If anyone is still interested, the Chum fishing in the green is still pretty good. Jumping in just below the park and walking halfway through, my buddy and I saw fish everywhere. A few ghost fish but most were rotless. River was a tad high and emerald clear green. Our biggest was a rotfree 15lb horse with a mouth full of daggers that just would not come in. Run after run. Green jig on a float and wigglewarts did the trick. Lots of fun if your still thinking of going out. Metzler was packed, strawberry patch was packed and most of Flaming Geyser was packed with people. Anywhere below the bridge hole to the first take out was pretty wide open. We actually couldn't see anyone around us at one time. So if your bored...

I second that motion! There are a ton of fish every where. Nothing like catching 10-15 lb. salmon at will. Take your kids, if you got'em, for a good time.

I was there saturday, and the only action I saw around the bridge hole (the one next to the model airplane field / parking lot) was a snaggfest. Espesially in and below the tailout where the salmon are spawning on their redds. Out of about 10 fish I saw landed, not one of them was fair hooked. Only fun I had was seeing the guy next to me fishing the deep pool break his pole on his 3rd consecutive (intentional) snag. Then watching him try to pull the line/fish in by hand!! At least most of them were letting the snagged fish go.
If you go - don't harass the fish on the redds!!

What time were you guys fishing? I was there at sun up and did not get a hit for a few hours. Do these fish bite better later in the day normally? I was there early in the week and legally caught fish after fish around noon.

Ya, you can't help but snag about 75% of the fish you catch. That is just because there are so many of them. There are as many fish as there are rocks on the river bed. The trick is getting the Chums to take it in the mouth. I have found the lime green corky/yarn combo and the clown colored corky/yarn combo work paricularly well. Also, presentation (slow drift)is everything when it comes to getting the fish to take a swipe at a corky and yarn.

75%?? Sounds a bit high (unless you don't really care wether you snag one or not - and from reading some of your posts in the past - I can tell that you try to be an ethical sportsman). Personally, once I snag my second fish in a spot, I change tactics or switch spots. I'd rather catch 1 mouth hooked fish than 10 snagged fish any day. Using a float really cuts down on the snags - and yet an aggressive chum will nail it hard. Makes it more of a sport than a slaughter.

[ 12-09-2001: Message edited by: Fishnbuddee ]

I am not saying that I enjoy snagging because I don't! It is a real hassle trying to reel in a fish that does not know it is hooked. Especially when the fish gets turned sideways in the water and you have to fight the fish and the current.

When there are a bunch of fish schooled up in one area and the water is only two or three feet deep you can't help but SNAG. When I fished for Chums in Hood Canal, from the shore or from my boat, I snagged more fish than I hooked in the mouth. The odds are against you when there are a large concentration of fish.

Yesterday morning at Flaming Geyser, my first two fish were hooked squarely in the mouth. Part of the challenge and where skill comes into play is trying to present the lure (corky and yarn) so you get more fish in the mouth. The Chums or any other fish will take a swipe at your lure if it is presented properly.

You should consider using a float and jig type approach. When fish are stacked, you spend more time fighting fish that actually wanted to strike (no flossing or snagging) and less time wrestling and harassing non biters that are snagged in the stomach (tail or whatever).

When I was fishing for pinks and silvers stacked in the sky, and chums stacked in both hood canal and flaming geyser - and only snagged 1 out of 10 fish (and never when I was using a float - which was most of the time).

In fact, if you use a pink and white marabou jig (other combos work too) you have a great chance at catching any of pinks, silvers, chum, trout, and steelhead - especially if you tip it with some prawn meat.

The nice thing about floats is that your line and hook are always (95% or so) above the fish - so incidental snagging is nearly eliminated - without losing your effectiveness at catching fish.

Thanks for the tip. I will have to try your tip this weekend. I bought a bunch of jigs for Hood Canal but never used them. I have a bunch of bobbers too.

I went up there this mornin and fished below the park for an hour and had one taker in the mouth in the tailout i fished saturday. Then i moved up to the old bridge hole in the park and 10 cast and 60 minutes later i left after snagging 4. It was almost impossible not to snag them. And almost impossible to get them in so i let them do their thing. I saw fish with hooks in there backs with green yarn still attached, sad. I'm not shootin ya down Carl, thanks for the info by the way(my first fish of the day), but i think deeper water away from the beds would spell less snagups. Cuz that other tail out just below the park entrance was full of fish and we dragged corkies through it for an hour and didn't snag one. But the fish seemed to be picky and after numerous setup changes john finally hooked up on a green jig, right in the gums. And i'd guess the fish that aren't on the flats aren't spawning quite yet but i'm just guessing. Not many people in the park or the strwbry patches but lots at Metzler. Rivers down another 8 inches or so. Could there BE any more garbage on the banks??? Pathetic.

FFF, you and I will have to "hook" up this weekend and I will show the "way" of the Chum. My technique works on the river and at Hood Canal. I have proof! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. :p

Usually I only read the steelhead/salmon board unless I see information the green on this board.I know there are tons of chum through out the upper green. I have caught my share of chums but there is not much satisifcation in catching this fish (there was at first). There are so many spots above Flaming Geyser that have chums stacked in secluded holes.I fish mostly for steelhead if I can't catch them,then go after chums as a last resort. The steelhead are out there 90% of the fish I catch are without the hordes around. I have had 8 fish on in the last week landing 7 and taking home 3 hatchery fish while releasing the natives. Was shut out last time but fortate that a chum hit my spoon so I wasn't total skunked.

Tons of Garbage on the bank?? Hmmm, sounds like time to form another cleanup group...
Much as I enjoyed catching all the chum at Hoodsport this year, the attraction of winter steelheading has me in it's grip. And it's futile to resist... but I do thank Carl for posting this info as I will store it in my memory banks for possible future use.

Hey Carl, you trying to make it out there this weekend? I was planning on heading out on Saturday afternoon or something. Maybe Sunday. Hell, maybe everyday if the fishing is that good!!

Your post makes me thing of Zen Leacher. I think you might be better known as Chum Zen or ZenDog.

Mike - haven't been out for a couple of weeks but looking for some action near Christmas or New Years. Any ideas on some good prospects for Steelhead?

I will be @ Flaming Geyser Saturday morning and Sunday morning. It is just to good to pass up right now.

If anybody wants to stop by and learn how to catch Chums in the mouth, I will be more than happy to show you. :p

See you Sunday then I guess Carl.
How will I recognize ya`?

Are ya going to the Nisqually this saturday with us Carl? Or ya hittin the green? I fished Kanaskat and hooked 2 chromies but lost both. Man it was cold up there. River looked great though.

rainycity - Carl will be the tall one catching lots of fish.....if he is not catching in 20 minutes check for a pulse!

Can't get up there in the morning so will have to work it out later.

FFF, I am going to have to pass on the Nisqually this Saturday, gotta work @ 3 pm. I don't want you guys to have to worry about getting me back to shore. If you go on Sunday, I am free for the whole day. Otherwise, I will be hanging out at Flaming Geyser.

Raincity, a brief description of myself - I will be wearing a bright blue jacket with a blue knit hat. I am 6'2" and around 230lbs. Pretty hard to miss! Look for my vehicle too. I drive a dark blue Chevy P/U with a sticker on the back window that says "GOT FISH?".

I may have to check out the green again on Thurs morning before work. Anyone else going to be around then? Apparently, I was fishing to low in the river to find any chums - and I didn't find any steelhead either. Next time I'll head up further into the park...

Here is a challenge for you chum fishers:
See who can have the best fair to foul hook ratio. If a guy hooks 20 fish in an hour, but only 10 were fair hooked, that's nothing to write home about. If another guy hooks 8 fish in the same timeframe and only 1 was snagged, that is pretty impressive.

Maybe next year we can set up a little friendly competition (not that I want fishing to be comptetive - but it seems to suit chum fishing). Ground rules would be: 3 snags and your out. No fishing over Redds. Winner is the one with the highest fair hook per hour average. We could do hood canal or the green.
This is not intended to be a 'pi$$ing competition', rather an opportunity to show others that you don't have to snag fish to be successful. Thoughts?? Winner gets ___? Losers have to pack out 1 bag of trash each??

I'd be interested in seeing the result of that little contest. But EVERYONE should pack out garbage no matter what. Biggest snagger takes it all home.