It’s coho derby weekend again, and seldom over the past few years have there been so many big silvers around for the taking.
Some 2,500 anglers could be on the water at daybreak Saturday and, while it might be a slight exaggeration, they could find themselves up to their navels in feisty salmon.
Gary Krein, owner-skipper of All Star Charters in Everett (425-252-4188), had hooked 19 fish by 10:30 Tuesday morning when I talked to him via cell phone from the Morning Star.
“We’ve had two doubles and a triple,” he said over background celebration, “and while we’ve had a little trouble landing ‘em, I would have to say fishing has been outstanding for the past two days.”
All his coho were between 8 and 14 pounds, he said, adding that the outlook for the Everett-area derby this weekend is excellent.
“The gal at the Port of Everett ramp checked a 19-pounder on Sunday,” Krein said. “That’s a really big silver for this area, and what it says to me is that it’s going to take a nice fish to win the money.”
He said that while the early morning bite at the shipwreck south of Mukilteo has been good, it fades quickly. He has been finding better, more consistent results in Brown’s Bay and between the bay and Edmonds.
He has been hitting coho on either green spatterback, or white, squid, on 30 to 32 inches of leader, behind a green or white Coyote flasher, maybe a quarter-mile offshore, over 450 to 550 feet of water. The most productive depth has been between 45 and 70 feet, he said.
Derby coordinator Mark Spada of Snohomish said recent rains have not done river fishermen any favors. The Snohomish was high and dirty early in the week, but with a not-too-bad forecast for the next couple of days, could come into shape by the weekend.
If it does, there are fish to be had. Jim Strege at Triangle Beverage in Snohomish (360-568-4276) said that while action certainly hadn’t been hot – and that it was probably a little early for prime fishing on the big river – anglers had been doing fairly well as far up as the Highway 522 bridge. Talk to 10 different fishermen and they would be using 10 different setups, Strege said. Lots of Dick Nite spoons, Vibrax spinners, shrimp and eggs, and plugs such as Brad’s Wigglers and Fatfish.
Spada said that coho often bite best on high, relatively dirty water conditions, and that he did well last week at the upper end of the Snohomish using Dick Nites.
“On Friday, we hooked five or six fish fairly easily,” he said, “before the river came up three feet on Saturday.”
He said if the Snohomish is still high and colored on derby weekend, he would suggest switching to larger gear, such as a spinner or a plug, as opposed to the smaller spoons.
The derby runs Saturday and Sunday. It’s sponsored by the Snohomish Sportsmen’s Club and the Everett Steelhead and Salmon Club. The unique event encompasses both saltwater (Marine Areas 8-1, 8-2, 9 and 10), and the Snohomish, Stillaguamish and Skagit river systems. Tickets are $20 for both days and are available at most area tackle shops and marinas. Weigh-in runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Port of Everett ramp. Prize awards start at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Two separate boat/motor combos will be awarded by drawing, and the largest hooknose will win a check for $2,500. There are lots of other cash and merchandise prizes as well.
Spada said there will be a separate youth derby – for anglers ages under 12 – at the same time as the adult event. Participants must have a derby ticket, but they’re free for the kids, and there’s an opportunity to catch a nice coho and go home with one of the three cash prizes of $100, $75 or $50. Every youngster who weighs a fish will receive a prize, Spada said. Fabian Lomas at Jerry’s Surplus in Everett provided all the youth awards, Spada said, and has tickets available. More than 300 young people entered last year, he said.
Curt Wilson at Holiday Market Sports in Burlington (360-757-4361) said the Skagit was high on Tuesday but was dropping into fishing shape. Plunkers were already working, he said, and taking a few nice fish on the lower river from Sedro Woolley down. By this weekend, the river could be in decent shape, he said.
Puget Sound Anglers and the Sons of the American Legion get into the act with the Whidbey Island Coho Derby on Saturday, offering a $500 first prize, plus additional cash and merchandise prizes. Tickets are $5 and are available at a wide range of Whidbey Island merchants, including Possession Bait Company and American Legion Post 141.
In addition to this weekend’s competition, the inaugural Skagit River Silver Derby is scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 2-3, with a first prize of at least $1,000 cash. The entry fee is $25 per person. Holiday Sports has tickets and full rules, and is available for more information. Or call the Wildcat Steelhead Club at 360-855-2291.
More coho: The state Fish and Wildlife Department reopened Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay) to salmon fishing on Sept. 10 and the fishery is scheduled to remain open through Sept. 19. Fishing was excellent over the weekend at both Neah Bay and Sekiu, with some anglers having 20- to 30-fish days, state officials said.
Samish chinook: Early mornings have produced good king fishing on the lower end of the Samish. One 34-pounder was weighed at Holiday Sports, and Bob Ferber said marabou jigs in flame orange, or cluster eggs, were probably the top producers. In the river’s saltwater estuary, jiggers near Fish Point on Samish Island also took some nice chinook, including a 36-pounder on a Point Wilson Dart.
Yakima River: The state estimates a take of 59 adult chinook last week, under increased fishing pressure in the lower and middle sections of the river. Much of the lower end requires a tribal fishing permit as well as a state license, so be sure to check regulations. The phone number for the Yakima regional office is 509-457-9330.
Hanford Reach: State biologists have upgraded the prediction for fall chinook on the Hanford Reach segment of the Columbia River to 309,000 fish from the preseason estimate of 287,000. That’s good news for anglers who drive to the Columbia Basin this time of year for a dance with some of the state’s largest kings. Fishing effort increased last week, according to the state, and while it’s still early in the autumn season, the average was about one fish per 20 angler hours. Biologist Joe Hymer, in Vancouver, said that’s a very healthy start to the fishery.
Youth hunts: Remember that this weekend is the special youth duck hunt (see the regulation pamphlet). Additionally, volunteers on Whidbey Island will host a youth (15 and under) pheasant hunt, utilizing pen-raised birds, on Saturday and Sunday. The hunt will be at an NAS Whidbey “outlying field” near Coupeville. A state hunting license is required, and each hunter must be accompanied by a non-hunting member of the family over 18. Volunteer mentors with all the necessary documentation will be provided to assist and gain access to military property, and hunting dogs will be available. Participants must report by 7:30 a.m. each morning for a safety briefing prior to the hunt. The area is a quarter-mile west of Highway 525 on Patmore Road, south of Coupeville. For more information call Dave Graham, 360-675-5639.
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