Anyone out there this morning? How did you do? Where are the fish at, and what are you using?

Any info appreciated!
Thanks!
Tight lines!

hey.I would like to know the same thing.Do you know what they are using out there?

tight lines...
gop

Some folks say to jig buzz bombs up off the bottom and slowly work them to the surface. I've read reports from 97' when they had it opened last time for coho. Folks say to hit the juanita bay area, but you'd think to go up towards where the samamish river feeds into the lake since most of these fish are issaquah bound.

Juanita Bay is not holding nearly as many fish as it did during the last Coho season. Go to "Three Fingers" which consits of Hunt's Point, Yarrow Point, and one more point that I can't remember right now. There are fish stacked in the 40-60 foot range in water up to 100 feet deep or so. Some will be on the bottom(usually in the 45-60 foot range) or close to it and there will be a lot of cruising schools suspended a ways off the bottom. You just have to cruise around until you find them on the scope.

8 FOOT LEADER,

I don't know if you've seen the official regulations for the lake opener but there is a no fising zone for 1,500 feet from the mouth of the Sammamish Slough. This will be in effect until October 15. Reasoning for this is to protect kings still hanging around the mouth of the slough. The gamies are out in force and will be watching that area closely. Just don't want anybody getting ticketed.

If anybody needs a fihing partner on Lake Washington, then please let me know. I will be fishing the rivers on the weekends but I don't work until noon on weekdays and I can fish in the mornings. The best bite is in the morning anyways. I have done very well in the past on the lake when I used to own a powerboat with downriggers. Now I am a driftboat man but I would be happy to trade a float trip and/or share my secrets on what lures to use, fishing areas, etc..

Justin
CEO, Sauk River Steelhead Ranch

Evergreen Pt is the third pt your talking about Saukit2em. The 1,500FT line at the mouth of the Samamish River(slough) is from the large dock at Tracey Owen station park and across to the west end of the Inglewood country club just north of Arrowhead pt. Thats not a very far distance. I'm willing to be the Arrowhead pt might be a very productive pt considering its features. Looks like fish might be holding there too.

saukit2em i would like to get out and give it a try i can probably take a mourning off have a 16ft center counsel and down riggers lot of gear (right kind ?) get a hold of me by email and i will give you a phone number

I fished this fishery three year's ago and thought it was a budget fishery.Drug the whole tackle box aruond on down rigger's from the 520 bridge to juanita beach.Ended up with a three pound cutt though.Yes I released it.I thought it was built up to be more then it was.Good luck, STRIKE ZONE

Saukit2em.I am fishing the Sound primarily but could be convinced to try Lk.Wa.We are going out on Thus.(sorry not my boat)to Yarrow Pt.If we do well ,I'll probably do it again on the weekend.Only problem is I still remember launching at Magnuson for Sockeye. But I would like to trade trips.I live in Stanwood and fish out of a 16' Glasply,fully rigged.email me at Bigdog2250@Yahoo.com if your are interested.

HAMMER TIME!!!

Made a brief trip to Lake Washington this morning and slayed a few Silvers. Got out on the water at 8:30am and Left by noon.

Click on the link to see pix.
http://msnhomepages.talkcity.com/MSNGamingZone/xl_wing_ripper/fishing.html

There was probably 15-20 boats out by Yarrow Pt. I didn't see anyone else take fish, except one guy using a buzz bomb said he hit 3 early just after sunrise.

Tight Lines!

[This message has been edited by 8 FOOT LEADER (edited 10-02-2000).]

8 FOOT LEADER...saw you out there today...I was in the Hewes Craft with the dark green canvas and the Evinrudes. I think you're right about your boat being the only one hitting fish, your's was the only net we saw come out all day. My father-n-law-to-be took me out there after doing quite well on Sunday (and lots of released by-catch before that) and had me rev'd up we'd pop a few. We had been there since sunrise this morning and only had one take down (on his pole) and it didn't stick. I went down in flames. You definitely had the pattern down...well done (if you want to share your technique...I'm all ears)! The fish were stacked in that bay at Three Fingers this morning so thick it reminded me of the schools of chum at the Hoodsport Hatchery (oh ya...that's coming up soon isn't it...!). I was really surprised that the fish had gone lock-jaw (for us and everyone else but you), but that's why it's called fish'n instead of catch'n. Oh well...I'm back to the Sky tomorrow, hopefully it'll be back in shape with some new arrivals.

I think I saw your boat on the Komo4 evening news. I saw my boat Sunday night on Kiro7. They were showing a clip from this years sockeye season on Lake W. ( I had a fish on in the clip ) And they were talking about Coho Fishing opening-up on the lake.

I noticed a guide was buzz-boming the point with his client all morning. Just watching them made my arms sore. Bummer to have paid $120 to jig a buzz-bomb all morning only to get skunked.

And that leads me to hand out some fishing tips on silvers. I think every boat out there at some point nagged me for my secret. Of course I didn't give in.

When your fishing for silvers, you have to think like them, and what point of their life cycle they are in. At this point in the lake, they are in transit across the lake and hitting some of the larger holding areas on their way to Issaquah creek where most of them will spawn. Fish intransit to spawning grounds in fresh water holding areas like Yarrow Pt. have a tendancy to mill around. These fish when they mill around are usually jumping for joy and launching themselves clear out of the water or are rolling on the surface which alot of people mistake for feeding on the surface. Other things you might see that are characteristic of the intransit milling fish are two or three fish thrashing around chasing eachother on the surface. Some of these fish are also trying to shake the sealice off their bellies. Most of the fish, almost 90% of these fish will be glued to the bottom just off ledges that drop into deeper water.

One thing I noticed was a few folks trying the old dodger/flasher set-ups. This might work, but seldom pays off. Reason being when Coho enter fresh water they have already begun a transformation to a spawning phase of their life cycle. They begin to turn color, their gullets swell closed, they start to grow some nice teeth, and they turn from feeding activites to territorial disputes. All the dodger or flasher might do is spook up these fish up off the bottom and get them to suspend for a few minutes before they school back up on the bottom again. I noticed this happening after each pass a person made with the flasher set-up.

Now from this comes lure selection. Are you going to use something like a flasher/dodger set-up that typically gives fish the impression that its feeding time when they really aren't in the mood for that? Also when it comes to buzz-bombs and darts, your imitating a wounded bait fish fluttering down which most of the time Coho are reluctant to hit when they are in that phase of their life cycle.( notice my previous post...the guy with the buzz-bomb hit fish very early on. Why? a feeding instinct at best which might last briefly after sunrise)

So in this case we switch from lures that draw feeding instincts to lures that imitate a smaller fish, maybe more along the spawning phase then the rest of the fish are, that way the fish are more intimidated by a lure of this type. Coho usually within 2 weeks of hitting fresh water will turn color. That magic color is a dark greyish/red that the Coho turn. Find a lure thats darker then they are, and imitates a smaller fish and coho are bound to get upset whenever its swimming through its area. Coho have a tendancy to occaisonally nip at one another with their teeth and try to get the upper hand on their partners during this phase.

Its safe to say that your best bet knowing all this at this point is to pull some redish colored plugs. Plugs piss off Coho, They hit them with agression and anger! My favorite choice for Coho in fresh water is a deep diving steelie-wiggle-wart in flame red with tiger stripes and a rattle. Yes you might think its weird me and my partner were fishing them off the down-rigger, but if you compensate for the amount of feet your plug would dive, then your going to be right in the zone.

It was funny, this old timer that swears by his spoon he was using, was amazed in dis-belief after we hit a fish and within a minute of us re-rigging the downrigger had another fish on. He mentioned in all the years of his life he had been able to fish on lake Washington for Silvers he said he had never seen a person catch two silvers that quickly.

All it takes is a little "fish thinking" I call it.

Anyways, Ive followed these fish all the way out from Neah bay. I fished them 5 miles offshore,Seiku,Port Angeles, areas 9,10 and 8.2. The Snohomish River. The Sky, the Carbon and now Lake Washington. And in each place, I caught them using "fish thinking".

Anyways, I hope I made a little sense here since I'm working on my USCG certification and most likely will become a part-time guide next year.

Goodluck, I hope my tactics help out!
Tightlines!

I did what you said but with no luck on the silvers. But did get one 25 pound king that was let go ...Only took about 30 minutes.

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rip some lips

In rivers run the plug directly on your line, in lakes run the plug off a downrigger about 10 to 15 feet above the fish.

8 Foot Leader, that was extremely informative, thanks. There is always more going on down below with the fishies than most would ever know! BTW, your USCG cert, what school in the Seattle metro area offers this course?
- Chaps

USCG has offices in Seattle,Bellevue,Tacoma and Everett, also a few places on the coast. You can sign up for classes by contacting them, they usually have a sub-contractor handle it. Might want to wait til the spring. Part of it is pulling a 200 lb person out of the water I hear. Most guides I see don't have it. In this state its required to have on all navigable waters. USCG certification for a guide is a good thing. I wouldn't go with one that doesn't have it. Chances are when you know what hits the fan, they will be able to handle most situations. Some rivers are considered unnavigable for now, but I think starting next year the new law says, all water.

Jeez 8 foot leader, I hope your arm is OK. When ever I try to pat myself on the back like that I need rotator cuff surgery. BTW whenever I try to think like a fish I can only come up with "Glug Glug" Which sounds remarkably like what you said in 1500 words! Give me a break, think like a an angler, you joker!

Is no one fishing the coho with the sockeye rigs this year? I mean the bare Gamakatsus behind a dodger/flasher, which was the hot technique a few years ago. If not, try it; red hooks were usually best, sometimes blue or black. Even the chinook liked that setup. And no, not with an 8 foot leader!

SalmonFumbler-

Sorry , Guess I rambled a bit.Gosh! As the Chinese say " AwwwWWW Uuuu FunEEEEE GUY "---Rotator cuff surgery is for baseball . 1,500 words! What? Is there a limit? and who's keepn' track??? Nah, don't think so, wasn't tryn' to pad my fishing abilities with my pic , just trying to show coho can be caught in freshwater. Last time I checked and looked around when I was out no one else was catching them...I JUST wanted to help...that okay with you? As for the rambling--sometimes other folks other then experts like yourself need help catchn' something. Gotta keep those people out there using those 7" buzz bombs with the budweiser closed-faced Zebco in mind and help them out once in a while.

Always an outspoken liberal (arsehole) in the crowd like you.

Joker??? your a joke! lol

eh frig it, not my style.

Has the Lake still been putting out the silvers. I am thinking of going on saturday..

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rip some lips

What is all this crap about catching salmon in fresh water,, been doing it for years now.. hmmmm,, and what's with the freekin alumaweld in the background,, gawd, generic junk....www.nwfishing.net