According to today's Seattle Times Report, 1.7 million chum are expected to return to Puget Sound this year, and start showing up in good numbers in the next few weeks.

I have never caught one but I understand that the "Mean Green" is on e heck of a fighter and big too. I know that they are not esteemed as table fare, but out of the salt they should be good at least for the smoker.

Anyway, I have never chased them and would appreciate any tips on tackle, trolling methods etc.

With coho so slow to non-existant in the salt right now, and the rivers to dang low, chasing the "dogs" sounds like an option to me.

-rbf

Here is a great link .

Downriggin'

Downriggin',
I just dicsovered that new article at SalmonU and came back here to report it, and you were already right on!

-rbf

Two words:

limegreen

Hoodcanal

Any questions?

no doubt...the dogs are a hoot! as far as table fare...I personaly think they get a bum wrap, Just depends on how they are cooked. When I was little, I learned to cook small trout in tin foil on the campfire...butter, salt, pepper, lemon.....whatever sounds good. Turned out to be a good recipe for dogs on the barbie as well (IMHO). November is always a fun month!

I'm with you eggroller, they get a bum rap for tablefare. Most people prefer the Sokeye or Coho, they have a darker meat and people equate that with better meat. The thing is they have a stronger flavor due to their diet. Nothing wrong with that. Chum still taste like salmon with a lighter flavor. They can cook up just fine. Need to be more creative with your recipes, that's all.

Happy to hear all the positives on chasing the dogs and looking forward to tying in to a few. The SalmonU guys suugest mini squids on up to a 9/0 hook?! What a weapon!
-rbf

Well... if you want to branch out and try something different, take a fly rod....

Last year we took our 7 & 8wt fly rods with floating line... put on a weighted "Pete's Special". We were in a boat. Out in front of the Hatchery. Long cast toward the beach, 8 to 10 in fast strips...

We would hookup and HOLD ON... it was like watching the line one of those sailfish run on tv...

We did this after hooking up on regular gear. I guess this pissed some otherguys off because we were getting called all kinds of names... oh well we were doing great and are the rest were pissed...

Well like i have said on this an other bb's, a good chum caught on light gear in shallow water can be a real rush.

Yeah you can good to the Hood and fight for a spot or just go south some on 101 and there is Johns Creek and Kennedy Creek.
Both have cirtain restrictions on how and where to to fish, but both are shallow water fishing at it's best.

Nothing like a 10-15 pounder slamming a green croakie and yarn and just coming out like a mad bull with a stick up his as**, they can fly, run, jump, jet up or down, no one know's until the lights come on.

As to eating, the meat is real good as long as there is some good color, i mean for the dinner table. Yes, they are best cooked out doors, wrapped in foil and all the trimming's. Like most spawing fish, they are heavy in oil and can smoke a little if not careful. More so the whiter the more possible smoke.

Good luck and lots of fun coming up.