The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/all/20060324022249/http://www.steelhead-salmon-fishing.com/Skykomish_Summer.htm

Washington Salmon, Steelhead, and Sturgeon Fishing Guides, Charters & Trips

 

Steelhead Fishing Washington 30 pound Native 2-08-05! Fishing Washington Skykomish River    Salmon Fishing Columbia River Kings Drano Lake, ask about Combo Sturgeon Fishing trips   Washington Sturgeon Fishing Columbia River Fishing Keeper Sturgeon Fishing         

 

Summer on the Sky means steelies, chinook
Washington fishing map feature
  •  
  • View Map SULTAN, Wash. — You'll have to pardon us for being a little gunshy about predicting fish runs.

     

     

    Still a little sore over the "Great Columbia Springer Debacle of 2005" (not to mention the "Great Columbia Springer Debacle of 2004") we've decided to err on the side of caution in regards to the summer-run steelhead and chinook season on the Skykomish River.

    Perhaps there may possibly be a number of fish, which could enter the river system at some point.

    OK, so that's a bit overboard, but the point is, instead of competing with Mother Nature and mercurial creatures like migrating fish, we'll first stick with what we know as gospel:

     

  • The season opener on June 1 — even though it was on a Wednesday — saw plenty of jet-sled traffic below Sultan and a flotilla of drift boats between Gold Bar and Startup. But a fair number of North End river rats likely will shift their opening-week attentions further north, to the concurrent Skagit River chinook opener.
  •  
  • If we're fortunate enough to connect with a bright chinook in early June, we'll be able to keep him this year ('Nooky season didn't open until the middle of June last year).
  •  
  • Water conditions will likely vary between marginal-to-high, to scraping-the-bottom low, all within the space of a month.
  •  
  • OK, so there will be fish to catch. We just ain't saying how many.

    Eye on the Sky

    The first bit of advice about steelhead and chinook on the Sky is to forget the very recent past on the Columbia system and pay attention to the indicators that drive the Snohomish system's chinook and steelhead fisheries.

    "The Columbia springer runs and Snohomish system runs are absolutely two different things. From what I hear, there are fish out front already."

    "The early reports from commercial test fisheries are very, very positive, and if we get good early returns to Tulalip Bay, we should also see good early returns to the Sky. Those two runs are, for all intents and purposes, one and the same."

    One more little reminder about the Sky's relation to Tulalip: Remember the last few days of the recent blackmouth season in Marine Area 8-2?

    It was a pretty well-kept secret, but the handful of sharpies who worked the Tulalip area hard in April caught more honest-to-God springers than resident blackmouth.

    Water we going to do?

    The summer season of 2004 was pretty well defined by razor-thin water, which severely limited the chinook hunters in the crowd (more on this later).

    The first few days of the '05 season, though, could see significantly more water in the Sky: NOAA's long-range forecasts for Western Washington call for rains throughout the end of May, which could/should translate into higher water and lower visibility than early-season '04.

    "Rain is the wild card, but if the rain and cool spring continues, I'd expect marginal to slightly high water on the opener,"

    "Last year, we had a large snowpack and no precipitation in May. This year, it's no snowpack and a wetter late spring.

    Of course, this will all change rapidly if (we) get a dry June. By July, bring a gallon of water to the river if you come."

     
     
    At a glance
    What: Skykomish River summer steelhead and chinook

    When: Season opened June 1 for both species.

    Where: Jet sledders can run from Sultan all the way down to Monroe (and farther, if they want), but the pressure center on this fishery is between Sultan and Ben Howard.  You'll find mixed bank access (Cracker Bar, Ben Howard Road, Monroe, etc.) up and down the river.

    How: Eggs, eggs, eggs. Plugs and bait divers are standard choices if you're backing a drift boat, but the jetsled brigade will unload a ton of eggs in the Sky's first month.

    Info:
    Eli Rico
    Hot Shot
    Guide Service
    425-417-0394

    Fish it and they will come

    If you're part of the circus at the Sultan launch on the opener, you're likely stocked up on well-cured eggs.

    If you're not, you should be, because the Sky's kings will bite eggs as readily as plugs.

    "The No. 1 option, Plan A, if you're fishing out of a sled platform, is to swing eggs," Nelson advises.

    "The most successful dudes will be the ones who hit the water with bait right off the bat. You have to remember, there's some overlap of steelhead and chinook water on the Sky — you'll find steelhead in shallow riffles early and the kings will be more in the gut of the holes, but there are plenty of places on the Sky where those two water conditions are side by side. The species you're targeting will be more a function of the kind of water you fish rather than your technique, because the Sky's kings are egg biters."

    On the flipside, the Sky's steelhead will bite a plug too. That means that the driftboat-backing brigade should consider a combination of FatFish or Hot Shots and some form of bait on at least one rod.

    "If I was backing a drift boat down the Sky, I'd have a couple of fire tiger FatFish out, but I'd also tie on a Hot-N-Tot with a 6-foot leader and a gob of eggs. Multi-tasking, my friend!"

    King for a day

    The Skagit's king hunters will likely be rolling out the big banana plugs when that fishery opens this year for the first time in years, but those big Kwikies and FlatFish are much less likely to entice a Skykomish king into biting.

    I'll run FatFish, but I seriously doubt I'll roll out any of the Magnums. If there's any issue with visibility early in the season, I'll slow down the presentation and add some bait.

    Bait divers are dynamite ways to catch both steelhead and chinook, but I'd keep the big plugs in the box."

    The friendly Sky

    Back to those predictions: "There will always be steelhead in the Sky on opening day," said Nelson.

    "It doesn't matter what else is happening out there, the dudes who know what they're doing will catch fish."

    Places those dudes will hit hard: Taylor Flats, McCoy Creek, Elwell Creek, Ben Howard flats, the Stilt Hole.

     

     

     


    Material from Fishing & Hunting News
    published 24 times a year.
    Visit them at www.fishingandhuntingnews.com.

     

     

     


     

  •  

     

     

    Home
    Book a Trip
    Reports
    Tips & Techniques
    Fishing Conditions
    Launches
    Washington Vacations
    Sturgeon
    Photo Gallery
    Our Boats
    Salmon Recipies
    Local Trips
    References
    Rates
    Pro Staff
    Bring With You
    Articles
    Site Map
    Contact Us

     

    Copyright © 2005

     Links |  Home | Site Map