By Mark Yuasa Now that ocean salmon fisheries have concluded, it’s time for anglers to shift attention to estuaries and lower tributaries as fish migrate upstream heading into autumn. One area garnering plenty of notice lately is Willapa Bay where a king forecast of 36,805 (32,674 are of hatchery origin) have started to appear in […]
Smoking salmon can be as easy or difficult as you make it. By using the highest quality salmon, however, you can produce a very high quality smoked fish product using even the most basic recipe and ingredients. Don’t be fooled into thinking the spawned out old boot that you just caught on the river is “good […]
The rivers are nothing more than a trickle here in Western Washington right now so why would I be blabbing about three new Kwikfish colors from Luhr Jensen? Because one of these days the skies will open up and the rivers they will rise. And when they do you’ll wish you had these plugs in […]
I’ve always liked to have a handful of twitching jigs in my box tied up with Flashabou. The smaller 1/4 ounce jigs have been a favorite of mine in low and clear water for years and lately I’ve found that larger jigs tied with some bling will also hammer the cohos in the fall. The […]
Derek Floyd of Reel Class Charters in Sitka, Alaska is a marked man. Without question, he is in the crosshairs of every "salmon sharpshooter" participating in the upcoming Anacortes Salmon Derby. His recent success in the past couple seasons of the Northwest Salmon Derby Series is unprecedented…and very impressive! We're talking wins and in the […]
For the second year in a row, I've had the opportunity to fish the Marine Area 8 & 9 opener to "scout" or pre-fish the opening event of the Northwest Salmon Derby Series, the Bayside Marine Derby. Usually, there are a few "easy" fish available on opening day and you get a good read on […]
One of my favorite regional salmon fishing opportunities is our local summer chinook season. The Marine Area 9 & 10 selective harvest opportunity dates back to 2007 when, after several years of closures, the north central Sound again got to fish for summer kings. “I hope anglers remember how we got here” states Tony Floor, […]
BY JOHN WHITLATCH. It all started with an unexpected phone call about 18 yrs ago. I had just graduated from high school and was struggling to become a professional fishing guide. The summer days were growing long and warm when my neighbor and long time family friend Randy Bovy called. He wanted to take his […]
It's been said by wiser men that I that "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity". Well, the Marine Area 7/ San Juan Island opener is surely an opportunity and all the fishing we've been doing up north definitely counts as preparation. Bolstered by our experience in southeast Alaska and the reports coming from Nootka and points south, the […]
The June first river opener on several area streams has been marked on many an anglers schedule for many a day. Why??? Most Puget Sound rivers closed on February 28th -if not earlier- so to the opportunistic angler paying close attention might observe that the salmon and steelhead have been unmolested for at least three […]
