Satsop or Chehalis river this weekend

[Dave M]

Looking for info on either of these rivers. Is there still good fishing in either and are there decent shore fishing places? If so how do I get there? We are headed out for razors Saturday and want to make a whole day trip out of it.

[Mike Carey]

Just posted up last night:

http://www.washingtonlakes.com/ReportCo ... d=8336&t=3

[skagit510]

Just a reminder that regs are changed as of the first. Limit is smaller and the rules on wild fish retention have changed.

[Mike Carey]

Yup, 2 adults, only one may be wild, 4 jacks. Catch your adults though you can't keep fishing to try to catch jacks. Barbless hook. Our two fish were hatchery fish, what pigs!

[skagit510]

Nice mike on the hatch fish. Those are the ones I like to see on the grill. I for one thought the three wild allowed earlier on the season was a bit much. I wonder what we gave up to the commercials and tribe for that. Likely quite a few that would have been better on the gravel.

[Dave M]

Thanks Mike, your report was what lead me to the question. Nice fish. Is there decent shoreline to fish from? Maybe up near the state park? Or on the map I do see a point near where the east and west forks split that looks like there is access.
What type of spinner were you using? Since I am really new to rivers I make sure to check the regs on anywhere I plan to go, better to know than to play ignorant as I see many people do.
I think your site is great, I am still sifting thru info and using what I find as learning material.

[Mike Carey]

Not super familiar with shore spots but the one that I see guys at that really isn't a "secret" is Cook Creek. There's a road that runs right next to it. It's a steep hillside maybe 50 feet down to the water. There are various limited rocks to stand and cast from. I've also seen guys hike around to the far side of the inlet which has a killer looking drift. It's on East Satsop road about 2 miles before the State Park.

cook-creek.jpg (67.24 KiB) Viewed 3604 times

I make my own spinners, that one was a size 3 blade in a frog pattern chartreuse blade with a red body.

Attached also is the hairpin turns I reported on for the jet boat jockeys. Traveling from lower left to upper right, the first opening is a narrow passage, quick right, then S turns, and not much time for indecision. Saw only one bigger jet boat go past this point.

hairpin-turns.jpg (46.67 KiB) Viewed 3604 times

Skagit, I was wondering the same thing. I was glad to hook the hatchery fish. It does make me wonder why not use that B run strain more often, it makes for a great fish for anglers to target. Imagine those on the Sky...

[Dave M]

Thanks Mike. Hopefully we have a great report after the weekend. A friend told me to try the Hump up by the hatchery as well.

[Mike Carey]

my above post regarding barbless hooks is in error, looks like barbs are now OK. I have no idea why it would be illegal and then legal - especially when now there is a wild catch limit and before with barbless there wasn't. WDFW makes no sense sometimes.

*disclaimer - another good example that you've got to read the regs and be responsible for them yourself. Thanks Dave M for pointing out my mistake.

[skagit510]

Mike, the satsop silvers are legendary and for good reason. They are however a shadow of their former self in numbers and size. When I was younger I witnessed many many fish over twenty. I in fact put a limit together that averaged 22 once. The limit was two at the time. They are planted on other locations on the chehalis basin and willapa to the south. The hatchery versions of these once great, and occasionally still great fish are a feather in the cap of wdfw. Makes perfect sense though. Use in basin stock to successfully stock a river. Perhaps this truism could be extended to steelhead. I think when you grow any plant or animal it will always be beneficial to use the stock native to that site. I would agree though that having these fish on the sky would be great, or any river for that matter. Alas I'm veering off topic. A tip for anyone targeting these fish is to leave the eggs at home. They are far more lure oriented and highly aggressive. You can cover more water with better results as well as forgo deep hookings. This is a tough pill to swallow for the die hard egg fishermen, but I tell you it's true. Throwing jigs and spinners always produces better than my bait fishing brethren this time of year for these fish. I generally do not kill the wild ones this late on the season as these are the run subgroup that are in the most trouble. This is fine though because as you found there are hatchery fish available of equal quality and they are a completely guilt free tasty treat. As for access at the location above. You may fish the rocks, yet do not walk into the bar. There was a recent resurvey of this land and the former "owner" was much friendlier to access than the current one. Satsop bank access is a limited affair as signs are erected almost every new season. Dave, your best bets are the lower river if flows drop, as in below hwy 12. Alternatively if flows are high the park at Shaffer. It can be real hit or miss this late. There are fewer fish further apart, but that's fishing. Mike, careful with that sled as where you were the other day is a tough spot at lower flows as I'm sure you are aware. There has been some local animosity toward power boats lately above the highway and I've heard some interesting tales. However it's perfectly legal, just tight. Though I have my own opinions on this as I've been nearly run over a couple times, I do not however agree with the resolution techniques of some of the locals. Overall it's bad behavior on both sides of this coin leading to what is currently going on. The barbs thing is weird and I agree with Mike on that. It is a true mixed stock though the hatchery fish should be slim by now. Yet, they are hanging on. Everything is a bit late this year it seems. Dave, the hump is a good bet too around the hatchery with more bank access with less boot miles. You also cannot keep wild here at all I believe. If you have a capable 4x4 you can drive onto a couple bars up and downstream of the hatchery here. I've often caught a limit of chromers with a hot or cold beverage on the hood of my truck. This is a good thing when temps drop and the heater beckons from the truck and the bite gets slow. Hope the above helps and you have a great trip wherever your rod takes you.

[schu7498]

GREAT info skagit!

[Mike Carey]

I've been fortunate to not run into anyone but friendly anglers. I too have heard stories. When people cross the line to vandalism and worse they ruin it for everyone, including, ultimately, themselves.

There were about a half dozen jets running the river the day we went. I'm super cautious, I learned my lesson the hard way years ago on the Cowlitz and the Sky. My boat has a few dents because of it. That said, it is super fun to maneuver some of those spots. I think anyone that owns a jet boat enjoys the thrill of running skinny water and working through snags - to a point, anyway.

[Dave M]

Thanks Mike, I wasnt too sure I was reading it correctly, it can be confusing the way they have it listed.
Skagit, thanks for the info. Dont need to have any run ins with the locals. We might try near the launch at hgwy 12, then maybe head up to the Hump. My truck should be able to handle it. Do you recomend just spinners and jigs with no bait at all or use prawns or shrimp as well? This will be a brand new experience for me as well as my boys. Any particular spinners or sizes?

[skagit510]

Dave, what sort of boat are you launching? Like I said on the bait. Bring it if you must but it really isn't necessary. My buddy has been having good results with a sand shrimp spinner in large sizes. However I generally offish him simply because my lure is in the water more cause I'm not rebaiting. Jigs if waters got good vis, spinners from four to six if she's dirty. Also don't forget the plugs. These are very snappy fish so finesse is not necessary. If you want more detailed info or flow observations pm me. Hope the weather holds and you and your boys get into em.

[Dave M]

We stopped off in Elma at lake Inez. Cleaned up on trout. 3 of us totaled 15 fish in about 2 hours. Moved on to the Hump in the afternoon. Made it onto the bar a few miles south of the hatchery on the west side. Its a WDFW access. We had no luck, did see a few drift boats coming in and they had fish. We then moved up past the hatchery to get on the east side to try that bar. Didnt want to chance the road to the bar, talked to another in a better rig than mine and he said he backed out after about fifty yards. So we just went down to the bar where the bridge support is at the end of Hanson road. Then we moved on to the beach at sunset fo rthe razors. Limited on some nice big ones at roosevelt beach road.
All in all a great day with both of my boys(they are not boys any longer). I will definately have to get one of my buddies that actually knows what they are doing at the river to go with me so I can learn a few things.
Thanks for all the input.

[obryan214]

I've been fortunate to not run into anyone but friendly anglers. I too have heard stories. When people cross the line to vandalism and worse they ruin it for everyone, including, ultimately, themselves.

There were about a half dozen jets running the river the day we went. I'm super cautious, I learned my lesson the hard way years ago on the Cowlitz and the Sky. My boat has a few dents because of it. That said, it is super fun to maneuver some of those spots. I think anyone that owns a jet boat enjoys the thrill of running skinny water and working through snags - to a point, anyway.

this that Klamath I think it was posted on a Satsop report? think I mentioned the sled way up by my place on the upper east fork several months after that section of river closed. he saw some unfriendly people that day.

[Mike Carey]

nope, river wasn't closed when we went. A few guides dipped into the east fork, and several drift boats coming down from the other direction.