Cousin's Fishing Trip 2026

[pickardjw]

I'm looking to plan for a couple of cousins to come up from Alabama and Florida next year. We grew up fishing together and they've never made a trip in the 8 years I've been here. Work, family, other priorities. As such, they need to book something like this well in advance.

I'm newish to fishing in the Sound. Planning on purchasing a used Sound worthy boat (18'-20' Stryker, Luxor, or similar) early next year. Priority will be kings, secondary targets I imagine would be any other salmon, bottomfish, maybe ling cod. Will probably want to drop some crab pots as well. MA11 through MA7 are all options.

What month (or even week) would the Salty Dogs around here suggest in terms of having the potential for most opportunity?

[brocka]

July 16th - 18th, MA 9 if Kings are the target.

Or book a 6 pack charter out of Westport for Mid July - End of August. Chase Kings, Coho and Rockfish

[metlhead]

Puget Sound is a crapshoot whether it'd be open at all and tough fishing. Learn your boat well and plan to adventure far. Late July and early August have most of the ocean open with really good odds. Lots on here with great advice how to get out there. North coast makes for great salmon/Bfish combos to really Wow! your relatives.

[JBG]

July 16th - 18th, MA 9 if Kings are the target.

Or book a 6 pack charter out of Westport for Mid July - End of August. Chase Kings, Coho and Rockfish

2nd this.  July 16-18th-ish will be the Thursday, Friday, Saturday opener and likely closer for chinook in MA9.  The tuliaip bubble will be open starting in June but its hit or miss for Chinook.  MA11 will be open earlier but again can be inconsistent. 
If they are coming all this way I'd get them out to Neah Bay, Westport, or even West Coast VCI. 

[baldopepper]

Buying a boat for just occasional use in Puget Sound is risky business.  As others have said, timing when you can fish and even then hitting it when a bite is good are a coin toss.  Really recommend going out with a good charter first where you'll learn a lot and help you decide if you really want to own a boat. Owned boats for years and have pretty much decided it's far cheaper and better to just go out on a charter ( or friends) for the 4+5 times a year I wanna put salmon or bottom fish in the freezer. Walk on, walk off.  No boat to clean, no worries about launching or retrieveing and no guilt if the fishing is bad

[Stein]

Honestly, I wouldn't bet plane tickets on the chinook opener.  Probably OK, but with WDFW you never know.  It's also the most difficult and stressful to fish with crowds, trying to follow contours, and all the fun that goes with that.

Second week of September will be great for coho.  That's about as close to a sure thing as you can get.

Crab opener will be good unless you are in one of the areas that doesn't open.

Ling opener would be another I would bet on.

Probably depends more on when they can come up and what type of experience they want.  You could always go to the coast as well.

[Angus]

August, road trip to Buoy 10 or Labor Day weekend up river from B-10.

[pickardjw]

Buying a boat for just occasional use in Puget Sound is risky business.  As others have said, timing when you can fish and even then hitting it when a bite is good are a coin toss.  Really recommend going out with a good charter first where you'll learn a lot and help you decide if you really want to own a boat. Owned boats for years and have pretty much decided it's far cheaper and better to just go out on a charter ( or friends) for the 4+5 times a year I wanna put salmon or bottom fish in the freezer. Walk on, walk off.  No boat to clean, no worries about launching or retrieveing and no guilt if the fishing is bad

Oh the boat purchase is for far more than just this trip or the occasional trip. If I'm not in the woods I'll be on the water dang near year round. From Buoy 10 to the Missouri River, it'll get frequent use. I know The only thing holding me back right now is not having a real Sound worth boat!

(my 14' jon boat is in the classifieds if anyone wants to help me out with that  )

I've done a few charters and several other trips in the sound with friends out here. Part of the fun of fishing for me is figuring a fishery out. I chased kings from McNary to Wells last year and it was a ton of fun despite limited success.

My cousin's aren't charter guys either. We'd rather grind out a few fish and be on the water all day than be back at the dock by 10AM and have someone else do all the work for us. I'd do a charter for tuna, maybe halibut. We may consider that for a day.

[Gentrys]

September coho fishing without a doubt.  If the relatives came up here the very end of August, you could get in a few days of crabbing before it closes, which is generally right after Labor day weekend. End of August through September is good to great Coho fishing.  Learn about areas 9 and 8.2 and you'll be happy.  I live down South and have to trailer the boat up to these units for an hour or so every time, but it's well-worth it.

[SeaRun1]

The most consistent fishery is Coho.  Second week of September is when the relatives get out.  Sekiu should not be ruled out with that size boat all summer.  Have fun shopping for a boat.

SR1

[WAcoueshunter]

I’ve done Labor Day in MA7 with a couple bonus MA10 days the last two years for my Arizona cousins. Year before I took them to Sekiu/Neah in early August for kings, but some years that closes early. They will catch lots of fish in the San Juans (even if you have to release wilds and kings), lots of crab, and it’s epic scenery.

Also hard to beat a straight coho trip in mid September in the sound. Tons of fish and they’ll catch plenty they can take home.