Information For The Serious Angler by John Martinis November 2012 ready for a completely different style of Bayside Marine fishing. There is skill and art to catching $50 Gift Cards for Chinook. This newsletter will be a good Derby refresher course to those of you who $30. See Details Tickets at Bayside Marine already know Chinook fishing and it will on Page 5 November 3-4, 2012 be a course study for all the new salmon Click Here for Rules anglers. Shimano Reel Sale Anyone who was new to salmon angling Steelhead this year, don't be disappointed if you Page 7 don't get instant gratification when you River Fishing try your hand at Chinook fishing. There How To Videos Workshop is a whole lot of skill at doing this! by John Martinis By Everett Steelhead & Salmon Club So, what are some of the differences Floral Hall at Forest Park between Coho fishing and Chinook Everett Coho Derby Video 802 E. Mukilteo Blvd., Everett fishing? Coho fishing is done in deep Click Here November 10, 2012 water, more or less wandering around 8:30am-12:30pm until you find a school of fish. Chinook Coho Fishing Video Click Here for more info fishing is done at precise depths and Click Here fishing close to the bottom. Most of the time when you are Coho fishing, you are Chinook Fishing no where close to the bottom with your w/ Everett fishing gear. Chinook fishing is done Click Here with less speed than you would Blackmouth Derby troll for Coho. Longer leaders will be Rigging Flashers March 16, 2013 used for Chinook fishing. All of this for Chinook Fishing stuff matters and I will put it all together Click Here Successful so that it makes some sense to you. Tying Hooks Chinook Fishing Let's talk about fishing close to the Click Here Area 9 Opens for Chinook bottom for Chinook. Chinook anglers who have perfected the technique of Halibut November 1 fishing close to the bottom are the ones Spreader Bar Rigging Area 8-2 Opens for Chinook you know that regularly bring fish back Click Here November 1 to the dock. Fishing close to the bottom is the art form that I was talking about. Fishing Maps What a great Coho season we have had Fishing close to the bottom takes a lot of Click Here in Puget Sound. But the seasons do work and skill. You are probably asking change and so does the fishing. That's a yourself, “What is so darn hard about John’s Videos good thing, because many of you are trolling close to the bottom.” I would be Click Here chomping at the bit to get your Chinook quite easy if there wasn't any or gear in the water. wind in Puget Sound.

If you were new to salmon fishing and Picture this; Puget Sound has a gentle caught quite a few Coho this year, get sloping bottom out to 90-100 feet. From John’s Sporting Goods Web Page www.johnssportinggoods.com there the bottom drops off rapidly to 300- momentum. 700 feet deep. The key to good Chinook fishing is staying on the lip of that edge. The gear for successful Chinook fishing On that edge is where the and is slightly different gear that what is used New Puget Sound salmon hang out. If you think about it, for Coho fishing. I would highly that edge is just a tiny sliver of Puget recommend using two flashers: Purple Salmon Seasons Sound. Now, stay on that edge between Haze 11” flasher and the new Gibbs Red 2012 90-120 feet deep and troll close to the Racer 11” UV (Moon Glow) flasher bottom. If you haven't done this a great (Click Here for flashers). I believe that Area 5: Feb. 16-Apr. 10 deal, it will take you a while to perfect all of us got a good education on how well CHINOOK - min. size 22". your technique. One good piece of UV flashers worked for Coho fishing Other SALMON species - no advice that I will give you, “One person compared to some of our old favorites. min. size. Daily limit 1. drives the boat and the other person runs There is no doubt in my mind that the the gear.” If you do it any other way, you same will hold true for Chinook fishing. Area 6: Dec. 1-Apr. 10 will be in 500 feet of water in less than Its UV full time all the time from this time CHINOOK - min. size 22". one minute. Sounds like no big deal until forward! Other SALMON species - no you try to drive the boat at trolling speed min. size. Daily limit 2. back to that 90-120 foot edge. You can It might be time to put the Coho squids Release wild CHINOOK. get there if you are willing to sacrifice a away and get some spoons out. I prefer great deal of fishing time. You have Goldstar Kingfisher 3.5 spoons for Area 7: Dec. 1-Apr. 30 heard me say this so many times before, Chinook. I would have these Kingfisher CHINOOK - min. size 22". “Don't be wasting your time by fishing in spoons in my tackle box: Red Racer is Other SALMON species - no an unproductive manner because the bite, my all time favorite Chinook spoon min. size. Daily limit 2 when it happens, may only last 20 (Click Here to see). Other colors that are (combined). Release wild minutes on a good day.” Position is so a must have: Kingfisher 3.5 Cookies and Chinook. See Bellingham Bay important while Chinook fishing, that I Cream (Click Here to see) and Kingfisher Closure and . want to emphasize how important this is. 3.5 Irish Cream (Click Here to see). I Take this very seriously! highly recommend changing the hooks Area 8-1: Nov. 1-Apr. 30 out on these spoons to the Mustad 3/0 CHINOOK - min. size 22". Trolling speed goes hand-in-hand with 9510XXS stainless steel Siwash hooks Other SALMON species - no trolling close to the bottom. Chinook (Click Here to see). If you change to min. size. Daily limit 2 trolling speed is 2.5 mph and not less and these hooks, there will be no rusting (combined). Release wild no more than 3.0 mph. If you can, keep problems between fishing trips and they CHINOOK. your speed around 2.5mph. Think about sharpen better than any other hook. it; if you troll too fast, you lose your Area 8-2: Nov. 1-Apr. 30 ability to fish close to the bottom because Tie the spoon to the flasher using either CHINOOK - min. size 22". after 2.5 mph there becomes so much 30lb Maxima Ultra Green leader material Other SALMON species - no drag on the cable that fishing or with Pline 30-40lb Fluorocarbon min. size. Daily limit 2 close to the bottom becomes difficult. I leader material. I have been using the (combined). Release wild will be the first person to admit that 2.5 Pline Fluorocarbon leader for almost all CHINOOK. mph is not always practical. 2.5mph is a my fishing and I have been extremely guideline and not something that is cast in satisfied with its knot strength. Always Area 9: Nov. 1-Nov. 30 stone. There are some circumstances wet the knot when tying fluorocarbon CHINOOK - min. size 22". when the tide is running so fast that you leader material so that the knot does not Other SALMON species - no have to troll at a greater speed than 2.5, if burn when you are pulling the knot tight. min. size. Daily limit 2 you don't you will be going backwards. (combined). Release wild That's not good because bait fish don't The proper length of leader from the CHINOOK. swim backwards in the current. Your flasher to the spoon is 42” for Chinook gear is supposed to mimic bait fish fishing. That length is measured from the Jan. 16-Apr. 15 CHINOOK - swimming in the current. Pick up your swivel or snap on the flasher to the ring on speed as needed to keep your forward the spoon where the line leader is tied. Shellfish Hotline 1-866-880-5421 The winter Chinook fishery can offer a methods that I described earlier, take a min. size 22". Other SALMON mixed bag of weather. The most troll out to some deeper water and see species - no min. size. Daily oblivious part is that the weather will be what is happening. If there isn't any limit 2 (combined). Release chilly and wet compared to our summer suspended bait, then go back to the more wild CHINOOK. fishing. Don't let that deter you because traditional Chinook . often winter Chinook fishing is much Area 10: Oct. 1-Jan. 31 more productive than summer Chinook Possession Bar can be divided intro three CHINOOK - min. size 22". fishing. The weather part leads us to key areas to fish for Chinook: West side Other SALMON species - no places to fish. of the Bar, East side of the Bar and the Tin min. size. Daily limit 2 Shed Drift. The west side of the Bar is the (combined). Release wild Remember, Area 8-2 is never open for area from the Scatchet Head buoy and CHINOOK. See Agate Pass Chinook in the summer months. Having south until you reach the very southern Area on previous page. See Area 8-2 open for Chinook fishing gives end of the Bar. The east side of the Bar Duwamish Waterways us more opportunities even when the extends from the Possession Point buoy weather is a bit snarly. Hat Island and south until you reach the very Area 11: Nov. 1-Dec. 31 (Gedney Island) offers two good areas to southern tip of the Bar. The Tin Shed CHINOOK - min. size 22". fish for Chinook. The bar that runs Drift is the most southern middle end of Other SALMON species - no between Hat Island and Camano Head is Possession Bar. The Tin Shed Drift got min. size. Daily limit 2 referred to as “The Racetrack”. This area its name from the old Haines Warf that (combined). Only 1 has been a staple for winter Chinook you can still see in the middle of Browns CHINOOK may be retained. fishing as long as I can remember. This Bay. When you are at the Tin Shed Drift, can be a little tricky to fish because the you are lined up with Haines Warf. Feb. 1-Apr. 30 CHINOOK - bar is so narrow. A GPS can really come min. size 22". Other SALMON in handy when fishing this bar so that you To complicate things a little more, there is species - no min. size. Daily don't have to wander around too much. I the inner Bar and the outer Bar. The inner limit 2. Release wild like to start fishing this bar midway Bar is the area that is referred to as the CHINOOK. between Hat Island and Camano Island area around either the Possession buoy or and to be heading toward Camano Head. the Scatchet Head buoy. The outer Bar Area 12: Oct. 16-Dec. 31 You can follow the bar to Camano Head, would be roughly the area a half mile CHINOOK - min. size 22". but start turning into Saratoga Passage so south of either buoy. Other SALMON species - no that you can maintain that 90-120 foot min. size. Daily limit 4 fishing depth (See Map Click Here). The The best way to fish the west side of (combined). Only 2 only drawback to fishing this area, is that Possession Bar would be to start fishing a CHINOOK may be retained. the seals are just atrocious in this area. half mile south of the Scatchet Head buoy Release wild CHINOOK. Many of you had the seal experience (outer Bar). Troll south for at least ¾ of a while fishing for Coho this year. Not fun! mile until you reach the most southern Feb. 1-Apr. 30 CHINOOK - end of the Bar. You will know when you min. size 22". Other SALMON The area that I prefer for Chinook fishing get to the southern end of the Bar because species - no min. size. Daily at Hat Island is on the south side of the the depth will drop off dramatically to limit 2. Release wild Island. The bar on the south side of Hat is 250-500 feet of water. When you reach CHINOOK. easy to follow and the seal problem is not that point turn around and troll back to nearly as bad. Start fishing this area at the where you began. If you find bait along east end of Hat and follow that bar to the that trolling path, I would stick with the Check the Reg’s for more east in 90-120 feet of water. Sometimes I bait because there will be a good chance information, Click Here for a will fish for suspended fish in 120-150 of of some salmon hanging around that bait. complete set of the saltwater water. In other words, I will not be rules fishing the bottom. This will all depend The Tin Shed Drift is a hard place to fish on if I see suspended bait. Just keep your because the bottom is so irregular. The yes open to see what is happening below bottom is straight up and down at this spot the surface. If you are not drawing on the Bar. To properly fish at this strikes from the standard Chinook fishing location, you have to troll up against this Shellfish Hotline 1-866-880-5421 ledge. The bottom will come up very the out the very same distance. boat and back-troll it. The best water to quickly because of the steepness of this You want to rely on the flasher to draw fish for Chum is in the deeper slots. ledge. Back away from this slightly so Chinook over to both rigs. that you don't end up on top of the bar is less than 90 feet of water. Maintaining Broken the correct depth (90'-150') is a little Skykomish River tricky; however you will get the hang Fishing Rods of it with a little practice. You will find Chum Fishing it very hard to maintain your depth Open Again I noticed a huge upswing in broken while fishing here. So, don't feel that fishing rods this salmon season. The you are fishing incorrectly with the majority of them were all broken in the The local rivers have been closed for very same manner. Most of these rods bottom depth bouncing all over the fishing the past couple were broken attempting to break the line place. If you saw my Chinook video, of years, leaving us with not too much out of a downrigger release. Now this is where all the fish were caught to fish for in the remember; these rods were not made so (see video ). (New Possession Bar Map Snohomish/Skykomish System in the that they could pick up a 12lb Click Here) month of November. At last Chum downrigger ball. If your line is not fishing is open again and it has started pulling out of the downrigger release by Fishing Plugs with some gusto. When the a fish, do not attempt to pull the line out Skykomish River cleared up the week with the . If you do, the rod of October 22, there was quite a few will break. Salmon rods are made to reel If you are catching an unlimited in salmon under a reasonable amount of amount of sub-legal Chinook fish in the river and most anglers were hooking-up. By the time you read the tension. They are not made to lift a (shakers), it might be time to switch to downrigger ball up. If you don't believe Newsletter, I expect the chum fishing plugs. If you think about it; when you me, try this: tie your to a are towing shakers around undetected, to be quite good and it should last downrigger ball and try to lift it off the you are wasting valuable fishing time. through November. floor. You can't without the rod breaking Many times these shakers are so thick in half. Just because the downrigger that you cannot get a line in the water There are a couple of ways you can ball is in the water attached to 100 feet of without hooking these rather small approach Skykomish River Chum downrigger line, this does mean that the salmon. Salmon: Fishing from the beach and rod is supposed to lift the downrigger fishing from a boat. If you are fishing ball up if the line release does not break Solution: Use 4”-5” Tomic Plugs. from the beach, I would recommend loose. Good colors are 602 and 603. These purple or green fishing rigs. Drifting colors are mother of pearl. One plug rigs that are good for Chum include: With every broken rod comes the same has a pink face and the other has a red Green or Purple Corkys, Chartreuse #4 story, “I have done it that way my whole face. On the 4” Tomic plug use a 4/0 Vibrax spinners and Purple or life and the fishing rod has never siwash Mustad 9510XXS stainless Chartreuse jigs. If you are fishing from broken.” If the story is always the same steel hook. On the 5” plug use a 5/0 a boat, I would recommend using K15 and always under the same circumstance, I would say that fishing hook. (See Tomic Plugs Click Here) Kwikfish plugs in any of the purple combinations. rods can break easily when attempting to pull the line out of a downrigger release. A nice feature of the Tomic Plugs is that Using Kwikfish K15 plugs: Cut one they can be trolled at the same speed as So, what do you do if the line does not a flasher. inch squares of sardine or herring and cure them with salt. These squares of release when a fish gets on the line? Bring the ball to the surface with the Setting up a plug is quite easy; just tie it bait will used as a wrap on the bottom the Kwikfish. Take a slice of the bait downrigger. Release the line release by to the end of your line. No swivels, no hand. Releasing the line release by hand and place it around the front hook. leader, fish the plug all by itself. does not sound too sporting, but it is Wrap the bait securely to the plug with better than breaking your favorite rod in If you are fishing a flasher on one miracle Thread. half. If you do this, your salmon rod will downrigger and a plug on the other, last forever. make sure that you let the flasher and Let the Kwikfish out 60 feet behind the Shellfish Hotline 1-866-880-5421 Discount Gift Card Offer Must have this Coupon in your hand at the time of Purchase

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Shellfish Hotline 1-866-880-5421 Scotty Downrigger John’s Sporting Goods Maintenance 300ft Cable 1913 Broadway or 300ft Spectra Braid Everett, WA 98201 $49.95 Included in the price is new brake pads, your choice of 300’ of 150lb. Cable or 300’ 200lb. of Cortland spectra downrigger line, cleaning and 20% Discount lubricating the downrigger. Coupons and discounted gift certificates cannot be used for this on your next in service store purchase John’s Sporting Goods Items that are excluded: Downriggers, Ace Line Hauler, Shimano Products, G Loomis, Electronics, CTO3R Crab Pot, Braided Line, items that are Facebook discounted, on sale, repairs, parts and closeout items. Cannot be used in combination with discounted gift certificates. Thursday: Big Fish Day

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