Since I was a boy, I have been fishing for almost 30 years here in Washington State. Having fished both in rivers and in lakes around this state, I have found quite a few spots that are my favorites to catch fish.
For my first favorite place, I personally like the Cowlitz River in Lewis County. It has two fish hatcheries and there's a lot of places to find if you are willing to do some exploring. If you have access to a boat, it is a large river system to find good holes to fish. The Cowlitz has great summer and winter Steelhead runs; as well as King and Coho runs in Fall and Spring.
Next is the Nisqually River and it is a decent river in Thurston county. The river doesn't have a lot of access but does produce some nice size salmon. It has King, Coho, and Chum runs of salmon; all of the steelhead that once ran in this river have been wiped out by nets (what a shame). This river is close by for me, but when fishing this river you should go on days that the nets are not in the river. The Native Americans place their nets in the river starting on Sunday at noon until Wednesday at noon according to the treaty in place. This river needs to be fished on the incoming or outgoing tide, refer to the tide reports when planning to fish this river.
The Skokomish River in Mason County is an excellent river and makes my 3rd pick. The downside to this river is it is small and is very crowded. A lot of the people that go to this river regularly like to snag the fish and seem proud of it; that is not fishing to me, that's cheating and should warrant a ticket or have their gear confiscated and lose their license forever. The river produces very nice fish and has runs of King, Coho, and Chum. This river also has nets that are placed regularly and has a "no barb" hook rule, so remember to always clip or remove the barb or simply buy some barbless hooks.
The Kalama River in Cowlitz County is a very small river system but produces some nice fish; Steelhead, King, and Coho species. For being such a small river, there is quite a bit of bank access, it is very slow moving, and influenced by the Columbia River.
Kennedy Creek in Mason County is excellent choice for Chums in early fall; this is a fun place to take the kids if they want to catch a salmon. The fishing here is influenced by the tide and there's a ton of fish. Be sure to bring your waders and/or rubber boots as you will need them, especially when the tide goes out, you can go on the tide flats and have an awesome day of fishing. My daughter caught her first salmon here and had many hook ups during the day on a Barbie pole. The best colors to use are green, pink, or purple for these fish. They aren't good for dinner or the BBQ due to the oil content they have but I still like to bring a few home and smoke them if they aren't too dark. They are loads of fun to catch and fight hard.
Offut Lake in Thurston County is a good place for rainbow trout. This lake is very good for a boat but not very much bank access. You can also pay $3.00 to $5.00 to fish off the dock at the campground; however, there is a warm spring about 30 yards off the end of the dock and fishermen usually do pretty well here when the fish are biting.
Mineral Lake in Lewis County is an awesome choice for huge rainbows up to 14.5 lbs. Everyone is not going to catch this big of a fish, but it is always possible when fishing here. The best way to catch one of these huge fish is by fishing with Berkley Power Bait. The biggest downfall to this lake is that is very crowded when the fishing is good. I wouldn't even attempt to fish here on opening day unless I arrived a day or two in advance with my RV (no tents allowed).
These are just some of the locations I have had good results with when fishing for salmon or trout. Give them a try and see what kind of luck you have.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Identifying Types of Salmon
Hi readers, sorry about not posting for awhile but with driving truck I have been in and out of town and working the night shift and my sleeping schedule is all messed up, I will be posting more regularly when this job comes to an end and I am home everyday.
I have fished for all the types of salmon which are very smart fish. Once you fish for salmon, you will be hooked for life. This is how to identify the major types of salmon.
The Chinook (King) salmon is the largest of all the salmon species. They usually range from small jacks all the way up to the monsters that you can catch in Alaska on the Kenai river. They love salmon eggs, but are sometimes very lazy and will not chase the bait. They will usually only take it if the bait is put right in front of their nose. I love to fish for these as they aren't really acrobatic; but, when on the end of a fishing line they just try to out muscle you. Sometimes they use their weight to sit on the bottom after being caught or they can also take off like a freight train down the river in an attempt to spool all the line off of your reel (which has happened to me 1 day in Canada in the Veder River; I was spooled 5 times in 1 day and I was hooked). The Chinook have a black mouth and black gums (also sometimes referred to as Black Mouths) and round spots on the lobes of the tail.
(photo credit: BC Fish and Wildlife)
The Pink (Humpy) salmon is a small species of salmon usually about 8 pounds at the most and when in the spawning phase develop a hump on their back. Do not fool yourself as these small fish fight for every pound they are worth. These fish return to the rivers of the Pacific Northwest every odd calendar year. These fish love pink colored tackle such as spoons, spinners, and corkies. They have a white mouth with black gums and an off white belly when they enter the fresh water.
(photo credit: BC Fish and Wildlife)
The Coho (Silver) salmon are a very acrobatic fish and love to chase hardware (spoons and spinners as opposed to bait in the river system). They usually range 10 lbs to 20-25 lbs at the high range. When identifying these fish, look for their black tongue, black mouth, and white gums. They also have a few round spots on the upper lobe of the tail only.
(photo credit: BC Fish and Wildlife
The Chum (Dog) salmon are also very acrobatic fish and love to bite on the colors green, purple, pink, and black. They will also nibble on eggs. Dog Salmon are known as the second largest of the salmon species and range from 10 lbs to 25 lbs and in some rare instances, much higher. They are referred to Dog Salmon because when they enter the fresh water they develop canine-like teeth; the bite from these is very painful as their teeth are very sharp. When taking a hook out of the mouths, take extra precautions to not get bit. When identifying them in the fresh water (such as the river), look for large purple bars running from back to belly and they have no spots on their backs or tails.
(photo credit: BC Fish and Wildlife) This is a picture of the ocean phase when they are still very silver.
(photo credit: Yukon River Panel)As soon as they hit fresh water when they come up river to spawn, they start to change color getting ready to spawn.
Sockeye Salmon is a very small salmon species but fight very well and fight hard for their small size. They usually range from 5 lbs - 10 lbs in weight. In my experiences, they have bit on yarn and corkies. Colors will depend on the visibility in the water. They have a blue backs(commonly referred to as Blue Backs), no spots on their tails, large scales, and small black speckles on their bodies.
(photo credit: BC Fish and Wildlife)
Resources:
1. Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife
2. Wilderness Classroom.com
3. Sport Fish of BC and other fish information
4. Yukon River Panel
I have fished for all the types of salmon which are very smart fish. Once you fish for salmon, you will be hooked for life. This is how to identify the major types of salmon.
The Chinook (King) salmon is the largest of all the salmon species. They usually range from small jacks all the way up to the monsters that you can catch in Alaska on the Kenai river. They love salmon eggs, but are sometimes very lazy and will not chase the bait. They will usually only take it if the bait is put right in front of their nose. I love to fish for these as they aren't really acrobatic; but, when on the end of a fishing line they just try to out muscle you. Sometimes they use their weight to sit on the bottom after being caught or they can also take off like a freight train down the river in an attempt to spool all the line off of your reel (which has happened to me 1 day in Canada in the Veder River; I was spooled 5 times in 1 day and I was hooked). The Chinook have a black mouth and black gums (also sometimes referred to as Black Mouths) and round spots on the lobes of the tail.
(photo credit: BC Fish and Wildlife)The Pink (Humpy) salmon is a small species of salmon usually about 8 pounds at the most and when in the spawning phase develop a hump on their back. Do not fool yourself as these small fish fight for every pound they are worth. These fish return to the rivers of the Pacific Northwest every odd calendar year. These fish love pink colored tackle such as spoons, spinners, and corkies. They have a white mouth with black gums and an off white belly when they enter the fresh water.
(photo credit: BC Fish and Wildlife)The Coho (Silver) salmon are a very acrobatic fish and love to chase hardware (spoons and spinners as opposed to bait in the river system). They usually range 10 lbs to 20-25 lbs at the high range. When identifying these fish, look for their black tongue, black mouth, and white gums. They also have a few round spots on the upper lobe of the tail only.
(photo credit: BC Fish and WildlifeThe Chum (Dog) salmon are also very acrobatic fish and love to bite on the colors green, purple, pink, and black. They will also nibble on eggs. Dog Salmon are known as the second largest of the salmon species and range from 10 lbs to 25 lbs and in some rare instances, much higher. They are referred to Dog Salmon because when they enter the fresh water they develop canine-like teeth; the bite from these is very painful as their teeth are very sharp. When taking a hook out of the mouths, take extra precautions to not get bit. When identifying them in the fresh water (such as the river), look for large purple bars running from back to belly and they have no spots on their backs or tails.
(photo credit: BC Fish and Wildlife) This is a picture of the ocean phase when they are still very silver.
(photo credit: Yukon River Panel)As soon as they hit fresh water when they come up river to spawn, they start to change color getting ready to spawn.Sockeye Salmon is a very small salmon species but fight very well and fight hard for their small size. They usually range from 5 lbs - 10 lbs in weight. In my experiences, they have bit on yarn and corkies. Colors will depend on the visibility in the water. They have a blue backs(commonly referred to as Blue Backs), no spots on their tails, large scales, and small black speckles on their bodies.
(photo credit: BC Fish and Wildlife)Resources:
1. Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife
2. Wilderness Classroom.com
3. Sport Fish of BC and other fish information
4. Yukon River Panel
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Drift Fishing Rig Set up for the River
This is my favorite way to fish when on the river to target fish, whether the fish are on the move or if they are holding in a certain area to get some much needed energy for their journey. Drift fishing to me is fun because I don't get bored and I'am always moving around, this is especially good for me when it gets cold outside and I tend to stay warm when drift fishing.
I like to use a variety of attractants when drift fishing; whether it be yarn (which comes in many different colors and sometimes with some scent attractant), lures, salmon egg clusters, or sand shrimp. I also like to change the color of yarn often if one color isn't working maybe a different color will work, and there's nothing that says you have to use only one color at a time and sometimes I use two or three colors at a time just to give a little different presentation to the fish.
What you will need to set up a drift fishing rig is: a 1/0 hook (I like Owner Hooks, they have a nasty little barb and point on them), 15-25 pound leader line, 2 swivels, pencil lead (which you can melt yourself from old wheel weights or you can purchase a small coil of it from the local fishing store), surgical tubing(small enough in diameter to hold the pencil lead tightly), and finally a corkie of your choice of color(I find that kings like red, peach, green, black, purple, and pink).
You must tie an egg loop on the hook if you intend to use any kind of yarn or bait when drift fishing, after the egg loop has been tied you can choose the color of corkie you plan to use and slide it down the leader line to the eye of the hook.
The next step is to decide if you want your weight to be fixed or sliding; by using the sliding weight the fish will not sense the weight is there when the fish takes the bait, start by using more lead than what you think you may need because you can always cut your lead down but if you don't cut enough it won't be heavy enough to get your presentation down in the water to where the fish can see it. Cut the lead with needle nose pliers to the desired length and then cut a piece of surgical tubing big enough to hold the weight and still have a little bit left over to secure to the swivel.
The last step is to tie on a swivel on the main line and just above that slide another swivel and attach the pencil lead to that swivel for a sliding weight. Then choose to fish with either yarn or the bait of your choice and remember to cast 1/4 upriver and let the rig drift downriver, if the rig is getting hung up on the bottom, you have too much weight and need to cut some off, you should feel it hit the bottom and continue downriver "tick tick ticking along the bottom of the river" is perfect.
I also like to set up a few different rigs before I go fishing without the corkie and weight and just tie a few leaders and place them in my Pips Leader Keeper and this way I can always be ready to just pull a tied leader out and slide on the corkie, this is especially helpful when the bite is on and I have just lost my hook set up to a fish or if the rig gets stuck under rocks or any other object.
I like to use a variety of attractants when drift fishing; whether it be yarn (which comes in many different colors and sometimes with some scent attractant), lures, salmon egg clusters, or sand shrimp. I also like to change the color of yarn often if one color isn't working maybe a different color will work, and there's nothing that says you have to use only one color at a time and sometimes I use two or three colors at a time just to give a little different presentation to the fish.
What you will need to set up a drift fishing rig is: a 1/0 hook (I like Owner Hooks, they have a nasty little barb and point on them), 15-25 pound leader line, 2 swivels, pencil lead (which you can melt yourself from old wheel weights or you can purchase a small coil of it from the local fishing store), surgical tubing(small enough in diameter to hold the pencil lead tightly), and finally a corkie of your choice of color(I find that kings like red, peach, green, black, purple, and pink).
You must tie an egg loop on the hook if you intend to use any kind of yarn or bait when drift fishing, after the egg loop has been tied you can choose the color of corkie you plan to use and slide it down the leader line to the eye of the hook.
The next step is to decide if you want your weight to be fixed or sliding; by using the sliding weight the fish will not sense the weight is there when the fish takes the bait, start by using more lead than what you think you may need because you can always cut your lead down but if you don't cut enough it won't be heavy enough to get your presentation down in the water to where the fish can see it. Cut the lead with needle nose pliers to the desired length and then cut a piece of surgical tubing big enough to hold the weight and still have a little bit left over to secure to the swivel.
The last step is to tie on a swivel on the main line and just above that slide another swivel and attach the pencil lead to that swivel for a sliding weight. Then choose to fish with either yarn or the bait of your choice and remember to cast 1/4 upriver and let the rig drift downriver, if the rig is getting hung up on the bottom, you have too much weight and need to cut some off, you should feel it hit the bottom and continue downriver "tick tick ticking along the bottom of the river" is perfect.
I also like to set up a few different rigs before I go fishing without the corkie and weight and just tie a few leaders and place them in my Pips Leader Keeper and this way I can always be ready to just pull a tied leader out and slide on the corkie, this is especially helpful when the bite is on and I have just lost my hook set up to a fish or if the rig gets stuck under rocks or any other object.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
How to set up a plunking rig for the river
On this post I will include pictures on the steps on making a plunking rig; by definition a plunking rig in the river is used to place the bait on the bottom of the river with either salmon eggs, or prawns, or a combination of both to attract the migrating salmon to make the salmon mad and entice it to strike at the bait.
You will need the following items to make a plunking rig: I prefer to use a 1/0 hook by Owner, 15-25lb. test fishing line leader, a 3-way swivel, a spin-n-glow(these come in a variety of colors and sizes and each is used for certain times of day, water color, etc. and have wings to make them spin at a high rate of speed in the water and make a "humming" or "buzzing" sound to attract fish), a small red bead, and a 3-5 oz. pyramid weight (this size of weight depends upon how fast the current is and how deep the water is, and also a good pair of sharp scissors or fisherman's clippers, you will also need a good fishing reel (I like Abu Garcia) and a good fishing pole (I like Lamiglas fishing rods as well as G Loomis for salmon and steelhead fishing), and a small fishing bell for the end of your fishing pole.
(supplies needed for plunking rig)
You begin by tying the main line from your fishing pole to the 3 way swivel; I like to use a simple fast knot when doing this, the clinch knot. After you have tied the swivel you cut a piece of leader to the desired length and tie your leader to the hook, for this knot you must use tie the egg loop in order for you to be able to fish with bait (salmon egg clusters or a prawn that has been brined and cured).
(tying to 3 way swivel)
After you have tied the egg loop to your hook, you use a small red bead and slide it on the leader and then choose a color and size spin-n-glo and slide it on the leader ahead of the small red bead and then tie your leader line with the hook and spin-n-glo to one eye of the 3 way swivel. (see video for egg loop instructions)
(what your rig should look like once your spin-n-glo and bead is placed)
The last step is to tie a small length of leader line onto the third eye of the swivel and then tie the loose end to the pyramid weight. Don't forget to put your eggs in the egg loop and pull the leader line taught, but not too tight or else it will cut the bait in half. You are now ready to "plunk" for salmon or steelhead.
(attaching the pyramid weight to the rig)
When you cast you line into the water you have to make sure you cast a bit upriver because the current will drag your set up a little ways down river about 3-6 feet before settling on the bottom,(if it does not settle on the bottom you need more weight) after it has settled to the bottom make sure to crank the reel a few times and feel with you fingers if the line has a "hum" to it and then clip on your fishing bell to the end of you pole and when a fish takes the bait, the bell will start to ring and then simply set the hook and hold on for an awesome fight with a spectacularly strong fish and be sure not to get too excited and "horse" the fish in because this will only break the line and you will loose the fish.
You will need the following items to make a plunking rig: I prefer to use a 1/0 hook by Owner, 15-25lb. test fishing line leader, a 3-way swivel, a spin-n-glow(these come in a variety of colors and sizes and each is used for certain times of day, water color, etc. and have wings to make them spin at a high rate of speed in the water and make a "humming" or "buzzing" sound to attract fish), a small red bead, and a 3-5 oz. pyramid weight (this size of weight depends upon how fast the current is and how deep the water is, and also a good pair of sharp scissors or fisherman's clippers, you will also need a good fishing reel (I like Abu Garcia) and a good fishing pole (I like Lamiglas fishing rods as well as G Loomis for salmon and steelhead fishing), and a small fishing bell for the end of your fishing pole.
(supplies needed for plunking rig)You begin by tying the main line from your fishing pole to the 3 way swivel; I like to use a simple fast knot when doing this, the clinch knot. After you have tied the swivel you cut a piece of leader to the desired length and tie your leader to the hook, for this knot you must use tie the egg loop in order for you to be able to fish with bait (salmon egg clusters or a prawn that has been brined and cured).
(tying to 3 way swivel)After you have tied the egg loop to your hook, you use a small red bead and slide it on the leader and then choose a color and size spin-n-glo and slide it on the leader ahead of the small red bead and then tie your leader line with the hook and spin-n-glo to one eye of the 3 way swivel. (see video for egg loop instructions)
(what your rig should look like once your spin-n-glo and bead is placed)The last step is to tie a small length of leader line onto the third eye of the swivel and then tie the loose end to the pyramid weight. Don't forget to put your eggs in the egg loop and pull the leader line taught, but not too tight or else it will cut the bait in half. You are now ready to "plunk" for salmon or steelhead.
(attaching the pyramid weight to the rig)When you cast you line into the water you have to make sure you cast a bit upriver because the current will drag your set up a little ways down river about 3-6 feet before settling on the bottom,(if it does not settle on the bottom you need more weight) after it has settled to the bottom make sure to crank the reel a few times and feel with you fingers if the line has a "hum" to it and then clip on your fishing bell to the end of you pole and when a fish takes the bait, the bell will start to ring and then simply set the hook and hold on for an awesome fight with a spectacularly strong fish and be sure not to get too excited and "horse" the fish in because this will only break the line and you will loose the fish.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Upcoming blog entries
I have decided on a few new blog entries which I'am really looking forward to doing very soon; one of which is on how to tie a spin-n-glow (I have about 50 different colors of these and different sizes) rig set up and the other is how to tie a corkie rig(I have about 150 different sizes and colors); the spin-n-glow is typically used for what we call plunking (where we use a pyramid style weight large enough to let the rig set on the bottom of the river sometimes about 3-4 oz. with a cluster of eggs and let the fish find the bait) and the corkie rig set up is typically used for drift fishing where we use a small pencil lead that has been placed in surgical tubing to match the diameter of the pencil lead, casting upriver and letting the rig drift through a section of river attempting to make a salmon mad and hopefully therefore chase it and bites it, as salmon are teritorrial.
There are also many different colors of fishing yarn(I have about 20 different colors) that can be tied on the corkie rig; when yarn is used it gets caught in the teeth ot the fish and makes it harder for the fish to spit the hook and get loose.
I will include pictures on both rigs and each step taken to tie the two different rigs and also include some pictures with yarn and also eggs. I will also be showing how to fillet a fish, some more recipes, as well as some hunting tips when I start hunting this fall for deer. Keep checking back for both of the above posts and the pictures; these will be coming very soon. You may also subscribe to my blog and when I make these entries you will be notified. Until next time...Good day.
There are also many different colors of fishing yarn(I have about 20 different colors) that can be tied on the corkie rig; when yarn is used it gets caught in the teeth ot the fish and makes it harder for the fish to spit the hook and get loose.
I will include pictures on both rigs and each step taken to tie the two different rigs and also include some pictures with yarn and also eggs. I will also be showing how to fillet a fish, some more recipes, as well as some hunting tips when I start hunting this fall for deer. Keep checking back for both of the above posts and the pictures; these will be coming very soon. You may also subscribe to my blog and when I make these entries you will be notified. Until next time...Good day.
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