Purdy area?

[Flyfishsteel]

Saw a boat with 2 guys flyfishing about 12pm in the Purdy bay area, what are they fishing for? Too early for chums and didn't witness any kings, if so they would be dark?

[ibn]

My guess is searuns, Purdy is a pretty well known spot for them, could be some silvers in the area to. Maybe sculpin? ;)

[Teeg Stouffer]

There are silvers in that neck of the woods sometimes, but I don't know whether they're there right now or not. My guess is SRC too. That's a good spot.

[martyg]

Purdy just kind of shut down this week. Silvers were in, but now are gone. I suspect that the rain pushed them in. Commercial fishermen are lining up in select places in the S Sound to drop there nets on Oct 15th, then it is over.

[Ringlee]

Where in henderson bay were they fishing? Towards minter or the purdy bridge?

[Ringlee]

Back in middle school I began catching silvers towards the end of july in henderson bay. Just got of the school bus and onto the duroboat. Good Times! I would say silvers for sure.

[Flyfishsteel]

If you are driving from Keycenter, directly on the left hand side, kinda muddy and lots of oysters...

[martyg]

Was there yesterday about 1030 and fished for about 90 minutes. Caught a flounder!

One other person chucking gear from the bank. Took a slow boat ride around and didn't see much.

I fished the entrance to GH (hit Purdy on the way to the house) and did much better.

[Ringlee]

So you defined about half of the bay then...

[gigharborflyfisher]

My guess would be silvers, there are a fair amount that seem to come through the area, and I often notice gear fisherman fishing for salmon from the end of the spit.

[OPfisher]

there are silvers headed for burley creek. there also is a decent run of cutts out there about this time of year.

the gear fishermen show up with buzz bombs and try to snag the kings and dont usually quit till the chum run ends.

[Ringlee]

Burley has a small run of silvers, but any one heard of Minter? Thats where the bulk of the silvers you see are going.

[Flyfishsteel]

Was at Minter the other day to just scout around due to it being closed til Nov 1st for Salmon, but open now for trout. I was wearing my hunter green Simms fleece coat and green Waterworks hat. There was one gear chucker there in a distance holding a 10lb salmon and his spinning rig. I said in a loud friendly tone of voice, "What you fishin' for?" he said "silvers" and then said "I thought this river was closed til Nov 1st?" He said nope, Oct 1st. Then for some reason he left promptly.

Glad that poacher scum left, I should of acted like a game warden and said "That fish is worth a 1,000 dollar fine! I would advise you to leave now, without the fish!"
He gave me the look like I was a smart-butt game warden asking simple questions and looked like he was waiting for me to give him a ticket due to what I was wearing. Funny stuff, I'm sure he left with crap in his pants...

[Teeg Stouffer]

I saw a fish poached in another estuary out that way this weekend. There were also fresh fish entrails upstream, clearly from someone cleaning fish on shore. If there was more enforcement, there could be a bunch of tickets written every day at some of these spots.

[gt]

confronting idiots is tempting to all of us, kind of makes my blood boil and i do feel some relief after the yelling. i have gotten over that, however. my cell phone has the game enforcement number in my address book and that along with a small note pad and pen when cell service is sketchy or nonexistant.

yep, there would be more enforcement save for the cutting of tax supported programs. simple cause and effect.

[Ringlee]

You can also call the State patrol and report poachers as well. They came out and did some yelling. I did that to some kids at hoodsport that were climbing up into the hatchery and grabbing pinks a few years back.

[nerevfan]

Teeg thanks for all you info @ Purdy aea the other day, you sure opened my eye's with you knowledge.
Tight Loops:ray1:

[Flyfishsteel]

Anyone start fishing Minter yet for silvers or chum? Opened Nov 1st. Drove by today and saw 2 kids and thats it?

[salt dog]

I went by Minter to check it out last Sunday around 2pm, walked around the beach, water was calm, saw no signs of fish.

[gigharborflyfisher]

Minter usually doesn't get going real seriously until around Thanks Giving, but with the rain the chum should be showing pretty soon.

[Jerry Daschofsky]

Yeah, thanksgiving you're hitting pretty good with chums in Minter. But, have seen it really pick up usually around second week of Nov (fished it first year it opened almost by myself). Key is to try fishing it near high tide (pretty finicky there watching tides). Literally is a mudbog at the mouth at lowtide. I know I have drooled over that little creek for almost 20 years delivering out there (being that it's been closed most of my UPS career out there). Have seen some beautiful silvers and kings come up there. I'm pretty glad they are shortening the season. When it was open in October, too many were hitting silvers coming in.

If you're close, go take a quick look. Fish should be showing up. Wish I was still delivering out there. Stuck inland Gig Harbor now. Spent MANY a lunchbreaks fishing Minter the last few years it's been open. Tide is the key. Hate fishing the low tide there, too many of the snaggers chasing the fish (gear AND flyfisherman). I highly doubt they'll be writing many tickets. They want the chum OUT of Minter. At least that's what was the plan last time I delivered out there (why the high retention on them, was 4 I do believe per day, haven't checked the current regs).

Just fish high tide. Most of the snaggers have a hard time targeting the fish since they can move. Just be respectful of the private property (almost all the fishable area is PRIVATE!!!!!!). Don't want another Chico.

[willieboat]

Jerry,
I swung by Minter Creek this past Wed. There were two guys fishing up near the hatchery. Nothing hooked. There were a couple of fish cruising under the bridge. No one fishing there yet. It was slack tide.

Don

[King Wind Knot]

Teeg thanks for all you info @ Purdy aea the other day, you sure opened my eye's with you knowledge.
Tight Loops:ray1:

There goes Teeg again, dripping with info everywhere he goes.

[Jerry Daschofsky]

Well, spoke to a couple sources who fish Minter (haven't been out there). Sounds like the fisheries plan has kicked in pretty good. Run has been pretty small, only a few caught. So their plan to terminate the chum run is working. At this rate, river will probably reclose in a couple years.

May make a run out there though Thanksgiving weekend (I know, just as bad to fish there crowdwise as it is to go shopping at the mall LOL).

[Flyfishsteel]

Well, spoke to a couple sources who fish Minter (haven't been out there). Sounds like the fisheries plan has kicked in pretty good. Run has been pretty small, only a few caught. So their plan to terminate the chum run is working. At this rate, river will probably reclose in a couple years.

May make a run out there though Thanksgiving weekend (I know, just as bad to fish there crowdwise as it is to go shopping at the mall LOL).


Hey Jerry, orginally what was the purpose of that hatchery anyways if they are now planning on riding of the Chums? Are silvers,src and kings orginally from that hatchery or just out of coincidence? What is the future for Minter?

Thanks!

[Jerry Daschofsky]

It's been a salmon hatchery (kings, silvers, and chums). Never really got into great details with Dennis about it. But was under the impression that chums weren't that high in demand. So only want silvers and kings returning (they have some beautiful fish coming up in late summer/early fall). Drooled for years at the bridge with some of the kings coming in. Don't believe any SRC's are penraised there.

But, they are only out to rid the creek of chums. I haven't delivered out there in awhile, so not sure what all the plans are now. Just know that they wanted the chums out back then (why the 4 fish limit).

[cascade kid]

I spoke to a fellow who lives near me in Gig Harbor that says that with volunteer help the chum culturing at Minter has been extended. He said these fish are planted not only there but in neighboring streams for primarily commercial harvest of their roe (a practice that is awful in my opinion, regardless of where the fish come from).

This is sort of hearsay at this point I admit.

James

[Ringlee]

Drove by on thanksgiving morning at minter to see about 50 people fishing. I parked along with the 30 other cars and took a look at the hatchery inlet. There were not as many chums as I expected. The sad thing to see was I counted over 10 fish with gear on there dorsal fin, tail, belly, or head. Sad to see what people do to try and get a fish. Those are the ones that got away. hauled ass back to the spit and hooked 3 SRC's and a chum and I was by myself.

[Phil Fravel]

I also fished the purdy spit on thanksgiving. Saw quite a few chum but could not get any to strike.