chum fishing in puget sound

[maxxy]

I just started fishing for salmon this season and I'm still new to it. Now that the pink salmon run is over, I want to try fishing for another type of salmon and I have found that chums are coming up. I was wondering can you catch chum salmon in the puget sound bank fishing? If so, where, when, and what lures do you use to catch these salmon?

[Jerry H]

Hoodsport hatchery. Green corky's, green spoons, green spinners. Get the idea if it's green give it a try. The fish will go 7 to 10 pounds and fight hard. About the 2nd week in November. Take your wadders fish the incoming tide and be ready for a combat fishery. Read the regs. and stay off the private property or expect a visit from the sherrif.

['OL GREY DOG]

big run of dogs comes up the Nisqually Nov-Dec .. i'm not a banky but they run up the eastern shore of PS... so sth of the Narrows ... i know there's a public acess in Dupont .. Anderson Island ferry dock ...dont know how much shore there is .. it'd take some research 'n some nose'n around(road trip) Steilicum ? maybe ....there's a public pier on Fox Island .. but i dont know nuthin about that either ... maybe 1 of the bankys .. will chime in.. <shrugs> all i got ... DOG

[natetreat]

Find a river that lets you keep chum and go to the mouth. Google maps is you best friend. http://tinyurl.com/a4uxwk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Mike Carey]

better news - these fish can get to the 15-20 range and they are TOUGH and hard fighting! I'm sure we'll start seeing reports coming in soon. Late October into November will be prime time. Thanksgiving Day is always a date that sticks in my mind as I had a great day on the Sky at Monroe years ago, catching huge "dogs".

Here's a good article from Bob Johansen:

http://www.washingtonlakes.com/ReadArticle.aspx?id=307

Also, if you use the "search" page of the main site you can find more articles:

http://www.washingtonlakes.com/Search.aspx

[BARCHASER10]

I've heard rumors, never tried it myself, that the Tulalip bubble can be good for Chums. The hatchery raises them I've heard.

[Toni]

How about in a boat in Area 11? Any one have information on that?

I can only find reports for rivers.

[Bodofish]

The only way I've ever caught Chums in the Salt proper, not estuary is with a net.

[ignorantfisherman]

I get chum in the puyallup in the lower river. check out this post from last year on my blog.

http://fishingthepuyallup.blogspot.com/ ... -2010.html

[Toni]

I get chum in the puyallup in the lower river. check out this post from last year on my blog.

http://fishingthepuyallup.blogspot.com/ ... -2010.html

Yes, I have seen river reports. I was hoping for information on catching in the saltwater.

[Bodofish]

Toni, please see my previous post. Chums are kind of like Socks in the salt, they just don't bite on what you're going to offer.

[Toni]

The only way I've ever caught Chums in the Salt proper, not estuary is with a net.

Toni, please see my previous post. Chums are kind of like Socks in the salt, they just don't bite on what you're going to offer.

Are you saying that one can't catch chum in the salt?

[Bodofish]

In 40 plus years of fishing Puget Sound, commercially and recreationally I have never seen a Chum caught on hook and line in the salt water. I'm not saying it can't be done so I won't say you're wasting your time either. I would not take the time to try, nor would I recommend anyone else take the time.

That being said I would have to say, you would be hard pressed to get an answer to your original question. Remember we're talking about fishing. On any given day.... And yes big sharks have been caught in Puget Sound.

In area 11 I don't know of any Chum hot spots. Area 13, well Case inlet the closer to Belfair and the hatchery you get the better chance you have. Again estuary not what I would call salt water. Hood Canal, around the hook by the hatchery, again estuary, not salt water. Pretty much any river that has a chum population, you could fish the mouth. There are several creeks in the SeaTac area that have chum but I don't know the names, just that runs were started by some schools.

The lure of choice? Big gaudy spinners and or flies. I've also caught them on warts and quickfish. Orange and purple, colors of choice.

Now you know what I know, git out there and catch one.

[natetreat]

I used to catch them in area 13 off the bridge by my dads house with a bobber and herring. We'd get them on spinners as well. Blue Fox.

[oneshot]

bank fishing salt for chums.

HOODSPORT!

[BARCHASER10]

Inthe 80s and 90s I used to use the sling launch at Edmonds but the last 10 years it got too expensive, like 25 bucks the last time I launched there. It used to be fairly common to get Chums at Jeff Head. There was one year I went out twice off of Kingston and the Chums were stacked up there and we limited twice quickly. Mostly Chums are an incidental catch while fishing for late Silvers or early Blackmouth.

The few times we got Chums it was with a glo green hot spot and glo green squids. The value of Chums has gone up a lot! The commercials have targeted them the last few years mostly for the rowe. The Chum run in the Sky has not been that great the last few years, I suspect cause the commercials are now targeting them.

[BARCHASER10]

The fishchecker at Everett is counting the odd Chum now and then but certainly not worth targeting them. They counted a grand total of 5 in the last week.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/creel/puget/ ... entral.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you want Chums from the shore, take a look at Johns Creek mouth. They counted 6 for 11 on 10/20.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/creel/puget/ ... /south.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[oneshot]

the commercials wiped out the snoho/sky run a few years back.. roe was at an all time high $$$
now you cannot target Chum in this system because the numbers are so small.. :( prime example of over fishing.

[jens]

[quote="oneshot"]bank fishing salt for chums.

HOODSPORT![/quote

How does everyone fish for them out there? I will be fishing out of a boat.

[Bodofish]

I can see from the responses that I'm pretty darn spot on. Every where the cums have been caught is in an estuary or at the mouth of a stream. Not what I would call the salt. You're all sure to disagree, that's OK. I'm not really sure where the bridge by your dads house is but a very large portion of area 13 is estuary and they spawn in almost every little creek available. Kingston and Jeff head both have large estuaries. Chum will spawn in the brackish water. Hoodsport, that's the Skok. the hatchery, both estuary. The mouth of Johns creek..... speaks for its self. As far as commercials targeting chum, it's been a comercial game from the early 70's and before, nothing new. They're the choice of most smokers. Salmon and Chips at Ivars, guess who? Just move East a state or two and that fine salmon dinner could very easily be chum. I've bought fish from salmon trollers off the coast and Alaska for many years and you could count all the chums they've brought in on one hand. Very incidental.

Has anyone caught a chum at Neah Bay, Seku, PA, anywhere in the Straits? How about the San Juans? Anywhere you could catch a silver bright?