Puget Sound
- Thread starter Stonedfish
- Start date
Great season - impressive!Final MA 9 weekend wrap up.
Summary, tough beach season. My landed adult coho numbers dropped almost 2/3rds from 2023 when I landed 116 adult coho. There were reasons; my hooked/land percentage dropped by 10% and I spent 9-10 of my fishing days targeting salmon on gear to learn some new techniques. Mainly for kings. Still though, I big drop so not a banner year.
The positives, I caught coho using 4 different techniques! Fly, jigs, trolling with a diver and herring from the beach. That was cool. Last year every one of my fish, coho, pinks and kings were on a fly so expanding the techniques in my repertoire to target these fish, especially kings. Some on this site may see this as a regression but for an east coast kid who only started targeting salmon 8 or so years ago, I saw it as a learning opportunity. I can catch coho on a fly. Until this year, I had only caught coho on a fly. I never learned other techniques those who have been here awhile know (next year, mooching !). In the end, I wanted to learn techniques I could use in the future, especially when casting a 7 weight into the wind 8 hours a day becomes uncomfortable. I love nothing more than catching fish on a fly but I am a fisherman first and foremost. If it ever comes to a point where I cannot fish as much as I do now with a fly rod, I want to be ready to use other techniques. Hopefully that is not a reality until decades from now (late forties). Some of you old timers give me hope!
Now that I’ve justified my dirt bagginess… last weekend MA 9 wrap-up.
Friday Afternoon 0-1 (fly)
Saturday 3-7 (herring), 0-1 fly
Sunday 1-3 (fly)
Monday Night 0-1 (fly)
The 3 fish myself and my herring “mentor” kept Saturday. Three size classes. Smallest was probably 3.5 lbs and largest was close to 6 I’d guess. Interesting stomach contents in the bigger fish. A 5+ inch salmon smolt with the tail cleanly bitten off.
View attachment 128635
View attachment 128637
Last MA 9 fly caught coho of 2024. Not a monster but a keeper.
View attachment 128636
I’ll still fish 10 a bit the next couple of weeks. Especially from the boat. Already looking forward to 2025, though the body is looking forward to some nice, relaxing SRC fishing. With maybe a mean chum or two thrown in.
Like Jasmillo, I also had a beach season where most days were a grind and work to get your fish. Fish were decently around for me until the last half of Sept, when I had a mix of 0 and okayish days. I kept waiting for the awesome wild fish day, but that didn't happen for me in late September. No giant beach coho for me this year, yet again. Instead my rotator cuff is moderately thrashed and I have some sort of carpal tunnel (partially work related I am sure) inflammation in my thumb on my stripping hand. Luckily none of my blown casts when my thumb decided to rebel hooked dogs, logs, or other fisher people, although if they are close enough to get hooked when I drop the line, they deserve every bit of the high speed hook.
I look forward to healing time when I don't feel compelled to chase coho from favorite beaches, though I am sure I'll chase some southern coho a bit before they all get into the rivers.
SeaRunner
Steelhead
Days like this are why we do what we do. Good job.
SeaRunner
Steelhead
Final MA 9 weekend wrap up.
Summary, tough beach season. My landed adult coho numbers dropped almost 2/3rds from 2023 when I landed 116 adult coho. There were reasons; my hooked/land percentage dropped by 10% and I spent 9-10 of my fishing days targeting salmon on gear to learn some new techniques. Mainly for kings. Still though, I big drop so not a banner year.
The positives, I caught coho using 4 different techniques! Fly, jigs, trolling with a diver and herring from the beach. That was cool. Last year every one of my fish, coho, pinks and kings were on a fly so expanding the techniques in my repertoire to target these fish, especially kings. Some on this site may see this as a regression but for an east coast kid who only started targeting salmon 8 or so years ago, I saw it as a learning opportunity
Now that I’ve justified my dirt bagginess… last weekend MA 9 wrap-up.
Friday Afternoon 0-1 (fly)
Saturday 3-7 (herring), 0-1 fly
Sunday 1-3 (fly)
Monday Night 0-1 (fly)
The 3 fish myself and my herring “mentor” kept Saturday. Three size classes. Smallest was probably 3.5 lbs and largest was close to 6 I’d guess. Interesting stomach contents in the bigger fish. A 5+ inch salmon smolt with the tail cleanly bitten off.
View attachment 128635
View attachment 128637
Last MA 9 fly caught coho of 2024. Not a monster but a keeper.
View attachment 128636
I’ll still fish 10 a bit the next couple of weeks. Especially from the boat. Already looking forward to 2025, though the body is looking forward to some nice, relaxing SRC fishing. With maybe a mean chum or two thrown in
Good on you for learning new techniques and becoming a more well-rounded angler. I once caught a SRC that had a salmon smolt hanging out of its mouth with its head nearly bitten off. Clean cut like the tail on the one you found. I think our local salmonids are more savage than they get credit for.
I am trying to put together a full fledged how to from my perspective on Sea Run Cutthroat fishing in Puget Sound. I have linked the article below but mostly why I want to share it here is to gather topics you'd like to see or that you think would be helpful for those getting into this fishery that I can write about! I am currently writing about Chum Fry which I will add but want to try and cover everything! Thank you in advance!
spawnflyfish.com
How to Fish Puget Sound for Sea Run Cutthroat: A Comprehensive Guide
Puget Sound is an angler’s paradise, with its abundant and diverse fish species, breathtaking views, and unique tidal environment. Whether I am targeting my favorite species the sea-run cutthroat trout or migrating coho it is simply too much fun. In early 2014 I fell in love with Sea Run...
spawnflyfish.com
Thanks for the great article!I am trying to put together a full fledged how to from my perspective on Sea Run Cutthroat fishing in Puget Sound. I have linked the article below but mostly why I want to share it here is to gather topics you'd like to see or that you think would be helpful for those getting into this fishery that I can write about! I am currently writing about Chum Fry which I will add but want to try and cover everything! Thank you in advance!
How to Fish Puget Sound for Sea Run Cutthroat: A Comprehensive Guide
Puget Sound is an angler’s paradise, with its abundant and diverse fish species, breathtaking views, and unique tidal environment. Whether I am targeting my favorite species the sea-run cutthroat trout or migrating coho it is simply too much fun. In early 2014 I fell in love with Sea Run...
jasmillo
}=)))*>
I am trying to put together a full fledged how to from my perspective on Sea Run Cutthroat fishing in Puget Sound. I have linked the article below but mostly why I want to share it here is to gather topics you'd like to see or that you think would be helpful for those getting into this fishery that I can write about! I am currently writing about Chum Fry which I will add but want to try and cover everything! Thank you in advance!
How to Fish Puget Sound for Sea Run Cutthroat: A Comprehensive Guide
Puget Sound is an angler’s paradise, with its abundant and diverse fish species, breathtaking views, and unique tidal environment. Whether I am targeting my favorite species the sea-run cutthroat trout or migrating coho it is simply too much fun. In early 2014 I fell in love with Sea Run...
Nice article Josh, great info. If I missed it I apologize, one thing I’d add is “fish it all”! If you have access, fish it. Even if conventional wisdom says it’s not worth it. Bulkheads are a good example. I agree with your assessment in general but have also had some of my best days ever fishing SRC casting at bulkheads with manicured lawns well within casting distance. You never know with these fish. 100% agree there are places they are more likely to be but also know from experience, especially before I had a boat, that it’s well worth the time and effort to fish any water on the sound you can gain access too. It’s paid off for me many times over the last ten years.
Edit: you did address my point in a section I read through quickly. I think you said “you won’t know until you try”. Very true. Fish it all! Even bulkheads…just in case
.
Last edited:
Josh noted he finds bulkheads not so great. I can think a few bulkheads that are consistently outstanding, though only where a legit current is moving over some interesting substructures. The bulkheads that I've found good have, in general, the appearance that they have taken a beating and seem to have an ever changing pile up of driftwood in front of them... A dumb bulkhead on a low-risk mostly calm beach, totally with Josh....
Maybe one way to flip that conversation from "fish all of it" could be a comparison of what people find pretty dull and unproductive sites and why.
Example- I find the froggy sidewaters and mini bays with no inlets and no great current that tend to be the repository of lots of summer weed (basically the bottom has turned greenish black with sunken seaweed) as not particularly productive. Now maybe they are at some point, maybe that mat of weed has a host of bugs and stuff that help gobble it up at some stage and when they do, maybe the SRC feast, but for me at least I will paddle straight through with no line out. Not to mention during summer water columns have weed surface to bottom anyway...
Maybe one way to flip that conversation from "fish all of it" could be a comparison of what people find pretty dull and unproductive sites and why.
Example- I find the froggy sidewaters and mini bays with no inlets and no great current that tend to be the repository of lots of summer weed (basically the bottom has turned greenish black with sunken seaweed) as not particularly productive. Now maybe they are at some point, maybe that mat of weed has a host of bugs and stuff that help gobble it up at some stage and when they do, maybe the SRC feast, but for me at least I will paddle straight through with no line out. Not to mention during summer water columns have weed surface to bottom anyway...
For sure! Im nearly convinced that they will be on every beach at some point throughout the year. I remember casting spinners off the bulkhead at Caroline beach as a young kid catching them but I wouldn't recommend that spot to anyone trying to get excited. There's also beaches that have everything perfect that for one reason or another I dont seem to do well at. The amazing thing about this is that there's always rule breakers, there's always something to learn!Nice article Josh, great info. If I missed it I apologize, one thing I’d add is “fish it all”! If you have access, fish it. Even if conventional wisdom says it’s not worth it. Bulkheads are a good example. I agree with your assessment in general but have also had some of my best days ever fishing SRC casting at bulkheads with manicured lawns well within casting distance. You never know with these fish. 100% agree there are places they are more likely to be but also know from experience, especially before I had a boat, that it’s well worth the time and effort to fish any water on the sound you can gain access too. It’s paid off for me many times over the last ten years.
Edit: you did address my point in a section I read through quickly. I think you said “you won’t know until you try”. Very true. Fish it all! Even bulkheads…just in case
that makes sense! There are tons of bits of information we gather while on the hunt for this species and it's all what keeps driving me back! Summer months if there's a ton of shiner perch on a beach I generally won't fish it, a lot of people disagree but I just dont think it's as good as other places! But then again I am a fisherman and always trying to draw connections and overthink it!
jasmillo
}=)))*>
As a general rule, I agree with you. Especially if you have a watercraft to explore with. Fish it all is not feasible.
If you are shore bound, I’d still say “fish it all”. Everything you have access to. Not only that, fish it all on multiple tides and multiple seasons….multiple times. Good days and bad days and try and find a pattern. That’s the only way to find spots that produce consistently. You might also find great fishing never to be reproduced again. I once randomly hit a spot very close to home I have access too, even though it has almost none of the features conventional wisdom tells you too look for and landed 9 SRC in 11 casts. I’ve been back 8-9 times and have not had a bump. That day was worth the stop though and I know it’s probably not worth my time go forward based on experience. Doing the same thing, I have found beaches that are go too’s. One public spot where I have seen 2 other fisherman total in 10 years. A go to beach that consistently produces year after year and another spot that does not really check most boxes. It’s sandy, almost no current, etc. There is some runoff though. Proximity of fresh water is one conventional tip I subscribe to 100%.
Access to watercraft changes the equation though. I am definitely more analytical when selecting water to fish when taking the boat out. Lots of time scouring google earth. Definite features I look to target.
That said, sometimes shit just feels fishy. If it does, fish it even if your research prior to the trip did not highlight the spot. As fisherman, we all have the fisherman’s version of spidey-sense. Listen to it. It can pay off
.roger stephens
Steelhead
Gravel bars and extensive shelf areas are often excellent locations for catching very large sea-run cutthroat every year. There is one gravel bar that I have caught many large sea-run cutthroat(+20 inches with the largest being 23 1/2 inches) over the last 25 years. IMHO It is the best sea-run cutthroat fishing spot in Marine Area 13. During most tidal exchanges it looks like a small indention and often has strong tidal current. It does not look like such a great sea-run cutthroat location. I have not seen many people fish there over the last 25 years.
I have seen and talked to you(Josh) there so you know how great it is year after year. IMHO the reason for it being such an excellent sea-run fishing spot is it's bottom structure with some small, scattered depressions and secondarily tidal current. I "discovered" this spot trolling past it many times 25 year ago. Trolling is an excellent way to locate good sea-run cutthroat spots when starting out fishing for them from a boat.
It cannot be noted enough that gravel bars and extensive shelfs act like sea-run cutthroat "magnets" where these fish will often be found. I probably have well over 100 such locations that I have fished often over the past 25 years.
Roger
g
Roger,
Always love hearing what you have to say, I think I have seen you at that gravel bar if I am thinking about the same one! It's always been a pleasure to learn from you.I was at the Cunningham's last weekend and almost stopped by to say hi! Next time I am in town I will be sure to say hi!
Thank you for this I totally agree and will see if I can work it into the write up!
Josh
Thanks, Roger. When you say “gravel bar” in the context of Puget Sound, what exactly does that mean? It seems like it might not just be a gently sloping cobble and gravel beach.
Last edited:
Just to add to the habitat side of things for src fishing. If you find areas with vegetation in the south sound or canal that look like this, fish them hard especially at high tide when they are underwater and around the drop-offs along the edges. They are money.
Here is the same area in the winter and spring.
SF
Here is the same area in the winter and spring.
SF
That is great! Definitely a big fan and adds to my love for beaches without bulkheads!
Fished with @jasmillo this morning under great calm condition. Had a fish on within 3 minutes but it got off boat side when we were unsure if it was big enough to keep, hard to tell when it was still dark.
Sonar showed a lot of fish still but a lot of them weren’t just bitey. Slow going for a while so we headed to another spot where there was a shit ton of gulls working bait. Took a while until we got into the sweet zone and consistently hooked up.
Biggest fish came in at 6.01lb bled. Good way to end the coho season for me, next week will be back to the SRC program.
The only reason this post made it in this forum is because we fished flies behind divers, so not completely uncouth eh who am I kidding, we were dirtbags
Sonar showed a lot of fish still but a lot of them weren’t just bitey. Slow going for a while so we headed to another spot where there was a shit ton of gulls working bait. Took a while until we got into the sweet zone and consistently hooked up.
Biggest fish came in at 6.01lb bled. Good way to end the coho season for me, next week will be back to the SRC program.
The only reason this post made it in this forum is because we fished flies behind divers, so not completely uncouth
eh who am I kidding, we were dirtbags
jasmillo
}=)))*>
Fished with @jasmillo this morning under great calm condition. Had a fish on within 3 minutes but it got off boat side when we were unsure if it was big enough to keep, hard to tell when it was still dark.
Sonar showed a lot of fish still but a lot of them weren’t just bitey. Slow going for a while so we headed to another spot where there was a shit ton of gulls working bait. Took a while until we got into the sweet zone and consistently hooked up.
Biggest fish came in at 6.01lb bled. Good way to end the coho season for me, next week will be back to the SRC program.
The only reason this post made it in this forum is because we fished flies behind divers, so not completely uncouth
View attachment 129022
View attachment 129023
Liar! We (I) fished a hoochie for a bit and the damn thing didn’t get a bump. Switched back to flies and multiple hits ensued. Have an opportunity to potentially try another gear technique tomorrow but like Lou, excited to closet the gear until next King season. Been fun learning new techniques but nothing compares to coho on the fly and I am really excited to get back chasing SRC.
