Northwest Fishing Reports

I have not been optomistic about the Silver run this year, partially since last year was so good, and it's rare to have two good seasons in a row.. But maybe I'm wrong. The Seattle Times today sez the forecast this year for Puget Sound is 618,600 Silvers versus a run of 582,100 last year. Last year I got my first Silver on 9/8. Browns Bay was my go to spot last year. So polish up the Hot Spots, tie some more squid rigs, cut up some herring strips, put them on rock salt and get ready!

Anybody else have an opinion?

I keep hearing that we are in for a bad Coho return from some people and then hear that it's going to be a good run or average, or better than average run.

I had 3 last year - not totally knowing what I was doing. Prior to last year unless I was on a boat I could never get my coho hopes to really float. Hopefully I can do the same with the little knowledge I gained.

Question how much rock salt am I to use on say a dozen?

One thing to consider: Inner puget Sound had a great king fishery, while Sekiu didn't have a great Chinook season.

Sekiu is still slow, but maybe the Puget Sound coho fishery will light up like the Chinook season did. Seems like the Chinook kinda blew by C-Q and didn't bite all that well in MA -4/5/6

Whether the season turns out to be good or not, I'll still be out there as much as I can get out. I like fishing too much if ya couldn't tell!:cheers:

I take some large herring, the size that come 6 to a pack, I'm not sure which color it is, fillet the herring and cut each fillet into about 4-5 strips. I store them in a plastic container from Safeway, maybe 5" long, 3"wide and 2' deep. Layer the strips and then add some rock salt, layer some more, add rock salt, I just filled two containers worth with 6 herring. Let is sit for 5-6 hours and drain out the liquid, the rock salt will take out most of liquid from the strips and then toss the container in the freezer. My strips are about 2 to 3" long. I put the strip on the top hook.

I use a camera flash to light up the glo squids or glo spoons. It really helps in the morning or on dark days. If you dont have an old camera flash, dont buy one of those that are in tackle shops for 25 bucks. Go to a used camera place. I bought two Vivitars 4-5 years ago from Kenmore Camera for 20 bucks. Keep the flash in a zip lock baggy, dont get them wet, they dont like mositure.

I tie my own hooks for squids. I run a little larger hooks than most, 5/0 Gami on top, 4/0 on bottom, two glo chartruse twinkle skirts. My fav squid is Silver Horde, Octopus, 3.5' OG142R. For leader line I use 40 pound Maxima flurocarbon. I use to use 30 but when they came out with flurocarbon I switched. I use the 40 not only for strength but the stiffness of the line gives more rotating action to the squid or spoon.

Works for me, last year I put 25 Silvers in my boat. I got it down to a routine, early in AM, Mulkiteo ferry area was always good for a fish or two. But the bite seemed to die there 1-2 hours after daylight and I would move to the Browns Bay area mostly, south of the Shipwreck.

Gonefishing wrote:I keep hearing that we are in for a bad Coho return from some people and then hear that it's going to be a good run or average, or better than average run.

I had 3 last year - not totally knowing what I was doing. Prior to last year unless I was on a boat I could never get my coho hopes to really float. Hopefully I can do the same with the little knowledge I gained.

Question how much rock salt am I to use on say a dozen?

kid ordered a little uv light on line size of a qtr...goes on my key chain...was about $5 buck$....DOG

Silver have been picking up steadily. Already seen fish over 12 lbs down at the Everett ramp. I talked to the fish checker this afternoon and she had seen 25 coho for 50 boats at 4pm, half a fish a boat average with several limits early on. I think it is going to be a good year, only time will tell.

caught one this morning in A9 around midchannel 65' down in 100' on a army truck ace hi-fly..hope to see many more in the days to come

I talked to the fish and game guys wednesday night on the Snohomish River, and they said there was a huge run that came into the river Tuesday night with the rain. Same thing should be happening out in the straight and coming into the sound. I'm excited about this years silver run, I think it will turn out better than expected, specially with all the above average nook runs around the area, hopefully were just having an exceptional year all the way around, even on an odd year!

Cool! Last year I got a few trolling plugs on the lower Sno later in the season. I dont know quite what to make of it. I fish Ucluelet BC on the west coast of Vanc Island every summer. Last year there were hordes of Silvers there but this year there were none. Lot of Chinooks but we didnt get a single Silver and I didnt see any at the cleaning station.

blurock wrote:I talked to the fish and game guys wednesday night on the Snohomish River, and they said there was a huge run that came into the river Tuesday night with the rain. Same thing should be happening out in the straight and coming into the sound. I'm excited about this years silver run, I think it will turn out better than expected, specially with all the above average nook runs around the area, hopefully were just having an exceptional year all the way around, even on an odd year!

My father and I picked up a silver today trolling inside Shilshole Bay. At 2:00pm the checker had 25 fish for 55 boats, not the best odds but at least there are some out there to be had.

G-Man wrote:My father and I picked up a silver today trolling inside Shilshole Bay. At 2:00pm the checker had 25 fish for 55 boats, not the best odds but at least there are some out there to be had.

My cousin and I fished Possession and No Point yesterday and the only fish we brought up were flounder. It was the oddest day! Hardly saw ANY boats and the water was gorgeous! You'd never be able to tell it was Labor Day Weekend! Glad to hear you at least got some action at Shilshole. We hardly even saw fish on the graph! No Point was loaded with bait, birds, and porpoises, but we couldn't talk a silver into biting for anything! Saw one about 12lber jump in about 20 feet of water right next to shore at Scatchet Head, so at least they're out there.

I'm hoping to get out on the river Monday or Tuesday morning before work. I still have to look at the tides to decide when I can launch my boat, and make sure I can get it out to make it to work! If I'm really lucky I'll be able to go out both days. Hopefully it won't be as colored up and running slower than it was on Wednesday!

blurock wrote:
My cousin and I fished Possession and No Point yesterday and the only fish we brought up were flounder. It was the oddest day! Hardly saw ANY boats and the water was gorgeous! You'd never be able to tell it was Labor Day Weekend! Glad to hear you at least got some action at Shilshole. We hardly even saw fish on the graph! No Point was loaded with bait, birds, and porpoises, but we couldn't talk a silver into biting for anything! Saw one about 12lber jump in about 20 feet of water right next to shore at Scatchet Head, so at least they're out there.

Sonar was empty for me too today but I don't really like these tides much for the southern Part of Area 9. Not a big fan of low ebbs in the morning, but we went 2-2, 7lb and a 10lber fishing almost out in the shipping canal between Pt No Point and the West buoy of Possession. Same trend as the Kings this year = deep. First fish at 7:30am at 66ft, 2nd fish came at 8:45am @ 92 feet. Fish cam on green ace hi and the other on a green/glow 3.5 coyote

Hey Blurock, I hit the snoho the last 2 days with no success. There were some rollers, a few of which looked to be even year pinks and chinook. I did see a few definite coho rollers, but we didn't land anything. Yesterday we had one takedown on a blue/chrome wiggle wart but it didn't stick, then today we hit it and didn't see any action. None of the boats we talked to had hit any either.

We had to launch at Langus and run up due to the ultra low in the morning, rotary was completely out of the water. I think for Tuesday morning Rotary will be doable and I will probably be out. It is suppose to put down some rain this week which should move the fish around/up into the system, but on the same token the water will probably go from the dirty frog water it is now to 0-vis poop brown. Floating eggs, or trolling bait would probably be the best.

Tried again today, launched out of Coupeville before sun up. Hit Midchannel, Lagoon and Bush with no love. One silver that made my weiner look big and a whole mess of lings...

I went out Thursday around the Shipwreck and Browns Bay. I got one very small Silver 4 pounds, maybe a resident. It was a hen and the egg skein was tiny, about as long as my little finger and eggs like #9 shot. Very immature. Maybe the Silvers just arent mature enuff yet to start the run. One of my buddies lives in Col City Oregon. I talked to him this week and he said the Silvers are not in the Columbia yet either. Word is nothing going on yet over at CQ.

Hello....i am a new member....i tried a little south of Mukilteo ferry, farther south near browns bay, then somewhere in the middle of poss bar and browns bay...and ended the day in front of the bait bar, heading north. This was Saturday the 11th...not a single strike (except a black mouth shaker). we were using the downriggers from 30 ft to 120ft (looking everwhere)'

This year sucks for silvers compared to last year, but that is my take. Hopefully it will pick up soon.

Used the hot spot hoochie, and coyote spoon (army truck)....

If anybody did any better, or had better luck on Sunday...let us know....thanks.

I'll be rigging up all new stuff tomorrow night, and hitting the water on Tuesday (if all goes as planned that is)
I've been hearing whispers coming from the rivers, and I'm torn between salt and river...
I just hate going in the river with a SS prop... Specially if it's colored up from the rain, and I can't tell where whats under there when I haven't run the upper snoho in a year.
Wish there was more info coming out of the salt... Heard the Checker at (I think) Everett on Friday or Saturday told some of my buddies they had 98 boats and 23 fish... (or somewhere close to that, my numbers might not be EXACT, but it was 90something and 20 something) Worked out to about 1/4th of a fish per boat... At least there were SOME coming in, but not enough to make me feel warm and fuzzy.

FYI, the fish checker reports are posted on line each Monday. This is the link:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/creel/puget/ ... entral.htm

If the link doesnt work just google puget sound creel reports.

Actually, this is a better link which also shows several other fish checker websites.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/creel/puget/