I was talking to some guy who was Flyfishing on my favorite stretch of river the other day. When I asked him how he'd been doing his reply was "Not worth a Damn... It's OK though, I'm just killing time until the Humpies come in to Hoodsport.... They usually start to come in around the fourth of July." We said our goodbyes and I headed on down river. My question is this: Does anybody know anything about the Hoodsport Humpies? When do they come in? How do you fish them? Do they have any size to them? Are they worth a Damn to eat? Does Hoodsport even get a run of Humpies? I've been raised right here in WA. I've been an avid Steelhead and Salmon angler ever since I caught my first Steelhead at the age of six, but I have never gotten the opportunity to fish for Humpies.Come to think of it, I've never even seen a Humpy. Any help or advice you could give would be greatly appreciated

Hi Zozo,

Just took a break while I'm getting my boat set of for tomorrow.

Don't know anything about the Hoodsport humpies, but I have fished for them on a number of occasions elsewhere.

The general rule for humpies is pink. Pink hoochie behind a pink or silver dodger works well in the salt near Mukilteo. I plan on hitting it once or twice this year starting in August, you can come if I have room. I usually use a downrigger for controlled depth fishing. Your steelhead rod will do just fine.

Pinks are also available in the Skagit and a few other rivers in that area. I have mostly used plunking gear. A spreader bar, 5-6 oz weight, 20" leader, and a pink winged bobber. Add a sandshrimp to that and you will usually have a fish on in a few minutes. I would also be happy to show ya how when they start running.

Eatin' wise, the humpies are okay, but they rank 4th or 5th as far a salmon go. I usually smoke them as they have a high oil content and turn out rather well. I have bbq'd a few with okay results, but nothing compared to a sockeye, silver, or king. The trick is to clean them quickly and get them on ice. I only keep hens, as a source of eggs, and have never had a hard time catching a limit.

Hope this helps.

Andy

Hey, I'm a Hoodsport veteran. If the reports are as good as the State says they are, it should be a good run of Humpies this year. These are small fish, 3 to 5 pounds, and it's fun just to use your trout gear. I use my light stealhead gear. A few things, think small and think pink. I use the smallest pink Blue Fox spoon I can buy. If you show up with a large steele spoon your going to scare those fish. Another thing, these fish have very soft meat. They are real good fighters despite their size. But if you put to much pressure on them during the fight you can rip that hook right out of thier mouth. Also, because they are soft you should gill and gut them right away. And they need to go on ice as soon as possible. Don't let them lay around!Hoodsport can be a zoo and worst than Blue Creek. I would take a day off work and fish the middle of the week avoiding the weekends.And I would be gone before the "after the work crew" shows up. Also, make sure your read up on your reg's and respect the property owners No Tresspassing signs. It's a lot of fun but go early and think small and pink. Oh by the way, the fish taste great BBQ!

Thanks a lot guys. Now, WHEN does the run start?

The run can come at anytime. And I'm sure there are a few showing now. I would keep an eye on the news reports. But if you want to stay ahead of those reports, "you should have been here last week", I would either give the Hoodsport Fish Hatchery a call now or just go visit them this week. You could also do some scouting around at the sametime. By the way they do have a small return of Chinook's you can cast to from shore this time of year. Morning and tide change are best. Just walk to the back of the hatchery and go to the back stairs to the beach. But make sure you read those reg's so you know where to and not to fish. Oh by the way, I rig up the same way I do for river fishing using a swivel, pencil lead on a small dropper, 3 to 4 feet of leader and a pink spoon or spinner. It's fun because when the run is in you can see thier wake as they are heading into the hatchery. Just remember to cast well in front of the wake. A lot of people make the mistake of casting to the wake. Thats not where the fish are. Thats where they were.

Thank you so much for the info. I'll see you guys at the Hatchery

This site should give you the lastest.
Got his address last trip up there.
Look for his fishing report. WWW.cushmanboats.com