Does the standard sandshrimp/wing bobber method work for Humpies in the Skagit? Or is there a more productive method? I will be fishing from my driftboat. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Planning on going up there first thing Saturday morning. Thank you!

In the early 90's when I used to fish skagit humpies, plunking a pink spin-n-glow with a sandshrimp tail did just fine. The spin-n-glow with the watermelon finish (pink, brown, white, black dots) was a favorite.

If you see them rolling around you try casting a 1/4-ounce pink & white jig without a float in the boiling schools, and then retrieve with strong twitch and sinking method. The humpies go nuts over that retrieve.

Good Luck

Bobber Down

"Keep your hooks sharp!"

My favorite method was to plunk. I used a spreader bar with a 5 oz pyramid weight on a 6" dropper, then ran a 26" leader to a pink winged bobber with a sandshrimp attached. A bell and a rod holder round out the gear. Some folks cut a small piece of plastic (think yogurt container lid) about 2"x2", put two holes in it and threaded it on the dropper line. This helped to bring your whole rig right to the surface and avoid dragging your line through everyone elses. This is a lot of trash to be huckin' out there, so make sure your rod can handle it, and bring extra gear.

All of the gear mentioned is available at the "Holiday Market" on HWY 20 as you head to Anacortes. I think it is at exit 230, right behind Mcdonalds.

Another option for gear is to go down to the I-5 hole when it's quiet, and bring some STOUT rope, a 2 pound cannon ball weight, a foot or so of heavy solid wire, and a few large trebbles. Tie all of this stuff to the weight, using the wire, and start looking for snags near the waters edge. Toss this grapple near the snag, and you will come up with LOTS of gear. I spent an hour doing this and filled up two coffee cans with lead weights, found at least 20 different spinners and plugs, over 50 of those little spreader bars, and a gallon bag of corkies, bobbers, and winged bobbers. I also got about two grocery bags of old line that I took home and threw away. I sold a lot of that gear right on the beach when I went down there on following trips to folks who didn't know how to fish or have the right gear. It paid for my gas money and my sandshrimp, all from one hour of work.

Hope this helps, Andy

Right now the river is blown from gacial melt. About the only thing that works now is the bobber/sandshrimp combo mentioned above. If the weather cools and the river clears small pink and/or silver spoons (Wells or DKs) can be very effective. Setup standard drift gear and let your spoon swing across current. You can do this just below the plunkers and drive em nuts.

We have done real good with trout rods, pink teardrop sppons. Cast to the bank where fish are present, let sink and give an erratic retrieve, I have had ten fish afternoons doing this. Good luck! C

Right now, the lower river (below I-5) is running green/grey with approximately a foot of visibility. Lures are not effective in this restricted visibility. We hooked 16 on the tide change this morning (15th)just above Blake's on the North Fork with this method, which is possibly the most effective ubder these difficult conditions:

Start with the smallest Jet Diver, rigged sliding (tied to a small swivel)on your mainline on an 18" dropper. Place 5 large beads between the sliding swivel and ball bearing swivel (to mainline). Run 5 feet of 12 pound Ultragreen leader to a #8 hot pink Spin-n-Glo, above two 1/0 hooks. Find the largest sand shrimp you can get and rig it tail up(toward the spinning bobber) and let the rig out s-l-o-w-l-y so it does not tangle. Place the gear approximately thirty feet below your position on the current edge, crack one open and burn one and hang on!!

One important tip, let the fish eat it until the rod is fully loaded before striking, or you will swing and miss. Have fun!!