Summer Salmon

[pickardjw]

Hoping to hit the summer salmon season pretty hard the next couple of weeks. I'm down in Pendleton, OR currently so Lake Umatilla (McNary Dam) or above in Lake Wallula are my target areas.

Would love a king but also happy with sockeye. I've fished sockeye a bit in lakes, but never for kings or on rivers. So I'm used to trolling. Trying to school myself up real quick here before the weekend. Any suggestions on rigs / technique?

Currently thinking either the 11" pro troll dodgers if I'm focusing on the kings or an 8" macks or similar for sockeye. Maybe smile blade rigs with prawns, or a brad's plug.

[ASHQUACK]

For summer kings I run an pro-troll, shortbus or Leo flasher and either a superbait original or cut plug.
Sockeye I fish just like I'm fishing for kokanee, only exception I do is I cure up cocktail shrimp in red and orange.

[metlhead]

Below a dam in good current, anchor in about 4' of water. Flatline 2.5" maglips with shrimp wrap or spin n glo for sockeye

[pickardjw]

Below a dam in good current, anchor in about 4' of water. Flatline 2.5" maglips with shrimp wrap or spin n glo for sockeye

Local shop owner said similar, but deeper. Fish finder is back up and running, so that should help. Kind of wish I had side scan right now.

[PointBlank]

Can’t go wrong running three sng rigs of the bank into 10-12ft of water… dark colors and your choice of coon shrimp

[pickardjw]

Currently set up in 19’ with a 9” dodger and pink smile blade setup with shrimp. Didn’t see any marks shallower and everyone else out here was about this depth. About to switch up to a cut plug.

[pickardjw]

On the board. First WA king for me.

[ASHQUACK]

Congrats! And the boating footwear is appropriate.

[TommyH]

   I really want to get out after some.

[Dan-o]

On the board. First WA king for me.

Thata a good way to get on the board!   

[pickardjw]

Got a couple more this weekend. Buddy was the good luck charm apparently, only caught when he was on the boat. Tough fishing. Couldn't stop marking kings but couldn't get them to bite other than in spots where I was marking fewer fish.

[pickardjw]

Got a personal new species as well. Dude broke my brand new kwikfish. Then I dropped my other brand new one in the river right after and couldn't find it downstream in the current.  :'(

Anyways I'd say he was at least 4', maybe 4'-6" max. Thought the rod was going to snap a few times. Going to build a couple king rods. Can't bring myself to buy rods when I can build one to the exact specs I want. Will definitely take more time though.

[cavemann]

Where did you decide to go?

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

[pickardjw]

Below McNary. Read a little about above and thought about trying it but decided to stick it out the whole weekend below.

[Blacklab]

Great stuff!!! 😉🥃🇺🇸. Love the bend🤑🤑🤑

[pickardjw]

Chinook belly sashimi tonight. Frozen per "sushi grade" guidelines (16 days total), thawed in the fridge and given an hour salt bath. Ponzu sauce for dipping.

Followed it up with some hot smoked, upper filet glazed with a butter/teriyaki/honey glaze cooked to 135.

Gonna do more sushi type stuff with these kings, and try my hand with lox.

[WSU]

That looks awesome. Another of my favorite things is the collars bbqd. Hard to beat all the fat!

[Encore 280]

Kippered collars too! 

[pickardjw]

That looks awesome. Another of my favorite things is the collars bbqd. Hard to beat all the fat!

I've had cobia, snapper and grouper collars but never salmon collars. That's on the menu at some point soon, kept a few off these fish. Need another knife in my fillet kit to be more effective at getting them off the fish. Just have an 8" bubba and 4" rapala. Need something sturdier to get through the spine. And something just longer than the 8" in general for kings.

The Kershaw 12"has my eye at the moment. https://kershaw.kaiusa.com/12-in-curved-fillet.html

[pickardjw]

Also decided to build a couple dedicated king trolling rods. Stryker had a 40% off sale over the 4th so I called them to discuss and ended up with a couple CT944-2 blanks. Moderate, medium/heavy and 9'-4". Going to go with a 10 CRB LZR guide setup + tip top in acid wraps (one starboard orientation, one port). 12" rear, 4" front EVA grips with x-flock and CRB heavy duty aluminum reel seats and Okuma CW-203D reels. Not a fan of graphite seats with triggers for trolling rods. Gonna go real simple with the wraps to get them fishing ASAP.

[WSU]

I honestly wouldn’t over think it. Hack them off and toss in the bbq. It’ll be good.

[huntnnw]

Fished wells dam last weekend .. worst king bite we’ve seen in last 7 years. Numbers were there they just were not biting very well.

[Mtnwalker]

I honestly wouldn’t over think it. Hack them off and toss in the bbq. It’ll be good.

  You can split them at the top and fillet em off either side of the spine too, leave the bottom attached if you want. Did a few dozen kings last week with a regular old thin blade fillet knife

[Southpole]

Fished wells dam last weekend .. worst king bite we’ve seen in last 7 years. Numbers were there they just were not biting very well.

We drove down to the launch Saturday, never been down there before. I couldn’t believe the amount of boats in the water, wow! We fished Entiat and never got a bite but we also don’t know what we are doing either, so there’s that. I have a trip booked with a guide on the 20th at the dreaded Brewster pool. Hope I learn something.

[bear]

Fished wells dam last weekend .. worst king bite we’ve seen in last 7 years. Numbers were there they just were not biting very well.

I wondered if you were over there fishing for kings. We just stayed over on the sockeye.

[Caseyd]

Fished wells dam last weekend .. worst king bite we’ve seen in last 7 years. Numbers were there they just were not biting very well.

I’m curious how it will be up river after the 16

[spin05]

Fished wells dam last weekend .. worst king bite we’ve seen in last 7 years. Numbers were there they just were not biting very well.

It was horrible. We fished Entiat and chelan falls.  Had one take down. Fish checker said he checked no kings at Chelan and 1 at Entiat. We left early came home to fish Baker

[huntnnw]

Fished wells dam last weekend .. worst king bite we’ve seen in last 7 years. Numbers were there they just were not biting very well.

It was horrible. We fished Entiat and chelan falls.  Had one take down. Fish checker said he checked no kings at Chelan and 1 at Entiat. We left early came home to fish Baker

We went 2-6 in 2.5 days and didn’t fish Sunday and headed home, my brother fished Sunday am and hooked 5.. sounds like we shoulda launched 

[blackpowderhunter]

Fished wells dam last weekend .. worst king bite we’ve seen in last 7 years. Numbers were there they just were not biting very well.

It was horrible. We fished Entiat and chelan falls.  Had one take down. Fish checker said he checked no kings at Chelan and 1 at Entiat. We left early came home to fish Baker

We went 2-6 in 2.5 days and didn’t fish Sunday and headed home, my brother fished Sunday am and hooked 5.. sounds like we shoulda launched 

Just remember....fish usually bite twice a day...right before you get there, and right after you leave 

[Crunchy]

Ive been getting after it in puget sound, but have bad luck with native fish.  Caught a 30 in area 11 that I had to let go (that hurt).  Yesterday in area 6 caught 2 15s and an 8 all natives