Where and when to fish for Summer Chinook in Puget Sound

Hi Ken.  Gig Harbor is a good choice. There are three good launch points, depending on how you prefer to launch. The municipal boat ramp has some (usually sufficient) parking and a dock, if you want or need a trailer ramp. Skansie Park in downtown has a municipal dock for visiting boats, with a human powered craft stub dock. Nice if you can hand carry or wheel your gear down. There is also a municipal dock next to the Tides Tavern, intended more for working boats and loading/unloading. You can use this one too, but it’s a taller platform above the water, and kind of tight quarters for a cart...

The boat ramp is about a mile from the mouth, the others are much closer.  Inside the harbor, boat traffic is generally good about seeing and avoiding paddlers, but of course the Law of Tonnage always trumps right of way. Outside the mouth, you will need to keep a swivel head all around. The PBS love to zoom up or down in speed as close as possible...  Entering or exiting, paddle as close to the right edge as you can, it’s a narrow, shallow channel and the PBs need the room.

Currents kind of swirl around and make a big eddy, especially on a big exchange. You can get a big boost by putting yourself the right distance from shore. There’s a big area of tidal chop to the north of the harbor under some conditions, I’d call that an intermediate condition myself.

I’d love to go out and show you, but prior commitments prevent. Dammit.


Jim

Point Defiance has a ton of boats that throw wakes through everyone fishing and trollers that go through everyone mooching and jigging snagging everyone up. Been my experience that theyre the worst boaters in the Sound. Might be a little salty because those boathouse guys were calling me at work and threatening to run me over earlier in the year. Fishing is technically difficult as well.

Point Defiance has a ton of boats that throw wakes through everyone fishing and trollers that go through everyone mooching and jigging snagging everyone up. Been my experience that theyre the worst boaters in the Sound. Might be a little salty because those boathouse guys were calling me at work and threatening to run me over earlier in the year. Fishing is technically difficult as well.

Wow that is absolutely crazy. What's up with those guys? Are they jealous of your catch record or something?

Point Defiance has a ton of boats that throw wakes through everyone fishing and trollers that go through everyone mooching and jigging snagging everyone up. Been my experience that theyre the worst boaters in the Sound. Might be a little salty because those boathouse guys were calling me at work and threatening to run me over earlier in the year. Fishing is technically difficult as well.

Wow that is absolutely crazy. What's up with those guys? Are they jealous of your catch record or something?

Im directly involved with the management of Puget Sound Salmon sport fisheries.

Point Defiance has a ton of boats that throw wakes through everyone fishing and trollers that go through everyone mooching and jigging snagging everyone up. Been my experience that theyre the worst boaters in the Sound. Might be a little salty because those boathouse guys were calling me at work and threatening to run me over earlier in the year. Fishing is technically difficult as well.

Wow that is absolutely crazy. What's up with those guys? Are they jealous of your catch record or something?

Im directly involved with the management of Puget Sound Salmon sport fisheries.

Oh no wonder!  =P

My pops and stepmom used to work for WDFD so I've heard of sports fishermen getting upset about season limits (especially the charter guys). Just seems a bit ridiculous to threaten someone with vehicular homicide over them.

People love this sport and 11 got hit hard. They can call me on work hours and say whatever they want, I get it. Anyways here's my after-work fishing this week.

I’m just going to sneak this in here instead of starting a new thread.

Was looking for a decent spot for the weekend for a beginner/intermediate paddler. Was thinking PT. Defiance where I take my boat out but I’m concerned about the large boat traffic and being in my kayak. Any quieter areas producing around Tacoma or Gig Harbor? Anyone having any luck launching out of Dash Point or by Chambers Creek Mouth area? Cheers all.

I launch from both Evans Beach, Dash Pt, and Browns Pt....Browns Pt can be tough if parked cars block the way to the water.  Dash Pt can also have limited parking and has a 2 ft cement bulkhead you have to drag your kayak over when launching and landing.  Evans can be crowded and you have to really watch the boat traffic, but if you stay near shore for the first time, you'll probably be fine.  Always have to watch for idiots though.  I carry a small bear horn as it's very compact and louder than hell.  We really do disappear out there...especially at low light.  Evans sucks if you have to park up the hill...it can be a long pull on the way BACK from the beach.

I saw that jig set up (Workhard's) and then forgot how or which thread it was on.  Can anyone direct me to the correct thread...or repost the Wilson Dart set up.  Much appreciated!

Just bend the eyes of the jig at 90 degrees and thread a mooching leader though them with a bead between the jig and the hooks. It should slide up and down the line like a buzzbomb. Not my idea, it was taught to me by one of the best South Sound guys like 7 or 8 years ago and thought it made a lot of sense.

Thanks for info...gonna give it a try Sunday am...dang FF doesn't work, but just gotta give it a try.

Yeah I like that set up. Went from getting hung up on my hook/line every few minutes to maybe once a session. Makes it way more productive and effective.

In other news neighbor spoke to fish checker today, MA11 was at 89% of quota today. So smoke ‘em if you’ve got ‘em!!

Yeah I like that set up. Went from getting hung up on my hook/line every few minutes to maybe once a session. Makes it way more productive and effective.

In other news neighbor spoke to fish checker today, MA11 was at 89% of quota today. So smoke ‘em if you’ve got ‘em!!

79%

https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports/creel/seasonal#ps-summer-chinook

That’s a welcome correction! Good news

Beating up on the powerboats in 13.

You are a killing machine

You are a killing machine

No surprise that my first salmon on a dart would be a coho. Big thanks to Dawn Patrol for basically parking me over the fish.