Its been rumored that humpies are decent table fare if there put on ice and bled right after caught. Is this true? What time of year do the humpies start running in the Puyallup or Skykomish rivers. And whats the best bait or lure to use.

Ok, I'll admit it. I've eaten a humpy once.

Mind you, it was caught out in the salt, immediately cleaned and put on ice. Was put on the BBQ about 2 hours after it was caught.

It wasn't bad. Wasn't exceptionally good, but wasn't bad.

I don't think I'd do for that any humpy caught in a river. Just don't think they will be as fresh, as if caught in the salt. Close, but in humpy terms "close" can make a huge difference.

Personally, unless you want some crab bait, or are on the hunt for eggs, I'd let them all go and just but a much nice piece of fish at QFC.

Anything pink (like a jig) will work for a humpy. Dick Nites will also work.

Humpies are on the oily side, which may not be as good to taste but the high omega 3 fatty acids are very good for you.

I will take a nice bright one from the salt, bleed and gut before it hits the cooler and fill the body cavity with ice, take it home and throw on the bbq, but have yet to catch one in the river I would take home. Fish the snohomish with a pink spoon from the bank or a little pink thin blade spoon (triple teezer, dick nite, etc..) from a boat. Should hit the lower snohomish in late Aug. on a normal year.

Gotta love them humpy years as it concentrates everyone in the lower rivers and in the salt!...and because of that, I get the upper river(s) to myself just as the steelies are keying in on surface flies!

I like them smoked. they are great for that but I think I could brine/smoke my work boots and make them taste ok

Release all males in fresh water, they are no good. That big ol hump on there back is just fat and they are more nasty tasting. But the females on the other hand have good eggs and smoke up real well. About the only use for freshwater/saltwater humpies is Smokin and there eggs.

As for taste they are better than chum. But I do know how to catch them, anything pink. Small pink flies, jigs and spoons work great. The best way to catch them in the lower river is to plunk a pink spinning glow with a sand shrimp. Some places you can drift pink corkie, yarn, and scent or sand shrimp for them too.

I have fished the Snohomish for years for humpies and have done very well. Several years ago the hot lure was the "ace bait spoon". No longer in business, but it could catch fish. The "humpy special " spoon resembles it, but doesn't have the same weight or flutter. Next, came the "Hot Rod" spoon in hot pink and white lightning bolt. I would remove the red plastic "flicker" and treble hook, add a single siwash and paint the back white. In 3/8 oz, it was unbeatable. They don't make that spoon anymore either. Then it was the Dick Nite spoon(my favorite way to fish now). But now most anglers are opting for pink jigs and good reason, they work.

Unfortunately, on the Snohomish, you will also see bankies throwing large buzz bombs with treble hooks. It is amazing that these anglers will yell out, "this one bit hard!" as they reel it in sideways with the buzz bomb imbedded in the fish's side.

Had to vent a little there, sorry.

Good luck fishing for the pinks. I enjoy eating them, too. Teriyaki barbecue works for me.

During the last humpy run, a good friend of mine and I would go out to a bank area on the skagit and throw out humpy specials and we caught them all day long, one day we must have caught and released 75 fish, I think that jigs work better in slower current speeds, the humpy special works great for off of the bank on the skagit, boat fisherman anchor up and drop down pink wicked willies on a three way swivel with 3-4 ounces of lead

What time of year do they start to show up in the rivers? The same as the Coho and Chinook?

Should start to see decent numbers by late August. A lot of the timing will have to do with river flows, the humpys will hang in the salt for a while if the rivers are way down, but by the last of Aug, first of Sept you can usually get the buggers in pretty good numbers in the rivers.

When is the best time to get after them in Hoodsport? Can you jig and bobber them in the salt there in Hoodsport?

~steelymann~

DICK NITE`S DICK NITE`S DICK NITE`S, size 1 in 50-50. Enjoy the crowd and festivities there will be lots of fish. Good Fishin`

Try these beach fishing sites , primarily the northernmost Bush Pt etc., with a small pink or orange Buzz-Bomb.