the general meeting to be eligible for the drawing. Membership dues for 2026 remains at $40.

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 January 14th. We meet at 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA. Guests are encouraged to attend.

Bill Macaras

President

January President Message

Club Members,

I hope you had a great holiday season with family and friends and your new year is off to fantastic start.

In case you were not aware, on November 19th, WDFW announced its new digital licensing app, MyWDFW, which will be launching soon in alignment with the 2026 license year. If I understand it correctly, in addition to a digital license, it may include catch record cards for select fish species. The announcement is not clear as to which fish species catch record cards will be included in the app. If you want to read more, visit the Newsroom tab on the WDFW site and search for the November 19th news release. On December 3rd, WDFW announced the app is available for 2026 licenses.

The speaker at our January meeting will be Craig Brown, Commander of the Tacoma Power Squadron, discussing the Power Squadron mission and the Vessel Safety Check program. It should be an interesting, informative and useful presentation. The Tech Tips presentation this month will be on tackle organization tips and tricks. Remember, if you have a special way or tip of doing something, consider sharing it in Tech Tips.

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

At our November 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 January will be for an amount of $260. If you haven’t yet done so, please renew your membership for 2026. You can do so with our Membership Chair Phil Crouch at every meeting, or scan the QR code below that will take you to our web site, and pay via PayPal. Be sure to come to the general meeting to be eligible for the drawing. Membership dues for 2026 remains at $40.

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 January 14th. We meet at 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA. Guests are encouraged to attend.

Bill Macaras

President

January President Message

Club Members,

I hope you had a great holiday season with family and friends and your new year is off to fantastic start.

In case you were not aware, on November 19th, WDFW announced its new digital licensing app, MyWDFW, which will be launching soon in alignment with the 2026 license year. If I understand it correctly, in addition to a digital license, it may include catch record cards for select fish species. The announcement is not clear as to which fish species catch record cards will be included in the app. If you want to read more, visit the Newsroom tab on the WDFW site and search for the November 19th news release. On December 3rd, WDFW announced the app is available for 2026 licenses.

The speaker at our January meeting will be Craig Brown, Commander of the Tacoma Power Squadron, discussing the Power Squadron mission and the Vessel Safety Check program. It should be an interesting, informative and useful presentation. The Tech Tips presentation this month will be on tackle organization tips and tricks. Remember, if you have a special way or tip of doing something, consider sharing it in Tech Tips.

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

At our November 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 January will be for an amount of $260. If you haven’t yet done so, please renew your membership for 2026. You can do so with our Membership Chair Phil Crouch at every meeting, or scan the QR code below that will take you to our web site, and pay via PayPal. Be sure to come to the general meeting to be eligible for the drawing. Membership dues for 2026 remains at $40.

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 January 14th. We meet at 7 pm at Tower Lanes, located at 6323 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA. Guests are encouraged to attend.

Bill Macaras

President

December President Message

Club Members,

I hope your holidays are off to a great start and you had the opportunity to spend time with family and friends. Now for the rest of December and to looking forward to next year.

The club annual Christmas party is scheduled for Friday, December 5th, at the VFW Hall on 4741 N Baltimore St, Tacoma, WA. Thank you to the team of cooks (Steve, Dave, Mark, and Jeff) who have signed up to prepare the food. A few times to keep in mind: Set-up is scheduled for 9:00 am. If you signed up to cook and bring a turkey or ham, please bring it between 4:30 and 5:00 pm. The social hour begins at 5:30 pm and dinner is at 6:30 pm. If you have not yet RSVP, please do so as soon as possible, letting me know how many guests and children will be attending with you.

Thank you to our speaker at the November meeting, Rachael Easton of Harbor Watch. Her discussion about the Gig Harbor Donkey Cr. salmon recovery program was interesting and informative. The Tech Tips presentation at the meeting was about the alternate method to rig the coho killer spoon using clevis clips, thus protecting the spoon and making it possible to add a second hook to the rigging. Remember, if you have a special way or tip of doing something, consider sharing it in Tech Tips.

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

Last month 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 January will be for an amount of $260. If you haven’t yet done so, please renew your membership for 2026 and come to the general meeting to be eligible for the drawing. Also, as special Thank You to Phil Crouch for volunteering to serve the club as the Membership Chair for next year.

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 annual Christmas party will be held in place of a December club meeting.

I hope to see you at the Christmas party. If not, I hope you have a fantastic Christmas and Holiday season with family and friends. We will see you next year.

Bill Macaras

President