Samish River fishing

[TheHunt]

Does anyone know how to fish this river?

This will be my first time.   

What setup's work best?

[Mfowl]

For legit fisherman I've heard eggs under a float will get you fish. However I've also heard that it is a snagfest in the best holes and the wardens watch it often. I've always stayed away from that fishery.

[TheHunt]

I have a high school classmate that is less than a mile from the river. So I thought it would be fun to check it out and visit a friend at the same time. 

So eggs under a bobber. 

What are the best holes in the river? 

Is it shoulder to shoulder fishing?  How heavy line and leader should I use?

[Tbar]

Combat fishing for black fish and you can't cherry pick for chromers any more.

[Button Nubbs]

YUCK. No fun.

[h2ofowlr]

Since they sit in the muddy bay, they acquire the taste.  A good boot fishery.  Even the bright ones taste like the Samish.

[TheHunt]

One has to try it once.

[6x6in6]

Plan to smoke them due to the "taste".
Eggs under the bobber is best.
Don't even so much as raise your rod tip at the end of your drift or the WDFW officer hiding in the bushes will climb all up your back side.
Have a good time, it can be a whole of of fun if you hit it right and get away from the crowd. 

[h2ofowlr]

Make sure you get your $100 fishing pass so you don't get harassed by the dike keepers.

[TheHunt]

What is the Dike pass?  I have a phone call to a Fish Cop up there to get the skinny.  He has not replied back yet.

[johnsc6]

Be careful will the "Dike Pass" and what you can do with it (regardless of the fish cop), as of right now the area that the dike pass covers has been cut in half, no access of the Sunset rd property or the Land/Dike behind it is included in the passes sold at the bridge as in the past.   

[jkononen]

One has to try it once.

Once is the key word here.

[birdmanwa]

The taste like mud is a myth, if you take care of your fish and don't slap it in the mud and let it sit there they will eat like any salmon. They do tend to turn darker faster.

[skagitsteel]

The taste like mud is a myth, if you take care of your fish and don't slap it in the mud and let it sit there they will eat like any salmon. They do tend to turn darker faster.

I have taken several hundred Samish kings, the mud taste is no myth. Those fish don't taste nearly as good as a Fraser kings even in the salt.  I have seen some of them already Bronze like 20 miles from the river.  I know commercial fisherman who say the same thing about the mud taste even before they go up the river. I haven't fished the river since 03 or 04 since it turned into a jig snaggery/ flossery.  Was a great river to learn on when I was a teenager.  I used to dial in my egg cures and fish straight eggs no weight, sometimes under a float.  It has always been crowded but I used to find ways to get away from people. 

[BOWHUNTER45]

Since this state doesn't let people fish the way they should because of all the laws and all they want is your money and can not manage anything I would say Treble hook  They have this place so screwed up that I can not figure out why everyone just doesn't quit .. Think about how much money goes toward going against us ...Samish is one of the few places a guy can go catch a king and club it in the head ...I do not care about eating those fish but I have caught my share of them and I had a lot of fun watching the people and laughing my arz off ...The average joe doesn't have a lot of money or time to go fishing and a fishery like that lets people catch fish ...I used to catch many with eggs back in the day BUT as more and more people started coming and walking up and down the river that all has changed ...you can not catch fish by the mouth with people spooking the hell out of them ..I caught a beautiful 15 to 18 pound king yesterday in the Skagit and it was a hatchery fish ...I had to turn her loose because you can not retain Chinook ..but if I was up river about 20 miles I could have kept it .. This kinda crap is really starting to get to me !!! Just does not make sense .. Just like them opening up the river for sockeye when the fish are not even here yet ...Does it take a brain scientist to think to himself that once you have the quota of fish you want you would then open up the river and let people catch what is left so people have some fish in there freezer to eat and you paid to fish ...O Wait a minute , you paid to fish but not to keep     Thanks for listening ...I VENTED NOW 

[h2ofowlr]

The taste like mud is a myth, if you take care of your fish and don't slap it in the mud and let it sit there they will eat like any salmon. They do tend to turn darker faster.

Not a myth by any means as I fish springers and fall kings on the Lower CR and it is a night and day difference in taste.  If your used to eating Samish Kings you don't know what your missing.  Like eating fish from McDonalds vs. Anthony's.   

[singleshot12]

Since this state doesn't let people fish the way they should because of all the laws and all they want is your money and can not manage anything I would say Treble hook  They have this place so screwed up that I can not figure out why everyone just doesn't quit .. Think about how much money goes toward going against us ...Samish is one of the few places a guy can go catch a king and club it in the head ...I do not care about eating those fish but I have caught my share of them and I had a lot of fun watching the people and laughing my arz off ...The average joe doesn't have a lot of money or time to go fishing and a fishery like that lets people catch fish ...I used to catch many with eggs back in the day BUT as more and more people started coming and walking up and down the river that all has changed ...you can not catch fish by the mouth with people spooking the hell out of them ..I caught a beautiful 15 to 18 pound king yesterday in the Skagit and it was a hatchery fish ...I had to turn her loose because you can not retain Chinook ..but if I was up river about 20 miles I could have kept it .. This kinda crap is really starting to get to me !!! Just does not make sense .. Just like them opening up the river for sockeye when the fish are not even here yet ...Does it take a brain scientist to think to himself that once you have the quota of fish you want you would then open up the river and let people catch what is left so people have some fish in there freezer to eat and you paid to fish ...O Wait a minute , you paid to fish but not to keep     Thanks for listening ...I VENTED NOW 

  crazy alright! no wonder so many people turn outlaw

[singleshot12]

The taste like mud is a myth, if you take care of your fish and don't slap it in the mud and let it sit there they will eat like any salmon. They do tend to turn darker faster.

You musta not ever had a good king from another river then. I've caught a bunch from the Samish in hopes of a good eater,not one even the dime bright ones tasted blah. muddy taste with no oil in the meat.even bled them,gutted them and threw them on ice right away. But the Coho's that you can't keep anymore tasted great

[birdmanwa]

I catch salmon all over the state and I am not opposed to eating a Samish king that is bright. It is funny how many people bash the Samish yet it gets more popular every year. The one thing about the Samish is it should be celebrated on how a little ditch can produce such a great return of big king.

[singleshot12]

One of the very few king fisheries around for miles and it is a bottom of the barrel mud fishery with so many complicated ridiculous rules it's sickening. The Samish is an ugly example and result of what happens when other surrounding opportunities are lost.  The real fishermen have givin up.