Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: Ripper on June 05, 2013, 10:42:00 AM

Title: Fishing is heating up with the weather.
Post by: Ripper on June 05, 2013, 10:42:00 AM: As the weather warms so does the fishing. Walleye are on the prowl in Eastern Wa, Trout are biting all over the state, sturgeon are legal to keep in Puget Sound and salmon season is right around the corner. Read the latest reports at

http://www.rippersoutdooradventures.com/fishing-in-washington/fishing-reports/ (http://www.rippersoutdooradventures.com/fishing-in-washington/fishing-reports/)
Title: Re: Fishing is heating up with the weather.
Post by: gasman on June 05, 2013, 04:29:37 PM: Here is question for you Ripper.

Where in the Puget Sound can you find and catch Sturgeon :dunno:

You here about the Chehailis and Columbia, but never about the Puget Sound.
Title: Fishing is heating up with the weather.
Post by: jackelope on June 05, 2013, 05:32:56 PM: There's sturgeon in some of the river tributaries near the mouths. I don't think so much "in" the sound though.
Title: Re: Fishing is heating up with the weather.
Post by: Smossy on June 05, 2013, 05:39:51 PM: Quote from: gasman on June 05, 2013, 04:29:37 PM
Here is question for you Ripper.

Where in the Puget Sound can you find and catch Sturgeon :dunno:

You here about the Chehailis and Columbia, but never about the Puget Sound.
Read reports of some being stranded at low tide in Port Susan
Title: Re: Fishing is heating up with the weather.
Post by: Ripper on June 06, 2013, 06:56:51 AM: Almost all of the Puget Sound rivers have sturgeon in them. It was a little known secret for a long long time. Once the word got out then fishing fell off dramatically. Like the article Smossy is talking about, it showed 1500 stranded sturgeon in Port Susan. After that things got nut's, more pressure, then the poaching got real bad. That's why they shut it down from year round retention to just June and September to no retention next year. These are what I call the preteen fish. They aren't quite old enough to breed so they just cruise around looking for food. I catch very few sublegals or oversize fish, almost all keeper size. They don't spawn here so not many big fish, although I have seen a few 8-9 footers on occasion. Port Susan, the Skagit flats and Preist point are the known local areas to find them here on the North end. Find any river estuary on a Puget Sound river and chances are you can catch sturgeon there.
Title: Re: Fishing is heating up with the weather.
Post by: hunt_fish on June 06, 2013, 12:30:51 PM: Yup they have them in one of the "rivers" down in Mason County too, which is pretty much a creek. I remember as a kid seeing a big fish in probably 3 feet of water, I told my dad when we were fishing for trout but he thought I was just joking since I liked to pull his leg but I hadn't seen a sturgeon before so I didn't know what it was. Find out later that it was a sturgeon.
Title: Re: Fishing is heating up with the weather.
Post by: Ripper on June 06, 2013, 01:32:39 PM: Yup, the look like an armored shark!
Title: Re: Fishing is heating up with the weather.
Post by: wildmanoutdoors on June 06, 2013, 01:42:57 PM: Quote from: hunt_fish on June 06, 2013, 12:30:51 PM
Yup they have them in one of the "rivers" down in Mason County too, which is pretty much a creek. I remember as a kid seeing a big fish in probably 3 feet of water, I told my dad when we were fishing for trout but he thought I was just joking since I liked to pull his leg but I hadn't seen a sturgeon before so I didn't know what it was. Find out later that it was a sturgeon.

These fish come in July August and are fun to watch as they cruise the tide flat and estuary. Darn hard to catch though.
Title: Re: Fishing is heating up with the weather.
Post by: singleshot12 on June 06, 2013, 03:42:19 PM: Quote from: Smossy on June 05, 2013, 05:39:51 PM
Quote from: gasman on June 05, 2013, 04:29:37 PM
Here is question for you Ripper.

Where in the Puget Sound can you find and catch Sturgeon :dunno:

You here about the Chehailis and Columbia, but never about the Puget Sound.
Read reports of some being stranded at low tide in Port Susan

If they wanted to protect the fishery why would they take pics of 1500 stranded sturgeon and then Broadcast it all over the net and newspapers :dunno: Never ceases to amaze me of the stupidity of people :rolleyes:

I'm glad now that it's C&R now, just hope that people are careful with them and something can be done about the poaching and tribal netting. Maybe when i'm 80 my boy and i can fish them again and enjoy a few good meals
Title: Re: Fishing is heating up with the weather.
Post by: Ripper on June 06, 2013, 07:27:32 PM: Very true singleshot, it's very important that people police themselves out there. I know that's asking a lot but we are the only ones that can protect the species.