2025: A Fantastic Pink Year?
- Thread starter Jacob Watrous
- Start date
Floater. Long leader (at minimum 14’ for me, your choice might be different). I have never found a sinking line to do any better than a floater for pinks. It still feels weird fishing a floater over 400’ of water, but if that’s where they are they still look up.
DKL
Steelhead
I fished primarily with a 5wt TiCri for years until I drove off with it on the roof (second time I did that too, first was an 8wt Fli). It handled everything it hooked just fine. What you have to consider when thinking about what wt rod is the size of the fly. I didn't throw big and or heavy flies with that rod. Partly because I didn't need to but also because I stay out for hours at a time and I'll last longer not throwing weight. I replaced it with a 6 wt but I did so more because I wanted a rod specifically made for salt and it was on a closeout deal. I generally try to buy my stuff on closeout, so I take what I can get sometimes. Needless to say, I have a few items of clothing that are little bigger than necessary, but they work and I didn't break the bank to get them.
The "best" weight rod to use depends on a lot of variables. I keep waiting for another year like 2001. Between 1953 and 2001 only a single 8# pink made it to the boat. In 2001 there was only a single day h at least 1 8# pink was not caught with a number of fish between 10 and 12# chrome pinks. A number of times I wasn't sure whether using a 7 weight was being under gunned.
Those exception pinks and an unusual number of PS jumbo coho made 2001 a year to remember!
Curt
Those exception pinks and an unusual number of PS jumbo coho made 2001 a year to remember!
Curt
It seems most anadromous fish were bigger last year (and this spring) so I'm just assuming the pinks should be bigger as well. Regarding the 6wt. I agree with @ffb "fighting 20-30 salmon in an afternoon on a 6wt can get old" And can make your hand and/or arm hurt. I know, I know...good problem to have. 
But seriously, they don't tire easily if you're close to the salt so a 7 or 8 will get them in a bit quicker and get you into another one faster than the 6. And you won't have as many aches and pains.
I also like a floater or an intermediate (in the tide or windy) with 10-12' leader and fish a bead/conehead fly. They grab it on the drop so get jiggy wit it.
But seriously, they don't tire easily if you're close to the salt so a 7 or 8 will get them in a bit quicker and get you into another one faster than the 6. And you won't have as many aches and pains.I also like a floater or an intermediate (in the tide or windy) with 10-12' leader and fish a bead/conehead fly. They grab it on the drop so get jiggy wit it.
Kamishak Steve
Just Hatched
Does anyone have any data on what the actual return of pinks was in the Nisqually in 2023? As someone who floated it a lot, I am not sure I saw a single pink carcass, or pink swimming out of 6 floats in Sept. As short as that river is, it would have been hard to miss the half a million pinks they were predicting. Additionally, while we found a few at the delta in late Aug, I would have expected to see huge numbers if the predicted 500k were accurate. I recall fishing other puget sound rivers with similar numbers and they seemed to be everywhere, initially as bright fish, then later in Sept as zombies/carcasses. It's possible my timing was just bad but with the number of days I was out there during prime season and then again when they should have been in the upper river dying, I'm surprised not to have seen more. Any data?
Correct.
At least 8-2 opens on 8/1 for coho. There were discussions about when to open it for coho to help avoid Stilly pinks. A later opening and shorter season would not have been good for businesses like the bait box. Keeping one of the few places you can still get live herring on Puget Sound viable is important, at least to me.
Once we lose that history, it will be gone forever.
You’ve also got a 2+2 limit in other areas so all is not lost in regards to pink fishing.
SF
wanderingrichard
Life of the Party
There were so many nets strung across the mouth of the river that year I'm not sure anything got past the I5 bridge. A lot of my coworkers fish the military access and they were all complaining about the lack of fish. At this point, who knows?
I'd be shocked to learn more than a handfull returned to spawn. I seem to recall the projected Nisqually return was only 40-50,000 to begin with and there were, as Richard states, a profound number of nets.
Trying to figure this out. What usefulness would a bunch of humped up pinks have?
I find it makes really good dog food and ok smoked salmon.
It's also marketed as "Keta" salmon and sold in places that aren't around here. I say this because family in Denver eats it and my server in Wichita was perplexed when I ordered the local beef instead of the "really good Pacific Keta saLmon from WaRshington".
But ultimately, who knows? Maybe we're just snobs and it's like how lobster used to be trash fish that people turned into dog food and only the poors ate.
I thought the "keta" stuff was chum? I mean... that's the species name for chum. The "keta" filets I've seen in markets have all been pretty significant size; much larger than would come from your average pink.
Chum are also marketed as Silverbrite.
SF
SF
Maybe a couple options for finding escapement numbers on Nisqually pinks.
Send an email to the Fish Program.
or contact the Region 6 biologist. I believe they are responsible for it although it runs through different regions.
Eggs?
Common names for Oncorhynchus keta are, Keta, Chum, silverbrite, rainbow, calico, dog...
Oncorhynchus gorbuscha goes by Pink or Humpy.
Edit: looks like we've got that sorted.
Cool, thanks! Those are the tasty ones that have pale pinkish spots, right?
Love catching them and cooking them riverside.