|
Washington Salmon, Steelhead, and Sturgeon Fishing Guides, Charters & Trips
|
|
July coho kickoff sign of Area 10 fish to come
Washington fishing map feature
By Joel Shangle
Fishing and Hunting News
The word out of the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife is that 2001's coho fishery should be even more explosive than last year's, and the 2000 season on resident fish was one of the best in recent memory.
Some reviews of the 2000 season: "We had a phenomenal fishery last year. Two to three years ago, the fish were running 6 pounds and under, and we'd catch maybe two, three fish a day. Last year, we caught a heck of a lot of 10-pound fish. We just caught a lot of fish, period." — Art Johnson, Eagle Enterprise Charters (425-481-4325) in Edmonds "I was pleasantly surprised last year. We were getting coho right off the bat. We had a lot of action, and I can't say we really expected it. We had a lot of nice fish, most running up to around 7 pounds. It was a really good fishery. I can't wait to start again this year." — Dave Morgison, Possession Point Charters (360-652-3797) in Everett If the pros are stoked about the upcoming July 1 opener, you should be, too. With excellent ocean survival priming a silver run expected to exceed last year's by some 30 percent, the backyard opportunity for Seattle- and Edmonds-based anglers should be better this summer than it has been in years. "We had a lot of silvers in early last year," Johnson said. "If (state fish managers) are right and the runs are as strong as they think, we should have a phenomenal fishery." Residents first The bulk of the July fishery will be composed of smaller, resident fish running from 4 to 7 pounds, but, as Johnson points out, the number of 8-, 9- and 10-pound fish in last year's catch could easily be duplicated this season. "I was surprised by the number of 10- to 12-pound fish we caught," he said. "Most of these fish are the 5-pound residents, but there are a few big, nice fish in here too." The heart of the big oceangoing runs start to show up in August, building through a late September peak. But, unlike last year — when the fishery was closed from Sept. 16 to Oct. 1 — Area 10 stays open without interruption through October. And even though you can't keep them until Nov. 1, you'll likely be shaking off numerous kings throughout the July, August and September coho fishery. "Last year we couldn't keep the kings off," Morgison said. "We had some days where it was constant action — we'd catch one king after another, just fishing for coho. You can't help but catch them." Get rippin' Start looking for early coho in the tide rips, from the Area 9 border down to Blake Island. Look for active fish on top, especially early in the morning, and fish shallow, working deeper as the morning progresses. "The key is to find the tide rips, and look for jumpers," Morgison said. "I'll usually fish them from 15 to 30 feet down, but I've caught coho as deep as 50 feet. They're generally not going to be very deep, but you really have to experiment with your depth. You'll find them at almost any depth." Spoon fed They don't call it the Coho Killer for nothing. Morgison is one of a handful of area charter captains who swear by a light green Coho Killer trolled behind a red or green Alaskan Eagle or Hot Spot flasher. "That green Coho Killer is a good lure," he said. "For silvers, I really like anything in green, but I've done awfully well on the Coho Killer." Silver Horde or Kingfisher spoons also are effective, and a Grand Slam Bucktail is another killer bet for coho, especially when you get in the middle of an early-morning surface bite. They'll also nail a white or green hoochie trolled behind a flasher, or plain cut-plug herring. If you stick with a plain herring with no flasher, downsize to a long, light action rod. Target zones The majority of the best coho spots lie on the west side of the Sound, from Appletree Cove to Point Monroe. The bulk of the pressure will fall on Jefferson Head, where trollers will work the outside of the bar that runs along shore from President Point south around Jeff Head. "I like to run the shelves down there, all the way down to the south end, right off the end of it," Johnson said. "It runs along at 80 feet and then drops off to 240 feet in a hurry. On the incoming tide, I fish the outside. On the outgo, I'll get in front of the yellow house and work in closer." It's the same drill further north at Kingston, except that the shelf dives off in front of the ferry dock. If you're running out of Edmonds, you might think about buzzing through Edwards Point on the way across to Jeff Head. Further south, target Point Monroe and straight across to Meadow Point. Later in the season, as the ocean-running fish start to show, fish the northwest side for fish charging around Point No Point and heading south out of Admiralty Inlet toward South Sound.
|
|
|
Copyright © 2005
|
