The improving fortunes of Pacific salmon may help Pacific County's struggling economy reel in some big bucks this summer.

Last week, the Pacific Fisheries Management Council gave both sport and commercial fishermen in Washington and Oregon their longest season in memory — one that will stretch salmon fishing off the mouth of the Columbia from June into September.

"Any time you can extend the season like that, it brings more money into the community. It not only helps the port, it helps all the businesses up and down the entire peninsula. The entire south end of the county gets a financial boost with the season," said Jim Neva, manager of the Port of Ilwaco.

Butch Smith, owner of Ilwaco-based Coho Charters, said "sports fishing brings in millions of dollars to the (Long Beach) Peninsula — to restaurants, baits shops, moorage, charters and everything else."

With rising gas prices, the promise of a strong salmon season might make the coast a popular family vacation destination, he said.

"The good news for our area is that instead of going to California or Montana for a family vacation, we're less than a tankful of gas away. It makes for a reasonable mini-vacation" for people in the I-5 corridor, Smith said.