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Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service

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Skykomish River Report
Snohomish County, WA

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Details

07/17/2011
Casting
Chinook Salmon
Attractor
Copper
Spinner
Afternoon
07/17/2011
3
2960

Started out fishing at 6:00 am but found out one of my holes was occupied by another gent who had already got one Chinook and was around 16 lbs. He left an hour later with then 2 Kings in his pack, and I fished the hole hard from 6:00-11:00 am. Not a single bite or fish surface all morning, but right before I was going to call it quits, at 10:45 am I got this female hatchery Chinook slam my line ! So guess what was for dinner ?? ! =) Boy these things fight hard, and is amazing how fast they can torpedo upstream even thru the rapids among that in doing so. This guy here did NOT want to come even near the shore when trying to reel him in, and he reminded me of it for about 10 minutes ! A few more casts afterwards tho, and I called it quits and went home also. A slow morning otherwise...

Caught him using a #4 Super Vibrax Copper spinner using a #2 Gamakatsu hook. No weight, no swivel, just straight-lined. Always had loved the feel & finesse of the gear being raw like that even tho kinda out of the ordinary to some. Oh... And of course we can't forget the smelly jelly shrimp scent ;)

Good luck guys !


~ Jeff


Comments

zodiacman
7/17/2011 10:02:00 PM
I love Vibrax spinners!!!
J-MICHAEL
7/17/2011 10:12:00 PM
I know, I hear ya ! I use to always use them before I got hooked on the Mepps Aglia's, but today the water was just to swift and deep where I was at and didn't want to be adding weight to the Mepps, so I just dug out a heavy ol' #4 Vibrax, and sure enough it had worked ! Tried spoons for hours and my eyes were gonna pop outta my head looking at em, so had to switch it up a bit, and glad I did =) When I got him close after playing around with him & taking pics I saw he then was barely hooked so it was a close call ! But that is ok, I figure if he gets off, he gets off... Never have done the net thing. Just another thing to carry. Ugh... Haha =)
leviP
7/17/2011 10:14:00 PM
nice man, your just killing the kings past few days. gonna head out tomorrow and fish on the left side of the lewis st bridge, like park at the park there wade through this creek, then fish around there hope its holding some kings.
kingfisher101
7/17/2011 10:27:00 PM
Nice fish bro
kingfisher101
7/17/2011 10:47:00 PM
Ok tomarrow is shopping time :D Im going to but a couple of mepps aglia spinners and a couple of vibrax spinners.Hey can any one send me a message naming a good place to fish you dont have to name your secret spot just somewhere near skykomish.Mind spillin the beans? ehh.lol maybe see ya around the river some time
J-MICHAEL
7/17/2011 11:13:00 PM
Awesome guys ;) Good luck to ya then and hopefully you'll hook into a King or Steelhead... Use good quality hooks that are sharp, and maintain them sharp. You'll only get so many chances when they do arise, don't blow it with dull hooks ! =) I personally prefer the Gamakatsu Octopus red single hooks. After hitting rocks, and other debris from fishing they do dull down in time, but I always check them to still see if they will scratch my fingernail. If not, I sharpen them right there before another cast is made. Then after a few sharpening's I eventually then just replace the old hook with a new one. Sometimes if the fish are hitting good, I won't even sharpen nothing and just swap out hook after sharp hook keeping that end point prickly and at 100% to bring one home at the next bite. Hey Kingfisher, just Google Skykomish River fishing map or something similiar because I know Fishing & Hunting News has a map posted of the hot areas for the Kings.... Saw that last year doing some research about this river when I moved here ;)
J-MICHAEL
7/17/2011 11:17:00 PM
Kingfisher ~
Not sure what link will work, but try one of these for the map from Fishing & Hunting News :

http://www.steelhead-fishing.org/Skykomish_Summer.htm

http://www.steelhead-fishing.org/WA_SkykomishRiverII.jpg
leviP
7/17/2011 11:33:00 PM
that website acctually helped alot thanks man
J-MICHAEL
7/17/2011 11:50:00 PM
You bet Levi ;) Also use like Google Earth and scan and study the whole river. This way you can try and locate some holes, or access to them either driving, or hiking into bushwacking. Lol =) I use my HTC Thunderbolt phone from Verizon and use the Google Maps on it so I have a constant satellite image of where I'am at on the river, and what the river looks like ahead etc. etc. Makes it convenient ;) I also catch more fish while alone and trying to be in stealth mode and not trying to disrupt the surroundings, or splashing, wearing bright colors etc. Just fyi... I've seen a lot and you'd be surprised on how many don't really get. Haha... Just the other day one guy was out up to his chest in the river trying to get his lure he lost with his shirst off, splashing around, then went back to fishing. Heh... I thought seriously ?? ! Anyway I was done fishing there after that....
kingfisher101
7/17/2011 11:54:00 PM
K thanks really appreciate all your work:D let's hope I catch my first salmon or steelhead
J-MICHAEL
7/18/2011 12:00:00 AM
You will Kingfisher... For being only 12 that is awesome and you'll have lots of time to learn a lot, and maybe someday then pay it forward ;) Just takes time, patience, learning how to read the water, the techniques involved for the different types of fishing or lures being used, and you'll get one you'll see ! Watch where people are catching them when your out in the field, what they are using, and study there techinque on how they are fishing to be catching the fish. Stop and get there rythmn down and see if it will then work for you...
Aaidian
7/18/2011 12:01:00 AM
perfect fish...you are really nailing them! GJ!
kingfisher101
7/18/2011 12:01:00 AM
I'm probably gonna get in my wader .ok guys thanks for all your help.see how helping out a beginner can do now maybe I can help someone else.thx:)and 1 last question which is better for these kings drift fishing or spinner fishing?
leviP
7/18/2011 12:03:00 AM
out of all of these spots which would you suggest?
1-around lewis st bridge, that area)i know a few holes)
2-cracker bar(not a fan of but idk)
3-mouth of wallace up to first bridge(was there today its super dead)
4- reiter is good but im after kings
5-behind prison
6-ben howard area(never been there might try it tuesday)
i like to drift a corkie and eggs. thanks man
if only fish and game wouldnt be dumb and just open up the wallace so i can fish my favorite spot i know like the back of my hand is the crackpipe under the bridge. was dumb of me, but just went there to see and theres a thick black cloud of kings, couldnt resist through eggs in there caught my limit and left lmao. thank god no game wardens that day.
kingfisher101
7/18/2011 12:06:00 AM
Thanks j,I'll follow your rules.and Levi thanks for also helping me out good luck ya"ll
kingfisher101
7/18/2011 12:15:00 AM
Well peace I'll be on tomorrow doing slot of research on rivers and stuff if I catch a fish I'll take a pic of it and the reason I caught that fsh was because most of ya helped me out and if I catch one I won't ever forget :)
J-MICHAEL
7/18/2011 12:41:00 AM
Kingfisher, there is not one "better" than the other when it comes to fishing. They all have been proven to catch fish, you just need to find what way you prefer and what techinique works for you. Sometimes spinner fishing can get a little spendy tho if ya start losing hardware in the river. Usually happens in those unfamiliar holes... Haha. Always good to sometimes send in a cheap decoy spinner for a bit before sending in the good ones then =) Levi, ugh last time I was at the Wallace at the bridge on 2 was last year and my car window got smashed out ! Not sure I wanna be going there again, but now I see you can't park there now anyway since the barricades are there, and DOT won't allow shoulder parking there memo said. Don't matter cause my favorite spots are up by the hatchery and by the mouth ;) I wouldn't fish closed waters if I were you, just not worth the fine and to lose your fishing priviledge...
leviP
7/18/2011 1:26:00 AM
yeah i hate that they barracaded it, now you have to park at the coffee shop down the road, or talk to the guy that lives on the wallace see if u can strike a deal to park there
'OL GREY DOG
7/18/2011 7:12:00 AM
maannn pics of dead fish in every report and they dont rate better than a 3 ???...lolol seems like your have'n a wayyy better time than that !!!
kingfisher101
7/18/2011 8:19:00 AM
I'm waiting for the pinks since I got a fiber glass boat I can fish the puget sound
RiverChromeGS
7/18/2011 9:00:00 AM
Thats cool you seem to get one every time! Im suprised you use a #2 hook, i thought u meant 2/0 in your first reports. Cool getting chinook on spinners tho, i usually hit em in there backtrolling eggs/shrimp. Nice job with the consistancy. Thats how we know you know what your doing =)
EAmon___hoffman123
7/18/2011 9:21:00 AM
FISH ON!!!
J-MICHAEL
7/18/2011 1:00:00 PM
Thanks guys ! Hey Fishenfreak, you stand correct tho I meant to say 2/0 and 3/0 Gamakatsu hooks ! Ugh... Lack of sleep I tell ya ! And ya all know why.... Heh ! =) Just got off work and saw a few guys fishing the cracker bar by Sultan as I just went over the bridge... Picked up some fresh Gamakatsu hooks at Fred Meyer's and gonna head down somewhere in a few.
kingfisher101
7/18/2011 1:08:00 PM
how can you remove the treble hook J ? is there some that can be removed because most spinners were the hook is its like locked inside im going to get like 1 or 2 of super vibrax copper spinners.and maybe a couple of mepps aglia's i searched #4 Super Vibrax Copper spinner i saw the pictures most of the hooks are like impossible to take out.I just need some help
J-MICHAEL
7/18/2011 1:12:00 PM
Thanks guys ! Hey Fishenfreak, you stand correct tho I meant to say 2/0 and 3/0 Gamakatsu hooks ! Ugh... Lack of sleep I tell ya ! And ya all know why.... Heh ! =) Just got off work and saw a few guys fishing the cracker bar by Sultan as I just went over the bridge... Picked up some fresh Gamakatsu hooks at Fred Meyer's and gonna head down somewhere in a few.
kingfisher101
7/18/2011 1:22:00 PM
I just figured how i think just cut the triple hook off then cut a little crakc in the single hook you wanna use slide that on the spinner then just squeeze the crack together then your good is that right?
kingfisher101
7/18/2011 2:53:00 PM
So levi any luck on today's fishing?
kingfisher101
7/18/2011 4:24:00 PM
What is a good place on the sky that is good for fishing i heard some area's are closed you dont have to give me your secret hole just some where like ben howard or somewhere better please help me out im new to skykomish so yea.thanks
js7
7/19/2011 7:40:00 PM
kingfisher101- you`ll probably get a surer spinner/hook conection by using a small split ring
kingfisher101
7/19/2011 8:01:00 PM
huh whats that?
kingfisher101
7/19/2011 8:03:00 PM
oh i get it thanks so i get a split ring and attactch it to the little hole on the spinners? isthat right
J-MICHAEL
7/19/2011 8:08:00 PM
Kingfisher, yeah just cut the hook off with some cutters (Kinda a pain) and then go to Walmart or any sporting good stores and get some split rings (little o-rings) and then you attach that to the end of your lure, and then the hook will attach to that. So much easier than bending the hooks like you tried ;) Try googling it, and there might be some pics out there so you can get a better visualization...
kingfisher101
7/19/2011 8:13:00 PM
thanks i got it lol nice fish on the 18th's fishing (july 18)
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Available Guide

Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service

Phone: (509) 687-0709