Puget Sound

[NRC]

I think they missed the memo and are still social distancing. Even when you find them it seems to be one and done most days.

Agreed, except when for seemingly no reason they’re around in groups. Ran into a decent school at Nick Clayton’s favorite not launch last early spring. Seems like @Divad has encountered some schools this winter. But yeah, definitely miss the east catching of yesteryear. Motivation to get out in the cold.

 

[jasmillo]

Agreed, except when for seemingly no reason they’re around in groups. Ran into a decent school at Nick Clayton’s favorite not launch last early spring. Seems like @Divad has encountered some schools this winter. But yeah, definitely miss the east catching of yesteryear. Motivation to get out in the cold.

Yeah, it happens but not nearly as frequently for me the last 3-4 years. I think I’ve hit an actual school with multiple hookups twice the last 4 years. They have to around though. Certainly was a shit ton the last few summers.

 

[speedbird]

What’s curious is north sound rezy fishing seems to get better and better each year. I wonder if the south sound fish have decided to move up north and that’s why catch rates went so high

 

[ffb]

So weird how that fishery changed without the stocking numbers or release timing changing to my knowledge.
Used to be pretty much a guaranteed winter things. Must have found a new home with better chow unless they are getting eaten........
SF

I emailed the local WDFW office with some questions a couple weeks ago hoping they could forward to someone who might know better, but I haven't received a response yet.

 

[Stonedfish]

What’s curious is north sound rezy fishing seems to get better and better each year. I wonder if the south sound fish have decided to move up north and that’s why catch rates went so high

I wonder if that doesn’t have to do with them increasing the production at the Elliott Bay net pens up to one million coho?
Are the fish you are seeing clipped?
They only clip 50k of the million fish out of the Elliott Bay pen fish. Remember when it was really important to have mass marking of hatchery fish and “wild unclipped” fish were important?
Lots of small 3 lb unclipped fish the past few years you got to release in MA 9.
Geez, I wonder where some of them might have come from?
There are also other north sound net pen projects that might also be contributing to the fish you are seeing.
SF

 

[Merle]

View attachment 99920
Really digging this taper, its advertised as a lake line and its Rio...but wow. Might have to research more about it and try it if the Cabela's fails.

Yes! I was cruising on STP and saw an 8wt, checked the head length and grain weight and it’s basically a 7wt OBS!

 

[skyriver]

I’ve been running the 6wt frequency intermediate on my 5wt Scott Flex (given it’s a true line weight). It casts great, just the set up overall was not super powerful. It still packed a punch, but I struggled on windy days. I’m picky about line color and prefer a single colored line in white, pale blue, or pale green. The frequency checked that box. It also casts significantly more like a traditional WF line than the OBS I have. I struggle with the clunkiness of the OBS head. I’m hoping that upgrading to a 6wt rod and a 7wt (or even 8wt) frequency line will help pack a bigger punch on windy days.

Thanks for the input. Good stuff.
Yeah, even with a nice shooting line, a 5wt is pretty light on those windy days. You'll definitely have more fun and less effort with the 6wt rod and heavier line on those windy days.
Nothing more fun than SRCs on the 5wt when it's still though!

 

[Bambooflyguy]

Well…. After I got done with some crap at home, I hit the beach around 2:00 on the outgoing tide. Little bit of rain, a couple guys already flogging the water so I moved down beach. Nothing jumping, nothing biting…just nothing! The sun came out as I was sitting on a log enjoying my Crown Royal! At least I caught a buzz…..

 

[Stonedfish]

Slow day but super nice weather.
I hear squid stuffed with Applewood Smoked Bacon instant potatoes is a Puget Sound delicacy.
SF

 

[Kfish]

Slow day but super nice weather.
I hear squid stuffed with Applewood Smoked Bacon instant potatoes is a Puget Sound delicacy.
SF

View attachment 100364

Especially wild caught squids!

 

[Kfish]

@jasmillo and I headed out in the dark fog this morning to explore some new water, totally running on gps since visibility was pretty much nil.

Hit a bunch of fishy spots and got into a few but mostly slow overall, it is the slowest 2 months of cutty fishing indeed. One spot yielded one fish and a tap on the way in so we hit it again on the way out and we both got a fish each, weird how some spot holds pretty much all the fish while others equally fishy looking are barren.









Went to a lake afterwards to see if the stockers are in but mainly to rinse off the salt (and some ice breaking fun), pleasantly surprised with 2 jumbos each. Not much fights in those but we’ll take it!

 

[Wadin' Boot]

Nothing for me today, no fish seen, no fish hooked

 

[Bambooflyguy]

Hey….quit copying me!

 

[speedbird]

Those Rainbows are as close to beautiful as stockers can get! @Kfish

 

[jeradjames]

View attachment 100395

What an odd shaped trout

 

[Bambooflyguy]

Looks like a brooder with a worn off tail….but nicer than my no fish day!

 

[jasmillo]

Only one landed SRC for me today in the salt. 4 hours on the water and between @Kfish and I, 3 SRC landed, all from the same beach, and yet another random single rezzie. One of the things I love so much about SRC. Certain times of year, you can’t ever really figure them out. Keeps you on your toes.



I think we may have popped into the jumbo lake a day or two behind the stocking truck based on stocking reports and the action we found. We only fished for 30 minutes or so and landed 2 each. I don’t think these fish have been in the lake a year which is the last time jumbos were put in per the report on that lake. My guess is they went in Thursday or Friday after the last report out. Nice to feel some weight on the other end of the line but shouldn’t rainbows this size take a little line once hooked and maybe even get you on the reel .



I think this one was a cross between a spawned out humpy and a broodstock bow…

 

[Matt B]

@jasmillo looks like you won the “tumor bow” prize in the Stock Options sweepstakes!

*Limited Edition* Stock Options: Tumor 'Bow Sticker

Bumps, warts, concrete holding pond scars, bacterial infections. It's nasty AF but you're still putting it on your stringer. Drawn by...

cutandretie.bigcartel.com

 

[IHFISH]

*Limited Edition* Stock Options: Tumor 'Bow Sticker

Bumps, warts, concrete holding pond scars, bacterial infections. It's nasty AF but you're still putting it on your stringer. Drawn by...

cutandretie.bigcartel.com

I have perused this fine website and my main takeaway is that we may have a "how come they have never been seen in the same place at the same time" situation with Bobo and Teddy.

 

[Wadin' Boot]

probably doesn't belong in the salt forum, but the picture of obvious stockers is sorta funny, was in Farmington NM close to Christmas and they are running a big billboard campaign on why to visit, they had this pic up:


Which looked like a long way to travel to hook into a hatchery mutt with a concave tank-tail and a bounce-off-the-wall snout