Kings fishing appears very slow since the 07/01 opener. Have not seen many nets in the water taking salmon so far. Has the run past us by or is the run stll coming? What do you expert think? Is our only hope a good silver run in September?

what i,ve found is it,s very hit and miss.
you know the right place at the right time bit.

Game Checker @ Armeni Launch said Muckleshoot Tribe netted 10k fish this season (as of Sat 8/17/02) and sportsfishers less than 1k. Not a good ratio or fair in my book. Most of the netting occurs in Duwamish River, again according to the checker. Last hope is an opening this next weekend (paper Sunday suggested that it may happen). Then again, it's the Sea.-P.I.

I haven't landed any Kings since 7/19/02 of which was a 22lb.

Oh, they are in all right in the PS Zipperlip spot where I have been fishing, but not on the bite real well - had one 20 minute limit day but then the jellyfish moved in so I had to switch from trolling to jigging (and me with a bad rotator cuff ), so the CPUE dropped off a bit for me. Also, water seems horribly hot - 66-67 degrees , and that can't help. Marking lots of fish, especially with my sidescan sonar, but that does me little good if I can't go after them with the trolling gear, and running manaically around after them with a jig is getting me lots of dirty looks . And it's good weather for gillnetting but bad weather for fishing, so I don't doubt that the tribes are getting back at us for aceing them out on sockeye - I bet that's the only time we get to catch more than they do this year :p . Finally, fish are late in the Columbia like they were for the spring and summer fisheries, and so are still getting hammered out in the ocean - and when they do come it will be over quick. Myself, I'm hoping my local GH honey hole produces this year

I boated four kings last weekend and none this weekend. Hit and miss for sure! I think the bulk of the run is still coming. I am hoping Labor Day Weekend will be the peak. The Elliott Bay kings did not start to show until about two weeks later than normal.

Finally hit pay dirt in Elliott on Sunday morning! 2 Kings, a 18# and a 24.5#. lost one other that threw the hooks. All bites came between 8:30am and 9:00 am. Very short bite at the tide change.
We had to dredge them out of the mud at 120ft. Didn't see any other fish caught except for some small Silvers. I was begining to lose faith fishing out there.

Don't give up yet. Seems like the run is late, and for the next 2-4 weeks, the Kings should still be coming through area 10 into the south sound. I've heard reports of big Kings being CNR'd in area 10 up by Jefferson Head.

We've had to work way too hard for our fish so far, but I'm optimistic that there are still some good days ahead. Last year my boat limited on Kings 7 times in a row the last 2 weeks of August.

.........Game Checker @ Armeni Launch said Muckleshoot Tribe netted 10k fish this season (as of Sat 8/17/02) and sportsfishers less than 1k. Not a good ratio or fair in my book. .....
whew

Seacat,

In reference to your comment:

Don't give up yet. Seems like the run is late, and for the next 2-4 weeks, the Kings should still be coming through area 10 into the south sound. I've heard


Does it matter if the season on Elliott Bay is finished or would they open it up later. Forgive me, I'm new to salmon fishing so I'm not familiar with what the WDFW does in cases like this. I just heard a rumor in the Sea. P.I. over the weekend that the WDFW may extend the Elliott Bay fishery (waiting patiently for their response). I sincerely doubt that as the tribesmen were too successful in their netting endeavours (sp? aw, who cares, I'm not in school anymore ).

-SFJ

Proud Member of the TRUE PETA=People Eating Tasty Animals.

SFJ,

The Elliot Bay fishery is not what I was refering too. That fishery is always short and sweet if at all. Seems like there were some decent days over there this year though. Don't know about an extension.

I was talking about the area 11 northern boundary down into the south sound. Several places should be good during the next month.

Right around the corner and a little south from Alki Pt. is 3 Tree Pt. That would be a good place to try for the next couple of weeks. Kings heading for the Puyallup and points south go right by there. Over on the north end of Vashon Island is Dolphin Pt., another good place to try for another month or so. After the Kings blow through, the coho fishing can be good in this area through September too, but I would choose Possesion and Edmonds first for those fish.

does anyone know when they would announce an extended season on elliot? i sure hope it happens, i feel like i'm just starting to know what's going on out there and i had to miss the last weekend of the season .

if elliot doesn't open this weekend where would you all suggest i head? redono, dash pt area or jeff head, vashon area? there's a lot of water to get out on i'm not sure which direction to go.

Sushi, look in Thursdays Seattle Times. They have a fishing report, any announcement should be in there.

I've hit 27 kings in the last 16 days my boats been in the water,With the big fish of 30lbs most are in the 12-15lb range.Though this may sound good, I've had to work very hard to get them! It is extremely inconsistent this year, but I wouldn't give up the ship on the run yet,all the other runs have been late this year and my guess is that this one is too.