Puget Sound

202(3lber) has been kind of a weird year. Lots of small fish, many unclipped. Biggest I've gotten is about 6-6.5lb so far.
Not seeing a lot of bigger fish caught off the beaches. Just occasional nice size fish. Boat folks are getting them though.
The past few trips I've caught quite a few what I'd consider jack coho. Mini me's in the 14-16" range with lots of sea lice and starting to develop a slight hooknose. Time is running out quickly. Sure wish we still had October or at least just the first two weeks. It will be interesting to see what the derby yields size wise this weekend.
SF
 
Just a one day observation...

Where I fished in MA9 yesterday, there was great anticipation of keeping the larger wild coho that had to be released in the prior weeks. Some were really nice toads! Lots of mumbling going on.

Naturally, the day comes you can keep them, and my granddaughter and I only noticed one wild coho landed on the beach. Oh the humanity! 😱
 
I have a question for the salty veterans, from mid July to mid August I did really well on one beach at specific tides at dawn/mornings only, other tides nada. Most if not all I'm pretty certain we're rezzies both clipped and unclipped in the 2 - 3 lb range, fun little fish, i released them all. From mid August on to now same tides at dawn, really slow, no fish showing, just a few to hand etc, it's like they split to greener pastures and moved on, this beach is not known to be a good salmon beach and I mostly had it to myself.

Can I expect them to be around next year in the same time frame assuming all other conditions are similar, abundance etc or is that year over year location consistency not typical for rezzies?

As an aside I'm pretty certain I only touched 2 pinks during the peak of their return just didn't seem to be on their travel lane or a place they were hanging out and I was really focusing on scale size, markings, etc.

Thanks
 
SKYKO said:
I have a question for the salty veterans, from mid July to mid August I did really well on one beach at specific tides at dawn/mornings only, other tides nada. Most if not all I'm pretty certain we're rezzies both clipped and unclipped in the 2 - 3 lb range, fun little fish, i released them all. From mid August on to now same tides at dawn, really slow, no fish showing, just a few to hand etc, it's like they split to greener pastures and moved on, this beach is not known to be a good salmon beach and I mostly had it to myself.

Can I expect them to be around next year in the same time frame assuming all other conditions are similar, abundance etc or is that year over year location consistency not typical for rezzies?

As an aside I'm pretty certain I only touched 2 pinks during the peak of their return just didn't seem to be on their travel lane or a place they were hanging out and I was really focusing on scale size, markings, etc.

Thanks
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No guarantee but definitely worth looking at next season. Rezzies are funny little buggers. During the winter down south and during the summer up here they seem to he found in both familiar locations as well as new locations. By that I mean it seems I'll do really well in an area for a year, maybe two or three years, to the point that I start feeling comfortable that I can routinely find them there, and then something changes and they suddenly stop hanging out there one year. Then I find new areas, and the cycle repeats. What accounts for this shift, I couldn't possibly say.

Then again, some places just fish reliably well every year, fluctuating only with the current season's numbers and all that.

This season, starting in June when area 10 opened, I have spent a lot of time, and caught a lot of fish, in areas I haven't spent much time in in any years. I fully expect that some of those areas won't be consistent producers in the future, but no doubt some will.

I've probably caught more resident coho than any other saltwater species, yet I really don't know all that much about the damned things lol. That's one reason why I love em.
 
Well I'm leaving for Idaho next week to chase some cutties on dry flies so I decided to dirtbag one last trip and drown some herring.

There was a little bit of bait around.


IMG_20230919_172056.jpg


After a couple nice fish last week plus losing a heartbreaker likely 10+lb fish last week I had to go back and do this again. Just didn't come together for me today even though the downrigger guys seemed to be doing well. WDFW Test fishing boat doubled up right next to me even. I ended up landing 3 20" or so hatchery blackmouth of all things in this herring bait ball before it died off. Later in the afternoon I finally found some more bait pushed up against a shelf and lost an average sized coho at the boat, got bit on 2 subsequent drops, and then ran out of herring. If I'd had a sabiki rig I could have plugged my boat with herring this morning and it wouldn't have been an issue....lol.

I'd like to blame @Nick Clayton for getting me hooked on mooching this summer and also for helping me finally name my boat, "The Chum Bucket".... after a herring brine disaster..... 😂.
 
KFCDAVE said:
Went out to do a little exploring on some new to me beaches. Went 1/2 and was gonna let this one go but it was unfortunately bleeding pretty bad. Lots of wildlife and it was nice being alone on the beach for a change 😉
View attachment 82779View attachment 82780
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Here is a video of those same whales I saw on my ferry back from the OP. Anyone know which whales these are? I am assuming Southern Residents based on the playful behavior, group size, and the way they are traveling as a dispersed group but would like to find out the exact individuals

Shared album from kashf 📸

Tap to view!
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl
 
Kashf said:
Here is a video of those same whales I saw on my ferry back from the OP. Anyone know which whales these are? I am assuming Southern Residents based on the playful behavior, group size, and the way they are traveling as a dispersed group but would like to find out the exact individuals

Shared album from kashf 📸

Tap to view!
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl
Click to expand...
T37s and T137s have been around the central sound these last few days.
 
Tallguy said:
T37s and T137s have been around the central sound these last few days.
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Kashf said:
Here is a video of those same whales I saw on my ferry back from the OP. Anyone know which whales these are? I am assuming Southern Residents based on the playful behavior, group size, and the way they are traveling as a dispersed group but would like to find out the exact individuals

Shared album from kashf 📸

Tap to view!
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl
Click to expand...
Look up "orca network" reports on facebook for IDs and locations.
 
Delayed report but I fished MA11 from 6-9am last Friday and went 1/1. 3lb'ish rezzie that took my fly right at shore as I was walking backward & reeling in to call it quits (another bit of evidence why to strip all the way to the tip). Of course that got me to stick around for another hr... I thought I felt a few other plucks/nips but I was using a fly with a stinger way in the back so it may have been me just stripping through some eelgrass.

Maybe with this rain we'll get one last push of fish to close out Sept!
 
Hey all. I am pretty new to the state and trying to cut my teeth on the salmon fishing from the beach. I live in UP and have spent a good bit of time at the Narrows, Browns Point, Dash Point, and beaches around Steilacoom with very little success. After reviewing the puget sound creel reports from WDFW, my concerns are that the migratory coho fishing doesn't really start to get "good" until Seattle and north of Seattle (MA 9 and 10). I would love to be able to catch fish on a bit more "consistent" basis and it would be lovely if that would happen locally, but it doesn't appear to be so. I guess what I'm asking is if anyone has any opinions if I should start putting in the extra 30-60 drive to fish "more" productive beaches or should I just keep going at my local beaches (maybe the migratory coho just haven't shown up in numbers between steilacoom and dash point)? Thanks in advance!
 
duncansimpson0160 said:
Hey all. I am pretty new to the state and trying to cut my teeth on the salmon fishing from the beach. I live in UP and have spent a good bit of time at the Narrows, Browns Point, Dash Point, and beaches around Steilacoom with very little success. After reviewing the puget sound creel reports from WDFW, my concerns are that the migratory coho fishing doesn't really start to get "good" until Seattle and north of Seattle (MA 9 and 10). I would love to be able to catch fish on a bit more "consistent" basis and it would be lovely if that would happen locally, but it doesn't appear to be so. I guess what I'm asking is if anyone has any opinions if I should start putting in the extra 30-60 drive to fish "more" productive beaches or should I just keep going at my local beaches (maybe the migratory coho just haven't shown up in numbers between steilacoom and dash point)? Thanks in advance!
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Of the four places you mentioned, I’d only consider one of them to be a really good coho spot. All of them will put out fish though.
The fish are likely there, but may not be up close to the beaches. Tides have a lot to do with that.
Having grown up in Tacoma, it can get tougher the further south fish get later in the year, especially when coho start staging but there are ocean fish there right now.
Unfortunately there are only two weeks left in MA 9, which has the best beaches in my opinion. A hour drive to MA 9 to learn new beaches is always worth the time, regardless of success or not.
MA 10 will put out fish, but the beaches aren’t as good as MA 9. Again, just my opinion.
You’ll have MA 11 which will put out fish until the end of next month. MA 13 will put out fish as well over the next month and a half or so.
Good luck out there and have fun.
SF
 
duncansimpson0160 said:
I guess what I'm asking is if anyone has any opinions if I should start putting in the extra 30-60 drive to fish "more" productive beaches or should I just keep going at my local beaches (maybe the migratory coho just haven't shown up in numbers between steilacoom and dash point)? Thanks in advance!
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In part, MA 9 and 10 produce well/seem to produce and earlier because they are one of the first areas fish swim through compared with points south like those you mentioned, and the beaches seem better suited for coho fishing. Furthermore, fish populations are higher, earlier, and, in some parts of MA 9 especially, more concentrated. As fish peel off to their natal rivers and streams, die/are eaten, there are also somewhat fewer to reach the southern parts of the Sound.

That said, we are entering the time of the year that the places you mentioned are seeing their fish in quantity. I’ve not fished most of the ones you mentioned, but hit the beach with a clouser (I like olive and white) about half an hour before first light, and you should get into fish sooner rather than later. They tend to head deeper with the light ( I say "tend to" because about as soon as I start to believe one rule about them they change the rules on me).

EDIT: Poor capitalization
 
F*** these fish down here. Watched three follows and refusals, about broke the rod trying to spank the last one. 5:50am-6:50, the guy next to me managed one on a big ol blue fox spinner.

Only perk is driving home midday, no traffic with time to tie something ugly for tonight after work.

I’m going cuckoo for cohopuffs.
 
Divad said:
It’s like they’ve seen every lure through the gauntlet and know better. It’s the coho I know best as I’ve chased them on gear since back in high school.

Tomorrow I’ll give them a slew of flys in various speeds and depths to try and crack some code.
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Divad said:
.5/2 today in the dirty south. One absolutely crushed the spider fly felt a lot of weight, spun up the reel and gone. Then long distance released a small jack. (Thanks @Stonedfish for that pattern tip.)

A lot less jumping at the same tide/beach as the day prior. Will try again later this week.
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Divad said:
F*** these fish down here. Watched three follows and refusals, about broke the rod trying to spank the last one. 5:50am-6:50, the guy next to me managed one on a big ol blue fox spinner.

Only perk is driving home midday, no traffic with time to tie something ugly for tonight after work.

I’m going cuckoo for cohopuffs.
Click to expand...

Latest update on the Staging Coho Divad Tone Tracker: Conditions appear to be deteriorating.
 
Divad said:
F*** these fish down here. Watched three follows and refusals, about broke the rod trying to spank the last one. 5:50am-6:50, the guy next to me managed one on a big ol blue fox spinner.

Only perk is driving home midday, no traffic with time to tie something ugly for tonight after work.

I’m going cuckoo for cohopuffs.
Click to expand...

@Divad after being taunted for hours by staging coho…..😂
He’ll soon star in the new movie “The evil that staging coho do”.
SF

IMG_4832.jpeg
 
Divad said:
F*** these fish down here. Watched three follows and refusals, about broke the rod trying to spank the last one. 5:50am-6:50, the guy next to me managed one on a big ol blue fox spinner.

Only perk is driving home midday, no traffic with time to tie something ugly for tonight after work.

I’m going cuckoo for cohopuffs.
Click to expand...
Two words I've found for deep area #13 coho. Twitching Jig...
 
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