My wife and I had the pleasure to meet and spend some time fishing with Stlhd_dreaming tonight. It was a pleasure, Kevin!

Fish still rolling pretty often at the mouth of, and upriver on the Baker..and still won't hit much of anything. (shocked?)

Stlhd_dreaming did manage to lock horns with a couple..one a nice chrome 8+ lb. fish (estimated). Sadly, after a great fight for a few minutes, Stlhd_dreaming performed a textbook "extended release" of the red-meated leviathian. No film at 11:00

Saw one fish caught (technique unknown) and the wife caught a monster squaw fish (that I allowed to live).

The fish are there...seeing is one thing...catching is yet another. Tomorrow's another day, and I'll be back at it again.

Mike

I fished the Baker today for almost 5 hours. Not even a bite. Tried the winged bobber/sand shrimp setup for awhile, but I just get so bored plunking that I had to switch. I mostly casted a small pink buzz bomb but also tried a couple spoons for kicks. No interest from the fish. They were there, occasionally jumping and rolling, but not interested in my offerings. Someone downstream from me caught one--I believe that was the only fish brought in while I was there.

Hooking fish for me hasnt been a problem up at the Baker . It is just the fact of getting them and . I have gone up there 3 times so far and I am 1 for 9. If mike wouldve left to go get his wife 5 minutes later I would be 2 for 9 Thnxs Mike. Over all I am having fun up there I dont know what it is I am have been hooking fish maybe it is luck I dont know but the keeping part has been difficult.

What a blatant snag-fest. I was up there this morning, just watching-not fishing. Every single solitary poacher (not fishermen or even sportsmen) I saw was snagging. At least 100 people (poachers).

Sad thing is that a lot of them had their kids & wives with them, teaching them "how to fish".

Best part of the day is when one of the snagging s.o.b.'s fell on his a$$ on the rocks.

About noon, Concrete P.D. rolls up. I don't think he even bothered to get out of his car. And Game Warden, what Game Warden? Never saw one. Although I did hear he was out the night before writing tickets for "Fishing After Dark". Seems bass-ackwards to me.

Camo

There weren't a lot of folks on the Baker River late Saturday afternoon... I was near the bridge, not by the mouth, so I couldn't see what was happening on the Skagit. Thankfully, I didn't see any snagging around me, but it wasn't very crowded.

stlhd_dreaming, if you don't mind my asking, were you having luck with any of the same type of gear I've been using? I split my time between winged bobber + sand shrimp and buzz bombs.

Zambi,

The only gear that insures 99% you won't snag/floss a sockeye is the small spin-n-glo and the sand shrimp. Some folks have had success with this combo.

Others have had some success using a small corkie with a small piece of yarn, kinda like a yarn fly, and working that on a slow drift.

The "buzz bomb" is a snaggers tool. Sockeye ain't going to hit it, and typically anyone using one is thought to be looking to snag a fish. (I realize you didn't know this, and no offense intended).

The fish have slowed way down..I think the run peaked about the 6th. I fished the water leading to the Baker Sat. and Sun. afternoon/evening and saw only one fish roll that entire time. Yesterday I decided to give up on the Sockeye, and switched to fishing a spoon for Dollies..not even any of those around.

I'm going back to working on my boat, and will start fishing again about mid-Sept. when the Coho start to come in. These sockeye are a waste of time...fun to fish for, but not too productive.

Mike B

What Mike said said winged bobber and sand shrimp and corkie and yarn on slow drift. I have been using a 1oz or 1 1/2 oz weight to drift.

Thanks Mike B and stlhd_dreaming! I'm new to this, so I won't be using any more buzz bombs. In fact, I think I'll be giving up on the sockeye and fishing for trout for the next couple of months.

This is a great bulletin board--I really appreciate the info I've picked up in just the past few days! Thanks to you all.

Zambi

Question.

Someone said they caught a Squawfish in the Skagit. Are you sure it was a Squawfish? I never heard of Squawfish being in the Skagit before.

yeah mikes wife caught a fairly large one saw it with my own

Sure it wans't a big golden sucker?

I agree with KerryS and Nailknot if there is squaw fish in the Skagit, WDFW should be told.

It was probably a Skagit River Bone fish (sucker)

FYI -
Our freshwater river systems are more complex than many anglers realize. There are aproximately 24 different native species of fishes found in the Skagit. One of which is the northern squawfish or more correctly the northern pikeminnow (one must try to be PC).

Other native species beside the familar salmon, trout, and whitefish include a couple sculpins, 3 species of lamprey, redside shiner, peamouth chub, longnose dace, threespine stickleback, and everyone's favorite the largescale sucker.

Tight lines
S malma

Squawfish...I thought so, but me any trash fish is a squawfish.. :rolleyes: To me "squawfish" is a generic word for garbage with fins.

Maybe one of you can identify from a description:

About 14-15" in length, a "dirty gold" color, sucker type mouth facing downward.

Moderately forked tail with ugly, beady looking eyes..a look on its face showing clearly that it was up to no good.

Mike

Mike -
You seem to be discribing a large scale sucker -aka "golden bone" or "Skagit bone fish".

They are a common fish in our NW rivers and some of our more advance fly anglers have spend considerable time perfecting their presentation methods so that they can encounter these extraordinary fish. The nicknames above are the result of further attempts elevate the accomplishment of "hooking" one of these fine fish.

Remember one's "garabage" may be another's "trophy".

Tight lines
S malma

"........ some of our more advance fly anglers have spend considerable time perfecting their presentation methods so that they can encounter these extraordinary fish. The nicknames above are the result of further attempts elevate the accomplishment of "hooking" one of these fine fish. """

Huh?

My apologies to the more accomplished bug rod fishermen..didn't mean to impune the fine reputation of such a worthy piscatorial adversary..

It was released with the utmost of care and concern..never touched with human digits, hook carefully pried from its suductive lips with a gold-plated pair of Craftsman needlenose pliers.

Had my wife known of its trophy status (it was a real toad of a sucker fish)...she might have saved it for a nice wall mount....good thing Stlhead_dreaming or I didn't let on about it..:-)

If any fly fishermen would like to take a shot at this particular fish, we would be pleased to lead you on a guided (ad)venture to capture it. (doubtful it has moved very far since its release into the wilds).

That spot is an absolute ...known of only by 5 or 6 thousand anglers...all sworn to absolute secrecy unless bribed with a substantial quantity of Yukon Jack...


Mike

Thanks, Smalma

I'll have to hang my head low for a while!


PS Mike I like your last post

So, what do you guys make of this? Is Denny Church over-optimistic? From today’s Skagit Valley Herald (http://www.skagitvalleyherald.com/articles/2004/07/15/recreation/denny.txt):

"In the freshwater, the lower Baker River is continuing to produce a fair number of sockeye each day. Fresh sand shrimp, marabou jigs and casting spoons are recommended."

Smalma - I've never heard if people targeting the river suckers around here on the fly rod, although I have caught some in the Yak they they can fight sometimes. However, I know lots of people target carp in Eastern Washington and they often call the "Golden Bonefish" since they act the same, feed the same, and fight the same as a Bonefish (yes the trash carp that people ignore are awesome fishters).

I may be wrong but it is the carp that is targeted by flyfishers, not suckers.

Any Sockeye pics from the Skagit?

Fishingjunky -
Sorry - my sucker comments were very much tonque in cheek aimed at some of our more esteemed feather tossers and their incidental "catches" of suckers while targeting steelhead.

Again sorry for the confusion

Tight lines
S malma

Smalma: I see what you were saying. I though you had them confused with carp.

Mike,

Any news on the fish? I was up there on Tuesday, but stayed well upstream fishing for Dollies, which were damn near impossible to keep off my line...I think I caught 13 or 14. I was going to head down to the Baker on the way home, but ended up having to go straight to Edmonds for the PSA/RFA meeting.

I'm going to be back up there Monday thru Wednesday, probably fish on Tuesday morning and evening, and maybe on Wednesday...we'll see.

Anything picking up at all?

Thanks!

Fish on...

Todd

Howdy Todd,

Where the heck you been hiding lately?

I haven't seen much action across the river from the house..just that one day they were rolling and jumping over there.

Only fished the Baker that one day, came up fishless. Haven't been back (I hate crowds), but have worked the area across from us. -0-, but did get a couple dollies.

Honestly, I am working to get the driftboat project (aka The TOAD) done, so's we can go chase some Coho's and Steelies later in the year. That coupled with a busy business takes most of my time these days.

I'll be out Tues. afternoon till Fri. am. (Portland), but should be around Mon. and Tues. AM if you want to give me a call. I'll PM the #, and maybe we can get together for a bit and bag one of these tasty critters.

Mike

Mike,

Replied to your PM, sent my cell#...I'd be all over fishing with you on Tuesday morning, as I'll be up there Monday afternoon.

Talk to you soon.

Fish on...

Todd