By Wayne Kruse
Special to The Herald
Tom "TJ" Nelson, outdoor talk show host, trained biologist, avid angler and Lake Stevens resident, just returned from his annual two-week trek to Sitka, Alaska, and its world-class Chinook and halibut fishery. He and his party, he said, handled probably 150 kings in 12 days of fishing, to 39 pounds.
"But I'll tell you what," he said, "I fully expect to see larger kings than any of those during the upcoming lower Skagit River summer Chinook season. We're talking a chance at 50-pound kings, 40 minutes from your house, and how great is that?"
There hasn't been a season for these summer Skagit hogs since 1993, but it reopens for the first time in 16 years on July 9, to run through August 9, noon Thursdays through Sundays only, from the mouth to Gilligan Creek, above Sedro-Woolley. Limit is one adult king, wild or hatchery, and no selective gear rules are in effect.
"There are people with a driver's license who don't know how great this fishery was," Nelson said.
He's an expert on Skagit kings, having literally spent a chunk of every summer of his life on the river with his father, Marysville dentist H.L. Nelson, a fully involved and pioneering member of the Skagit sport fishery.
TJ lays out tackle and techniques for the upcoming season as follows:
Where
For safety's sake, Nelson recommends jet sleds only above Burlington, and he says fish will be taken there, mostly by backtrollers. But since he feels the bulk of the fishery will take place on the North Fork Skagit below Mount Vernon, that's where his interest centers.
Launch
There's a launch directly across the Skagit from downtown Mount Vernon, about a block below the bridge. Cross the bridge and take the first left.
Blake's Marina on the lower North Fork (360-445-6533) has a concrete ramp, for a launch fee of $10. Take the Fir Island Road from Conway toward La Conner, and turn left on Rawlins Road just before crossing the North Fork bridge.
What
This will probably be a traditional anchor fishery, so shift your mind set to patience, bring a book, a beverage and sun block, and be prepared to relax and enjoy the day. You'll need a good anchor, a substantial anchor buoy, and some kind of quick-release setup for your anchor rope. Hook a fish, start your outboard, slip the anchor rope and toss it and the attached buoy overboard, and chase your king down river.
Water
You're looking for water 9 to 14 feet deep, along the "seam" at the edge of the main flow, usually on the bar side, as opposed to the high bank side. See the accompanying map for a few of the traditional spots.
Gear
Heavier salmon rods, 8 ½ to 10 ½ feet, with a reel such as the Ambassadeur 7000 or 6500, or the Penn 109 or 209, 50-pound braid main line.
Terminal tackle
Use a good-quality 3-way swivel on the end of the main line, then 40 inches of 40-pound leader to a plug, or to a ball bearing snap swivel and then a spinner. The third leg is a dropper to your plunking sinker, 24 to 30 inches for spinners, and at least 30 inches for plugs. Use no heavier dropper than 20-pound, cheap, monofilament, since it must break first, if the sinker is hung up on bottom. Barbed hooks are okay; trebles are okay.
Lures, bait
Traditionally, big spinners were the thing. Worden (Yakima Bait) has several good ones, including the Toman Thumper in the smaller sizes, and the Tee Spoon (originally the Skagit Special). A fast spin is crucial, so purchase three or four different sizes to accommodate different current speeds. Flatfish with a sardine wrap are good, in T-50, especially in slower-water situations, chrome or chartreuse. Fish will fall to the Kenai Cocktail -- a big wing bobber with a gob of eggs and a pair of 5/0 hooks, or the Cowlitz Cocktail, substituting sand shrimp for the eggs.
Drop it off the stern, walk it out to where it will hold at a comfortable angle, set a medium-firm drag and put on the clicker, then set it in the holder and relax. Check your gear every 20 or 30 minutes or so, to make sure your sinker isn't hung up or sanded in.
Hog lines
They form in a certain place for a reason. Fishermen remember where they were back when, or they have hooked kings incidentally to other fisheries in specific spots. Anchor up at either end and watch other boats carefully for clues as to water depth, lures, specific techniques, anchor setups, and so forth. You can learn a lot.
There's a definite hog line etiquette involved, and if you aren't slow and careful, or if you anchor too close, you will most certainly find out what kind of sinkers the guys above and around you are using. Always go quietly past the hog line, turn, and approach from downstream to let you gauge current flow and direction, before attempting to anchor.
