Northwest Fishing Reports

Even though your not aloud to keep them can i still fish for kings? In the skykomish or wallace?

Technically I don't believe you're allowed to target Kings specifically if the regs say you can't retain one, but the method of fishing for them is really the same as targeting Coho, so if you catch one, then just release it by the regs and you'll be ok. However, catching one will really zap it's energy, so you're running the risk of killing it before it has a chance to spawn.

Oh ok, well i was gunna hit the Wallce this weekend for the opener, so i dont wanna kill any kings:( ill try my best to get them back as safe as they can!

I would be very careful. A couple years ago when the Cutthroat slaughter started on LK WA, some of the folks (guides) started to troll herring. WDFW thought it a little close to a well-known method for targeting Kings. Tickets were written.

The type of fishing you’re thinking of entering into is a totally subjective call by the officer. I don't necessarily agree with any law that has a subjective component but we have quite a few. There ya go have fun but, remember, by posting here you've made a public statement that you're about to go break the law.

Cutthroat slaughter on LK WA?....Never heard of it, what was that about?

No im not going to try too! I need a coho on the catch card too! im saying if i do hook a king ill release it as safe as possible! I was wondering what rivers there are that you can fish for them?

tsath24 wrote:Cutthroat slaughter on LK WA?....Never heard of it, what was that about?

There used to be a nice Sea Run Cutt population on Lk WA, fish in the 10# range were common. That is until the guides decided it was a good place to make money. They took their 5 fish per customer per day, day after day and now they're few and far between. Same thing happened on Lk Samm. Good luck taking anything over 18". There is no hatchery dumping those fish into either system, you fish them out and they're gone.

FishingThePacNW wrote:Even though your not aloud to keep them can i still fish for kings? In the skykomish or wallace?

As bodo said, It's illagel to fish for kings. Quck answer you are not aloud to fish for kings on the Skykomish or the Wallace, unless you want a ticket.

lol, gonna hit up the wallace for the opener, targeting coho, well whichever species likes my black yarn in their mouth :D. game wardens cant do anything when im drift fishing yarn for coho, and if it so happens that its a pool of kings. they dont know what im fishing for.

fishing on the sky or the wallace, good luck keeping kings and jacks off anything you throw out. i was using a size 1 dick nite and i couldnt keep them off. had to switch to a jig under a float for silvers and them damn jacks were still gettin after it!!

I hope there will be a few coho in there, i need some hoes!

It's not okay to "target" Chinook now. But they're all mixed up in a big fishbowl now, so it's nearly impossible to not hook one of you're going to hook a fish. There are kings from Startup all the way to Snohomish though, and there are silvers in the same holes. Just let 'em go, most of 'em are all browned up anyway. And for shame! They shouldn't be spawning in the river, they should be up in the hatchery. Send 'em on their way, once we get rain they'll all truck up and leave room for silvers in our spots.

Bodofish wrote:

tsath24 wrote:Cutthroat slaughter on LK WA?....Never heard of it, what was that about?

There used to be a nice Sea Run Cutt population on Lk WA, fish in the 10# range were common. That is until the guides decided it was a good place to make money. They took their 5 fish per customer per day, day after day and now they're few and far between. Same thing happened on Lk Samm. Good luck taking anything over 18". There is no hatchery dumping those fish into either system, you fish them out and they're gone.

Guess there was a greedy crowd, that's very sad. I love fishing the slough because it's so close and there is an overrun of pikeminnows compared to cutthroat.

since they already have their broodstock, they should jsut open kings on the wallace...

Im still hitting the Samish for the big boys. Silvers are in so may have to take a day and go hit em up.

lols, wallace is fun, but a complete bust as far as coho goes, hooked into 20+ kings, one of em weighted 26 lbs was a MONSTER,but there was only like 20 fish in this hole i was fishing, and 15 guys just hooking same fish left and right, no coho in sight.

Bodofish wrote:I would be very careful. A couple years ago when the Cutthroat slaughter started on LK WA, some of the folks (guides) started to troll herring. WDFW thought it a little close to a well-known method for targeting Kings. Tickets were written.

The type of fishing you’re thinking of entering into is a totally subjective call by the officer. I don't necessarily agree with any law that has a subjective component but we have quite a few. There ya go have fun but, remember, by posting here you've made a public statement that you're about to go break the law.

Your so full of it..... Are you saying coho don't eat herring? Shhh , I won't tell them there not suppose to eat those.... If any officer tells you that you can't fish a certain way or with certain gear in an area legal to do so... Tell him/her to go pound sand.... We were at the Wallace today, fished for 5 hours hooking and releasing kings... Officer came down, checked to make sure everybody was legal.... After that , I then identified myself and we chatted for a bit... Not once did she tell anyone what they could/couldn't use...... I pointed out some snaggers to her and she went and handled it but as far as hooking kings.... She watched me hook 3 and I released every one unharmed....

chongo469 wrote:

Bodofish wrote:I would be very careful. A couple years ago when the Cutthroat slaughter started on LK WA, some of the folks (guides) started to troll herring. WDFW thought it a little close to a well-known method for targeting Kings. Tickets were written.

The type of fishing you’re thinking of entering into is a totally subjective call by the officer. I don't necessarily agree with any law that has a subjective component but we have quite a few. There ya go have fun but, remember, by posting here you've made a public statement that you're about to go break the law.

Your so full of it..... Are you saying coho don't eat herring? Shhh , I won't tell them there not suppose to eat those.... If any officer tells you that you can't fish a certain way or with certain gear in an area legal to do so... Tell him/her to go pound sand.... We were at the Wallace today, fished for 5 hours hooking and releasing kings... Officer came down, checked to make sure everybody was legal.... After that , I then identified myself and we chatted for a bit... Not once did she tell anyone what they could/couldn't use...... I pointed out some snaggers to her and she went and handled it but as far as hooking kings.... She watched me hook 3 and I released every one unharmed....

Not unless you've given cutthroats a new name and started calling them coho's ...... Perhaps a remedial reading course?

We still use firecracker herring for cutts.... As long as its legal, a LEO has no right to tell you how to fish.... If they do, get there name and report them for harassment....

chongo469 wrote:We still use firecracker herring for cutts.... As long as its legal, a LEO has no right to tell you how to fish.... If they do, get there name and report them for harassment....

Well then it was a rather well orchestrated harrassment as there were at least six of them at the boat ramp jumping on everyone that was using herring to fish for Cutts for at least two weeks. Sort of like the airplane ticket routine that used to be run in Issaquah. It's takes a long time, hundreds, no make that thousands of complaints before any law enforcement agency is going to step outside the "Good Ole Boys Club". Point in fact; The DOJ and the Seattle Police Dept. All you need to do is read the paper almost any day and there is an article about an officer abusing his power.

In my opinion, any fish that is protected in the salt water should be protected in the fresh too or at least selective gear only. Please don't get me started about harvesting bait fish in Puget Sound. You take away the food and everything goes.........