Im Heading out tonight for a week fishing the canal. Does anyone have any tips for catching Kings in the canal? I have been told they can get a bad case of lockjaw once they get in the canal. Has anyone else heard this too? I will be boat fishing and I do have downriggers. Thanks for any help.

We fished for them up from the Hoodsport hatchery a couple years ago. They were jumping like bad but were not biting like mad. We did get one huge take on the downrigger, using herring and an dodger, that threw the hook, and when we brought the rig up, there ws a 12in shaker on it! Couldn't figure out how a 12incher faught like a 25 pounder, we think that it bit the hooks, like a sockeye, on the way up after the big one let go.

But when we fished there it was towrd the end of August. It might still be a little early for kings. Pinks are trickling in though!

I made two trips to Lilliwap area last year and did very well. First trip was the second week of Aug. Myself and another person on my boat hooked 11 landing 3. Second trip the 3rd week of Aug. Three of us hooked 9 landing 4. All were hooked using point wilson dart candlefish. Not everyone did as well. Just a little hint when jigging: sometimes the fish won't come to you, you have to go to them. I may try and talk my friend into taking his boat out next week since I sold mine like an idiot.

Good luck and let's hear how you do.