Early morning report (Friday) north of Shilshole

Headed out around 6:15a.m., launched from Golden Gardens park.  Never caught a salmon from the kayak before....  North of Golden Gardens saw schools and jumpers, chased them with a buzz bomb.  After reading posts here took my daughter's trout pole, did the trick on making it fun catching the pinks....hooked on 4, landed 2....  Then to my surprise a Coho jumped on the buzz bomb....so cool.  Later a huge Coho came on that was a challenge to the small trout pole, he wizzed by the boat, kept going, tried everything including paddling after him, then tradegy, line broke.  I'm brand new to kayak fishing and I'm hooked, addicted there is no cure!

That's one heck of a 1st experience.  Most people ease into the madness.  I feel sorry for your family.........   

Good job and congratulations!  The great folks on this forum are directly responsible for my first kayak salmon too.  What color/size BuzzBombs?  Nice pic.

Bogie.....

Welcome.. and congrats on the fish.. I can totally understand the addiction.. I am hooked hard

Marilyn (AKA SG)

Full disclosure, this wasn't my first attempt!  Hit Picnic Point and Edmonds in the last 2 weeks, but both during the middle of the day (shut out both times, but the crabbing was good).  Used pink buzz bombs 2 inch this morning at Golden Gardens.  Can't wait to get back in town Tuesday and go out again....  I need to learn how to troll, tried that several times with white dodger, and pink squid, no strikes at all....don't have a down rigger (yet...)  Thanks to everyone for posting their experiences and advice, really helps us new guys!  Jon

Welcome to the cure that is the madness BY. Sounds like you had a really fun time. The encounter w/ the coho is very familiar. Awesome that they run pretty much in the same zone as pinks. As far as trolling, don't worry about that yet. When I do search and destroy missions for pinks or coho I'll pitch the buzz bomb behind (about 50') and troll between 1-2 mph looking for schools. Pinks and Coho run so high in the water column it's really effective. It's amazing how many you'll get on the troll.

PS. To keep thos pinks as tasty as possible bleed them out once caught and bring along some type of cooler w/ ice to put them in. Outdoor Emporioum has a soft sided cooler called the "Katch Kooler" that's $15 and stows really easily on yaks.

Z

Good job Jon,

It's also nice to know the coho are starting to show. I'm headed out to GG tomorrow morning with my tandem yak. I have a commercial fisher friend that I'm going to convert over to light tackle.
FUN! FUN! FUN!

I was out at Edmonds Tuesday night and caught three before I ran out of light. The fish are more scattered in Edmonds than GG (at least that is my experience).

FYI
For coho the lighter whitish/pink buzz bombs work quite well and they like the 2 or 3 inch lengths.

Kurt

Correction - I was out on Wednesday night at Edmonds.

Is anybody else having trouble keeping track of what day it is

Kurt

Correction - I was out on Wednesday night at Edmonds.

Is anybody else having trouble keeping track of what day it is

Kurt

yeh,  he's hooked.

Thanks for all the great words of wisdom, I had in fact read on this forum about bleeding and icing those pinks right away, I was a hero Friday night at the BBQ!  I'm going to try and head out this week...what work?  what kids?  what wife?   

I'm already looking at solo yaks, have it all justified in my head, keep the tandem for when the kids want to go, but have the solo for the other 90 percent of the time!!!!

I'm going to try and head out this week...what work?  what kids?  what wife?   

Good on ya! BTW, a word of caution, be wary when WAF (Wife Approval Factor) points runs low. It can stop yak fishing all together. 

Z