Winter steelhead fishermen have been doing fairly well now that the severe weather we’ve been experiencing here on the island has finally decided to take a break for a few days.

Skagit anglers are reporting good numbers of fish in the upper reaches of river and into the Cascades as well.

A lot of action comes from those in drifting boats but if you are patient and do some research, plunking from the bank can prove to be a rewarding experience as well.

Techniques vary, so ask your local sports shop what they recommend. Whether it be spoons, eggs, or jigs, presentation can make the difference.

Floating eggs is a very popular way to entice them into biting and a nice clump of fresh eggs below a spin and glow with a sliding weight can be deadly. Use just enough weight to keep your bait on or near the bottom.

Another technique is to use small jigs.

There are numerous color combinations, but pink in some form is a must. A pink head jig with a black body is very popular. It’s supposed to look like an egg with a leach on it and is a double whammy for the fish — he gets his bacon and egg breakfast!

As for those still brave enough to get out on the salt the action is slow.

Some reports have anglers boating a lot of shakers with very few legal fish, but they are out there to be had. If just catching something is what you want, then get the boat out and give it a try.

Spoons seem to be the best bet right now.

I have heard a few reports of anglers catching steelhead down by Fort Casey. Each time I get the report it gets better and better, so this could be the time to get down there and give it a try.

There is limited public fishing land at Bush Point and Lagoon Point as well.

Hunting has just about come to a stop. I did see a few hunters around Penn Cove doing a bit of sea duck hunting and even saw one walking back with a couple of ducks in his hand and a very happy Labrador retriever at his side.

If you have a big game tag, remember to submit your report by Jan. 31 as stated on the WDFW Web site.

According to the Web site, “Whether successful or not during past seasons, deer, elk, bear and turkey hunters are reminded they must submit their mandatory hunting harvest reports by Jan. 31 to avoid a $10 penalty when purchasing 2007 hunting licenses.”

If I were you, I would submit the reports and then go back a few days later and verify you don’t need to submit it again. This bit me the last year when I had to resubmit before I could purchase my license. It made it a big hassle considering I was leaving town and stopped to get it thinking there wasn’t going to be a problem.

Just some friendly, free advice that could spare you some of the pain I felt.

Keep the reports coming. I haven’t seen a picture in a while but would love to get you into the paper so send your reports, pictures and comments to me at whidbey_fff@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you.