For another option besides going to the rivers, local anglers looking for a change can now fish in Area 7, San Juan. Reports are coming in slowly since the opener Feb. 1 and it is hard to tell exactly how this season will turn out.

Some anglers have had success in some of the more popular areas such as Thatcher Pass, James Island and Hein Bank.

Look for birds or bait ball on your fish finder and set your downrigger to that depth.

Popular colors include green and blue for artificial lures like hoochies or spoons. Cop car (black and white), and army truck coyote spoons are some of my personal favorites.

This time of the year the dog fish are not as thick so trolling a cut plug herring or mooching are very popular. Tactics are about the same, find the bait and you will find the fish.

This weekend is the Roche Harbor annual salmon derby with a guarantee of $19,500 in prizes, including a $10,000 first prize, it is enough to tempt most of us. It has a 100-boat limit with a maximum of four anglers per boat.

The kicker is the entrance fee of $600 which includes moorage and meals so if you sleep on your boat, this could be a nice weekend away.

Maybe I will do it next year but I will look at the smaller tournaments. The Anacortes PSA has one in March.

If you have entered, try areas like Point Disney off of Waldron Island. Henry Island and the west side of San Juan are some other good areas as well. If you are not, I would steer clear of these areas this weekend.

Although a few months away, preliminary word is that halibut season will open around April 8. I haven’t seen anything official yet, but I’ll let you know.

The rivers are doing well with a large number of the steelhead being caught in the Skagit River system. Some big natives have been caught as well. Sand shrimp and a spin and glow are popular rigs as well as egg clusters.