Northwest Fishing Reports

Has anyone hit it recently? A buddy and me wanna head down Sunday. I know the action is just starting down there but what's coming out?

heading down there today see what happens

I heard it is still but as the month unfolds we should be seeing better numbers being taken.

...

Heading down there now. Will let you know if we see or catch anything.

I was doing really well down there back in december/early january but I got down there last week and didn't touch a fish. Long ways to go for no action.

That's why in waiting on what schu and the others say before I go lol

I was going to head down there tomorrow, and another trip is planned for next wednesday.

Think I might try elsewhere tomorrow, though, after seeing that other thread.

well we got to the skook around 11 and walked the fields til 5, didnt touch anything. Tried eggs and an assortment of jigs. Went up to the red gate before leaving and no one was at the plunkers spot, weird, 1 car at the hatchery and two cars at the red gate. Saw a guy heading out as we got there, he said he had been up at the deadline all day and didnt see a fish taken out. So we decided to leave.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that they started netting in January. We may have to wait longer for the fish to build up enough numbers to get past the nets.

been thinking the same thing myself. Was hoping to run into somebody that got lucky to keep my hopes up.

I'm headed down tommorow at 3am. My first time down. Maybe this rain will push em in

good luck!

DannyL wrote:I'm headed down tommorow at 3am. My first time down. Maybe this rain will push em in

highly doubt it, bulk of the run doesn't even come til march I don't know why everyone is freaking out why there are no fish right now when the fish are just now trickling in the nooch and satsop but good luck if you go.

Goodluck! I hope you are one of the lucky ones.

Brat Bonker wrote:

DannyL wrote:I'm headed down tommorow at 3am. My first time down. Maybe this rain will push em in

highly doubt it, bulk of the run doesn't even come til march I don't know why everyone is freaking out why there are no fish right now when the fish are just now trickling in the nooch and satsop but good luck if you go.

Who's freaking out? The fish start showing in February, in march you'll be catching two and three hole punched fish. How long have you been fishing the Skookumchuck Bonker? I'm not surprised that they haven't made their way up yet, with nets in 5 days a week as opposed to 3, we're going to have to wait longer for the fish to build up to higher concentrations. And every trip I've made down there we've hooked at least one fish, and some of those crackered, so there are still some fish hanging around in there.

natetreat wrote:Who's freaking out? The fish start showing in February, in march you'll be catching two and three hole punched fish. How long have you been fishing the Skookumchuck Bonker? I'm not surprised that they haven't made their way up yet, with nets in 5 days a week as opposed to 3, we're going to have to wait longer for the fish to build up to higher concentrations. And every trip I've made down there we've hooked at least one fish, and some of those crackered, so there are still some fish hanging around in there.

Sounds like you are freaking out about the netting, I have been fishing the chuck for 3 year yeah not that long but long enough for me to learn the run and holes to get me 20-30 hook up from there in like maybe 5 trips give or take. Yes fish do go up it in feb but I have caught mostly chromers and a lot more of them in march and not until later part will you see the hole punchers and at most would be 2 punches from a january fish. April is when the recycling really takes place and even in the early part there will still be good fish. The fish start showing in december and January with the first push and then the main run is late feb through march with recycles in april with the occassional fresh one. This is based on what I have learned of course you will oppose it since you are from there so I am willing to here your story too. All I am saying is that right now the nets have some to do with the skook fish but it is mainly the nooch and satsop fish right now.

Brat Bonker wrote:

natetreat wrote:Who's freaking out? The fish start showing in February, in march you'll be catching two and three hole punched fish. How long have you been fishing the Skookumchuck Bonker? I'm not surprised that they haven't made their way up yet, with nets in 5 days a week as opposed to 3, we're going to have to wait longer for the fish to build up to higher concentrations. And every trip I've made down there we've hooked at least one fish, and some of those crackered, so there are still some fish hanging around in there.

Sounds like you are freaking out about the netting, I have been fishing the chuck for 3 year yeah not that long but long enough for me to learn the run and holes to get me 20-30 hook up from there in like maybe 5 trips give or take. Yes fish do go up it in feb but I have caught mostly chromers and a lot more of them in march and not until later part will you see the hole punchers and at most would be 2 punches from a january fish. April is when the recycling really takes place and even in the early part there will still be good fish. The fish start showing in december and January with the first push and then the main run is late feb through march with recycles in april with the occassional fresh one. This is based on what I have learned of course you will oppose it since you are from there so I am willing to here your story too. All I am saying is that right now the nets have some to do with the skook fish but it is mainly the nooch and satsop fish right now.

Hahaha, okay. There are fish in there, and there will be more and more. My backyard was literally the bank of the skookumchuck when I was growing up. We were on a hill, so it didn't flood, but our house was an island. There should be more fish in it right now than there are, that's why there are so many folks fishing it and coming up empty handed. But by all means, everyone stay at home! No fish in the skook, the sky is all fished out. Everyone go to the Nooch! That's where the fish are. Stay away from the Skook until April, nothing to see there.

yeah evreyone go to the hump full of nates or the cow, only an hour away, stay away from the nooch and satsop only small native in there right now terrible fishing.
hire a guide in april for chuck steelhead because there are so many of them that you will need some one to net all the ones you hook. I have also noticed that the crowds seem to slim down a little in march when the cowlitz starts to heats up.

So I was there last year the first week of march and the majority of the fish were dark to very dark and there were ALOT of 2 and 3 hole punched fish. Also there weren't any fish in the field they were all at the hatchery. Pretty sure most or all of those fish had been there for at least a month. I also caught a fish in the skookumchuck when I was there a month ago. Pretty sure they show up quite a bit earlier then march.