Northwest Fishing Reports

This is my first salmon season, and first season fishing rivers. I've done pretty well, but now I'm hitting a dry streak. I know now that the pinks are gone, it slows down considerably, and that's fine. But I've been fishing the Green after work on the weekdays and ever since that heavy rainstorm, I've been having terrible luck (probably not luck, I'm sure it's me).

I drift fish, and I've tried all different sorts of strategies. Different leader lengths, different colors, different number of corks from 1 to 3 (have tried from size 8 to 12), different weights, casting to different sections of the river...and I keep getting skunked.

So....what are some good techniques for drift fishing in high and fast water? I've heard when it's high and fast, to shorten your leader and add weight. I've tried that to no avail. Been trying 3/4 oz, and I can feel it ticking the bottom through the drift, but no hits or pauses, just the normal bottom bounce. I tried 1/2 oz yesterday and it would barely stay on the bottom.

I'm stumped...I'm sure I'm doing something wrong because I see people report getting into fish in the same areas I'm fishing.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

mizm05 wrote:This is my first salmon season, and first season fishing rivers. I've done pretty well, but now I'm hitting a dry streak. I know now that the pinks are gone, it slows down considerably, and that's fine. But I've been fishing the Green after work on the weekdays and ever since that heavy rainstorm, I've been having terrible luck (probably not luck, I'm sure it's me).

I drift fish, and I've tried all different sorts of strategies. Different leader lengths, different colors, different number of corks from 1 to 3 (have tried from size 8 to 12), different weights, casting to different sections of the river...and I keep getting skunked.

So....what are some good techniques for drift fishing in high and fast water? I've heard when it's high and fast, to shorten your leader and add weight. I've tried that to no avail. Been trying 3/4 oz, and I can feel it ticking the bottom through the drift, but no hits or pauses, just the normal bottom bounce. I tried 1/2 oz yesterday and it would barely stay on the bottom.

I'm stumped...I'm sure I'm doing something wrong because I see people report getting into fish in the same areas I'm fishing.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

The Green has been tough lately with the high/colored water. Are you fishing down where it's influenced by the tides? I really haven't heard any favorable reports since Saturday and even those were spotty.
If you want to stick with drift fishing I can only recommend using bait or at least scent as an attractant, but with so much water going through the fish I think are more spread out, so finding a place were they are holding or concentrating in order to get your offering in front of them is the difficult thing. As the water levels and clarity improve and the tide times become favorable again I'm hoping fishing will improve.

Start fishing with a new approach. Don't get me wrong drifting eggs is going to work on dark muddy days with hit and miss results but drifting corkies, take that back to the puyallup where the fish don't know what they hell is going on because they don't see much.

When the green gets muddy and the pinks are gone you are not fishing through schools of 20+ fish, more like 1-5 fish max pass by at a time. That means you need to cover a lot of river with something that is big and visible or something with a lot of scent. Try using plugs at the right spots, spinners that are #5 or bigger or drifting eggs. There is a massive amount of mud in the system right now so fish are looking to breath, that means clean seams, incoming water and then when those are not present the areas of the river that offer cover while they move or wait for clean water. In general drifting corkies will ensure you don't target any of those areas as you are moving down the main rivers flow. I know everyone loves bouncing those weights and talking about how you have to feel the bite that's oh so soft, have the right rod, know when to set the hook. I mean a master can even feel the fish breath and set that puppy up, but my experience is that does not work well on the green in most cases during high water. Now the puke is totally different as is the sky, they don't have a muddy dam regulating flow along with miles of upper muddy corridor. Just my 2cents, but then again I am a drift hater so take it for what it is worth.

I am looking for a fresh perspective, so no offense taken. I fish in Auburn, because it's close to work and home, and bait or scent isn't legal on that section until after 10/15...so we're getting close.

I do look for areas where there are pools, or slow moving water...striking out in those areas as well. I'll have to brush up on spinner, jig and spoon fishing. And once bait is legal I'll try eggs and scent.

Like I said, this is my first salmon and river fishing season...so all I've ever done is drift fish with corks. I'll have to learn the other techniques. Seems like a spinner or jig would float down the river just as fast as a cork with a weight above it.

The fish are out there jumping in plain sight...just can't seem to hook into one.

Thanks for the advice so far.

Stick with drift fishing. Once you really get it down the other methods of catching fish kind of follow in place.
There is to much to learn to try and fish all that gear in your first season.

If drifting in dirty water, I'll use more weight and the biggest corkie size (forgot which # it is), or a big wobble glo. I don't use more than a 2/0 size hook or it will hinder the action & keep your leader length under 2 feet. When the lure is bouncing downstream, it will wiggle back and forth and have good action when it passes by a fish. Sometimes they'll smash it at the end of your drift when it is sitting there wiggling in their face like a plug...

If you want to stick with drift fishing, tie a #1 Dicknite onto the end of your drift rig. Find some deep slow water, and start casting. A super slow retrieve in slow water, seems to work better for me. If you decide to venture down low into Kent and Tukwilla, bait will give you a decent chance at a Coho or two, or three.....

don't stick with drift fishing. fish lures......big, shiny, loud, obnoxious lures. if it were me I'd fish a magnum wiggler in punk pink, orange, or whatever you have confidence in. spoons and spinners are cool too. ol jim has it right.

When the water is colored I fish bright colors. Fluorescent green or orange. As above, Size 1 DN for the win! Also, try casting plugs.

Thanks to all. I'm going to throw the kitchen sink at them and see what works. Also scouting new spots.

I'm headed to Sportco on my lunch break anyways to exchange some waders...so I'll get some spin n' glows, dick nites and plugs. I already have a few Blue Foxes in various colors at the house. I'll give those a shot too.

T-minus 5 days until I can start using bait.

For DN's your top coho producers are as follows:

1) 50/50 (for clearer conditions, but my personal favorite)
2) Frog/Brass Back or Nickel Back
3) Green "Hothead" either Nickel or Brass

No need to buy any other ones, these are THE 3.

The lower Green i plunk or use spinners. The upper river I drift corky yarn on a 1/4 lead. Also if the river is way off colored keep your gear in the grassline where the water is cleanest. I cast out then bring it in close. In Kent near the Meeker bridge Ive caught nice silvers right in the grass lines. Just be careful cuz once you set the hook they'll run. I keep my drag fairly loose.

Thanks to all. I just went to Sportco today on lunch and picked up some new ammo for my arsenal. Picked up a few different #4 Blue Foxes in various colors. Also picked up some #1 Dick Nites in various colors (got 2 of the 3 listed above, didn't see any 50/50).

And I got some spin n' glows as well. Gonna throw everything at them and see what happens.

Also scouting some different areas to see where I can find some slower, and hopefully cleaner water.

aha, i was at sportco too, also picked up some #4 BF's, theyve been out of stock for a while, glad they restocked haha, and yeah the 50/50's are usually the first to go haha,

So here's a dumb question. How the heck do I get the treble hooks off the DN's and the Blue Foxes? I can cut them off, but then how do I get my single point hook on? The ring securing the treble hook to the lure is a solid metal ring. It's not like a coiled ring that you can slide the hook into.

Am I forced to use a siwash hook?

mizm05 wrote:So here's a dumb question. How the heck do I get the treble hooks off the DN's and the Blue Foxes? I can cut them off, but then how do I get my single point hook on? The ring securing the treble hook to the lure is a solid metal ring. It's not like a coiled ring that you can slide the hook into.

Am I forced to use a siwash hook?

The simplest thing to do is just clip off two of the three hooks from the treble, it works but its not the recommended thing to do. Siwash is the way to go and cut the treble off. And the other option if inclined would be to cut the solid metal ring off and replace it with a split ring (coiled metal), so you could attach non-siwash that way. The Dick Nites should already have a single point siwash.

Thanks. I'll look for some small coiled rings at the hardware store.

The Dick Nites do have a single point hook already, but they are #1 DN's and the hook is way too small/flimsy for a salmon.

mizm05 wrote:Thanks. I'll look for some small coiled rings at the hardware store.

The Dick Nites do have a single point hook already, but they are #1 DN's and the hook is way too small/flimsy for a salmon.

I don't think it's recommended to increase the size of the hook on the #1 DN's as it might effect the action of the spoon. But I could be wrong about that. As far as I know people do catch salmon on that little hook. I can't speak from experience because I have yet to hook anything with a #1, but the #2 DN's use a size 4 hook at it's plenty adequate in my experience. I think the #1's use a size 6.
You can buy the stainless steel split rings at Outdoor Emporium or Sportco. They're in the isle with the swivels and duolocks. I use the size 3 split rings for size 4 siwashes and size 2 split rings for the size 6 siwashes. FWIW.

mizm05 wrote:Thanks. I'll look for some small coiled rings at the hardware store.

The Dick Nites do have a single point hook already, but they are #1 DN's and the hook is way too small/flimsy for a salmon.

They work just fine. Make sure to play them out and dont horse them in. Have not broke or bent a DN hook on any of the fish I have hooked with them.

To get the treble off I cut it off.The fishing I do dosent usually allow trebles so I just toss them. When I buy Vibrex or BF they come with a silver single hook to use. If not you can buy Gomakatsus with a open end hook to clamp down shut. I dont like cutting hooks off the trebble It changes the action more that way. JMO