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