Searun Cutthroat

[Derrick-k]

Anyone know any good palces near kent/desmoins fresh or salt to catch some of these fish from the shore?
What is your favorite lure/fly for searun cutthroat?

[A9]

Sea Runs cutts.... Got VERY close to the state record, which is a ridiculous 6 lbs even. Caught back in 1943!
Most sea runs I've caught are no where near that size, I'm lucky to get them over the 20" mark, but my big one pushed 5 lbs and 5 ounces...I wish I could catch it now, several years later...I'd probably still return it back to the water I think though, keep those genes in the pool and a state record for me isn't worth killing such a beautiful fish and going through all the stuff to get my name in the books. If it pushed the book record, I know that I did it, that's all I need, and I can save that special fish....

Any beach, preferably a point, with a good tide and a rocky bottom...

Lures: I've used any of my trout lures and had good success on all of them....Dick nites, needlefish, blue foxes, wedding rings, etc. They all seem to work as sea runs are very aggressive. Bright colors and silvers work best for me...

It'll be hard to get someone to give out there spot. People guard these very well due to the effects that pressure has on the SRC's..

I've done my SRC fishing on the other side of the sound, and done really good....Quite a few 10 fish outings and some 15 fish outings (2 hours at most per outing...Gotta hit the tides just right...

For flies I know a lot of guys are catching on with poppers, and clousers work well too..

Good luck. These are arguably the most fun fish to target out in the salt...

[Derrick-k]

So the run ahs recovered from beig down so low?

I know their are alot of bigger rivers where the run has been diminished, so are the cutts spawnign in the small streams?


5LBS!!!!! wow that must have been a blast on light tackle!

You Probably thought it was a salmon huh. Are small salmon regular catches when fishing for searun cutt's?

[littleriver]

I think sea run cutts can grow to a lot larger than 6 pounds but that's about the size when they stop being able to swim through the typical gill net opening and hence they are removed from the environment and sold in markets as "wild steelhead".


I was fishing a spot near the nisqually reach a few years back and my buddy caught and released a 5 pound plus fish. If he hadn't known it was a sea run I would have called it a steelhead. Pretty fish.

Populations are very healthy in the area around the nisqually and even the channels near shelton.

They love shrimp so that's always a good back up, but since they all have to be released bait of any kind of really not a good idea.

One of their favorite forage fish are the smaller species of smelt. So silver lures (metal or fur) that look small, long, and thin tend to work the best.

A surprising number of sporties work the south sound with fly rods for src's but these people tend not to post to much on the various sport fishing blogs and forums.

Oh yeah. I've always done best on the flood tide.

[travislikesfishing]

when do these cutts run

[littleriver]

SRC's tend to run up the rivers to spawn in Aug, Sept, and Oct. I've caught spawners in Lake Kapowsin as early as August 1. The Cowlitz river has a pretty good run that sort of peaks in mid September. This run has attracted a devoted following from fly fishing types and you'll see them working the edges along the Blue Creek access area in September and early october. Unlike salmon and steelhead, src's usually survive the rigors of spawning and feed actively as they move up and down the river before and after laying and fertilizing the eggs.

But SRC's are an estuary fish. They don't go way out into the ocean like salmon and steelhead. They just sort of hang around the estuaries moving back and forth between salt, brackish, and fresh water depending on where they think they will find food. Hence they are available for sporties year round.


I think winter is the best time to go after them though because there aren't as many other recreational opportunities then.

Another thing you are going to discover if you decide to go after SRC's in the south sound is that is that there is a fairly healthy population of "feeder silvers" here. These are coho that don't go out into the ocean. They are much, much smaller than the typical coho that comes back to spawn in the fall but, unlike the src's, they can be retained for consumption. And, of course, if you start working your baits out in the deeper saltwater you could pick up a blackmouth. Lots of "shakers" out there. So, if the mouth is black, and it's under 22"... it's gotta go back.

[fisherhall]

Is this a Cutthroat Trout or a salmon. I caught it in the saltwater.

[iPodrodder]

Cutt. It's small and it's got that yellow on the fin.

[fisherhall]

Thanks. I wasn't sure because it tasted just like a salmon.

[iPodrodder]

Where did you catch it?

[fisherhall]

The lighthouse at Brownspoint.

[iPodrodder]

NO IDEA where that is. Sounds like kind of an estuary or the Sound.

[epidemic]

I thought it wasn't legal to keep a Cutt from the salt? I thought thats why the saltwater record was so small because you can't keep them anymore. Am I wrong?

[Derrick-k]

Yeah it's illegal to keep cutts in the salt, so if you don't know what it is then throw it back!

[AdsBot [Google]]

I catch them sea-runs in Lk. Washington in early October when the run starts. They peak in late October on sunny days when you can catch them on wedding rings. They are very aggressive and will take wooley buggers and all sorts of sub surface flies in late fall. Try the south end of Lk. Washington where the Cedar enters the lake and fish on the western shore line. Thornton Creek also has a good run of sea-runs that all average 13-15inches or close to 1 pound.