Skagit River Sockeye

[3nails]

 They are in!

[klikboom]

What!?? I was there yesterday morning just up from the bridge and around the bend a ways. Fished shrimp, floated dick nites, wobblers didn't see anything. Can you share any details?

[TheHunt]

My friend and I were up there as well and we got nothing.  Please send some info...

[3nails]

 I think we were doing what everyone else was. Big winged bobber, sand shrimp, yarn soaked in krill oil, 3 ounce weight dropped right behind the boat in 4 ft of water. Oh and about 10" drop off mainline to weight. 2' leader. All this followed by olive oil and lemon pepper!

[skagitsteel]

nice goin!    How many bites did ya have that didn't stick? 

[BigD]

Sweet, sockeye is my favorite on the table.

[whackmaster]

nice fish 

[BOWHUNTER45]

You trying to tell me I can not fish ??    I did land a 20 pound king but I decided it was best to release her    I will be hitting it hard after Wednesday ....GOOD JOB Nails and Nails junior 

[BOWHUNTER45]

For you guys who are planning on fishing ..Please do me a favor and do not cast out into the middle of the river  Sockeye run tight to the bank ...Literally!! If your plunking just drop it straight off the back ...no more than 5ft from the bank ...use bright colors with a hoochie skirt and shrimp oil ...Maybe listen to 3-Nails ...he has more proof than me right now 

[3nails]

nice goin!    How many bites did ya have that didn't stick?

Only a couple. Sure had a nice dinner tonight. Seems funny to me to fish for them right now. Getting all excited to catch a couple of the 35,000 predicted. In August I'll be on the Fraser fishing the predicted return of 72,000,000!  Should be NUTS!

[3nails]

For you guys who are planning on fishing ..Please do me a favor and do not cast out into the middle of the river  Sockeye run tight to the bank ...Literally!! If your plunking just drop it straight off the back ...no more than 5ft from the bank ...use bright colors with a hoochie skirt and shrimp oil ...Maybe listen to 3-Nails ...he has more proof than me right now 

Sound advice. We literally dropped the rigs right behind the boat close in.

[Netminder01]

Good looking fish!   

Time to dust off the gear.

[klikboom]

Gear fish, I can't wait to get some. Y'all post back here if you see some more action please so I can convince my dad in law to break out the boat after work.

[skagitsteel]

nice goin!    How many bites did ya have that didn't stick?

Only a couple. Sure had a nice dinner tonight. Seems funny to me to fish for them right now. Getting all excited to catch a couple of the 35,000 predicted. In August I'll be on the Fraser fishing the predicted return of 72,000,000!  Should be NUTS!

Couple years ago we were getting about 12 bites for every solid hookup from the boat, we were letting our gear too far back, In closer or next to the boat was much better. sounds like you got that part figured out much quicker than we did 
[

[crow360]

I have been trying and failing fishing from shore for sockeye! Any advice on what to use and a general area to go would be much appreciated.  The places I have gone have been super unsuccesful     

[RB]

Do they follow the tide like Humpies? Also is it better above or below Mt Vernon?

[klikboom]

Do they follow the tide like Humpies? Also is it better above or below Mt Vernon?

I don't believe below mt vernon is open. Good question on the tides, though?

[huntnphool]

Some pics of the riggings would be cool if any of you could share them.

[Kola16]

I wouldn't say they are "in." 0 fish made it to the traps yesterday. Zero we may get a little rain this week so maybe that will do us something.

Nice fish though

[singleshot12]

They'll start pouring in by the last 2 days of the season .. Not sure why they opened it two weeks early this year? Oh I probably know it's so the native commercials have whole run of the river when the sockeye really do come in

Glad you and your boy got a couple nails

[BOWHUNTER45]

Yesterday I lost one and had a couple bites ...But this morning I spent 5 hours fishing and nothing .. I also had the fish checker dude show up and he said in the last week in a half they checked 7 fish ...AND SOUNDS LIKE 3-Nails has 2 of them  he also said they are concerned that they have not showed up yet ..I agree ...I usually catch a lot of sockeye by now ...many hours spent looking at the water passing by ...then 2 seals came by which usually means they are following the run ...maybe the 2 I saw ate 35,000 fish before they got here 

[3nails]

 I'll be back on the river in the morning and will post a report shortly after.

[3nails]

 Landed one sockeye this morning. Hooked and lost another. One other bite. Just enough action to hit it again tomorrow morning!

[klikboom]

Did you land it on shrimp? I saw a report on washingtonlakes said he caught one a  fly after trying everthing else. I'm trying to decide if its worth getting up a the crack of dawn tomorrow.

[3nails]

 This is the rig we've been using. Several other colors have worked also. Add live shrimp and krill oil and that's it. Dropped behind the boat with 3 ounce lead. I think most of the shore guys are chucking it out too far.

[3nails]

 Friends son with his sock.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Nice one ...you may want to call the fish Biologist and let them know you found one ...They sure in the heck are not anywhere near my fishing hole  I am done unless they decide to reopen it when the fish get here ..But there is a New problem to deal with ...They shut down all commercial shrimping So a guy wants shrimp you will need to go dig your own ...something about saving whales  I am about drained from all this BS ...I may just sell all my rods 

[kodiak 907]

That was the whole run right there.... What a joke of a fishery and the season dates are way off

Nice job by the youngsters tho

[stevemiller]

Are you allowed barbed hooks on the Skagit?

[3nails]

 Took my daughter a grand total of 15 minutes to limit out this morning.

[singleshot12]

I knew they'd pour in the last couple days of the season. July 1st is usually the peak

[Smossy]

tag

[stevemiller]

Are you allowed barbed hooks on the Skagit?

again

[3nails]

Are you allowed barbed hooks on the Skagit?

again

As of right now in this part of the river selective rules do not apply again until Sept 1st so yes, they are allowed for this fishery.

[whackmaster]

way to go nails 

[3nails]

Are you allowed barbed hooks on the Skagit?

again

As of right now in this part of the river selective rules do not apply again until Sept 1st so yes, they are allowed for this fishery.

The way I read it on page 25 of the regs selective rules do not apply from June 14 -29. Others say until Sept 1. Either way the sockeye fishery is good for barbed hooks. 

[skagitsteel]

Nice one ...you may want to call the fish Biologist and let them know you found one ...They sure in the heck are not anywhere near my fishing hole  I am done unless they decide to reopen it when the fish get here ..But there is a New problem to deal with ...They shut down all commercial shrimping So a guy wants shrimp you will need to go dig your own ...something about saving whales  I am about drained from all this BS ...I may just sell all my rods 

been slow for sure, about 1/50th of two years ago but has really picked up the last few days hopefully we have a decent lake fishery

I knew they'd pour in the last couple days of the season. July 1st is usually the peak

actually as far as lower river travel I would say 20th or 25th of June, previous yrs it seemed like it was slowing down a little by the 1st.  Hopefully there late and this is just the start!

[stevemiller]

Are you allowed barbed hooks on the Skagit?

again

As of right now in this part of the river selective rules do not apply again until Sept 1st so yes, they are allowed for this fishery.

The way I read it on page 25 of the regs selective rules do not apply from June 14 -29. Others say until Sept 1. Either way the sockeye fishery is good for barbed hooks. 

Thanks,Ill be heading over monday for the week. 

[BOWHUNTER45]

Nails ..you seem to be the only one catching fish  great job ! They sure in the heck are not up river about 5 miles where I fish ..me and the wife drove down to the soccer fields in Burlington yesterday and this morning and no one is getting anything ...just crazy !! Know of 9 people fishing right now and they have not even seen a bite ...usually by this time I am giving them away ...just unbelievable ...hopefully they give us a few more days but I doubt it !!! Good job ! glad someone will be eating good on the 4th 

[singleshot12]

Nails ..you seem to be the only one catching fish  great job !

I think Jesus may be helping him out a little here Not fair

[BOWHUNTER45]

I had to literally bring over a couple of my fishing buddies and show them so they would believe me .......They said he bought them from the Indians  Do not worry nails I have your back ...I shut them all down when they started running their mouths  My boys have been at all morning and nothing ...Just not normal when they can not club a fish in the head  hopefully your killing more 

[3nails]

    If you aren't catching them John I think singleshot12 must be right! Didn't fish today, saving freezer space for when the REAL runs come in on the mighty Fraser.

[BOWHUNTER45]

 Hey the boy saved the day  not the biggest fish in the creek but at least we get to eat one 

[BOWHUNTER45]

when do they come into the Frazer ? trying to talk my fishing buddy into heading up there ...I need to explore somewhere other than Washington ...Never been there !

[3nails]

 It'll ruin ya! Opens the 16th of July for kings under 77 cm until the 28th. It should then open to all kings. Sockeye will open the minute they determine enough fish are returning. I'll hazard a guess of Aug. 1st. Giver or take a week. Should be fantastic until 1st or 2nd week in Sept. Last time this run came in (4 yrs ago) the kids and I put 44 sockeye in the freezer. 10 kings as well. About like getting an elk! That run was estimated at 35 million. They are predicting 72 million this year. Over a 40 day run that's an average of 75,000 fish an hour going by you.

[klikboom]

I'm also interested in going to the Fraser, can you share some of the logistics? How far up the river are you going? How many days did you go for? Did you camp? I could really use to supplement the red meat in my freezer with some orange stuff.