Puget Sound

[Kfish]

Nice!
Starting to change appearance now as they move further into the Sound. The pinks I was catching from the beach last week in Area 9 were super chrome. Not as many around now on the Area 9 beaches I fish. Last one I landed was 3 days ago.

Yeah this one is starting to turn into it's river colors with a hump forming, less chrome. Hoping they pass through MA9 quick

 

[Kfish]

As in, it wouldn’t steeple cast well?

I can't conclude yet. I normally don't fish this beach, a high gradient with huge logs and tall grass to avoid in the back. I was hungry at the time and my casting goes to shit when I'm hungry
It was a sweet rod at the park least evening though, I think I'll like it, just need more time with it.

 

[Wiznet]

Here is one from another guy with a hump

 

[IHFISH]

I think I'll like it, just need more time with it.

What I'm hearing is that you need to fish MA 9 for many hours this weekend in the name of research . I'm far from the world's greatest caster, but I've been happy with mine.

 

[Kfish]

What I'm hearing is that you need to fish MA 9 for many hours this weekend in the name of research . I'm far from the world's greatest caster, but I've been happy with mine.

I've seen you, you're a good caster!

 

[speedbird]

I didn't realize that. Do they start turning in the sound already? I noticed a few bucks were already getting a small hump.

I think coho and sockeye are the only salmon that don’t start to turn in the sound. All the ocean kings I caught this year were some level of dark. Yesterday at a pier I saw a fish that looked darker than some springers I saw in the cascade.

 

[Stonedfish]

I think coho and sockeye are the only salmon that don’t start to turn in the sound. All the ocean kings I caught this year were some level of dark. Yesterday at a pier I saw a fish that looked darker than some springers I saw in the cascade.

Coho will definitely start taking on a gunmetal color and the scales will set in the salt. If they are waiting for rain, some can take on even a bit more color.
I remember a coho a guy posted a picture of on the other board of a salt coho he had caught. I can’t say I’ve very seen a more weird looking beach coho. It damn near looked post spawn.
SF

 

[IHFISH]

I've seen you, you're a good caster!

Thanks! All credit to my sweet white label Helios.

 

[SteelHeadDave]

South wind was heavy this morning. The chop kept most folks toward the more protected side of the beach. Went 2 for 4 on keeper fish. Nice to have some cloud cover although the few minutes of sun sure did feel nice after getting battered by the waves all morning.

 

[DimeBrite]

3 for 4 with the unclipped silvers today. No pinks. The SW wind made things tricky with waves and silted up beaches. Good practice for later in the season. Nice cool clean air today!

 

[Greggor]

Westside MA9 Report...

Damn it! No coho were harmed in this report. However, the 6wt Boost Blue performed well early this morning. Unfortunately, I don't have a full intermediate for it yet, and once the E wind picked up, and the churning began, I had to switch to my 7wt with full intermediate. Still, broken in well with 4 pinks.

I landed 3 more pinks with the 7wt, and one was quite a fighter, I really thought that fish was going to be a coho!

Overall 7 of 10 on pinks. They were all chrome, and I kept two for the bbq.

One of the odd things today, besides the normal pink fest, was the fly was great early, but just before 1:00 they began to ignore, as the buzz bombers just lit it up! I wanted that one last fish, but was denied during the bombers festival!

Still, such a great day, yet coho-less on the Westside.

 

[Stonedfish]

Westside MA9 Report...

Damn it! No coho were harmed in this report. However, the 6wt Boost Blue performed well early this morning. Unfortunately, I don't have a full intermediate for it yet, and once the E wind picked up, and the churning began, I had to switch to my 7wt with full intermediate. Still, broken in well with 4 pinks.

I landed 3 more pinks with the 7wt, and one was quite a fighter, I really thought that fish was going to be a coho!

Overall 7 of 10 on pinks. They were all chrome, and I kept two for the bbq.

One of the odd things today, besides the normal pink fest, was the fly was great early, but just before 1:00 they began to ignore, as the buzz bombers just lit it up! I wanted that one last fish, but was denied during the bombers festival!

Still, such a great day, yet coho-less on the Eastside.

Sounds like the ferry toll was worth it and lead to some decent action.
SF

 

[Wanative]

Wind and other obligations kept me off the water this last week, but was able to get out there today.

Six weeks or so ago my son asked about taking his buddy from work out fishing. Said he was super interested in fishing but hadn't done much. Well it just worked out that today, my birthday of all days, we were able to make it happen.

Day started with my son and buddy over sleeping and getting to the launch a bit over an hour late. I was bummed cause I thought that early morning high exchange was going to be our best shot at coho, but luckily I was way off.

Even getting a late start and missing the tide change we found absurdly good coho fishing. I had them rigged up to cast cut plug herring on spinning rods, and after a slow half hour start it was suddenly insane action for the next few hours. Schools of coho were coming in and absolutely going ape shit over giant schools of tiny sandlance. Several times they reminded me of albacore crashing bait. They were ravenous. We quickly had 5 hatchery fish on ice, lost a handful, missed a bunch, and released several because we were not quite ready to quit. Just blew me away how good it was. I totally expected the day to be a pink show, as that's an easy way to get first timers onto some fish, but was thrilled with the quality of the coho fishing.

I did pull out the bug rod for maybe 10 minutes and quickly hooked and lost two nice fish, but today was about letting those guys fish and just getting to spend time with my son.

We sat on one nice rip that came off a point till about 10 or so before the sun got high and the rip finally died out. There were still schools of coho coming through but they got pretty skittish and were tough to get to bite. We did release one pink during this period as well.

Needing one more fish for our limit, and my son's friend curious about pinks, we headed a couple miles away and found a few schools that would pop up here and there and give us shots at em. We lost three or four before we finally put our last fish into the net and headed back. Hit the dock right around noon.

In what has been one of the most trying years of my life it was a true joy to get to have my boy out with me today, and watching the stoke those two young men had for their day was just awesome. Sent em home with a whole pile of fillets to smoke up.

Just a stunning sunrise

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Stoked to get the last fish of the day

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A birthday I will cherish


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Rough day out there


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Every coho was just stuffed with tiny sandlance


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Nice work Dad!

 

[Stonedfish]

 

[Sam Roffe]

Last night fished Point of Interest from the boat. Small rezies were hugging the point. Pinks were jumping maybe 800 yards off shore. On the way back decided to fish the pink highway with a pink clouser.

 

[SKYKO]

After taking a couple weeks off to rest a tendonitis flare up and internally freaking out being on the bench and seeing all the great reports I jumped back in this morning. 2/2 fun to be back in the game.

 

[Wiznet]

Finally made my Mecca to the west side. Went 0/3 on the fly rod, then 3/3 on gear for coho. Kept one clipped coho. My girlfriend also got on some fish which was awesome. Had a weird line break when I hooked a fish right at my handshake note to connect my leader and fly line.

 

[Wadin' Boot]

and internally freaking out being on the bench and seeing all the great reports...

My new coping strategy, at least as of yesterday morning, was to order the deep fried fisherman's platter at a local community hospital cafeteria, as one does, for lunch. This was not a good coping strategy. As far as food goes, it's like ordering Italian food in Seoul. But not even at the legit Korea's best Italian food place, which probably is top notch, but rather like Italian food from food court in an almost abandoned outskirts-of-Seoul mall. I guess a similar comparison might be getting "the winner's fried ocean plate" from an airport in say Kansas City.

Intestinal agendas kept me focused for the next *** hours with nary a thought of fishing, but, well, the trade off was not in my favor.

Take homes:

The Captain's Platter is meal best left alone unless you can visually confirm fresh shrimp, fish and oysters- obtained from the ocean- are breaded and fried at a legit fish shack within hours of their harvest.

If the server is recommending you wait for the next bucket of fried fish to come out to get a "good one" you should trust their professionalism and not hurry the affair and agreeably request "no, that last greasy half-busted up piece of maybe cod and those there ragged, fishless and oil-slicked and still golden carb jackets are fine by me..."

Ordering the Fisherman's plate impresses no one.

The Fisherman's PLatter is always overpriced and overbreaded, at least at the places I encpounter it

Never, ever, order the Capn's Platter with a side of eggplant.

 

[Gary Knowels]

My new coping strategy, at least as of yesterday morning, was to order the deep fried fisherman's platter at a local community hospital cafeteria, as one does, for lunch. This was not a good coping strategy. As far as food goes, it's like ordering Italian food in Seoul. But not even at the legit Korea's best Italian food place, which probably is top notch, but rather like Italian food from food court in an almost abandoned outskirts-of-Seoul mall. I guess a similar comparison might be getting "the winner's fried ocean plate" from an airport in say Kansas City.

Intestinal agendas kept me focused for the next *** hours with nary a thought of fishing, but, well, the trade off was not in my favor.

Take homes:

The Captain's Platter is meal best left alone unless you can visually confirm fresh shrimp, fish and oysters- obtained from the ocean- are breaded and fried at a legit fish shack within hours of their harvest.

If the server is recommending you wait for the next bucket of fried fish to come out to get a "good one" you should trust their professionalism and not hurry the affair and agreeably request "no, that last greasy half-busted up piece of maybe cod and those there ragged fishless golden carb jackets are fine by me..."

Ordering the Fisherman's plate impresses no one.

The Fisherman's PLatter is always overpriced and overbreaded, at least at the places I encpounter it

Never, ever, order the Capn's Plater with a side of eggplant.

Reading Boot posts is my coping strategy.

 

[Stonedfish]

Not a great day.
1 for 3 on rezzie coho at beach 1. Moved to beach 2. Blown out by the north wind. Saladfest. Do I go to beach 3? Nope, it’s a long walk. Live to fish another day…..like tomorrow.
Looks like something is burning near the Everett waterfront.
You could see the Smokey air moving in from the north this morning. Tomorrow might be ugly.
SF