Born-again River Fisherman needs advice

[Bigdirty]

So I am hoping to lean on the good will and wisdom of the folks here to help get me back involved in fishing in Washington State and the community here.

I am a transplant from California, but did a large amount of fishing in my younger years in Eastern Oregon and Northern California. I have since lost almost all useful knowledge of those days due to city life for too long. I recently moved to Monroe WA and have been making a concerted effort to gather my fishing gear and go fishing as much as possible, but I need to take it to the next level of commitment and start trying to learn more than going off of instinct in regards to locations, bait, lures, etc. My question is broad, but I would accept any form of answers to help me become better.

What are the best recommended steps for me to become a better river fisherman in the area? How can I learn more about locations, techniques, bait, lures, fishing reports and how to best read them?

Thank you for your consideration all and I am looking forward to contributing here in the future.
- S

[Amx]

What specie/species of fish are you wanting to fish for? And only in Western Wa., or Eastern Wa. also?

[G-Man]

Best and fastest way to get what you are after is to hire a guide or go and fish with someone who is switched on to the river you want to fish. This site offers a great access to both.

[spoonman]

Alot can be learned from just watching. If you're fishing the sky, just drive around along the river, find parked cars, and go check it out. Most people are more than willing to answer questions and give advice. And by watching how everyone does it, you can learn how to go with the flow as far as casting order (let the angler downstream cast before you) and whats working. The sky is my home river, when it opens next month, ill be out and about.

[Bigdirty]

What specie/species of fish are you wanting to fish for? And only in Western Wa., or Eastern Wa. also?

I thought I responded to this but I don't see the response in this thread, so here is what I had said.

I am most versed in trout and it comes naturally to me. I have failed trying to catch Bass about 4 outings since I moved up here and 1 equally unsuccessful Pinky Salmon trip. My approach to taking on it as a serious hobby was to gain traction in one area and group of fish and expand from there. For me that meant, the fish in streams and rivers around Stevens Pass. All that being said, I would love to fish just about anywhere I have time to get to.

[Bigdirty]

Best and fastest way to get what you are after is to hire a guide or go and fish with someone who is switched on to the river you want to fish. This site offers a great access to both.

I assumed this would be a great place to find a guide or amiable local fisherman to go out with me. Is there a place on this site you recommend to find such a person? My fist stab at it was posting here.

[Bigdirty]

Alot can be learned from just watching. If you're fishing the sky, just drive around along the river, find parked cars, and go check it out. Most people are more than willing to answer questions and give advice. And by watching how everyone does it, you can learn how to go with the flow as far as casting order (let the angler downstream cast before you) and whats working. The sky is my home river, when it opens next month, ill be out and about.

This is currently my exact procedure. The only caviat being that most places I find, seem pretty low hanging fruit. I guess I am hoping to learn if the spots I keep returning are even worthy of fishing or if they are just frequented by our of towners trying to find the spots closest to the road.

Since you are pretty local to me, could you suggest websites or resources you use to consider a good time a place to fish. Perhaps what signs you look for in what fishing report, or signs you look for in a weather report. How do these signs translate to approach in gear? etc.

I know fisherman can be pretty secretive about their routines, so I appreciate whatever you might consider sharing.

Cheers, and thank you everyone.

[strider43]

different holes on the river will produce fish at different times due to the height of the river and of course which fish may be in the system. The first few years I kept a log of where I caught fish and the gauge height of the river. The same hole may produce with different methods at different water levels. The best bet is to get out on the river and do what has been suggested, you are not going to master this from a website or just by talking with people. As mentioned MOST fishermen are very friendly and are glad to show you there set up and share what they know about the hole or local area. The Sky and Wallace are my river stomping grounds.

[Steelheadin360]

One of the better things you can do is dig around in the "reports" section of this sight and look for reports on the Snohomish, Skykomish, Snoqualmie and Wallace rivers. Most reports explain where the person was fishing and what they are using.

Starting in June, Summer Run Steelhead opens up on the "S" rivers. While these are a blast to catch, they are also very hard to catch with many people going a long time before they bank one. One of my past times during the summer month is fishing for Cutthroat trout from the banks of the Snohomish. Casting small spinner or Dick Nite spoons with a 7'6" light action spinning rod makes it a ton of fun.

Dolly Varden/Bull Trout First Sat. in June-Jan. 31 Min. size 20". May be retained as part of the TROUT daily limit.
All Other TROUT First Sat. in June-Jan. 31 Min. size 14". Daily limit 2.
Other Game Fish First Sat. in June-Jan. 31 Statewide min. size/daily limit

Those are the current regulations for the Snohomish, they are the same on the Snoq and Sky.

While they haven't released the New Regs yet, this year is going to be a VERY good year for Salmon fishing. Starting in August our Puget Sound Rivers and Bay flood with Pink Salmon(aka. Humpies) These fish are a blast to catch and it is fairly easy to do so. Throwing anything pink in the water and getting it in front of the fish can result in a crushing strike and a great battle on light tackle. I do believe the Snohomish open August 16th for these guys and we will have a four fish limit. It will be a great way to get you back into river fishing and help build a lot of confidence on the water. They are also followed by Coho Salmon (Silvers) beginning in September. While these aren't as easy to catch they are plentiful and can be willing bitters.

Now the bad news. Fishing is the most addictive drug out there. The tackle store is our "dealer". That guy makes a lot of money. A trout rod will work fine to chase trout and even the pinks but if you wanna get serious about catching big fish you are gonna have to beef up to a 8'6"-9' Medium action rod. I highly recommend looking into an entry level rod, Such as the Okuma 862M Spinning rod. Light enough to make small fish fun, but they have enough beef for Coho and Steelhead. Pair that with a 30 series Spinning reel and 10 pound Mono or 20 Braided line and you are set. You will also have a vast collection of different gear.

My other advise is to spend a ton of time browsing the internet and watching youtube videos. Just don't believe everything you see and hear. There is a ton of info out there and it can be hard to wrap your head around but its very helpful. One channel I will reccomend is Richard Denham's, he has spent a lot of time making his instructional videos and is a great fishermen.

https://www.youtube.com/user/Live2fish4life

So poke around on the forum a bit, and study study study! The internet is a great source for fishermen. And good luck!

[spoonman]

One of the better things you can do is dig around in the "reports" section of this sight and look for reports on the Snohomish, Skykomish, Snoqualmie and Wallace rivers. Most reports explain where the person was fishing and what they are using.

Starting in June, Summer Run Steelhead opens up on the "S" rivers. While these are a blast to catch, they are also very hard to catch with many people going a long time before they bank one. One of my past times during the summer month is fishing for Cutthroat trout from the banks of the Snohomish. Casting small spinner or Dick Nite spoons with a 7'6" light action spinning rod makes it a ton of fun.

Dolly Varden/Bull Trout First Sat. in June-Jan. 31 Min. size 20". May be retained as part of the TROUT daily limit.
All Other TROUT First Sat. in June-Jan. 31 Min. size 14". Daily limit 2.
Other Game Fish First Sat. in June-Jan. 31 Statewide min. size/daily limit

Those are the current regulations for the Snohomish, they are the same on the Snoq and Sky.

While they haven't released the New Regs yet, this year is going to be a VERY good year for Salmon fishing. Starting in August our Puget Sound Rivers and Bay flood with Pink Salmon(aka. Humpies) These fish are a blast to catch and it is fairly easy to do so. Throwing anything pink in the water and getting it in front of the fish can result in a crushing strike and a great battle on light tackle. I do believe the Snohomish open August 16th for these guys and we will have a four fish limit. It will be a great way to get you back into river fishing and help build a lot of confidence on the water. They are also followed by Coho Salmon (Silvers) beginning in September. While these aren't as easy to catch they are plentiful and can be willing bitters.

Now the bad news. Fishing is the most addictive drug out there. The tackle store is our "dealer". That guy makes a lot of money. A trout rod will work fine to chase trout and even the pinks but if you wanna get serious about catching big fish you are gonna have to beef up to a 8'6"-9' Medium action rod. I highly recommend looking into an entry level rod, Such as the Okuma 862M Spinning rod. Light enough to make small fish fun, but they have enough beef for Coho and Steelhead. Pair that with a 30 series Spinning reel and 10 pound Mono or 20 Braided line and you are set. You will also have a vast collection of different gear.

My other advise is to spend a ton of time browsing the internet and watching youtube videos. Just don't believe everything you see and hear. There is a ton of info out there and it can be hard to wrap your head around but its very helpful. One channel I will reccomend is Richard Denham's, he has spent a lot of time making his instructional videos and is a great fishermen.

https://www.youtube.com/user/Live2fish4life

So poke around on the forum a bit, and study study study! The internet is a great source for fishermen. And good luck!

What he said...