The big opening each year is called the lowland lakes opener. This includes Blue, Park, Deep lakes in the Sun Lakes area, plus a few others scattered around the Columbia Basin. The big day is tomorrow, April 28.

If you have children and want to try to catch some fish, we recommend the docks at the north end of Park Lake. The west edge of Blue Lake is also a good spot to fish on the opening weekend.

This is evidenced by the number of vehicles parked along Highway 17 in this area. Be careful of the vehicle traffic for sure, but this is an interesting sight even if you don't want to fish.

So, for the non-anglers, we recommend a day trip to Blue, Park and Deep Lakes just to watch others fish and to see the number of people from around the state who travel to the Basin for recreation. If the numbers are down, we will blame the high gas prices.

Have fun, catch lots of fish, but be careful out there.

2012 Big game hunting pamphlet is available online

Although we have not been able to find the 2012 big game hunting pamphlet in any of the local sporting goods stores yet, the publication is available online. We suspect copies are in the mail and will be in stores soon.

This is important because the special permit application deadline is May 18, just three weeks from today.

New category

The hunt dates for mule deer where we hunt will be Oct. 13 through 21. Dennis note: I enter a new category this year; hunters 65 and over. This allows me to shoot a white-tailed deer, 3-point minimum or antlerless, on the same dates and in my same hunt unit. In other hunt units any deer will be allowed.

There are many changes, so rest of the pamphlet is going to require much study before special permit applications are submitted.

Discover Pass changes now law

The Discover Pass, which is required to access Department of Natural Resources, State Parks and Department of Fish and Wildlife lands, can now be used between two motor vehicles.

Those who have a Discover Pass may enter a second vehicle license number on the pass they already have.

The Discover Pass was created by the 2011 Legislature and took effect last July. The pass was created to make up for reductions in state general fund support for state recreation lands.

The annual Discover Pass costs $30 and provides vehicle access to millions of acres of state recreation lands managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, Fish and Wildlife and the Washington Department of Natural Resources. A one-day pass is available for $10 but this one is not transferable. Transaction and dealer fees may apply.

When dividing the revenue acquired from the sale of the pass, 84 percent goes to State Parks, while WDFW and DNR each receive 8 percent.

So far, revenue from Discover Pass sales has come in at less than half of original projections. Projected sales through the end of 2011 were $19.38 million, while actual revenue for the period was $8.2 million.

This was not popular when implemented last year and not being able to transfer the pass to a second vehicle was one reason. Perhaps the change will help sales. We don't enjoy paying another $30 a year, but we don't enjoy the prospects of the state closing a bunch of state parks either.

Sprague Lake derby June 9

Mark your calendar: June 9 is the day and Sprague Lake is the place. It will be the First Annual Sprague Lake Trout Derby. This is the Washington State Free Fishing Weekend, so no anglers will need a license.

The entry fee is $7 for adults and $5 for anglers 16 years old and younger. The time will be 6 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Contact Sprague Lake Resort at 509-259-7060 or Four Seasons Resort at 509-257-2332.

Crab Creek Riders mini-clinic next Saturday

Calling all members and prospective members of the Crab Creek Riders; the first event of the year is not far away. Read on.

The Crab Creek Riders will hold a mini-clinic at Bill Bailey's place on Saturday, April 28 beginning at 10 a.m.

Most of the clinic will be in the arena, but Chuck Jackson will be teaching knot tying again. Bill will be helping those that want to teach their horse to be hobbled.

After the clinic is over, a ride behind Bill's place is planned. The lunch will be potluck. Bob Mayer said something about bringing ribs.

Since this is the first ride of the year for the club the number of participants is limited.

The contact is Donna Caraway at 750-0318.

From Fish and Wildlife:

2012 salmon fisheries State and tribal co-managers have agreed on a package of salmon fisheries that meets conservation goals for wild salmon populations, while providing fishing opportunities on healthy stocks.

Washington's 2012 salmon fishing seasons, developed by Fish and Wildlife and treaty tribal co-managers, were finalized recently during a meeting in Seattle. The fishing package defines regulations for salmon fisheries in Puget Sound, Washington's ocean and coastal areas and the Columbia River.

As in past years, recreational salmon fisheries in 2012 will vary by area:

Puget Sound: Most chinook and coho fisheries will be similar to last year's seasons. That includes a closure of the sport fishery for chinook in inner Elliott Bay and the Green River to protect naturally spawning chinook, which are expected to return in low numbers this year.

Additional restrictions approved this year include shortening the summer salmon fishery on the Skokomish River and requiring anglers to release wild chinook during the fall salmon fishery in Hood Canal to help meet conservation goals for mid-Hood Canal wild chinook.

On the bright side, a new sockeye fishery will open this summer in the Skagit River. The river, from Highway 536 to the mouth of Gilligan Creek, will be open for sockeye fishing from June 16 to July 15 with a daily limit of three sockeye.

Meanwhile, the Baker Lake sockeye fishery will open a couple weeks earlier this year. The lake will be open July 1 through Sept. 4 with a daily limit of three sockeye salmon. Anglers fishing Baker Lake will be allowed to use two poles, with the purchase of a two-pole endorsement.

The Tulalip Bay "bubble" salmon fishery also will open early this year. The fishery will get under way May 4, a month earlier than last year, and salmon anglers fishing the bubble also will be allowed to use two poles.

Washington's ocean waters: A recreational chinook catch quota of 51,500 fish, nearly 18,000 more than last year's quota, has been approved. A quota of 69,720 coho has been approved in ocean waters three to 200 miles off the Pacific coast for this year's recreational ocean fishery, slightly higher than last year's quota.

This year's ocean fishery will begin with a mark-selective fishery for hatchery chinook opening June 9 in marine areas 1 and 2 and June 16 in marine areas 3 and 4. The fishery will run through June 22 in Marine Area 1, June 23 in Marine Area 2 and June 30 in marine areas 3 and 4, or until a coastwide quota of 8,000 hatchery chinook are retained.

In all marine areas, the fishery will be open seven days a week with a daily limit of two salmon. All coho must be released. Recreational ocean salmon fisheries for chinook and hatchery coho will continue June 23 in Marine Area 1, June 24 in Marine Area 2, and July 1 in marine areas 3 and 4.

Anglers fishing marine areas 1 and 2 will be allowed to retain one chinook as part of a two-salmon daily limit. Anglers fishing marine areas 3 and 4 will have a daily limit of two salmon. Fishing will be open seven days a week, except in Marine Area 2 where fishing will be open Sunday through Thursday

Columbia River: The Buoy 10 fishery will be open for chinook and hatchery coho Aug. 1 through Sept. 3 and Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. From Aug. 1 through Sept. 3, anglers will have a daily limit of two salmon, only one of which may be a chinook. From Sept. 4 through Sept. 30, anglers will have a daily limit of two hatchery coho, but must release chinook.

From Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, anglers can keep six fish, only two of which can be adults. North Jetty salmonid anglers may use barbed hooks seven days a week when Marine Area 1 or Buoy 10 salmon seasons are open. The mainstem Columbia River from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam will be open for chinook and hatchery coho Aug. 1 through Dec. 31. Anglers will be allowed to retain one adult chinook as part of their two-adult daily limit through Sept. 9.

From Sept. 10 through Sept. 30, chinook retention will only be allowed upstream of the Lewis River, but up to two adult chinook may be retained. Beginning Oct. 1, up to two adult chinook may be retained throughout the lower river, from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam.