Sky kings

[jason stevens]

Anyone hit the river today for the opener.  Will be heading out next weekend.

[7mmfan]

Wasn't great, but it was good. I know a few guys that got 3-4.

[Mfowl]

Nice bling 7mm! 

[jmscon]

Nice!!
Those look good and bright!

[jason stevens]

Awesome

[jstone]

Nice fish

[Skillet]

 

[Jingles]

Guess my age caused me to think of the TV series when I saw the topic title.

[RB]

Nice fish!

[7mmfan]

It was a good time. The summer opener on that river is one of the few fisheries I get excited about anymore. Man it can be good and lots of fun. Those late May/early June fish are hot.

[huntnnw]

Nice looking fish! I have always wanted to drag my boat over there and try that fishery. Dont have much of any side drifting salmon opportunities over here anymore with ID never having seasons

[pickardjw]

Is the Sky doable in a 14' aluminum boat right now? I have little experience with boating in swift river current. Plenty of experience in other water and I've done a fair bit of rafting. I imagine with some common sense and being overly cautious a newbie could float from Sultan down to Monroe. Or would Monroe to Snohomish be a better option to get some experience?

Have a 15hp prop on the boat but would just plan on floating with oars. Would have a bow anchor set up as well.

[jackelope]

Is the Sky doable in a 14' aluminum boat right now? I have little experience with boating in swift river current. Plenty of experience in other water and I've done a fair bit of rafting. I imagine with some common sense and being overly cautious a newbie could float from Sultan down to Monroe. Or would Monroe to Snohomish be a better option to get some experience?

Have a 15hp prop on the boat but would just plan on floating with oars. Would have a bow anchor set up as well.

I wouldn’t do sultan to Monroe in that boat. You’d be fine for 90% of it probably but there’s a few spots that might get a little dicey. I’m usually not adventurous like that though so maybe I’m overthinking it. Drift boat oars are long for leverage and the blades are bigger than row boat oars, and the boats themselves make a lot less contact with the water creating less drag. I think you’d end up in the rocks. I definitely wouldn’t anchor in any current at all.

[Skyvalhunter]

Just beware jet boats seem to think it's Evergreen Speedway out there and will swamp you in a minute.

[Wunderlich33]

I agree with Skyvalhunter the sleds and certain sections of the river will swap you.  The Sky is my home river and it can at times be a great fishery.     

[Wingin it]

There is some dicey water on either of those floats. The river is a different animal and *censored* can go bad in a hurry!

[pickardjw]

Maybe I'll convince my buddy to drag his dad's drift boat out of storage then. Lewis St to Snohomish looks more doable except for the confluence. No sense in banging my hull up though I guess.

[7mmfan]

The confluence is easy, especially at this level. The only thing you have to look out for in there is wood, an thats where a squared back end of a row boat can really get you in trouble. My Dad floated us down the Sky from Ben Howard to the Douglas Bar on the Snohomish in a 12' Sears Gamefisher a hundred times when we were little kids. Usually in the spring during catch and release for steelhead. We never had any issues, just paid attention. I've done it numerous times in the last few years myself duck hunting in there, same deal, just pay attention. A driftboat is definitely safer though, and a much better fishing platform, so if that's an option, I'd do that.

[jackelope]

Maybe I'll convince my buddy to drag his dad's drift boat out of storage then. Lewis St to Snohomish looks more doable except for the confluence. No sense in banging my hull up though I guess.

Lewis street to Snohomish in a drift boat takes fooooorrrrr ever if you don’t have a motor. Just FYI. Been there done that.

[pickardjw]

I'd run the drift boat in the sky down to Lewis St. and the 14' aluminum down from Lewis St. to Snohomish. Just gotta entice my buddy with more pics of kings being pulled out of the river!