Picnic Point Coho

I'm thinking about hitting Picnic Point this weekend for Silvers.  Went out off of Shipwreck with PB buddies and got 5 coho and one pink last weekend (no yaks in sight). The first three were caught with a diver and cut plug. They didn't hit the downriggers till later. If the weather is decent, I'll be out there.  Not sure if it's best to hit the morning bite or wait till high tide in the early PM.  I don't have a downrigger, so getting deep in the afternoon may be a problem.  Any words of wisdom would be most welcomed.  I may also hit the snoho again, but my dance ticket is near full with pinks.  Hope to see some of you out there.

I've been wondering the same thing lately. Somebody mentioned a certain type of diver (or other system) for getting deep from a kayak last year...something that enabled you to know exactly how deep you were (not a down rigger). Can't recall the name...if someone else knows, please let me know. I'd like to order a couple.

I'm thinking about hitting Picnic Point this weekend for Silvers.  Went out off of Shipwreck with PB buddies and got 5 coho and one pink last weekend (no yaks in sight). The first three were caught with a diver and cut plug. They didn't hit the downriggers till later. If the weather is decent, I'll be out there.  Not sure if it's best to hit the morning bite or wait till high tide in the early PM.  I don't have a downrigger, so getting deep in the afternoon may be a problem.  Any words of wisdom would be most welcomed.  I may also hit the snoho again, but my dance ticket is near full with pinks.  Hope to see some of you out there.

man, sounds like you did great last weekend!  you should be able to replicate your results on a kayak w/o a downrigger.  nothing against downriggers, it's just that you run outta gas so quickly on a kayak!

it's more about the time than the tide there.  for coho there, the earlier the better.  even launching while it's still dark if you can.  could be a problem because I don't think picnic point park opens til 7.  mukilteo boat launch is a good alternative.  coho will be in the top 40' at first light and move down as the sun gets higher.  plain ol cutplug herring on a crescent sinker would be my approach.  you can drop it and reel it up while drifting (mooch) or put on a heavier sinker (like 6oz) and troll it.  some folks like to put a fish flash on it if yer gonna troll it.  after 11 ti gets tougher but not impossible.  mooching the 70-120 depths can be productive. 

you're going to pick up incidental pinks, which keeps it interesting.

I've also heard there can be an evening bite similar to the morning, but I haven't tried it.  Anyway, let us know how ya do!

Rory-on the crescent sinkers, does the color of the sinker matter? Do you have a preference? How about leader length?

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Thanks Rory,  i"ll probably wait till picnic opens.  I wanted to hit Browns bay, and its a bit of a peddle from the lighthouse-- plus the current always seems to head south from mulkilteo. We were also using  a red racer? UV flasher, and 36 inches of leader.  I have never really mooched before (except from my Friends in high school ), so that will be new.  I found a good Article on mooching a while back that I'll review.

Yeah shipwreck area is probably best bet right now.  Now, I haven't used that flasher.  It's usually used by folks using downriggers.  We can't tow traditional flashers without downriggers, way too much drag.  Just fish flashes.  Which are just as good if you ask me.

Is there a way to launch from shipwreck area?

Picnic point park is right there at shipwreck

Picnic point park is right there at shipwreck

Make sure you have wheels, it's a ways up and over the train tracks.  We hit all 6 of our fish off of the point, less than a half mile out.

Picnic point park is right there at shipwreck

I know. I meant the actual shipwreck. This place -> http://goo.gl/maps/vBtKO

After taking a very attentive look I guess that the place is private and there is no access to the beach.

A few years ago I drove down to the shipwreck and asked the folks that lived in the house at the time if I could launch my kayak off their beach.  Friendly, patient folks with an EMPHATIC "NO". 

Might be worth another try.  Perhaps the property has changed hands or the place is abandoned.

What's the deal with the old ship skeletons there? Pretty cool. /portland boy

What's the deal with the old ship skeletons there? Pretty cool. /portland boy

This is exactly the place where fish "hits" the shore on its migration ways, an easy flat place to launch a kayak, doesn't require a lot of paddling/peddling, easy accessible by car and doesn't require ferry, which is $50-$70 per tip (take or add), and at this place you can more or less ignore the tide phase and direction, as it is likely to bring you back to the launch point. This is a very good place for kayak fishing, but private and not available.

What's the deal with the old ship skeletons there? Pretty cool. /portland boy

This is exactly the place where fish "hits" the shore on its migration ways, an easy flat place to launch a kayak, doesn't require a lot of paddling/peddling, easy accessible by car and doesn't require ferry, which is $50-$70 per tip (take or add), and at this place you can more or less ignore the tide phase and direction, as it is likely to bring you back to the launch point. This is a very good place for kayak fishing, but private and not available.

Cool! Good to know, but... I meant, literally, what's the deal with the ship skeletons? How did they get there? Ship graveyard or legit wrecks?

http://mukilteohistorical.org/newsletters/11winter.pdf