Northwest Fishing Reports

Just thought I share my first salmon I caught in the river couple of years ago that got me hooked on river fishing. I was using a 5 1/2 foot ugly stick and using what I learned from you-tube for gears and setup. Before I mainly fished lakes for trout but that all changed when I caught this giant fish ( was a giant for me at that time). I couldn't believe fish this big were in the river and the rest is history. Lets hear your story how you started river fishing and your first catch.

Forgot to mentioned that it was exactly 2 years ago today when I caught that from the Nisqually River. And I remember when I caught that fish, people would tell me to walk backward and then when I landed fish, one guy said "its in the mouth" and I was thinking of course it would be in the mouth.

Hope this dosnt get me in trouble. My first was a Nat king out of the bumping river didn't know it had salmon thought it was a big brown trout friends cooked it for dinner and than told me that I was lucky no one seen me because it could of cost me 5000. Ohh well learned my lesson and would never do that again

mine actually happened last year (also was the first time i really decide to get me a salmon outta of a river, after just goin with a buddy as teenager an screwin around havin fun). Of course it was a humpy, out of the carbon. i was really proud to get that bugger. got a bunch more that day an a few jumbo sized boot kings. it was i awesome because i had went out an bought the right gear instead of just usin my saltwater float rod like i had done in the past. now i pretty much just fish the rivers. it's really cool bein in the water with the fish!

Bassin253 wrote:Hope this dosnt get me in trouble. My first was a Nat king out of the bumping river didn't know it had salmon thought it was a big brown trout friends cooked it for dinner and than told me that I was lucky no one seen me because it could of cost me 5000. Ohh well learned my lesson and would never do that again

Dang dude, that's some bad juju right there! Not only out of season, but you ate it! I'm native and in my family/culture we always have to give away our first everything, first salmon, first deer, first turkey, etc has to be given away. My first EVER steelhead last June was a native and was released which felt pretty good to do, brought me good juju and I hooked 2 more hatchery pigs the next 2 consecutive days!

My first ever salmon was a king out of the pool below Chief Joseph damn, I was about 13 my grandpa hooked her on a golf tee spinner and passed me the rod, turned out to be a real nice 37 pound hatchery hen. I gave the fish to him and his family to eat, and over the next 2 days I landed several more fish on my own casting a Blue Fox Pixee spoon in red. To this day I keep pixee's in my tackle box but don't often use them anymore.

Well I did give it away I guess I'm wanna those weird people that love to fish but I don't eat seafood still no excuse to keep a wild fish but than again I was young and didn't know

Its really hard for me to remeber my first one. I started fishing when I was 4 or so. Back then it was in the sound or a lake. I wasnt brought to the rivers with the rest of my family until I was a little older. Im guessing around 10ish or so was when I first started. My first few trips just arent comming to mind at all. But I can tell ya this. Between 12 and 15 riding our motorcycles from bonney lake to the carbon through the trails just to get a chance at humpys and chum. Right after school on the bikes and away we went. We hooked into many fish then. I remember one of the days my dad had gotten on me. I caught too many fish. Just some small pinks, but too many none the less. He told me these arent trout you cant keep 7. That was the limit for kids on most lakes back then. Since my trips to the carbon Ive Caught many salmon in the rivers. But the one Ill never forget will be the First king my son caught. It was his first trip for kings. We went to the skok. He went up in the hole and noone fishing around him. He yelled out fish on dad. That fish brought him all the way through the hole down to the next hole almost. He fought it for about 10mins or so before Salmonslayer"ken" finally netted it for him. I happend to be on the other side of the river. I had seen a friend over there that Ive not seen for years. When I made my way back over to see his fish and weight it his smile was so big. I gave him a hug and told him how proud I was and a few high 5s. We weighed the fish and she came in at 17lbs even with a bunch of eggs.

Caught my very first salmon from the puyallup river last year. Ive always been hooked on fishing but salmon fishing had me dieing to fish again. It was a pink but i can tell you i will remember that smile I had on my face.

flinginpooh wrote:Its really hard for me to remeber my first one. I started fishing when I was 4 or so. Back then it was in the sound or a lake. I wasnt brought to the rivers with the rest of my family until I was a little older. Im guessing around 10ish or so was when I first started. My first few trips just arent comming to mind at all. But I can tell ya this. Between 12 and 15 riding our motorcycles from bonney lake to the carbon through the trails just to get a chance at humpys and chum. Right after school on the bikes and away we went. We hooked into many fish then. I remember one of the days my dad had gotten on me. I caught too many fish. Just some small pinks, but too many none the less. He told me these arent trout you cant keep 7. That was the limit for kids on most lakes back then. Since my trips to the carbon Ive Caught many salmon in the rivers. But the one Ill never forget will be the First king my son caught. It was his first trip for kings. We went to the skok. He went up in the hole and noone fishing around him. He yelled out fish on dad. That fish brought him all the way through the hole down to the next hole almost. He fought it for about 10mins or so before Salmonslayer"ken" finally netted it for him. I happend to be on the other side of the river. I had seen a friend over there that Ive not seen for years. When I made my way back over to see his fish and weight it his smile was so big. I gave him a hug and told him how proud I was and a few high 5s. We weighed the fish and she came in at 17lbs even with a bunch of eggs.

Good times jim, good times. Likewise though, I can't really remember my first either. I had to be around 6 or 7 fishing the nisqually with my grandpa. He made me keep the setup I caught it with too. Still got it somewhere. MANY fish since then, but none this year. Too much work, not enough time. Good to be back to work though.

It has been slow for a lot of us...there is that 10% crowd on here though that is for sure......I thought that was me last year.......this year not so much

FIRST SALMON EVER CAUGHT WAS 2004, IT WAS A PINK AT THE PUYALLUP AT THE FRED MYER HOLE. I REMEMBER JUST ABOUT LOOSING MY MIND WHEN I CAUGHT IT. I FISHED THAT STOOPID RIVER FOR TWO DAYS STRAIGHT DETERMINED TO CATCH ONE. AND THEN ONCE I GOT IT ON ALL I COULD THINK WAS DONT LOOSE IT, JUST GET IT TO THE BEACH HAHAHAHAHA!

FIRST KING, SKOK 2004
FIRST SILVER, CARBON 2004
FIRST CHUM, NISQUALLY 2004. I ACTUALLY THOUGH THE FISH WAS A SNAG, I HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET A RATS NEST OUT OF MY NEWLY BOUGHT BAIT CASTER. AND AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS OF FIGHTING THE NOT I GOT IT UNDONE, AND NOTICED MR GEAR HAD PRACTICALLY DRIFTED ON SHORE. I WHIPPED THE POLE BACK TRYING TO GET IT UNSTUCK FROM WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A LOG AND FISH ON. IT WAS HUGE LIKE 17-20 LBS RANGE, I HAVE NEVER CAUGHT A CHUM THAT BIG TO THIS DAY......IT WAS TOTALY A BOOT, BUT I STILL SMOKED IT AND ATE IT LOL.
FIST STEELHEAD, SKOOKUMCHUCK, 2005
FIRST SOCKEYE, TBA.........

salmonslayer117 wrote:

flinginpooh wrote:Its really hard for me to remeber my first one. I started fishing when I was 4 or so. Back then it was in the sound or a lake. I wasnt brought to the rivers with the rest of my family until I was a little older. Im guessing around 10ish or so was when I first started. My first few trips just arent comming to mind at all. But I can tell ya this. Between 12 and 15 riding our motorcycles from bonney lake to the carbon through the trails just to get a chance at humpys and chum. Right after school on the bikes and away we went. We hooked into many fish then. I remember one of the days my dad had gotten on me. I caught too many fish. Just some small pinks, but too many none the less. He told me these arent trout you cant keep 7. That was the limit for kids on most lakes back then. Since my trips to the carbon Ive Caught many salmon in the rivers. But the one Ill never forget will be the First king my son caught. It was his first trip for kings. We went to the skok. He went up in the hole and noone fishing around him. He yelled out fish on dad. That fish brought him all the way through the hole down to the next hole almost. He fought it for about 10mins or so before Salmonslayer"ken" finally netted it for him. I happend to be on the other side of the river. I had seen a friend over there that Ive not seen for years. When I made my way back over to see his fish and weight it his smile was so big. I gave him a hug and told him how proud I was and a few high 5s. We weighed the fish and she came in at 17lbs even with a bunch of eggs.

Good times jim, good times. Likewise though, I can't really remember my first either. I had to be around 6 or 7 fishing the nisqually with my grandpa. He made me keep the setup I caught it with too. Still got it somewhere. MANY fish since then, but none this year. Too much work, not enough time. Good to be back to work though.

I still have the same set up I caught my first salmon on as well, I caught my first pink on- A purple and pink fly,6 foot leader, pencil lead weight. Sittin right next to the picture of me and my first king.

Don't remember my first but my daughter got her first salmon a coho on the Green last year when she was 6 using a jig:thumleft: Just had to set the drag a bit light and the fish darn near hooked themselves when they grabbed it hard and ran the other way. Thought she'd lose the rod on those first runs but she held on! She hasn't had a chance this year with the water I've been fishing not right for her 'abilities'.

Should have put her on the pinks earlier in the year last season but thought she'd be too young especially with the crowds. Next year she'll be ready for them... My wife I am going to try darn hard to get in on it too next year. She says fishing is 'too expensive'. Hard to win that argument for sure... BUT if she catches a mess of pinks I bet she'll have enough fun to wear down that argument SOME.

knotabassturd wrote:Don't remember my first but my daughter got her first salmon a coho on the Green last year when she was 6 using a jig:thumleft: Just had to set the drag a bit light and the fish darn near hooked themselves when they grabbed it hard and ran the other way. Thought she'd lose the rod on those first runs but she held on! She hasn't had a chance this year with the water I've been fishing not right for her 'abilities'.

Should have put her on the pinks earlier in the year last season but thought she'd be too young especially with the crowds. Next year she'll be ready for them... My wife I am going to try darn hard to get in on it too next year. She says fishing is 'too expensive'. Hard to win that argument for sure... BUT if she catches a mess of pinks I bet she'll have enough fun to wear down that argument SOME.

You're wife and my wife could get together and have complaining parties. But mine is sold on the idea whenever I bring home fish. I just have to mix up the species I target because she prefers the taste of trout, which is why I spend so much time chasing steel. Just not particularly fond of salmon.

I say we buy them licenses next year and get them out catching! Or at least hooking LOL I figure if the first outing can be successful for her and my daughter, the Mrs MIGHT start to see things my way:cyclops: :cyclops: and stop talking about how it costs too much LOL. I can always[-o< and the pinks will up my chances next season especially with Dash Pt pier close to home....

PS- those eggs work real well on trout. The way this season is going, I will probably have plenty for trout next year LOL.