30 days till the salt opens up to salmon fishing, at least some of areas I like to fish.
Beach coho are by far my favorite local species to target.
After last year's short seasons, we'll at least get to fish into some of this year's prime coho time.
This year's seasons aren't quite what I had hoped for, but they are better then sitting on the sidelines and not fishing at all.
Hopefully the forecasts are wrong like last year and more fish show up then expected.
Based on the resident coho fishing this past winter and spring, there should be plenty of 20"+ hatchery coho to bonk to keep the BBQ humming.
Crabbing opens July 1st.
Time to get all the home project BS done this month to clear the calendar come July.
Pro and college football are both right around the corner.
Oh yeah....screw baseball!!!!!!!
SF
Though I wouldn't say these fish have arrived, rather these ones have most likely been in the sound all year
I have the next several days off for what will most likely be the most time off I have for a good long while so I plan to squeeze in as much fishing as I can.
Though I wouldn't say these fish have arrived, rather these ones have most likely been in the sound all year
I have the next several days off for what will most likely be the most time off I have for a good long while so I plan to squeeze in as much fishing as I can.
I was wondering that. These fish were legitimately in the 8-10 lb range. Much bigger than any other rezzie I have ever caught (only a few years of experience). It was a north sound beach (I can IM you if interested as I know you already know it). I have also never caught any salmon off this beach outside of a few small rezzies in winter.
Really a cool fishery. The thought of these being resident fish, 1) makes me even more excited for next winter and 2) tells me I need to find better rezzie beaches .
8-10 pound resident silvers in June? Maybe some chinook were working those baitfish too. Either way, it sounds like a great day of fishing. I better get my gear ready.
That is an honest conservative assessment. I wish I had taken video of the second fish crashing those baitfish. It was a very big fish.
Nick to answer your question, not 100% they were coho. Still new to this so I generally need to see the mouth still for identification. Did not get there with these fish.
Hint on where I was; you fish this spot like a river. On our side of the water, up north a bit. That should give you an idea....
You totally sure these were coho? 8-10 lb rezzies would be pretty amazing for June. Though some nice sized rezzies wouldn't surprise me, 8-10 seems incredible.
My buddy hooked a couple in the 4-5 lb range a couple weeks ago down south so who knows.
Either way, it's exciting to hear of good salmon action off our beaches this time of year! I think the early season is gonna be a lot of fun this summer. I'll be secretly hoping for bad weather days off shore so I get a day here or there to come home and enjoy it!
I believe you on the salmon size Jasmillo. We have some bigger summer chinook rolling into north Puget Sound now to mix with the good sized resident silvers folks were catching in spring. I'm hoping you saw a couple kings.
If it's where I'm thinking it's not far from one of the make productive summer chinook locations for boat anglers so I wouldn't at all be surprised if you found some feeding chinook. Always an exciting situation!
I was on a MA10 beach yesterday, fishing a dropoff as the tide ran out like a big river. Had ben hitting smallish SRCs all morning, then suddenly the big ones showed up, crashing bait out in the current and right up to shore. Managed one, a nice fiesty blackmouth, maybe 16" or so.
Just got back from Neah Bay. Decent number of silvers around. They are all in the 4 to 6 pound range still but gorging on krill and should be getting larger in a hurry.
Well, this is good intel. Lots of kayakable water in that area to explore away from the main channel. Once it officially opens for salmon, there is some good shoreline to explore looking for similar activity!
Did a tour of some popular area 9 beaches from Pt. Townsend to the NK peninsula this weekend and saw several people tosssing buzz bombs from shore. Even two fly fishers on a beach that I have never seen so much as a single SRC caught. I guess the thought of the pink horde headed our way and a hot sun were too much for some people to take.
So let me get this straight: we aren't supposed to fish because there will be no one to enforce the rules telling us not to fish in an already truncated fishing season? Wow there's a moral dilemma!
Ill take my chances
This is my 3rd season here and fish 80+ days a year. I have been stopped 2X and the last one he didn't even want to see my license as I offered it up
I'm kinda to the point that I don't give two shits if a local cop writes me a ticket. The majority of county cops and sheriff deputies don't know how any way. One deputy told me that its much more complicated and the only way they can be trained is to have a game warden or state patrol show them how to do it on the state employees own time. This was probably 4 or 5 years ago hopefully things have changed.
I'm retired and will go to court, and I have an attorney who is pretty damn sharp and probably won't charge me anything. Can they even write you a ticket for a government thats shutdown?
Especially when you have already purchased a fishing license and a rule pamphlet is published. Emergency closures to protect fish is one thing, but an administrative shutdown because politicians can't do their jobs? That's absurd.
You totally sure these were coho? 8-10 lb rezzies would be pretty amazing for June. Though some nice sized rezzies wouldn't surprise me, 8-10 seems incredible.
My buddy hooked a couple in the 4-5 lb range a couple weeks ago down south so who knows.
Either way, it's exciting to hear of good salmon action off our beaches this time of year! I think the early season is gonna be a lot of fun this summer. I'll be secretly hoping for bad weather days off shore so I get a day here or there to come home and enjoy it!
So would this mean the natives wont be able to net this season? I already paid for a licence I will fish according to the printed regulations no matter what.
I reckon such a shutdown would impact my current source of employment in a rather drastic way, but you could bet your ass you'd see me down on the beach every morning instead.
Going on my 4th year here. I fish 60-70 days a year (sometimes just for a few hours after work). I have never been asked.
WA is not unique though. Lived in MT for 5 years and was stopped one time fishing probably 80 days a year or so. I was stopped 4-5 times in three years in CO fishing 60-70 days a year.
Maybe this tells us the funding these agencies get? Maybe they stop flyfisherman less? Who knows.
Man they must had put a GPS marker on you. Left in 2014 after living there for almost 20yrs and was only stopped 3xs. I fished popular rivers too, The Blue, Platte, Frying Pan, 2 of the checks were on the Taylor.
I had three encounters this winter and spring, which was the first time in years I've been checked.
The third time the WDFW officer didn't check my license due to recognizing me.
I also had two visits from sheriffs while fishing the past six months.
It looks like they are inching towards a budget deal based on what I read today. If it doesn't happen, good luck with whatever you decide to do if there is a all out closure.
After last years coho debacle, I can total understand everyone frustration.
SF
I had three encounters this winter and spring, which was the first time in years I've been checked.
The third time the WDFW officer didn't check my license due to recognizing me.
I also had two visits from sheriffs while fishing the past six months.
It looks like they are inching towards a budget deal based on what I read today. If it doesn't happen, good luck with whatever you decide to do if there is a all out closure.
After last years coho debacle, I can total understand everyone frustration.
SF
I have bought a fishing license in Washington every year since I think 1975. At that time they were around $7.50 I think and you didn't need a license for salmon in saltwater just a punch card that was free.
Like Stonefish mentioned they will probably come to an agreement in the nick of time and avoid a shutdown. I did read that state parks already cancelled thousands of reservations in case of a shutdown. Our lawmakers should be fined for this kind of bs. Yes I am frustrated and just pissed at our state and federal politicians Maybe they should all have to buy medical insurance on the open market as a penalty.
There was a time when I knew several of the game wardens by there first name and they would just wave when they saw my boat, unless they were bored and just wanted to chat. I have only been checked one time while fishing on the beach. Like someone else mentioned when I have been fly fishing they have passed me up to go check someone else gear fishing.
I have always played by the rules but this may be the last year I'm able to fish at all. I am not much threat to the fish or anything else at this point. I have decided when I am feeling good enough to fish I will follow the rules in the pamphlet and go fishing regardless of the politics even if it means breaking the law.
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