HUMPY MADNESS

[elkaholic123]

How many have been out for the big humpy run?We went this morning and caught 16,even a beginner could get a limit with that many fish out there! JERRY

[markts]

I am heading out next weekend. Those fish are a blast on light gear. Mark

[Goldeneye]

I finally pulled the ole sled out of the garage and went to one of my areas on the upper Snohomish this morning.  Man the water is low.  By 9:15 I had caught 21.  Decided to call it a day at that point and had kept 4 nice hens.  They are in thick and are not too picky about hitting.  Time to start taking friends out with their kids who haven't caught any salmon yet.  I have a few that are waiting for an invite.  I wanted to make sure they were in heavy before I took the kids out.  Didn't want them to get bored...

[Luke9686]

Just got back about an hour ago.  Got out to the Puyallup at around 11:00.  Left at around 2:30, landed around 20, lost at least 20.  It's ridiculous down there, fish on every couple casts.  I've read posts on Gamefishin from people who can't catch them for whatever reason.  I feel like asking them if they are on the Puyallup or not...  If you ain't catching them, you're doing something seriously wrong.

[PolarBear]

I turned down a trip to the puyallup on friday evening.  Kinda wished I would have gone, my buddy and his kid caught close to 30 of the damn things in a couple of hours.  He said they couldn't get their line in the water fast enough at times.  Maybe one day this  week with the kids.

[Tom Tamer]

Got over 20 either smokeed, smoking or in the brine right now......been so good that for the first time in my life I got " Fisherman's arm" Left shoulder is numb and my fingers go to sleep every time I set the hook But I ain't complaining...well until it effects my bow shooting

 even Friday evening I landed about 20 then found out the nets were in....so that isn't even slwoing it down too much....what a friggin' blast for a true amatuer salmon fisher(me) this is great

[Luke9686]

It's pretty bad when you're hoping they spit the hook at the end of the fight.

[h2ofowlr]

It's been good fishing on the Skagit as well.  Lots of fish to catch.

[bowtech721]

Ive caught a ton of them in the last few weeks in the salt between sekiu and pt defiance area but wanna get one from the river on a light rod setup... whats a basic setup to head out with? Probably puyallup cuz its closest.... ideas? 

[Dadbear]

.... Yeah. I've got a few Humpy questions, too. I live on the Cowlitz and have never bothered to venture up north to catch 'em. I thought my young son (below) would enjoy it. Is the Puyallup the best (closest) spot? Do they run in any of the south coastal streams (Naselle, Palix, etc)? Also, I'm not into the whole combat fishing deal... is that kind of what I can expect during the Pink run? I'd rather get skunked than catch a sack full of fish with 80 other guys around. Any help would be great. Thanks.

[Dmanmastertracker]

Just got back about an hour ago.  Got out to the Puyallup at around 11:00.  Left at around 2:30, landed around 20, lost at least 20.  It's ridiculous down there, fish on every couple casts.  I've read posts on Gamefishin from people who can't catch them for whatever reason.  I feel like asking them if they are on the Puyallup or not...  If you ain't catching them, you're doing something seriously wrong.

 Challenge for you, post one of your Puyallup pinks showing the lure in the mouth of the fish . I'd like to see that from anyone who fishes there for that matter, shouldn't be hard if you hooked that many legal fish right?

[Gobble]

Just got back about an hour ago.  Got out to the Puyallup at around 11:00.  Left at around 2:30, landed around 20, lost at least 20.  It's ridiculous down there, fish on every couple casts.  I've read posts on Gamefishin from people who can't catch them for whatever reason.  I feel like asking them if they are on the Puyallup or not...  If you ain't catching them, you're doing something seriously wrong.

 Challenge for you, post one of your Puyallup pinks showing the lure in the mouth of the fish . I'd like to see that from anyone who fishes there for that matter, shouldn't be hard if you hooked that many legal fish right?

Beleive it or not you CAN catch a fish without snagging it, and yes they do bite. Do many people snag them (yes) but they will bite if you give them a chance. I've caught hundreds of fish (or more) in that river and 99% of them were in the mouth (were some flossed, absolutely) you cant avoid it sometimes, but many many fish were taken by the fish biting my hook. It can be done 

[JBar]

Dm, I hooked 8 on the Puy Saturday, released them all but only two were foul hooked rest were in the mouth.

[Dmanmastertracker]

Dm, I hooked 8 on the Puy Saturday, released them all but only two were foul hooked rest were in the mouth.

 Pictures please, like I said if you caught that many, should be a piece of cake  . Tell, you what, I'll go again myself and I'll take photo's of others dragging fish in backwards, since no one can take one of a legally caught fish .

[Dmanmastertracker]

 Something else I've noticed there too, I really believe some guys think it is legal to hook a fish OUTSIDE the mouth, anywhere near the mouth, clearly it is not legal.

[JBar]

  I don't waste my time with a camera down there but I understand your point. It's a flossing game with that many fish in the river I don't care who you are and how short your leader is or how good a fisherman. If the fish could see more than an inch in front of their faces I would say differently. But like I said 6 of the eight were in the mouth, I didn't say they bit the hook! I just go down to have a little fun catch some fish and let them go for their next flossing!

[JBar]

Something else I've noticed there too, I really believe some guys think it is legal to hook a fish OUTSIDE the mouth, anywhere near the mouth, clearly it is not legal.

That's one of the reasons I let them go! Snag is a snag if it aint inside the mouth.

[Dmanmastertracker]

  Well, that's the most honest post I've seen on the Puke lately.

-D

[singleshot12]

I refuse to get the humpy madness fever..and resort to becoming a humpie fisherman. I tried it a few years ago but became disgusted(not by the fish themselves)but by all the idiots that call themselves fishermen and the only way they can catch them is to snag them.
I guess it could be entertaining for some to see all the yahoo's come out of the woodworks and make fools of themselves snagging fish etc. etc.
But the worst part is the garbage and unethical thing of it all that ruins it and makes us all look bad.

[NRA4LIFE]

Fished 8-2 on Thursday and Friday of last week.  All I can say is HOLY CRAP.  Limited both days in a couple hours or less, 12 both days.  On Friday at one time we caught 10 fish in 35 minutes.  It was crazy on the boat.

[Gobble]

I refuse to get the humpy madness fever..and resort to becoming a humpie fisherman. I tried it a few years ago but became disgusted(not by the fish themselves)but by all the idiots that call themselves fishermen and the only way they can catch them is to snag them.
I guess it could be entertaining for some to see all the yahoo's come out of the woodworks and make fools of themselves snagging fish etc. etc.
But the worst part is the garbage and unethical thing of it all that ruins it and makes us all look bad.

We call them JOE DIRT CRACKERS  Every hillbilly on the wetside is out for Humpies with their snoopy rods and 30 lb line jerking on every retrieve and  thinking they have a "Monster" on because the fish is hooked in the motor (tail) as it comes in backwards. I really hate the cracker crowd.

[woodywsu]

Something else I've noticed there too, I really believe some guys think it is legal to hook a fish OUTSIDE the mouth, anywhere near the mouth, clearly it is not legal.

As long as it is hooked above the gill plate, it is considered legal.

[Gobble]

Something else I've noticed there too, I really believe some guys think it is legal to hook a fish OUTSIDE the mouth, anywhere near the mouth, clearly it is not legal.

As long as it is hooked above the gill plate, it is considered legal.

Not true anymore, it used to be gill plate forward but the law has changed and it HAS to be in the mouth now.

[Dmanmastertracker]

 A few rules not being followed on the Puke:

 FRESHWATER: “It is unlawful to totally remove salmon, steelhead, or Dolly Varden/bull trout from the water if it is
unlawful to retain those fish, or if the angler subsequently releases the salmon, steelhead, Dolly Varden, or bull trout.”

 You May Not:
Snag or attempt to snag fish.

 
 -FYI beaching is removing from the water.

[Goldeneye]

Not condoning anything but hooked inside the mouth, but here is a cut and paste from the game regs.  Don't think the reg's on this have changed.

It is unlawful to possess a fish taken from
freshwater that was not hooked inside the
mouth or on the head. The head is defined as
any portion forward of the rear margin of the
gill plate.

[Dmanmastertracker]

 The only real question is whether or not it is intentional, if a gamey sits in the trees and watches you pull in fish after fish hooked outside the mouth, be prepared to do some explaining..... I don't think they will haggle with you over an inch or so in the location of the hook, they will look for how you are fishing, everyone knows snagging is pretty obvious, fleecing, flossing, whatever the hell you want to call it, there is no gray area for intentional snagging and those that are doing it are kidding themselves if they think the law is that broad. The definition is intended to cover the guy that's fishing legally, who say gets one hook down the gullet and maybe the front hook on the gum line. You start hooking fish after fish behind the head, under the jaw, etc.. it will get noticed, primarily because to do that you would be displaying other behaviors, such as ripping your gear through the pockets, rather than free drifting and retrieving immediately at the end of the drift.

[Fishnclifff]

This is why I make the 4 hr trip to the Skagit.
We plunk on the bar. 4 of us fished for 3 hrs and limited. 12 pinks and 4 coho.
No snaggers ( flossers), a few people throwin spoons below the plunkers.
I gave out some tips on rigging sand shrimp and hook choices. People were catchin fish left and right.
2 more trips scheduled for friday and saturday.
It was a fun day fishin.

[Tom Tamer]

Something else I've noticed there too, I really believe some guys think it is legal to hook a fish OUTSIDE the mouth, anywhere near the mouth, clearly it is not legal.

As long as it is hooked above the gill plate, it is considered legal.

Not true anymore, it used to be gill plate forward but the law has changed and it HAS to be in the mouth now.

True and everyone I kept was inside the mouth, i run a three foot leader and get a lot of soft bites and can feel the fish pick it up and hold it. And well I don't need pictures to prove it I only need to prove it to myself,WDFW and my maker...if some don't believe others well that's there choice

[huntnphool]

 I will be hitting the bay tomorrow afternoon, my buddy hooked 14 and landed 10 yesterday trolling pink hoochies. I will take pics for you Dman, of course trolling the bay is not quite the same as fishing the river.

 I have always wanted to try anchoring in the Puyallup between 1-5 and the mouth with a diver and pink hoochie, spin&glo or AceHigh etc. has anyone tried this?