Humpy season comes to Whidbey

By EMILY GILBERT

Special to The Record

The telltale sound of fishing lines whirring through the air in combat fishing conditions at Keystone Spit can mean only one thing: It’s salmon season. And it’s a humpy year.

Salmon season opened in the two major marine areas around Whidbey on Aug. 1. The season closes Sept. 24 in marine area 8-2 (near the South End) and Sept. 30 in marine area 8-1 (near Deception Pass). Salmon season opened last month on the west side of Whidbey in marine areas 9 and 6. Check the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s guide for official rules.

It being an odd year means it’s a time for a pink salmon — nicknamed humpy for the humped backs they develop as they age — run that has beckoned anglers near and far to the beach.

Buzzbombs, buckets, and beers in tow, many people are out to try their luck at landing a big fish.

Before heading to the beach or boat launch, two expert fishermen cautioned to “do your homework.”

Arnie Deckwa’s, self-proclaimed “Singing Salmon Man” whose family has been fishing for decades, first advice to any angler was to read the rules.

Whidbey is included in four separate marine areas (a fifth is easily accessed by boat) and each one can have its own rules. Salmon season dates remain the same, but the specifics of which species of fish can be kept can vary.

Ralph Downes, the local state Department of Fish and Wildlife enforcement officer, said it can be tricky but a quick read through the rules the night before can help.

“Do your homework before you have a fish flopping about the beach,” Downes said.

There are five species of salmon in the Pacific Northwest: Coho (silver), Chinook (king), chum (dog), sockeye (red) and pinks (humpy). Coho, chinook and pinks are the most commonly caught species from Whidbey beaches.

Anglers should also take care to use the correct gear. Gone are the days of barbed and treble hooks at the end of buzzbombs. Only barbless, single hooks are allowed when fishing for salmon.

If you’re lucky to land a fish that you can keep, Downes stressed the need to immediately record it on your catch card.

“Sometimes,” he said, “people say they ‘meant to do it later.’ I just ask them what the definition of ‘immediately’ is.”

Bottom line? Mark down your catch. Anglers are limited to two fish per day. The fine for failing to record a catch or for using improper gear is $60 for each violation.

“The rules aren’t in place to be an annoyance or to trip people up. They’re there to let us continue doing what we’re doing — fishing,” Downes said.

After obtaining the correct fishing license and catch card, the real fun begins.

Downes said it’s looking like a good humpy run this year, and that the fish seem to be in earlier than usual. The state predicted that 3.95 million pink salmon will be swimming through Puget Sound this year, up slightly from 2021.

First-time anglers need only a rod, lure, and bucket to get started. Deckwa suggested buying 12-20 pound gauge fishing line and a classic pink, diamond-shaped, buzzbomb lure. Any strong fishing rod will do, but the bendier fly rod may be more fun, Deckwa noted.

“There’s nothing like fishing for humpies with a fly rod,” he said.

Humpies are known for putting up a good fight. They are also particularly suited to being smoked once caught, he added.

Popular Whidbey fishing holes include Ala Spit, Bush Point, Ebey’s Landing, Keystone Spit, and North Beach in Deception Pass State Park (home to the famous “salmon hole”). Make sure to buy a Discover Pass or day pass if fishing within a state park.

“They’re fishing the daylights out of Keystone right now,” Deckwa added.

Plan accordingly.

Ultimately, successful fishing — and catching — comes down to practice and repetition, Deckwa said. Luck too, he added.

“There are a million things to learn.”