If you’re not out fishing for salmon, somewhere in the state of Washington, every weekend these golden days of autumn, you’re missing some of the best recreation in decades. These are the good old days, folks, with salmon returning to our rivers in numbers not seen in a long, long time.
Not only are there salmon everywhere, but big salmon everywhere. As evidence, I offer what will almost certainly prove to be a new all-tackle IGFA world record pink, taken Saturday on the Skykomish by Bonney Lake resident Avis Pearson of Gamefishin.com.
An experienced angler, Pearson fished with her husband Bruce and Lake Stevens resident Bob Hammond of Cascade Guide Service (425-335-3320) to nail the 14.49-pound humpy. The Pearsons had the fish verified by state Fish and Wildlife Department personnel at Mill Creek, and weighed on a certified scale, and have filled out all the International Game Fish Association paperwork. They’re also having the fish mounted.
“We started our drift at Tualco,” Hammond said, “and landed the big one just below the Nordstrom Hole, down toward the Sky’s confluence with the Snoqualmie.”
The fish inhaled a No. 1 Dick Nite “50-50” spoon, nickel and brass.
“That’s all I ever fish for pinks,” Hammond said.
The previous world record is a 13-pound, 1-ounce fish taken in the St. Mary’s River in Ontario, Canada, in September 1992 by Ray Higaki. Pearson’s fish will also replace the old state record of 8.38 pounds, caught by Tom Ingram off La Push in August of 1999.
More big fish? How about the eighth annual Coho Derby last weekend, sponsored by the Everett Steelhead and Salmon Club, the Snohomish Sportsmen’s Club, and the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association. The kahuna coho turned out to be a jumbo fish of 18 pounds, 7 ounces, and was worth $2,000 cash to talented angler Relly Fenrich.
Second place and $1,000 went to Steven Stout at 15 pounds, 11 ounces; third and $750 to Jason Baker at 15 pounds, 10 ounces; fourth and $500 to Jennifer Martineau at 15-8, and fifth, $250, to Tom Bengen at 14-14.
“I’ve never seen so many big silvers,” said ESSC member Jim Brauch. “Two years ago, a 14-pounder took second place.”
Biggest coho in an Alumaweld, and a special $500 prize, went to Glenn Niemi at 14 pounds even. First place in the youth category was won by Emily Kerner, at 16 pounds, 2 ounces, worth $75; second by Jacob Hamlin at 13-9, and third by Rob Pantalia at 12-13.
Word of mouth before the derby, that the bay was full of big silvers, helped sell more than 900 tickets for the event, far exceeding organizers’ expectations. More than 300 coho were weighed in.
Even more big fish? The state saltwater coho mark has been climbing steadily for three weeks in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, as records fall and new ones are posted. The most recent to be recognized was a silver of 22.5 pounds, caught a week ago in the shipping lanes off Sekiu, at only 30 feet deep, by Tacoman James Vaselovec. But rumor has it that a new record was landed last weekend during the Sekiu Derby, at 23-plus pounds.
Or how about big fish in freshwater? The state tiger muskie record was broken not once, but twice on the same day, Saturday, at Mayfield Lake in Cowlitz County. John Bays of Chehalis nailed one of the big northern pike/muskellunge hybrids that stretched 51 inches in length and pulled the scales to 31.25 pounds, beating the old record by three pounds. Almost unbelievably his fishing partner, Britt Lawrence of Onalaska, caught a second muskie of 30 pounds even, which also broke the existing record.
State checks: Cornet Bay, Sept. 22, 73 anglers with 20 coho, averaging 5 pounds, and one pink; Anacortes, Sept. 23, 46 anglers with nine coho, averaging 7 pounds; Mukilteo, Sept. 23, 259 anglers with three chinook, 15 pounds, 250 coho, 5-6 pounds, and three pinks; Edmonds, Sept. 23, 134 anglers with 144 coho, 6 pounds; North Beach at Deception Pass, Sept. 23, 90 anglers with 11 coho and four pinks.
Local rivers: Pinks are still the target, according to guide and Everett resident Tom Nelson (tom@fishskagit.com), simply because they’re choking the rivers while coho wait in saltwater for a good rain. Coho are starting to show in fair numbers for anglers working Ebey and Steamboat sloughs, but Nelson says the best fishing is inside Port Gardner and Port Susan. “Look for the jumpers,” he says, “and mooch plug-cut herring or cast white/green or white/pink Buzz Bombs or darts.”
Nelson said, by the way, that he fished the coho derby with his children, Matt and Sophia, and found himself in deep trouble.
“The kids caught fish of 11-14, and 11-15, respectively, and would have placed sixth and seventh in the youth division,” he said. “But because of fish and boat cleaning duties, and a little procrastination, we were five minutes late to the weigh-in and they missed their prizes.”
Tough duty for daddy, but Nelson said a trip to Dairy Queen saved the day.
Hanford Reach: Chinook fishing is nearing peak time on the mid-Columbia River, according to state checks that have indicated excellent action at times recently. The overall average last week at the Vernita Bridge was better than a half-king per boat, but at times, anglers were scoring at a fish-per-boat rate. Almost 100 boat trailers were counted at the bridge each day last weekend.
Kyle Ward of Kyle Ward’s Guide Service (425-334-3988) has been fishing the Vernita section of the river and reports good, consistent fishing for chinook in the mid-20s. “Friday, we took four in two hours in that weight range,” he says, “and on Saturday we boated six between 18 and 27 pounds. We were back early Sunday with four limits, running 12 to 18 pounds.”
Ward said the majority of his fish have taken plug-cut herring, fished behind a bait diver, although a variety of size 15 Kwikfish are also producers.
Samish River: Nelson (above) said it’s prime time for both chinook and coho on the Samish, and fishing has been good. Morning low tides this week should have been very productive.
Yakima River: Slow for chinook on the lower river, with a few fish taken near Chandler and Prosser.
Cowlitz River: Chinook restrictions have been lifted on the Cowlitz, from the mouth to the barrier dam, and anglers can now keep two hatchery kings daily.
Outdoor shows: Late last winter, the Puget Sound-area outdoor community was startled to find that Ed Rice’s Seattle International Sportsmen’s Exposition was no more. All its assets had been purchased by the O’Loughlin family of Portland, Ore., producers of the outdoor show at the Puyallup fairgrounds each year. At that point, the O’Loughlins were uncertain as to what they would do with Rice’s show slot, if anything. And it looked for a while as if our outdoor show presence, long a standby during the cold, gray winter months, would be cut in half.
Good news, however, comes in the announcement by Bill O’Loughlin that the family will produce both shows – Jan. 23-27 at Puyallup, and March 14-17 in Seattle at the Exhibition Center. The Puyallup show will remain unchanged, O’Loughlin says, and the new Seattle show will carry much the same product as it always has, different from Puyallup in being a little more upscale, and with a little more attention to fly fishing and saltwater fishing.
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