Where is the best place to catch sockeye in lake washington, what depths and speeds are the best for trolling, and can you catch them anyother way besides trolling? sorry bout all the questions, was goin to try to hit em this year but have no idea how. any info is greatly appriciated, Thanks in advance!

There will doubtless be a good article or two on Sockeye fishing in te Seattle newspapers. They'll be in the Thursday papers the next few weeks. You might even get on the net and look up the time and PI sites and go to their archives on the couple of Thursdays before the last season.

Having said that, and with the understanding that I am not the formost expert on sockeye fishing, here is what works for me (and it sems for most of the boats out there).

TROLL SPEED = SLOW. Even slower than slow. Near dead slow. Then slow down a little more.

DEPTH = shallower in the early AM, then go down deeper as the sun comes up. I caught fish as high as 20 feet in the early AM last time. By the time the sun is really up, drop down a long ways. you'll hear guys recommend anywhere for 70 to over 100 feet. I fished 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and kept picking them up, but never had a "magic" depth. I'm sure others had a depth that worked best for them.

SET-UP= Go to any G.I. Joes or fishing store and you'l see lots of flashers and red hooks for sale just before sockeye season. Ask the clerk and they'll tell you how to tie up. When they give you a short leader length, believe them. And when they tell you to use a really heavy leader, believe them (the heavy leader affects the hooks swimming notion).

Good luck, and bring lots of patience.

Last sockeye season I witnessed a really scary boat wreck where a guy in a 19-20 foot power boat plowed right into about a 14 foot boat at very high speed. He could have killed the guy he hit, and I was about 20 yards away, rowing my boat with my daughter in the back of the boat. We would have been helless if he had hit us in out little row boat. High speed has no place among that many boats....

Sullie, Last Sockeye season, I would go right to 65' in the morning *** troll @ 1 mph. I was in an area south of Seward Park in 120' of water. It's not rocket science for sure. Seems that in the evening I'd have to search with my depth to get my fish.
I think that all those DR balls going through the schools scatters them by the afternoon.
Hope that answers your questions.
Craig

Trolling in the lake south of the I-90 bridge.
Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

I like south of the I-90 bridge as well. Start in the 60-80 ft range. When you see guys hooking fish, ask them what depth they are at.