In years past the lowland lake opener was a date that was revered by anxious anglers eager to wet a line and shake loose from winter's paralyzing spell.

These days, thanks to many lakes that have been opened up year round, the spring opener doesn't pack the punch that it once did. The traditional startup weekend, which this year kicks off Saturday, is still a good reminder for out-of-practice anglers that the season is upon us.

Over at Peninsula Outfitters in Poulsbo, Ted Teather said that the spring rush is on as anglers both young and old have been wandering into the store in order to get outfitted in the name of successful fishing.

"We've got lots of people coming in to do that," Teather said. "But most of the lakes around here are open year round so there's nothing special about the opener."

Habit is a hard thing to break and even though many of the state's lakes are open to fishing year round, not everyone knows that nor do the hordes typically choose to troll the lake during the depths of winter's scourge. As a result, the traditional spring opener for lowland lakes still has a special way of rousing the inner fisher in folks still rousing from the sandman-induced sloth of the cold and wet months. That opening day will see hundreds of lakes open across the state with millions of recently planted fish lurking in the muffled depths of those placid waters, including 3.8 million "catchable size" trout, almost 370,000 larger "one-pounders."

This year also marks the first year that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is sponsoring a lowland lake fishing derby which will run through Sept. 6.

"Although many lakes are open year-round, the fourth Saturday in April marks the traditional start of the lowland lakes fishing season, and hundreds of thousands of anglers are expected to turn out for the big day," said Larry Phillips, WDFW inland fish program manager, in a news release.

Of the 15 million trout and kokanee that were stocked statewide, more than 700 have been tagged as derby fish. Anglers that land a tagged fish will be eligible to claim prizes from licensed dealers located around the state. A complete list of lakes containing prize derby fish can be accessed on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/derby.

"Opening weekend is an excellent time to get out there and enjoy Washington's lakes," Phillips added. "Once again we planted some larger fish this year, and now and again, lucky lowland lake anglers will hook into a prize fish."

Lakes on the Olympic Peninsula that have been stocked with derby fish include Island, Kitsap and Wildcat lakes in Kitsap County, Leland, Gibbs and Sandy Shore Lake in Jefferson County, and Island, Lost, Spencer, Benson and Phillips lakes in Mason County.

Since the final day of March, Wildcat, Kitsap, Buck, Panther and Koeneman lakes in Kitsap County have all received fresh stocks of trout. On March 31, Panther Lake review 172 medium-sized rainbows, while Koeneman Lake was planted with 50 fat rainbows on April 6. On April 12, Kitsap Lake took on 390 medium-sized rainbows while Buck Lake was planted with 20 big rainbows, 33 medium sized rainbows, and 1,400 smaller rainbow trout. Lastly, Wildcat Lake was planted with 75 big rainbows and 3,530 smaller rainbow trout on April 13.

According to Teather at Peninsula Outfitters, Buck Lake in Hansville is a popular opening-day lake. He noted that Teal Lake in Port Ludlow is another popular destination, but that lake is open and well stocked all year long.

"We are strictly a fly fishing shop," said Teather, so for those that prefer to fish with bait he suggests trying the Sportsman's Warehouse or Big 5 for gear setups. "I really recommend a rig where you have a marshmallow and an egg," said Teather of his preferred bait setup. He added that anglers should use a slip weight and a swivel along with a leader to keep the bait up and out of the mud for better presentation and better odds for a bite. He said that brightly colored and stinky power bait also helps a ton.

When it comes to regulations though Teather doesn't pay much attention and certainly doesn't like to give out advice that might wind up being incorrect and possibly resulting in a ticket. "The regulations are really diverse," said Teather. "What I like to tell people is to go to the WDFW website and check the regs before you go."

"It's a busy day and the fish checkers are out in force," Teather added. "So it's a bad day to mess around."

Anglers wanting to try their luck on the lake this spring will need a valid freshwater or combination fishing license. Up to date angling regulations can be found on the WDFW website athttp://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/.

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Trout opener

Kids Fishing Party: The annual event hosted by the Kitsap Poggie Club encouraging elementary students and their families to get outdoors and learn about the sport of fishing. Free and open to the public.

Where: Otto Jarstad Park, Gorst

When: Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Info: facebook.com/Kitsap-Poggie-Club