Holiday Sports, a hidden gem for fishermen/women!
“The people of the Northwest, they’ve been clear: having salmon is vitally important to them,”
Holiday Sports, start your adventure here…
The Steen family, owners of Holiday Sports in Burlington, have been in business since 1984. What started as a small bait and tackle shop has transformed into a wellspring of fishing equipment and supplies for outdoor adventures. They have a vast selection of outerwear, boots, hats, and everything you need to fish, whether you’re just starting or a seasoned professional. They carry popular brands such as Sage, G Loomis, Shimano, Grundens, Okuma, Yakima Bait, Scotty, Carhartt, Columbia, Georgia and many more! The owners pride themselves in being accessible for their customers and they have a passion for their business which is abundantly clear the second you walk into their store.
The store’s layout feels like they have definitely been in business for a long time. Everything makes sense, is easy to find, and the staff is knowledgeable and helpful. Most importantly, they know the waters! They know the lakes, rivers, the salt water. They can help you go crabbing! Whatever your preferred method, they have the knowledge and the product to make your fishing journey successful. Holiday Sports is your one-stop shop for gear as well as bait. “Whether you're going for halibut, trout, bass, salmon, steelhead, smelt, crab or shrimp, we've got live, freshly frozen, pre-packaged bait, lures, jigging spoons, and flies to lure them in.”-https://holidaysportsburlington.com/Fishing
If you’re considering fishing this season, you can get your license at Holiday Sports! They sell licenses seven days a week, Discover Passes and Federal Duck Stamps.
“Skagit County is home to major attractions for anglers, boaters, campers and other outdoors enthusiasts, including sharing the North Cascades National Park, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Ross Lake National Recreation Area and Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail.”-Eric Apalategui https://www.bestfishinginamerica.com/washington-county-skagit-fishing-near-mount-vernon-anacortes-sedro-woolley.html
Skagit County and surrounding areas are well known for their fantastic and beautiful landscapes as well as their copious options for good fishing. I will provide a short list of some of the best places to fish and what you might catch!
Big Lake-(500 acres)- Largemouth bass, resident cutthroat, yellow perch, pumpkinseed sunfish and black crappie.
Lake Campbell-(400 acres)-stocked trout to resident bass and panfish, rainbow trout, channel catfish, largemouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed sunfish, bullhead catfish, and grass carp.
Cascade River-Skagit River tributary near Marblemount-Chinook salmon, coho salmon, rare harvest opportunities for bull trout/Dolly Varden (20+ inches), wild rainbow, cutthroat and bull trout.
Puget Sound and the Salish Sea- (Saltwater)- salmon, lingcod, greenling, surf smelt, coho, crab, butter clams, littlenecks, horse, cockles and manila clams and oysters.
Samish River- flows into the Samish Bay northwest of Burlington- Chinook salmon and sea-run cutthroat.
Skagit River- wild salmon and steelhead.
San Juan Islands- saltwater salmon, crabs, shrimp and trout.
These are just some of the locations you could explore! There are numerous more. Check out https://www.bestfishinginamerica.com/washington-county-skagit-fishing-near-mount-vernon-anacortes-sedro-woolley.html for the complete list.
This region is remarkable in so many ways. Still, most importantly, it is the biodiversity of wildlife and the habitat that sustains them. It is all of our responsibility to maintain the absolute splendor that naturally occurs here due to the vast waterways, estuaries and rivers that all feed into the majestic Puget Sound. The Native people showed us how to work in harmony with nature and it has been an effective way of preserving all this land has to offer. “ Washington's salmon, steelhead, and other fisheries are managed cooperatively in a unique government-to-government relationship. One government is the State of Washington, and the other are Indian nations whose rights were reserved in treaties signed with the federal government in the 1850s. In those treaties, tribal nations agreed to allow the peaceful settlement of much of western Washington, and provided the land to do so, in exchange for their continued right to fish, gather shellfish, hunt and exercise other sovereign rights.” -https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/tribal/co-management
Without our care and consideration for the land and the water that provides for us, it can quickly become something that no longer shimmers in its glory. When someone changes the way the water flows, it impacts everything. This is a chain reaction that could be detrimental to the ecosystems that sustain life.
From Phytoplankton to Orcas and everything in between, the balance of life is crucial for the continuation of our livelihoods and the entire planet.
Although Puget Sound is healthy and full of diversity, we need to be aware that our actions directly affect the water, affecting the fish and wildlife we are so fond of. Some of the things negatively impacting the waters are:
Changing water chemistry is making marine waters more acidic, Bacteria in Puget Sound, Low levels of dissolved oxygen combined with high levels of nitrogen, and Toxic chemicals in Puget Sound
https://ecology.wa.gov/Water-Shorelines/Puget-Sound/Issues-problems
Fortunately, there are many things we as individuals and groups can do to maintain a healthy ecosystem for us all so that we can continue to utilize and benefit from this bountiful and stunning region.
Don’t wait! Plan your trip today and immerse yourself into the wonders of the Great Pacific Northwest, a place like no other.
