PNW Salmon thread

[jrgaylor]

The gear I use for salmon here in Washington.
Maxiuma chameleon 20Lb line
Gamakatsu "octopus" size 2/0 hooks color red & green
Size 7 & 10 barrel swivels color black
1/4" hollow core lead
corkys in size 7? many diffrent colors, mostly Florescent peach (glo balls)
G Loomis GL2 8'6" Med-heavy sat action pole
Okuma Avenger AV 40 reel

 

[Premier]

How do those corkys work? Slide on the top of the hook?

 

[jrgaylor]

Corkys are threaded onto the line, sometimes you may put a peice of toothpick or simular to keep the corky from getting out of place (aka pegging) which may be illegal in someplaces.

 

[Albino 94LTD]

Fresh or Salt

Is this tackle for fresh water or salt water???

I'm printing the pictures now on my way to the store.

There are lots of rumors about big Coho's this year 10-11lb range!!!!

 

[Premier]

Using the corkys, do you still require bait? Or are the fish attracted to them without?

 

[jrgaylor]

No Bait with corkys
By the time the salmon are up stream where I mainly fish they are in the spawning stage of their life cycle and are no longer eating.
In theory the salmon see the corkys as other salmons eggs so they will “mouthâ€￾ the corkys to destroy them.
In theory the salmon will also strike/mouth the corkys out of frustration of the competition and struggle to spawn.
In reality what happens most of the time is the corkys keep the hook floating downstream, the salmon are laying facing upstream opening and closing their mouths forced water pasted the gill plates and your line will float into their mouth, you feel the bump on your line and if you are lucky you will set the hook in the head. In Washington a hook in the head in front of the gill plate is a legal hook, anywhere else and it is a snag and you need to release it.

I also cure my own eggs, from hens when I get them, I use them steelhead and occasional for salmon.
Also I put bits of yarn on my corkys too.

 

[jrgaylor]

three years ago there was a great fall run of hatchery chinook and hatchery silvers, and of course they spawned and the now the non native offspring are not tagged/marked so they are considered natives now and can not be keep.
A friend of mine who went out on the ocean out of westport this last weekend caught only native fish and some of them are already turning colors.
the Columbia is about 73 degrees too warm for the salmon to move into it except with the tide. hopefully this is not a preview of the weeks too come and the water temperture will drop.but it is still early.

 

[jrgaylor]

Monday after I get off work at 4:30PM I am going to heading for sediment dam on the north fork of the toutle river, should be some kings in there, if you want to meet down here (about exit 79 on I-5)and come along lets me know and you can ride with me.

 

[Albino 94LTD]

I kind of figured the rain we've had, would get them to move. How long do you think the run will go? I can't come Monday, carrying a work pager.

 

[jrgaylor]

The salmon count that went over the bonniville dam went from 5 to 5,000 over night, I would say that the first push has gone up the into the rivers, it is hard to predict how long the run last, but they are here for sure. from all I have heard the silver run is going to be dissappointing this year , what days to do have available maybe we could work around them, I can't promise you will get fish but you will know were there is a few excellant holes.

 

[jrgaylor]

I finally had a little free time after been busy moving and working tons of OT, so I went up on the green river in cowlitz county today after work and got this nice coho and a king jack I also got a nice size adult king but it had a bit of red in the belly so I let it go looking for brighter fish.

 

[Albino 94LTD]

Nice fish Joe

I figured I missed them. I've been called to help some old freinds race their sailboat on the weekends.

Wish I could get down there to rip some lips. Do you think there is much run left?

 

[jrgaylor]

because of all the rain we have gotten I think that most of the fall run has gone up river the number count at the bonniville dam has drop to a 1/3 of what is was so I think it is almost over. however the folks on the snake river should have a good year.

 

[jrgaylor]

Got me one more a nice buck coho, (thats a 100 Qt. cooler)

 

[Albino 94LTD]

Same setup this year??

 

[jrgaylor]

Yep, I have go get my gear out of storage and respool some fresh line