Skokomish

[ResQ]

Nothing this morning. Not a single fish on the bank. Everyone is scratching their heads. Figured the super moon would have brought some up!! Saw only one or two swimming back and forth. Nada.

[Brat Bonker]

Got the next 3 days off of work, just wondering if anyone wants to show me the bobber and egg holes on the lower river I would love to tag along, just pm me. Never fished much of the lower river, normally just upper.

[schu7498]

Hey hunter, i will prob hit lower early wednesday floating eggs.

[Brat Bonker]

Might see ya out there alycia let me know which hole you plan on hitting, I'll give ya a report tomorrow on Facebook

[seattlesteban]

I'm a north of 106 guy myself. I can take this thursday off but am thinking about cancelling.

On the other hand, I can use the day as an excuse to explore the lower river. I've explore the mouth, cedar hole, and the 1st hole in hunter farms.

I THINK I know where the meat hole and claybanks are. Any wa-lakers hitting the skok on thurs/fri?

[ResQ]

When I went, I drove all the way to the marina to check out how the bite was there. Only saw two boats trolling back and forth. I actually had to have a guy explain the names of the different holes lol. Pretty funny. I fish the areas but don't know the names. I hope it picks up soon. How is the bite on the lower with eggs? Yesterday, the eggs guys were diminishing as the day went on and more guys started drifting corkies in the egg holes. I have only drifted eggs out there twice and didnt get anything.

[schu7498]

Good egg bite this afternoon. Dont be afraid to branch out from the usual corkie and yarn! When the bite turned on I went 2/3 in about 15 min.

[gfakkema]

I think it's best that they stop stocking this fiasco of a fishery and let the natives have it. It's sad what has become of that system, years ago it was enjoyable now it's mostly trash and snagging.

As much as I agree with what you said, I could never stand behind it. Where do you think all those "anglers" would end up? I'd hate to see other systems turn into what the skok has become. We all know what happens there and if you are headed that direction, you should be prepared to deal with the madness.

[skagit510]

Hard to say what would happen if you closed it. Maybe just enforcing it would help. Problem is that early season salmon rivers on the coast are polluted with all the idiots still on their skok high using tactics they used on the skok. Which is snagging being aggressive and having no manners whatsoever, and basically just littering and stinking up the place. Maybe if you closed it they would just fish for pinks somewhere. I think state enforcement has a large burden to bear as they allowed this river to degenerate into the mess it is today. Yes there are ethical fishermen here, but they would all probably tell you they are dissatisfied as well. Only ones that like the current situation are snaggers.

[jd39]

Enforcement is the answer, how loud is the cry from ethical anglers that fish the skok to the WDFW about the lack of enforcement? Is it just a lost cause?
I've never fished there but will eventually, will just do what I do at the skook, mind my own business and fish eggs as far away from the rippers as I can get.

[ResQ]

Every time I have fished here, I have only seen people laughing and fishing, whether it is by egg, spoon or floss. If someone pulls ANY weapon or makes threats towards anyone, personally I think they get what they get. That said, I guarantee there was a bit of trash talking and instigating that took place. What people need to do is just shut up and fish. None of us are there for a means of survival. People just need to relax, let things go and just ignore the idiots. That is what Law Enforcement is for. If someone is breaking the law, just shut your mouth and call the gamies or police. As for closing it. I think that would instigate problems and reward a group that does not deserve it and sets a presidence for other rivers and tribes to instigate stuff even further to have the rivers shut down to everyone but them. Enforcement is the key.

[fishindude]

A few days ago someone posted a thread about state budget cuts. If this happens it said a few million dollars would be cut from WDFW enforcement officers. We would likely see less enforcement than there is now. Less enforcement will lead to more crime and not just on the Skok. Every river in Washington. Enforcement is key but how do we get it with the cuts?

[natetreat]

If we closed it, the fish would go to the tribes and commercials, the hatchery would quit planting fish and we'd lose the most productive chinook fishery that the PS provides. That's a ridiculous proposal, and is not going to happen. I've never had a bad experience there, and I love it. People make way to big a deal about this stuff. It is what it is, if you don't like it, go fish the Cowlits, Duc, Columbia Skykomish... It's proposals like this that are ruining our fishing. The numbers of rivers that are fishable are dwindling, the numbers of fish put in are shrinking while the numbers of anglers continues to grow. But we sit around writing letters to WDFW about flossing, getting grumpy on the water, fighting amogst ourselves about some ethical gripe about sportsmanship while we're attacked on all sides by environmental groups, hatchery nazis and fly fishermen with a chip on their shoulder. We don't have enough man power or money to go around policing this flossing nonsense, and it is so ingrained in salmon fishing culture that it is never going to go away. Guys getting in fights on the river over this stuff is stupid. Who's more of a criminal? The guy that mouth snags a fish, or the dude that punches him in the face because of it? It's the least of my concerns when talking about fishing.

Not to mention the fact that the skok had a surplus of 20,000 chinook last year, according to WDFW at the NOF meetings. Tell me how many extra fish we'd have with the same number of anglers stomping through the river waiting for a voluntary bite. Double, triple that by a factor of 10. Crystal clear water and 1,000 guys in the river do not make for optimum conditions.

[skagit510]

Nate makes some decent points. There is no sense in closing a fishing opportunity even if it has degenerated to the current state. These are hatchery fish and destined for harvest. That is not an excuse for poor angling behavior or poaching though. The WDFW enforcement in this state is a joke. I have thirty plus years on the water and I have been checked for a license and contacted by an agent maybe half a dozen times at the most. They really seem reluctant to talk to some "scary snagger" types. Short on revenue? Then go get some. I wonder how many weeks salary a guy could write in tickets if he got out of the truck and put in a little effort to clean up some of these places. They are not secret, they are not hidden. I used to fish the skok as a kid and in my younger years. Sure there was a couple guys snagging but they were policed by other anglers and made to feel unwelcome. I feel comfortable walking just about anywhere be it a bad neighborhood or in the middle of nowhere. I would not however feel comfortable taking my girl or a child to the skok to fish. Quite frankly I don't think it is safe for a kid or a lady that isn't armed. The alcohol fueled low IQ behavior that is often times violent is ridiculous. Where's the enforcement? Way I see it they might as well cut the budget as they don't seem to get much return on it in the way of violations and citations money. They have allowed the lowest common denominator to move in here and establish a haven. Much like a gang moves into a neighborhood and sets up illegal businesses and intimidates the folks who live there. Where's Charles Bronson with a fishing rod cruising the gravel bar quietly cleaning up the neighborhood by whatever means necessary? Charles? Could I interest you in a fishing trip with lots of creeps Charles?

[spoonman]

Ya think ya can floss here? No dice pally! Charles Bronson, I love it.

[schu7498]

2 days ago there was a drunk dirtbag local walking around with a deer horn threatening people and trying to start fights. Thats something youll only see at the skok!

[seattlesteban]

Nate makes some decent points. There is no sense in closing a fishing opportunity even if it has degenerated to the current state. These are hatchery fish and destined for harvest. That is not an excuse for poor angling behavior or poaching though. The WDFW enforcement in this state is a joke.

FWIW The fish police were in force on opening day. Imagine if they got some of that sweet surplus army gear the police get.

I think the lower river is much worse than the upper, I've had no issues fishing the upper, while I did see a fight at the cedar hole last year.

Maybe its all those beefy dudes packed close together in a 'meat line.' Rod tips touching. Kappa

[FishBaitThe2nd]

I heard a Skokomish teenage boy threatened a group of guys with a knife over a snagging confrontation. The teenage boy was then jumped and sent to the hospital. Both parties need to be incarcerated. I think it's best that they stop stocking this fiasco of a fishery and let the natives have it. It's sad what has become of that system, years ago it was enjoyable now it's mostly trash and snagging. Schu I commend you for fishing ethically among the degenerates.

I was there when this happened, and it is kinda false what you just said. No one was jumped,they knew they were gonna fight, 2 natives (both minors) came and started trash talking a buddy down there because he was dating one of the natives exes. Both natives started attacking my buddy, then another one of my buddies (also a minor) who has many family members in the tribe jumped in to help my other buddy that was getting beat on by the natives. This fiasco was just about over, then out of the blue, this other guy came in out of no where and hit one of the natives upside the head with a baton. The native, as far as I heard, is still in the hospital.

[FishBaitThe2nd]

I think the lower river is much worse than the upper, I've had no issues fishing the upper, while I did see a fight at the cedar hole last year.

Maybe its all those beefy dudes packed close together in a 'meat line.' Rod tips touching. Kappa

At the clay banks, I haven't seen a fight in a while, other then at night when they all get drunk when im long gone...but when the fishing gets slow, we throw on wrestling matches lol

[seattlesteban]

At the clay banks, I haven't seen a fight in a while, other then at night when they all get drunk when im long gone...but when the fishing gets slow, we throw on wrestling matches lol

One can only what happens at the skok at hunter farms when the sun goes down. Actually, sounds like it may be a good time!