When the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife released their run forecasts of 5.98 million pinks, 143,450 coho and 398,000 chinook salmon earlier this year, fishers from all across the northwest could hardly wait to get their gear ready and head for their favorite fishing spot. For many, that's Point Williams in Lincoln Park. This week has seen them lined up, pole to pole just a few feet apart all competing for the prized pink salmon.

There are many places to fish of course but the rules and regulations vary.

On Puget Sound, anglers can fish for salmon in marine areas 7 (San Juan Islands), 9 (Admiralty Inlet) and 10 (Seattle/Bremerton). Those fishing Marine Area 7 can keep one chinook as part of their two-salmon daily limit, plus two additional pink salmon. They must, however, release wild coho and chum as of Aug. 1.

If you are fishing marine areas 9 and 10 you can keep hatchery chinook – marked with a clipped adipose fin – as part of a two-salmon daily limit, plus two additional pink salmon. Wild chinook must be released. Anglers fishing Marine Area 9 also must release chum salmon, and – Which became effective Aug. 1 – so will those fishing Marine Area 10.

Matt Kuharic from Columbia City said he comes out a couple of times a year to fish from Lincoln Park and will definitely be back before the season is over.

Kramer Graif from Samammish heard about it, "from a buddy," and while he hadn't caught anything he was going to keep trying, "till the sun goes down," he said.

If it has been awhile since you've gone fishing or just want to brush up on the rules visit the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife and download the Fishing Pamphlet.