Coho or blackmouth in 8-2 or 9

[Rob]

I am a really novice salmon fisherman.  Last year I went after the pink hoard off Mukileo and took some buddies with me.  Now they are bugging me to go chase salmon again.  When do the coho and blackmouth start showing in that 8-2/9 area? 

Looks like season for coho starts Aug 1st in 8-2 and is open now in area 9.  Kings seem to open in area 9 on 7/16

Of course seasons don't always map to runs...  At least not in my experience!

Anywhere else hot right now for salmon (not looking for anyone's top secret info!)

[CP]

Blackmouth (immature kings) are there year round.  Migrating Kings are there now.  Migrating Coho start to show in decent numbers in Aug.  Resident Coho are there year round but are hit & miss as far as finding them goes.

[h20hunter]

Rob......check weekly with www.salmonuniversity.com....they have pretty good reports that help see what is coming down the pipeline.

When the silvers start showing I've done well anywhere from out in the mid channel off the bar as well as along both sides, east and west, of the bar. We typically troll a little faster for the coho. I like running green hoochies as well as the ace high fly. We also shorten our leaders for a bit more action on the coho.

For blackmouth one of my favorite trolls is north and or south of point no point. Skunk bay can be nicely protected when the wind is up and has given us some nice fish. We fish more spoons for blackmouth and stay close to the bottom.

One big thing with the silvers can be to watch the birds. I love a good bait ball as much as the next guy but it seems to me that when the birds are around in numbers yet scattered a bit over a general area it can be really good. For an example head to youtube and use dbschildt for your search. I've got a vid on there silver from silver fishing that will show you what I mean. Also....your will recognize the area.....east side of the bar looking towards the "wall" or "fingers" depending on your dive spot term.

Ripper was out for coho on the crab openener....maybe he will post up about any success he had.

[Button Nubbs]

A buddy of mine is averaging 4 coho a day in area 9 right now. They are small, all under 7lbs and the bite has been great in the morning.

[Rob]

Great info guys, thanks!

[Rob]

And yes, I love "the fingers"...

great site!

[Ripper]

I have yet to catch a silver but I C&R'd 3blackmouth yesterday near Pt no Pt. They ranged from 9 to 15 lb's. ! was wild, 2 were hatchery. Talk about tough to release! But I was a good boy and did the right thing. Also hooked into something else very large but never saw what it was. It broke off after about 5 minutes. It didn't fight like a salmon. It may have been a big ling, I have caught them out there before but never that far from the bottom. I was down 65' in 110 ft of water. If it was a dog fish then it was a huge one, it took a lot of line. We didn't catch any other dog fish though.

[Kola16]

I have yet to catch a silver but I C&R'd 3blackmouth yesterday near Pt no Pt. They ranged from 9 to 15 lb's. ! was wild, 2 were hatchery. Talk about tough to release! But I was a good boy and did the right thing. Also hooked into something else very large but never saw what it was. It broke off after about 5 minutes. It didn't fight like a salmon. It may have been a big ling, I have caught them out there before but never that far from the bottom. I was down 65' in 110 ft of water. If it was a dog fish then it was a huge one, it took a lot of line. We didn't catch any other dog fish though.

New species of fish are found almost every day 

[Kola16]

I am a really novice salmon fisherman.  Last year I went after the pink hoard off Mukileo and took some buddies with me.  Now they are bugging me to go chase salmon again.  When do the coho and blackmouth start showing in that 8-2/9 area? 

Looks like season for coho starts Aug 1st in 8-2 and is open now in area 9.  Kings seem to open in area 9 on 7/16

Of course seasons don't always map to runs...  At least not in my experience!

Anywhere else hot right now for salmon (not looking for anyone's top secret info!)

If you are getting antsy (like me), there are a few coho to catch if you stick close to the shore. Like previously mentioned, a flock of birds can be really hot 

[jackelope]

Blackmouth (immature kings) are there year round.  Migrating Kings are there now.  Migrating Coho start to show in decent numbers in Aug.  Resident Coho are there year round but are hit & miss as far as finding them goes.

I'm of the understanding that blackmouth are resident kings. Not necessarily immature but ones that don't leave the sound. I've jack kings which I have known as immature. Anyway...am I off there?

[CP]

Blackmouth are hatchery kings that are held in fresh water until they reach a certain age then they are released into the salt.  This unnatural start to life somehow prevents them migrating so they stay in the local saltwater their enter life.  They do not sexually mature and therefore they don’t return the fresh water to spawn.  They can live a long life and they do get bigger than jacks. 

At least that’s what I remember from the biologist’s speech on the subject.

PS – Coho are being caught pretty consistently in area 10 – mostly around Jeff Head, not so much in area 9.

[LITTLEBUCK]

CP, that's a new one to me regarding blackmouths not becoming sexual mature. I will have to look into that. I would see no reason why they wouldn't. I am sure I have caught black mouth before with beginning egg and sperm sacks. Can you point me in a direction where that might be found?

[CP]

CP, that's a new one to me regarding blackmouths not becoming sexual mature. I will have to look into that. I would see no reason why they wouldn't. I am sure I have caught black mouth before with beginning egg and sperm sacks. Can you point me in a direction where that might be found?

Try talking to Jennifer Whitney, WDFW Fish Biologist, (425) 775-1311.

[h20hunter]

I've understoon it (blackmouth) same as CP..............however, didn't know about the lack of sexual maturity.

[FC]

I'm of the understanding that blackmouth are resident kings. Not necessarily immature but ones that don't leave the sound. I've jack kings which I have known as immature. Anyway...am I off there?

Blackmouth are just immature kings.



http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/salmon/chinook.html

Chinook (King) Salmon
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Other names: king, tyee, blackmouth (immature)
 Average size: 10-15 lbs, up to 135 lbs