Northwest Fishing Reports

I was thinking about taking my kayak over to Silverdale or somewhere where there is a decent launch and trying my luck for Chum salmon. I just got a new smoker and would like to try some fresh Chum on it and maybe keep some eggs for some steelies. I have never tried for Chum but have read up that purple or chartreuse colors work well...But are we talking Vibrax, Pt. Wilson Darts, etc? I was also going to brine up some herring. Anyway, I am going to hit it hard and need some tips. Anything would help, area, technique, etc. I am not new to salmon by any means but this is my first time targeting Chums out of my kayak.
Thanks and tight lines!!!!

i use vibrax and mepps, size 3 to 5 for a couple places in hood canal and the sound. done well with pink, orange and the mepps with silver, pink and blue blades.

Park yourself out front of the Hoodsport Hatchery. Toss most anything as long as it is green or orange or comb.

Fly rod with a hootchie or yarn/marabou fly works good too. Purple/cerise/chartreuse

Hoodsport his a good spot, also youll have much more access to the fish with a kayak! The silverdale area try chico bay. You can launch your kayak from the water access along the river. Chico gets a decent run, but they wont be showing up in numbers til the end of the month. Twitching jigs works good, also bobber and herring or sardines.
-Also avoid hoodsport on tuesdays and thursdays, the natives net the hatchery those days.

Here is a little action at Hoodsport.

Nate or Mike, were you fishing from anchored or free drift/troll? I am planning on a trip out there. Are you just flossing your gear river style? If so, what weight? 1/2 ounce or 1/4? I was also thinking of bobber and anchovie.

schu7498 wrote:Hoodsport his a good spot, also youll have much more access to the fish with a kayak! The silverdale area try chico bay. You can launch your kayak from the water access along the river. Chico gets a decent run, but they wont be showing up in numbers til the end of the month. Twitching jigs works good, also bobber and herring or sardines.
-Also avoid hoodsport on tuesdays and thursdays, the natives net the hatchery those days.

When you say end of the month for good numbers in a run, at which end of the month do you mean? I am new to this area and style of fishing and need any help I can get to catch fish. I have fished PNP, Salisbury Point State Park, and Curly Creek in Port Orchard as well as a handful of lakes. I want to find productive spots that can also be accessed by a Kayak. I just came from Connecticut and the East Coast style of fishing is quite different.

Thanks in advance for any information!

ResQ wrote:Nate or Mike, were you fishing from anchored or free drift/troll? I am planning on a trip out there. Are you just flossing your gear river style? If so, what weight? 1/2 ounce or 1/4? I was also thinking of bobber and anchovie.

Anchored. Weight just enough to cast, so 1/4 ounce depending on tide. I use slinkies btw.

"Flossing your gear..." yikes, not a flossing debate. I will say this on the subject. That day we tossed our corkie/weight with 3 foot leader for about 2-3 hrs with hardly a hookup, and a ton of fish milling about. Then the bite turned on and for an hour and a half we got bit constantly. Then, like a switch, it stopped. Same fish swimming in the same concentrations before and after the bite. So do I think these fish were flossed? No, or the hookups would have been random through the day. But I'm not underwater in scuba gear so I wouldn't presume to be 100% certain.

wow. a little sensative on the subject? That method is called flossing. Not looking for a debate, just techniques that work! What depth would you say you were anchored in?

Those hoodsport chums will take a corkie willingly. Specially a green pink combo.

Or one of these if you want to get fancy

ResQ wrote:wow. a little sensative on the subject? That method is called flossing. Not looking for a debate, just techniques that work! What depth would you say you were anchored in?

Sensitive about flossing debates breaking out, because they tend to degrade into name-calling. We anchored in around 5-6 ft deep water. The method is called drifting/retrieving a corkie. (here we go...)

Chico bay chums should be coming in full force about now. They come in really bright compared to other rivers.

Cant say I have ever heard of chico. Hmmmm.

ResQ wrote:Cant say I have ever heard of chico. Hmmmm.

Never been there myself either. It's Bremerton area.

http://www.washingtonlakes.com/LakeInfo ... d=9040&t=3

http://www.washingtonlakes.com/ReportLi ... d=9040&t=3