Puget Sound Salmon

[bp1313]

Just wondering if anyone has been out in Puget Sound having any luck for salmon lately? It's a bit early down south where I'm at...but I see some numbers coming out of Pt. Defiance so far.

Took the boat out to mess around by Anderson Island on Sunday. Not much going on as of yet. Any tips and tricks for how to rig up when using a downrigger? any Jig fisherman out there?

It's almost that time

 

[kamby]

Re: Puget Sound Salmon

I jig fish as I cant troll my boat slow enough for the salmon. Hopefully with the pinks coming in this year I can just throw something pink in the water and hope for the best. If you can get one get a mooch a jig they seem to work good and I heard crippled hearring. Otherwise can't wait for crab season. I go out of point defiance. Good luck to ya. Jd

 

[woodsyfeller]

Re: Puget Sound Salmon

As of early July in MA-6 (Port Angeles) they are slaying pinks. They are so thick having a hard time getting through them to catch the kings. I caught a 6.5 lb pink Saturday (7/13/13) plus another 13 in the 4 pound range don't worry about using little pink jigs they are biting anything that moves just go for kings or coho you will get the pinks.

Fish fairly shallow for the pinks 80 ft or shallower with downrigger, actual depth to bottom may vary. Use hootchies or spoons about 36-40 inches behind a 11 inch flasher has been working for me.

 

[bp1313]

Re: Puget Sound Salmon

Thanks for the replies. Hard time getting through them....? I wish! At least there's something biting. I got a small king off of Vashon Island last week, but have been skunked for salmon 3 of the last 4 times out in the south sound. I've been bringing my crab pots and that's made a couple of the trips barely successful.

I gotta admit I'm lacking an actual kicker motor (I've got an electric that can't push me faster than 2 mph) and my downrigger is mounted in just a terrible place making fishing tough. Even though... I've been mooching and jigging and haven't had anything yet. I'll keep trying and I'm on the lookout for a kicker which will allow me to troll as well.

Good luck!

 

[DeepBlue2010]

Re: Puget Sound Salmon

Fishing for Silvers in marine area 8-2 near the ship wreck will get really good beginning of September. Kings are still legal in marine area 10 and 11. Pinks are everywhere now, where do you go and what is your fishing setup? What kind of boat and engine?

 

[bp1313]

Re: Puget Sound Salmon

Hey,

I've got a 16' 68 Larson with a 70hp Johnson on it. I've got a downrigger, but I haven't used it much due to lack of a kicker. I've got a 40 lb thrust electric that I've actually trolled with, but I hesitate to do that because I'm not burning my batteries down while out that far. It only pushes the boat about 2.1 mph anyway.

The South Sound Salmon derby is on Saturday, so I'll be out for that. I may have found a hookup for a 9.9 Evinrude kicker for the derby. One of my friends has a father-in-law who is getting rid of it for crazy cheap and I'll test it out Saturday prior to purchasing.

outside of very little trolling... I've been either drift mooching or motor mooching on the south end of Anderson Island in MA 11. No luck the first 5 or so times. I think that they weren't really in there yet, but I'm sure they are now. I went out last weekend both days and did manage to hook up once each day while mooching. It's tough to tell when you've got a bite, but I may be getting a bit better at it. Mix that up with the occasional dogfish... and it's tough. I never saw either fish, but the bite was completely different than the dogs and they stripped line like crazy prior to throwing the hook. The second one was hooked at 70 ft deep in 200 ft of water so I know I wasn't dragging it through the flounder etc.

I've got some plug cut herring curing up and plan on trolling that with a fish flash to start on one rod. My partner will probably use a spoon or hoochie to mix it up and see if one gets better results before a possible switch.

I'll keep ya posted.

 

[woodsyfeller]

Re: Puget Sound Salmon

They say nothing beats a properly trolled herring for kings. I don't like to use bait only because I don't like catching dog fish all the time and you have to keep your bait stored properly. I prefer using hootchies and spoons. I was shown another way to catch kings and worked very well for me this year was to use white/glow mini hootchies or squirts(candlefish hootchies with the skirts trimmed up work well too ) with a short 22 inch leader behind your flasher. If you use a double hook put a small piece of herring fillet on the top hook to help with scent. Its a bit different then what others used but worked very well for me this year. If you want to hit kings troll a bit deeper 60-80 ft or more if your using downriggers. Also use a longer line to attach your clip to your downrigger . It will help show the smaller bites and dogfish you do catch and you dont have to reach so far over your boat to clip your line.

If your after more pinks the reports are saying out by the Nisqually river they are having huge runs now they have taken the dikes out and the smolts can move freely. The biologist claim the returns used to be 1 pink returns for each pink that spawned now they are saying they are getting 8 pinks for each pink that has spawned. When catching pinks as with all salmon BLEED them and get them on ICE or your pinks will be nasty mushy salmon. When people say pinks are not good eating its because they don't take care of their catch properly. Troll a bit shallower if your focusing on the pinks.

Try to be out with your lines fishing in the water before daylight , You don't have to fish as deep and your chances of catching any salmon is higher before the sun comes up over the horizon and the fish descend .

My boat has brought in well over 70 salmon so far this season in MA-6 (Port Angeles area). Mostly pinks ,but quite a few Kings. I haven't caught any legal coho, but that's a different technique,that I will be exploring more now that king retention here is closed. With the kings its follow structure with the cohos its find the schools out in the shipping channels.

If you want to get more info on the Washington state fishing there is another forum that is for Washington fisherman its called piscatorial pursuits. Its a great place for local info but don't forget to visit iBoats too
http://www.piscatorialpursuits.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/forum_summary.html there is the link

 

[hogg]

Re: Puget Sound Salmon

I arrived to Seattle in 1946. We fished for Salmon, all the Bottom fish, and Crabs.

Things have sure changed. We had no Electronics. 12' Boats, Oars and eventually we got a Motor. It was a pesky thing too.
Good thing my Dad was a Mechanic.

I really liked that area. Chilly fishing weather, and all.
We didn't keep Pinks. Only Silvers and Kings.

If you get Dog Sharks your fishing too deep.
We never used anything but Cut Plugs or whole Herring for Kings.
That Down rigger and deep-divers all came after I left Puget Sound for Alaska.
For Kings, Cut plug was good or best most of the time. If the tide is running fast, you'll need a whole Herring.
I tried to let my weight down to the bottom or just a long way down.
Then Reel up two or three turns. Then Start raising and lowering the Rod.
Doing that with the boat going slow, is the Best King bait going.
My Dad and Uncles made me Row the boat.
Boy was that Motor a luxury.

Don't pass up the Beach off Bangor. You don't have to be far off the beach to get Kings there.

If you want Silvers, go out in the water ways, and cast for them with Herring or Herring shaped spoons that are bright silver.
If you troll for Silvers, go back and forth across the tide movement. At each turn, keep that Rod in Hand. If you've run across some Silvers, they'll get your bait in that turn.

I know we cannot go back in Space or Time. But I keep thinking about Puget Sound and the Straights.....wishing I could go back.

 

[floattest]

Re: Puget Sound Salmon

Hey I like this thread, this is where I fish and crab, Area 8-2 and Area 9. I'm a beginner puget sound fisherman. Have only been fishin here for a couple years. Mostly on my friends Tiderunner that has all the right gear. My boat is more of a cruiser and has no down riggers or kicker, still I was able to catch a couple of silvers last September trolling on the main motor at about 3mph. That was a blast, nice fighting fish and very good to eat.

I can tell you right now the pinks are jumpin into boats by the hundreds. The DNR (or whatever they call it here) says there is a horde of a million fish now searching their way to the snohomish river.

I wasn't able to get out with my friend on Wednesday but he and his buddy were able to put 8 fish in the boat by 8:30 AM, out near shipwreck.

I know a lot of people don't like the pinks too much, but we grilled up a couple slabs off a pink with some blackening spices last Saturday and it was pretty tasty. That with a side of dungees, how can you go wrong. Add some local micros and you'll be sleeping in an hour or so!

So if you are in the puget sound area, get out there while it's hot and take home some meat for the winter.

 

[hogg]

Re: Puget Sound Salmon

If you go out of Ballard toward a big row of Popular Trees growing along the Beach in a Park.
Trolling in and out along the Populars will get Salmon.
Also at the Populars, about 30 Yards or so off the Beach you can use small bits of Herring, on the bottom and catch Sole by the boat full.

There's a Buoy just off the Golden Gardens and the Mouth of the Ballard Bay.
We caught Kings and Jacks off that Buoy.

Pinks we threw back. But off the West side of Whidby there's a big Whirlpool. Around that Whirlpool is Salmon. But you get a lot of Pinks. Like Dog Sharks, they are a Pest.

Don't turn down Lake Washington for Reds. Those Reds are the Best eating Salmon. They make the other Salmon just Pleasure fishing. Reds are the Eating Salmon.

If you get a big run of Silvers going up the Green River, they will herd up almost under the bridge. They jump into the Boats there.
My wife had one in her lap. She nearly jumped out of the boat.

The Salmon heading on south can be caught on the west side of Alki point too. People used to throw Rocks at us for Trolling right along the Beach.

I don't recall ever catching a Halibut in Puget Sound, but there are plenty of Cod. Them'r great eating fish too!

 

[pscrabber59]

Re: Puget Sound Salmon

Hey Hogg sorry to burst your bubble but fishing here in Puget Sound has changed alot since you last fished here. You threw back the pinks but nowdays people love the pinks, I have caught my fair share this summer and as long as you cut&bleed them and store on ice they are a decent tasting salmon. Lake Wahington hasn't had a sockeye run for at least 5yrs, and there's no way you can fish by Bangor unless you want the US Navy to shoot you in Hood Canal. Right now the silvers are coming in but the Dungenss Crabbing season just closed in the Sound

 

[pscrabber59]

Re: Puget Sound Salmon

Oh bty the halibut season here in the sound is short but sweet, as we caught some nice 20-30lbs. in May around the Port Townsend area.

 

[bp1313]

Re: Puget Sound Salmon

Great info. Been awhile since I had a chance to get on the forum.

Not too long before the boat gets prepped. I bought a 4hp 4stroke outboard for trolling this year and I'm super happy with it. It runs quiet, clean, smooth, and it always starts. I'm grabbing another used downrigger so I'll have one off each side and I hope to put some salmon in the boat this year.

I'll be taking two trips to Port Angeles. One will be late May for Halibut and the 2nd will be later in the year for salmon. I've got two trips planned for Grays Harbor as well. John's river will be the target in September and if the weather cooperates... a peek out into the blue for salmon/bottomfish. 4 crab pots will be out every time I got a couple new ones for Christmas and can't wait to try the round pots with ramps (commercial style)instead of the folding style pots.

I'm thinking of taking my limit of trout when i go to lakes and giving it a try for crab bait. i'll keep ya posted about that.

Just checking in. Summer is coming soon!

 

[Bullrider]

Re: Puget Sound Salmon

Hi Puget Boaters!!

 

[K-2]

Re: Puget Sound Salmon

Anticipated salmon run could overwhelm Fraser River this summer, experts say - The Globe and Mail

 

[oldandintheway]

Re: Puget Sound Salmon

Please note that this is an old thread.
Could be misleading if read from the top.