Northwest Fishing Reports

Ok so we will have a Salmon season for hatchery Chinook in area 5,plus 2 bonus sockeye, per day.
How do you fish for sockeye in the salt water, is it the same as in fresh water, or do you have to use a different approach?
Would love to here from those of you that have experience.

The only saltwater Sockeye fishing I've done is on a commercial troller. We had a smallish dodger and a bare hook. All wire terminal tackle and line that is hooked to a black box.
I do know some people troll pink hootchies behind a dodger but, you catch as many Coho and Pinks depending on the time year and year so it's hard for me to say there is really any way to "sport target" any Sockeye in the salt. IMO one had better have pretty compelling argument if any of the enforcement team stops you midstream.......

Why a compelling argument? Regs say 2 sockeye, if your're fishing for sockeye you're fishing for sockeye. They won't give you any guff.

I have caught a few here and there in the San Juans and it is always by accident. We caught one last season at Hein Bank in July fishing for Chinook. It hit a 3" Spoon behind a flasher at 145 ft right on the bottom. Strange, but nice surprise.

Matt wrote:Why a compelling argument? Regs say 2 sockeye, if your're fishing for sockeye you're fishing for sockeye. They won't give you any guff.

I have caught a few here and there in the San Juans and it is always by accident. We caught one last season at Hein Bank in July fishing for Chinook. It hit a 3" Spoon behind a flasher at 145 ft right on the bottom. Strange, but nice surprise.

Because I've had the enforcement boy's question my gear on multiple occasions at Eagle point. On Lake WA the enforcement guy tied me up for over an hour because he thought I was targeting Coho by trolling a little rbt Rapala. The boys in the San Juan's tried everything but write it on a cue card for me, to get me to say I was fishing for Kings.
If you are trolling gear that normally catches Coho, in an area where you could catch Coho, yes, you'd better have a compelling reason for your method and your gear.

"The boys in the San Juan's tried everything but write it on a cue card for me, to get me to say I was fishing for Kings."

Therein lies the answer, which is consistent with Matt's view.

Simply tell them what you are fishing for - end of story.

onmygame

Onmygame wrote:"The boys in the San Juan's tried everything but write it on a cue card for me, to get me to say I was fishing for Kings."

Therein lies the answer, which is consistent with Matt's view.

Simply tell them what you are fishing for - end of story.

onmygame

Do you think I'm stupid? That's the first thing I told them. It's easy enough to say, and one would think it's all it should take. Not so, told them we were fishing for Coho yet they persisted. Same for the treatment on Lake WA. If I was fishing Hunts Point, there is absolutely no way I could have been fishing for Cutts.

That is an odd question Bodofish, and it makes me wonder if your experience of having difficulty convincing the fish cop had something to do with the delivery in which you presented it.

Back in the '90s - and I'm sure many here remember, there were net pens near the Duwamish where an aquaculture operation was rearing Atlantic Salmon, and a sizeable number of them escaped the net pen.

These fish were soon heading up the Green River - it was late Summer.

At the time, the Atlantic Salmon were not classified by the State of WA - there was nothing on the books in terms of seasons or food / game fish designations.

Result? People could fish, and were fishing for these without a license.

I remember speaking with a Fisheries enforcement officer while I was fishing for Kings near Soos Cr on the Green, which even the creek was open back then. He asked me what I was fishing for - and requested my license and ID. No problem, and had a friendly conversation with the officer. He indicated he was extremely frustrated with all of the guys he would encounter each day who avoided the license check by stating they were fishing for Atlantic Salmon - even though they were clearly (to him) fishing for Kings. There was nothing he could do, and it was a real source of grief for him - per his venting.

Considering that particular experience, along with all of the cross over techniques that are capable of putting ANY type of salmon in the box - I find it hard to believe any fisheries officer would be able to argue intent when it is specifically stated.

I personally wouldn't worry about it, but if there is anyone here who might - make sure someone on the boat has their phone camera going if you get boarded and your answer isn't immediately accepted. It would remove any future 'misunderstanding' about what was stated to be the target species.

onmygame

No delivery problems at all. If anything I'm told I'm a little bit on the direct side. On those occasions the enforcement boys appeared to have a bit of a chip on their shoulders as they harassed every boat out there. The day on Lake WA, after being rammed with his Grady White, he admitted to as much because, "he had several calls that we were doing something and he had to go get in his boat and see.". The only thing we were doing was fishing the drop off at Hunts point and yelling at the jack @$$es running lake lice full throttle under the bridge and too close to the end of the docks. I would say the overwhelming majority of the time I have no problems communicating anything to anybody. I'm not really sure what answer lay within my statement but I do know some have taken offence to the use of language above a second grade level. I guess I could have said they asked if we were fishing for Kings six to eight times. Then they finally got the point that we were not fishing for Kings but, where would the fun be in that?

I am thinking when I hit Sekiu in July I will bring some small dodgers and red or black hooks (no bait). I know in Lk WA I got them deep, near the bottom. What do you guys think of that plan? I would hit this later in the day after first light king fishing.

hlindsay wrote:I am thinking when I hit Sekiu in July I will bring some small dodgers and red or black hooks (no bait). I know in Lk WA I got them deep, near the bottom. What do you guys think of that plan? I would hit this later in the day after first light king fishing.

When I was commercial fishing we always used to catch Sockeye in mid channel, traveling in schools. I know I did the same thing fishing Lake WA but I never saw them close to shore in the salt. Only in like 600' or better. Commercial trolling mid channel as well. Good luck!

so I need to go out deep and fish. How deep? Do I just try and spot schools and hit that depth?

hlindsay wrote:so I need to go out deep and fish. How deep? Do I just try and spot schools and hit that depth?

I don't think I'd go deep, mid channel and the Purse Sein was I want to say only around a 100' deep, the bunt end was like 60'. Look for them on the sonar. It's how we always caught them. Cruise till you see them and then set on 'em or when trolling, drop the gear and keep passing through them. They travel in schools like pinks do, very apparent on the sonar. We set the nets on points where we know they would be going by but we also did a lot of cruising looking for them. Alden bank was always a good one and of course the salmon banks. But we caught our biggest haul out in the middle of President channel, right out in the middle.

Thanks for the info!