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Limits of Salmon Right Now!
If you are looking to bring home lots of salmon fillets for the freezer, you need to fish right now!
We have seen a few early Coho in the river. While there are just too many Pink Salmon in the river right now to target Coho, we are just a couple weeks away from specifically fishing for Coho.
Depending on the length and quality of the run, we can see Coho into December. Mid September through October is a great time to target Coho (Silver Salmon).
Call me to schedule your trip!
Pink Salmon Now!
The Skagit River opens for Pink Salmon on August 1st; The Snohomish River system, which includes the Skykomish River opens
on August 16th. There should be plenty of fish around on the openers. Both rivers have a
four fish per person limit for Pink Salmon.
These fish are pretty easy to catch if you are using the right lures and techniques. I will be
using FST, MAXI JIG, SPIN-N-GLO and FLICKER SPINNER from Yakima Bait.
When we are fishing the lower Skagit River we are anchor fishing, using the plunking technique
from the back of the boat. I use a 2’ sliding dropper with a 3’ leader to an O or OO size
FST. We will use enough lead (usually 2-4 oz) to back bounce the mainline
out to a 45 degree angle. This will keep the FST lures in the strike zone and not laying on the
bottom. These spoons are some of the best spoons I have ever used. They will have good action
even in low flows.
The lower Skagit is affected by the tide. When the flow is too slow to
work your FST lures we will use a #6 or #4 SPIN-N-GLO with a Sand Shrimp tail. We use a
2’ sliding dropper and a 2’ leader to the SPIN-N-GLO and Sand Shrimp tail. When using
these lures and techniques, we consistently catch limits plus everyday. It’s not unusual to
have three and four fish on at once.
When we are fishing the Snohomish system I will also fish areas similar to that found on the Skagit River.
The fish will hold in the Snohomish River where there is very little
or no flow. In these areas we use a MAXI JIG under a float. We will start off with a plain
Jig and if the bite slows down, we tip the Jig with a Sand Shrimp or a Prawn tail, doing
this usually gets them back on the bite.
In almost all areas where the fish are holding we can use a basic drift set up, casting and
retrieving our lures. If there is enough flow, we drift fish a FLICKER SPINNER or FST. Another good
spoon that produces result in fast water is a Wicked Willy.
If you have any questions or want to see how we catch them give me a call.
Summer Steelhead & Summer King Salmon NOW
It is awesome to be able to fish for both of these fish at the same time on the legendary Skykomish River. Free drifting with light tackle allows us to cover lots of water and increase your chances of boating two species in one trip. Full day and limited half day trips are available.
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Are You Ready For Summer Steelhead?
Summer Steelhead fishing is just a few weeks away. Are you ready for the season? Here is a short list of things you should have prepared.
First of all if you have a boat, your boat should be ready to go. Aside from the mechanical and functionality aspects of your boat, make sure your safety equipment is up to date. Inspect your life jackets and make sure they are in good shape. If they have worn threads, oil stains, etc. you should replace them. Make sure you have life jackets, which fit, for everyone in your boat. Make sure you have a throwable PFD. Also, have you checked your sound device? Make sure it works. Even though all vessels are not required to have flares, I would suggest you have a good flare kit.
As far as your gear, you need to make sure you have all the supplies you need. If you are drift fishing or free drifting, do you have enough leaders? If not, get to Three Rivers Marine and buy a few leader rolls. Every day is different, but I can use up to two leader rolls per day. Make sure you have enough hooks of the correct sizes. If you like to pull plugs, inspect them. Check the hooks and make sure they are sharp. If they aren’t, either sharpen them or replace them! The hooks on a plug are often overlooked.
Clean and oil your reels. Now is the perfect time to replace the line on your reel.
You want to be ready. Last minute preparations usually end up in forgetting something. We will be fishing the Skykomish River and the Cowlitz River for Steelhead and Summer Kings. We have some prime dates available, so give us a call. When you fish with us we provide everything! Just bring a license, something to eat or drink and a positive attitude. Leave the preparation to us.
Springer Seminar
Josh Hughes of Fetha Sticks will talk about proven techniques for Columbia River Chinook. Pro Guide - Doug Saint-Denis will be doing step by step demos for brining your herring. He will also cover sardine wraps for Kwikfish and Flatfish.
Many other pros will be on hand to answer your questions. The springer dates are limited, so capitalize on your opportunities! Be informed and be prepared.
If you are interested in fishing Columbia River Springers, I have a few prime dates available. Call now or email me.
River Safety
For example, the Snohomish River has been pretty crowded lately with boats and bank anglers. There are some boat operators that seem like they don't care where they run or whose line they run over.
Passing a boat or bank anglers while you are running is just the way it is on our Northwest rivers. However, when it is crowded and you are running on step, try to run where you will have the least impact on other boats and bank fisherman.
When you are going down river and you are going through a spot where it is a crowded situation you should always idle slowly thru all the boats until it is clear to run again. When you are running up river in a crowded situation, if the river current allows, you should idle by all the boats until it is clear to run again. If the river current is flowing too hard and you can't idle by, it is better to run on step by all the boats than to plow by slowly, throwing an even bigger wake. If you stay on step the wake settles out much more quickly. Every situation is different. The main thing is that you use good judgment, common sense and be respectful of the other anglers, whether boat or bank anglers. Having a good sportsman mentality will go a long way with others on the river and can keep an unsafe situation from developing.
One thing that really scares me is a serious safety concern to anyone on the irver. I have seen quite a few people on the river in the dark with no navigation lights or even a flashlight.
In some situations if the fog is not too thick, boats will run in the dark to get a good spot that they want to fish for Coho. This is fine, as long as they are running with navigation lights. I have seen some close calls and I have even had some close calls with boats both on anchor, and running in the dark with no navigation lights on at all.
All boats have lighting requirement according to their size. If you are unsure what your lighting requirements are you can check on the US Coast Guard website or in the “Rules Of The Road” hand book, which is online and even in the Washington State Boaters pamphlet. If you are anchored in the dark or fog you should have at least a hand held flashlight illuminated. You should also have a horn, or whistle to give warning to other approaching boats.
Please be safe and have a good time on the river.
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Brett looks forward to bringing you new content via his blog. He will talk about "how to", what is going on, techniques, and fishing opportunities.
Coho Seminar
September 8th, there will be a Coho seminar at Three Rivers Marine in Woodinville, WA at 7PM. This seminar will feature my Associate Guide - Doug Saint-Denis who will speak about freshwater (river) tactics for Coho and another professional guide will speak about saltwater tactics for Coho.
A couple of days later, there will be another Coho seminar at Wholesale Sports in Burlington, WA at 6PM. Again, my Associate Guide - Doug Saint-Denis will talk about river tactics for Coho.
Skagit River Coho
