The flying ants are out, so it must be sea-run cutthroat time.
“Everybody’s still pretty much concentrating on salmon, so there haven’t been a lot of guys fishing cutts yet,” said Mike Chamberlain at Ted’s Sport Center in Lynnwood. “But those who have are reporting pretty fair fishing, both in the estuaries and lower ends of rivers, and off saltwater beaches in the area.”
The Snohomish River estuaries and sloughs, particularly around Priest Point, have been productive, as has the classic lower Stillaguamish. Saltwater possibilities (catch and release only in the saltchuck) include McKee’s Beach, Picnic Point, Mukilteo and a number of other spots.
Sea-runs are a great fly fish, and Chamberlain recommends small streamer patterns imitating herring and candlefish fingerlings, maybe 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, made from any of the flashy synthetics in blue, green or pink. Spin fishermen toss Krocodile or Canadian Wonder spoons in the small sizes, particularly the heavier Krocs, and Chamberlain said an old-line lure, the Super Duper, is still an excellent cutthroat producer.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife has done a pretty good job managing this beautiful native trout, at least in northwest Washington, and there are probably more and larger sea-runs around now than there were 15 years ago.
Salmon: Pinks are on the downhill side of the run in saltwater and are giving way to coho. Checks by the state at the Port of Everett ramp on Sunday showed 535 anglers with 50 coho and 145 pinks.
“Those targeting silvers have had some good days in a few spots,” Chamberlain (425-743-9505) said, “and there have been a few limits taken of nice 8- to 13-pound ocean fish. The area north of Edmonds has been good, along with Point No Point, locally.”
He said a glow green or white Hot Spot flasher, followed by any of several colors of glow hoochies – green, apple core, mother of pearl – is a good choice. He also likes a flasher followed by a Grand Slam Bucktail, sweetened with a small herring strip, or a flasher/Coyote spoon combo, or just the spoon alone – anything in green or chartreuse glow, he said.
“The Coho Killer spoons are also seeing a resurgence of popularity,” he said, “but you have to use them behind a flasher. They don’t have as much action used alone.”
Other checks showed pretty fair coho action out of Sekiu, where 498 anglers at the Coho Resort over the weekend were tallied with 136 coho and 87 pinks. Some 42 beach fishermen at Point No Point on Sunday had eight coho, and North Beach on the north end of Whidbey Island put out seven coho for the 68 anglers checked Saturday. Fort Casey has been another good bet for coho “surf” fishermen.
Bush Point has been very popular for pinks and, now, coho, and a problem has developed with beach fishermen clogging the approach to the new state launch with their parked cars. Leave room for trailered boats to maneuver, guys.
Bob Ferber at Holiday Market Sports in Burlington (360-757-4361) said the Samish fall chinook fishery has really come on, but it has been – as it often is – weather and water dependant. If it rains this weekend, as predicted, look for a spurt of good fishing for kings in the 14- to 30-pound range on the lower river. Be sure to read the regulations, as only certain portions of the stream are open.
Ferber said fishermen drifting eggs have been the most successful.
Buoy 10, on the lower Columbia River, has been only fair, putting out a chinook for every 6.4 rods and a coho for each 4.5 last week. About 600 boats were counted in the area during last Saturday’s flyover.
The shallow-water Willapa Bay chinook fishery has been surprisingly good so far this season, with counts approaching a fish per boat at times. Ilwaco anglers are scoring mostly on coho, at an average of about a fish and a half per rod, and at Westport it’s mostly chinook and an average of a little over one king per person.
Those planning for the Columbia River “upriver bright” fall chinook fishery in October on Hanford Reach will be encouraged to learn that the run is apparently right on schedule. Counts at Bonneville Dam so far show populations at close to the 10-year average for the run.
No harvest and very little effort was reported so far on the first few days of the Yakima River season.
River pinks: There’s still some top action on humpies in the Snohomish River system, but try to get them as low in the system as possible. Arlington resident and river guide Sam Ingram (360-435-9311) said fish are available well up into the Skykomish, but only about one out of five or six are in decent shape.
Drift the lower end of the Snohomish on a strong incoming tide, looking for showing fish, and work them with small pink or red lead-head jigs. Or throw pink Buzz Bombs, Dick Nites, Wicked Willies or other similar spoon-jigs, or even Corky/shrimp combos, in the town of Snohomish, above Lowell, at the Thomas’ Eddy access, along the School Road, or anywhere else you can get access to the river. Trollers have more luck pulling the shorter, stubbier plugs than the longer, slimmer products because they have a higher wiggle rate at slower speeds. Some of the better ones for this fishery include Brad’s Wigglers, Wiggle Warts, Warden’s Fat Fish, and Luhr Jensen’s S.E. Hot Shot.
Coho derby: It’s time to make plans for the annual Everett Coho Derby, scheduled for Sept. 24-25. It’s one of the largest fishing derbies on the West Coast. The entry fee is $20 for the event, sponsored by the Everett Steelhead and Salmon Club and the Snohomish Sportsmen’s Club, with tickets available at almost all tackle shops in the area The first prize is $2,500, second is $1,500, third, $1,000 and all participants will be eligible to draw for an Alumaweld boat, motor, trailer setup from Three Rivers Marine. The derby also is the final event on the Northwest Salmon Derby Series, and entrants are thus eligible for a drawing for another boat combo.
All kids entered (under 12 years fish free) win a prize, courtesy of Jerry’s Surplus.
Fishing areas and full rules are available at www.everettcohosalmonderby.com.
Fishing regs: The 2006-07 sport fishing rules package is available for viewing and comment, and the state is soliciting public input. A few of the proposed regulation changes include:
Changing the definition of selective gear rules to allow use of electric motors and to require the use of knotless nets.
Changing the size measurement for sturgeon from total length to fork length.
Expanding the C&R trout fishery in the Methow River.
Allowing a retention fishery for trout in the Cedar River.
Allowing anglers to retain wild steelhead from the Chehalis, Humptulips and Wynoochee rivers.
See the whole package of proposals at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/rule. Send comments via e-mail prior to Nov. 18 to Evan Jacoby at jacobes@dfw.wa.gov, or by regular mail to Evan Jacoby, WDFW Rules Coordinator, Wash. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, Wash., 98501.
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