Salmon Kicking my A**

Ok Guys,

Whats the secret? I must be the worst salmon fisherman ever!

Ive been out multiple times to Point no Point, Jeff Head, Blakley with nothing to show for it. Ive been reading alot of Salmon University and trying anything and everything I can think of with no luck. Ive been Trolling, Mooching, casting, even had a go with the fly rod... Nothing! (well I guess I did get like a 10 incher) I know there is no magic recipe but any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

KonigsLachs

Wish I could help bud. All I can say is it's an uphill battle and just keep trying & learning.

Salmon are a tough fish to master. It's going to take a lot of study and time to get these fish down. Very similar to steelhead that way. My best advice is to fish one place consistently and figure them out there.

Z

i agree with Zee.  pick a spot that has been producing fish and that you feel comfortable in and just keep at it.  keep a few punk buzz bombs around for the humpies, green & white pt wilson darts for the kings (little late for them now) and some koho killer spoons to troll around with for coho.  try out the "royal flash" flies from Zak tackle too.  no flasher or dodger needed for those and they've been working great in the Straight and in the Columbia.  the cut plug herring is the ol' go to standby for a lot of people and it catches lots of fish.  the nice part about coho is you don't have to get down as deep as you do for kings.  you can catch plenty of them in the top 40 feet of water.  try the green hologram 3 inch buzz bombs and Zzingers too.  

the most important thing to do is get out on the water and put your time in.  you'll learn by trial and error and trial and success what works and what doesn't.  don't get discouraged.  it's a learning process. i fished the banks of the Puyallup for a year and half before i finally caught my first fish.  once you get it down, you can bring 'em in with consistency.  

keep an eye on the time of day and tides too.  slack tides are best, early morning and late evening are best.  small tide changes help too.  if you can find a slack tide in the early morn or late evening, go then.  best chance of a good bite happening.

Bobby

So far I've been out over a dozen times in the last two years and all I have to show for it is a jack chinook and a native coho.  But that's going to change this weekend!

So far I've been out over a dozen times in the last two years and all I have to show for it is a jack chinook and a native coho.  But that's going to change this weekend!

I guess that's better than jack sh*t 

I guess that's better than jack sh*t 

That's my specialty this year 

Go to one of the smaller local tackle shops and try some cured prawns or coon shrimp. Fish with a bobber or bump it along the bottom. Try a prawn spinner.
Look for guys with pink fingers; that's what they are using.

Go to one of the smaller local tackle shops and try some cured prawns or coon shrimp. Fish with a bobber or bump it along the bottom. Try a prawn spinner.
Look for guys with pink fingers; that's what they are using.

If you're fishing a river or low tide water.

Z

Ok Guys,

Whats the secret? I must be the worst salmon fisherman ever!

Wait!  I thought I was the worst salmon fisherman ever!

I am trying to get off work to join the Wednesday morning Edmonds meet.  I am hoping to learn something.  

the bobber and shrimp and drifting them is more a river technique than a salt strategy.  if you plop a shrimp on the bottom in the salt, you're more likely to come up with a flounder or sand dab.  

either real bait, some sort of imitation crippled bait fish seems to be the most effective lure in the sound.  

i'm becoming disenchanted with the drag and hassle of flashers and am leaning more toward naked trolling with lures that provide their own action like spoons, plugs and the royal flash.  i'd rather just be jigging even more than trolling though.  simple and effective method.

Bobby

i'm becoming disenchanted with the drag and hassle of flashers and am leaning more toward naked trolling with lures that provide their own action like spoons, plugs and the royal flash.  i'd rather just be jigging even more than trolling though.  simple and effective method.

Bobby

Each has their time and place bobarino. When the fish are spread out there's no way to get to them except trolling. I feel you on the hassle of a flasher but it does up your hookup rate. Once the fish are schooling casting BB's and jigging becomes effective. If that's the way you want to go then timing is gonna be the key for you.

Z

thanks Zee.  my strategy the last few times out has been to launch, deploy trolling gear while paddle around looking for schools then jig.  then when it's time to head back, i throw the trolling gear back in the water for the paddle back.  i'm going to stick with the Royal Flashes for a while and see how they do.  i'm moving to Federal way in 3 weeks and i think they'll do well for silvers around Dash and Brown's.  going to try them at Chambers on thursday too until i find some jigging grounds. 

Bobby

Bobby,
This might be a longshot but Im planning on throwing blue/white and pink and white bucktails with 4' of leader then a clear bobber.  Perhaps the annoying jumpers only 20' away will like that once there stacked up at low tide?
Brian

Thanks for all the responses.

 I think the common theme I got out of this is time, it takes time. So Im going to just keep on trying, I live near Point no Point and its an easy launch so I think Im just going to keep on tring there. Ill Keep tring diffrent things and learning as much as I can till I find something that works. I hope sooner or later it pays off.

I am glad that Im not the only one thats struggling.(Sorry that your pain helps mine, but I felt like the only one)

Wednesday morning Edmonds meet? Every Wendsday? I would love to be able to learn something from others!

Thanks again Guys for the help