Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 28, 2024, 10:08:33 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Recent Topics

[March 27, 2024, 12:49:04 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 07:37:59 AM]

[March 26, 2024, 09:10:45 PM]

[March 25, 2024, 05:15:36 PM]

by Spot
[March 25, 2024, 02:39:54 PM]

by PNW
[March 24, 2024, 07:14:07 PM]

[March 23, 2024, 10:59:04 PM]

[March 21, 2024, 06:23:10 AM]

[March 17, 2024, 06:42:23 PM]

[March 17, 2024, 08:44:53 AM]

[March 15, 2024, 06:45:09 PM]

[March 10, 2024, 05:55:18 PM]

[March 10, 2024, 11:20:08 AM]

[February 29, 2024, 07:05:43 AM]

[February 26, 2024, 01:31:23 PM]

Picture Of The Month



SD2OR with a trophy fall walleye
 

Topic: Golden Gardens  (Read 10648 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

BugNerd

  • Herring
  • **
  • Location: Seattle
  • Date Registered: Jul 2018
  • Posts: 48
I've been searching the forum without much luck.  I see Golden Gardens mentioned here and there as a launch site (or shilshole), but am wondering if the salmon fishing is okay there.  It's close to home, and would be convenient.  The kings are finished there, but I think coho is still an option.

Also, can you jig for coho like you do kings, but at a shallower depth when you find them on the sonar? Or is trolling the best approach for coho?

I have fly fished for them and trout from bank using streamers and top water, so I can do that as well.

Thanks!

My apologies if this has been covered in other threads, but I was coming up empty with just bits and pieces here and there.


AndyFishes

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Port Townsend
  • Date Registered: Oct 2016
  • Posts: 109
Not in the same area, but I'm interested in hearing about jigging for coho. I keep seeing bait balls with bigger arches in and around them (as well as groups of other "fish") on the fishfinder, but they damn sure aint buying what I'm selling. I've tried brads cut plugs, hootchie, herring. Wondering if the sliding dropper weight (cannonball) is spooking them.

Going to try jigging for a bit tomorrow and see what happens. Low slack and sunrise are just about the same time tomorrow. Gonna try to hit it early.


henney

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Seattle
  • Date Registered: May 2014
  • Posts: 163
Salmon fishing is quite good there for the next month. Lots of relevant info in this thread from last year.

http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=19825.0

Google "Puget Sound Creel Reports". It shows you what the fish checkers are seeing at every port from Sekiu to Point Defiance.

I saw a guy in a kayak fly fishing right off Meadow Point Sunday. I was on the troll, and managed one little 4-pounder on a Brad's behind a deep six.

People jig, mooch, and fly fish for coho, but I like to troll. If you don't have a boat that can maintain 3+MPH for hours at a time then I'd recommend going with one of the other methods.


Dawn Patrol

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Date Registered: Nov 2017
  • Posts: 164
Golden Gardens is great for coho, as well as chinook. People are catching ocean going coho there in the last few days so it’s kicking in.

Launch from the beach by the boathouse and paddle to the green buoy (5 min paddle N). Around the buoy is good, but plenty of other areas. I typically figure 8 troll just N of the buoy, or follow birds and bait balls farther out W or N. Remember in the bay (line btw West Point and Meadow Point) is closed.

I usually troll with flashers but have done well there other methods too. Going to hit it pre-sunrise tomorrow for a couple of hours before work.


henney

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Seattle
  • Date Registered: May 2014
  • Posts: 163
Shilshole bay opened 9/1. You can fish 50 feet from the beach if you want to.


BugNerd

  • Herring
  • **
  • Location: Seattle
  • Date Registered: Jul 2018
  • Posts: 48
Thanks for all the replies.  Sounds promising.  I'd love to go before work, but I leave the house at 7am and really don't want to get up any earlier than I have to! :P

I'll hit it after work sometime this week.  Sales person at outdoor emporium said the reports he's been hearing are that they are very deep...~100 ft or more.  I don't think I can get down that deep for trolling, but I'll give it a shot.  Picked up a lure called Apex that he said had been very good this year.


BugNerd

  • Herring
  • **
  • Location: Seattle
  • Date Registered: Jul 2018
  • Posts: 48
Also, Marine area 10 says release Chinook and Chum, but says nothing about coho. Does that mean any coho are legal? See attached screenshot.


workhard

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Get off your computer and fish
  • Location: Bellingham
  • Date Registered: Sep 2015
  • Posts: 712
Also, Marine area 10 says release Chinook and Chum, but says nothing about coho. Does that mean any coho are legal? See attached screenshot.

Coho is open with no size limit in MA10 until November 15th. Chum is closed 9/1 - 9/15 to protect ESA listed summer runs in Hood Canal. Chinook closed 8/16 with a full quota.
« Last Edit: September 05, 2018, 10:36:22 AM by workhard »


Dawn Patrol

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Date Registered: Nov 2017
  • Posts: 164
Got out this morning 530-8. Lots of boats from Carkeek to West Point, saw very little catching but did talk to a PB guy whose rod got broken in half by a bigger fish, and saw the floating head of what looked like a very large coho that had been bitten off by a seal. Caught a couple of shakers and got a workout, will be out again soon.


BugNerd

  • Herring
  • **
  • Location: Seattle
  • Date Registered: Jul 2018
  • Posts: 48

Coho is open with no size limit in MA10 until November 15th. Chum is closed 9/1 - 9/15 to protect ESA listed summer runs in Hood Canal. Chinook closed 8/16 with a full quota.

I guess both wild and hatchery are legal since it didn't specify.


BugNerd

  • Herring
  • **
  • Location: Seattle
  • Date Registered: Jul 2018
  • Posts: 48
Got out this morning 530-8. Lots of boats from Carkeek to West Point, saw very little catching but did talk to a PB guy whose rod got broken in half by a bigger fish, and saw the floating head of what looked like a very large coho that had been bitten off by a seal. Caught a couple of shakers and got a workout, will be out again soon.

Must have been a big one to break a rod!  I'll try to get out there some time.  I may take a off work if mornings are better.


BugNerd

  • Herring
  • **
  • Location: Seattle
  • Date Registered: Jul 2018
  • Posts: 48
Got out this morning 530-8. Lots of boats from Carkeek to West Point, saw very little catching but did talk to a PB guy whose rod got broken in half by a bigger fish, and saw the floating head of what looked like a very large coho that had been bitten off by a seal. Caught a couple of shakers and got a workout, will be out again soon.

Where do you launch from that early?  Was thinking the parks are closed.


JasonM

  • Lingcod
  • *****
  • Location: Snohomish
  • Date Registered: Jun 2017
  • Posts: 282
Anyone planning on heading to Shilshole/Golden Gardens this weekend? Now that I've checked off chinook, next on my list is a keeper coho salmon. I'm thinking of heading down either day this weekend and will likely be launching from the park or at the boat ramp. According to this page, the park is open at 4:00am.

https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/golden-gardens-park


Dawn Patrol

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Date Registered: Nov 2017
  • Posts: 164
I usually go to GG for weekday dawn patrols, as it’s close to my work. Have gone a bunch of weekend days too but usually in the fall/winter, so later start times.

I go as early as 4-415, then shift as the days get shorter. There has been one time when I got there at 515 and the gate was locked. I waited about 20 mins and someone showed up. A buddy of mine has also been locked out until 6 am on at least 1 occasion. I think the plan B in that case is the ramps, which are often packed with the pb crowd. Or bring your cart and roll kayak over to the beach. Other than the ramp and beach there are rock sea walls that are not conducive to getting a loaded kayak on the water. There can be some parking on the street, I know some of the other parking can have restrictions and they do actively ticket cars.

One other note is it can be a little dodgy at any hours, folks camp in the park and often hang late on the beach. I never leave anything visible in my truck, and usually park in front of the bathhouse where there is some 24 hour lighting. Also shortest path to the beach, and a water faucet at the picnic shelter 40’ away which is useful for rinsing gear off. You can also park at the far N end of the lot which makes an even shorter paddle/approach, but more camping down there and feels more exposed.

For this weekend, may hit Lincoln Park in my neighborhood and see what’s going on there. I have only been out on the kayak a few days since the smoke, and haven’t had luck with bigger coho yet. Have had luck in a pb fishing GG and off of West Point, have also caught some nice c & r chinook. People are catching at GG but it feels like timing is one thing, and trolling deep or out in deeper water a theme and my pre-work windows have been too short for a proper session. Haven’t been to LP in a while, will let folks know how it goes if I do. Did notice vibe in WS areas this summer was a bit more tense than previous years, pb crowd a little less friendly, and a lot more sea grass in WS compared to GG.
« Last Edit: September 06, 2018, 10:05:24 AM by Dawn Patrol »


JasonM

  • Lingcod
  • *****
  • Location: Snohomish
  • Date Registered: Jun 2017
  • Posts: 282
The last few times I went down to Shilshole last winter I just launched from the ramp and had no problems at all. I had the kayak fully rigged on the cart, so took me about 20 seconds from the time the kayak touched water until I was out of the way. I was also off to the side so a PB could launch at the same time I was launching. I parked at the car spots closest to the ramp, not in the ramp parking lot as I heard reports of ticketing vehicles that didn't have boat trailers attached in the ramp parking lot.

There isn't much of a place or reason to loiter near those spots and they're clearly visible from every direction, even from the water. Even so, I made sure not to leave anything of any value in view and launched right as the sun was rising, so the vehicle wasn't ever alone in the dark. I do like launching from the ramp instead of the beach, as that effectively eliminates all the sand all over everything, including the axles of the cart. I'm not a fan of beach launches, more due to the sand getting all over everything than the effort of pulling the kayak/cart through the sand.


 

anything