I hope that this is how it would work out...

1. I think the card is good until April 30, rather than April 1.

2. There isn't any steelhead fishing going on in May, anyway....so

3. Mail in on May 1, and hopefully it will be less than a month before it makes its way to Olympia and gets entered into their computer.
Since it's computer recorded now, it wouldn' t have to be mailed anywhere else...just entered.

You could have another punchcard for salmon, right? If not, you'd be screwed unless you bought your punchcard at the Natural Resources Building in Olympia and had your old one recorded right then and there.

Or if you don't salmon fish in May.

This also seems to fly in the face of WDFW's advice to buy your license early so as to avoid the rush when it expires...

Fish on...

Todd.