2022 River Spring Chinook

[Rvrfisher360]

Anyone here do any meat fishing for hatchery spring chinook? I usually spend a few days each year with a float rod and bait to get some nice meat in the freezer.

Eggs have been most productive for me, but I also swing spoons and twitch jigs for kings occasionally. I'm curious if anyone else has any productive techniques. Above all it's nice to be out on the river in May and June when the days get warmer and the sun is out.

Here is a chromer from last year:

 

[Jeff Dodd]

awesome photo! Any opportunity to catch a Chinook is worth my time. Apparently I need to explore the spring chinook fisheries.

 

[ThomasM]

I will fish the Sol Duc every day I can from May 1st onward assuming the normal opener - prob at least 20 days maybe more if you count an hour or two in evenings after work.

Early season will be mostly gear, whatever works best for a given spot; mostly float fishing w/eggs on a centerpin but also back bouncing whenever possible and divers as a last resort. I love float fishing rivers but the 'feel' aspect of back bouncing and the hard take almost like a swung fly has me excited to do more of it. After the freezer is mostly full, I'll switch to swinging flies until I get frustrated then go back to what actually works.

My family has become so spoiled by eating spring chinook that they complain about the fall coho and winter steelhead that we're down to right now. Bacon of the sea!

 

[JACKspASS]

I can't wait for Springer season. I have a plunking spot that I've frequented in the last 12 years and love how relaxing it is waiting for a pod of fish to swim by, then the excitement and anxiety when the rod doubles over. The season usually kicks off in my neck of woods around May 15+/- and goes until they close it, usually early June +/-

The good news also, is my wife has really gotten into it and likes going. It's definetly a meat fishery for us, as we enjoy Springer all year long when properly sealed and frozen, however, fresh onnthe grill is tough to beat!

 

[RRSmith]

Yep! I troll herring at the mouth of my local Oregon coast estuary for three or four weeks starting the end of April to put a few in the freezer. Then I switch to fly fishing where success drops off spectacularly. These images are from last year...

 

[ThomasM]

Didn't get to fish as much as I'd like in May but still have 7 in freezers and a couple unclipped back in the river. Most have been under a float but also got a couple backbouncing and on divers.

My son, freshly graduated from WWU and now in the workforce was able to make an infrequent fishing trip with me this week. The weather was damp to say the least but he was a good sport about it and we ended with 3 in the bag as well as an unclipped fish and a really big sockeye. We even got to do a little sight fishing. We spotted a pod of 12 of so coming up next to us in shallowish water that spooked back downriver. We anchored up to wait for them to come back up and when we saw them, we put a bait out front and let it drift into them. I got a solid eat (saw the fish with the eggs in his mouth) and he took off back down river but the hook didn't stick, still very cool to see.

My son's remark after the first fish shown below was "I always forget how hard they pull!".

Now that we're into June, I'll be after them pretty much every weekend on gear and maybe some fly fishing in July when pressure drops.

 

[headduck]

Hey @Thomas Mitchell

What kinda vessel you floating there?

Ever want company?