Non-Fly Bank Sockeye?

O

oph

Just Hatched
Without thinking too hard about it, I decided my "entertaining" new years resolution was to catch all five pacific salmon species in 2025 without a guide. I've had enough success with King/Coho/Chum/Pink that I'm not sweating those, either by fly or conventional gear. However, my plan starts to hit a snag when it comes to Sockeye, primarily because I'm boatless (unless you count an inflatable with a trolling motor that harasses urban Seattle lakes a few times a year). I've caught sockeye exactly once and the owner has since sold the boat.

Most of the resources I can glean say my plan must include a boat, primarily because you can't troll a dodger from the bank, lol. I have hit the local fly shops for advice and planning, but got blank stares when the topic of sockeye came around. Conventional gear seems more sporting than flossing anyways.

Anybody got sockeye suggestions or tips for the boatless of us? Is it a complete farce ( i.e. not attainable in say 10 dedicated fishing days)?

Also debating whether I can downgrade sockeye to kokanee and still say "resolution completed", but I've never caught kokanee prior.
 
If we have a run like we had last year, you could do it right below or behind Bonneville dam on the Oregon side.
 
Years ago when Lake Washington had good runs they would occasionally swim by a few beaches that come to mind in fairly sizable schools. They behave pretty similar to humpies in the salt. I threw the kitchen sink at them but never connected.

I also met an old timer who told me he hooked about a half dozen a season on the fly. He never shared the pattern (or I may not be remembering it).
 
Good info all! Thanks for the pointers. That's enough to get me into a youtube rabbit-hole. Between that and a couple shop visits, we'll see how it ends up. I've got other family near Portland, so that'll make a few days straight fishing easier. Glad to hear that the Columbia can still put out for bankies. Fingers crossed on good runs.
 
What Evan said. I haven't tried for CR sockeye yet, but I keep hearing a consistent theme that they hug the bank anywhere there is strong current. To me this sounds very similar to fishing for CR shad, which are very doable on fly gear from the bank.
 
One fall on the Skagit one of my bull trout haunts had some sockeye apparently spawning in the vicinity, though they were way, way done by the time I was there. I was stoked nonetheless since spawning anything usually means there’ll be some bull trout around, too. So I was stripping streamers in the deep water behind the mangy old sockeye when out of nowhere a less mangy, bright red, green headed snaggle toothed old male sockeye charged my streamer and chomped it before I could compute the situation. So, maybe you could randomly have that kind of luck but it seems unlikely. I have never seen sockeye at that spot before or since.
 
SilverFly said:
What Evan said. I haven't tried for CR sockeye yet, but I keep hearing a consistent theme that they hug the bank anywhere there is strong current. To me this sounds very similar to fishing for CR shad, which are very doable on fly gear from the bank.
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Cascade Locks is a good spot for sockeyes.
 
Bambooflyguy said:
Back in the glory days on lake Washington, most used a red hook.
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They still do that in Baker Lake and Brewster Pool. It's quite effective in lakes/pools where they're schooled up.

In areas where they're traveling through, well... They are catchable, but more traditional Alaska tactics tend to be favored. I have hooked a few while fishing steelhead in the Columbia in July while using spin n glows with shrimp, but most get caught in Cascade locks using techniques that'd make dentists proud, if you catch my drift ;) (still completely legal, just not what most here would consider a sporting effort).
 
Evan B said:
They still do that in Baker Lake and Brewster Pool. It's quite effective in lakes/pools where they're schooled up.

In areas where they're traveling through, well... They are catchable, but more traditional Alaska tactics tend to be favored. I have hooked a few while fishing steelhead in the Columbia in July while using spin n glows with shrimp, but most get caught in Cascade locks using techniques that'd make dentists proud, if you catch my drift ;) (still completely legal, just not what most here would consider a sporting effort).
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1.5oz cannon clip on cannon ball weight, 20 ft leader to a red hook with orange yarn. My god the conversations about what color yarn is "hot" today.....
 
oph said:
Without thinking too hard about it, I decided my "entertaining" new years resolution was to catch all five pacific salmon species in 2025 without a guide. I've had enough success with King/Coho/Chum/Pink that I'm not sweating those, either by fly or conventional gear. However, my plan starts to hit a snag when it comes to Sockeye, primarily because I'm boatless (unless you count an inflatable with a trolling motor that harasses urban Seattle lakes a few times a year). I've caught sockeye exactly once and the owner has since sold the boat.

Most of the resources I can glean say my plan must include a boat, primarily because you can't troll a dodger from the bank, lol. I have hit the local fly shops for advice and planning, but got blank stares when the topic of sockeye came around. Conventional gear seems more sporting than flossing anyways.

Anybody got sockeye suggestions or tips for the boatless of us? Is it a complete farce ( i.e. not attainable in say 10 dedicated fishing days)?

Also debating whether I can downgrade sockeye to kokanee and still say "resolution completed", but I've never caught kokanee prior.
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Haven't fished it since I was a kid, so I don't know if it's still legal, but where the river runs into the northeast side of Baker Lake used to be a great spot to catch sockeye, as was the north end of Lake Shannon if I remember correctly. Personally, I'd head to the Fraser River if staying "local" is a priority.
 
Take your inflatable down to the Columbia in Mid June and find a decent beach. Rig up a 3 rig plunking setup with a size 6 spin and glow with coon shrimp and use the inflatable to drop your weight (rock) out 40'-50' or so from the bank with a breakaway knot. Grab a beverage of choice and kick back and wait.

I've had friends doing this the last several years and they absolutely clean up. Not just on sockeye but summer chinook and steelhead as well. If you can find a few buddies to go along you drop the furthest downstream rig out the farthest and each progressive rig a few feet in and it works amazingly well to funnel fish into your baits.
 
Modest_Man said:
Take your inflatable down to the Columbia in Mid June and find a decent beach. Rig up a 3 rig plunking setup with a size 6 spin and glow with coon shrimp and use the inflatable to drop your weight (rock) out 40'-50' or so from the bank with a breakaway knot. Grab a beverage of choice and kick back and wait.

I've had friends doing this the last several years and they absolutely clean up. Not just on sockeye but summer chinook and steelhead as well. If you can find a few buddies to go along you drop the furthest downstream rig out the farthest and each progressive rig a few feet in and it works amazingly well to funnel fish into your baits.
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Typically the sockeye run super close in to shore. I'd say on most bank spots, you don't need a watercraft to drop your gear.
 
If I was running 1-2 rigs I would cast it, but for a 3 rig set-up even close to shore they are so easy to tangle. They guys I know doing it are spacing their rigs out 6-8 feet from each other so they are covering 20-30' of width for the travel lanes.
 
Evan B said:
Typically the sockeye run super close in to shore. I'd say on most bank spots, you don't need a watercraft to drop your gear.
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On the Skagit the advantage of a boat is often I have seen fish running thick on a side of the bank not open to the public while the side I could access was completely dead
 
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