Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: TheHunt on February 03, 2012, 07:07:22 AM

Title: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: TheHunt on February 03, 2012, 07:07:22 AM: I am getting up early and hitting the river. It should be fun if I catch something or not.
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: Bigluke1981 on February 03, 2012, 07:10:15 AM: Good Luck, Hope you have a great morning!!!
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: grousetracker on February 04, 2012, 10:09:27 AM: well, how did you do? i haven"t hit the river yet, i know im a little late in the season but no time.
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: PolarBear on February 04, 2012, 10:33:01 AM: I drove down there and turned around. At daylight there were far too many people for my taste. I ain't fishing in a crown for nothing. I'm gong to have to head to a nice, secluded, private spot on the Wynoochie on Monday where I can fish alone.
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: TheHunt on February 04, 2012, 08:35:00 PM: Same here... Way tooooooooo many people so I drove to the Wynoochee River and fished that. Heck of a parade of boats on the Wynoochee. It was the first time down on that river so I had to get out the map, talk to some locals, and a Montesano city police officer for some pointers. and I went 0 - 2. Next time I will have a better idea of where to fish and have a better chance of catching a fish. Still had fun...
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: TheHunt on February 04, 2012, 08:50:12 PM: The wynoochee river above the 7300 bridge is fishable without bait. Is there roads and trails for accessability?

I am wondering since there is no boats up that part of the river and it looks like no one fishes that part of the river.

I would think that the fish might be more relaxed than the fish at the lower part of 7300 bridge. The ones on the lower part of the river seemed to get pounded.
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: TheHunt on February 04, 2012, 08:56:57 PM: I just got off of Facebook and a buddy fished the Skookumchuck and took home a nice chrome hen. (Lucky son of a gun)
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: Button Nubbs on February 04, 2012, 09:07:04 PM: ahhhh the chuck... last time i went i vowed never to go again, that was about 5 years ago. havent been since...
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: PolarBear on February 05, 2012, 12:11:55 AM: It sucks when us locals can't even get in to fish the Skookumchuck! :bash:
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: Houndhunter on February 05, 2012, 04:32:12 AM: Where's the 7300 bridge? :chuckle:

If I can stay awake when I'm off in a hour I may try to go out, all the rivers right now seem to have fish
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: TheHunt on February 05, 2012, 07:23:58 AM: It is on the Wynoochee, and there must have been roughly 50 drift boats on that river. It was one after another.
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: Button Nubbs on February 05, 2012, 08:02:23 AM: The internet ruined that one...
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: TheHunt on February 05, 2012, 08:49:08 AM: I think more and more people are taking up fishing. The Wynoochee is only 1 1/2 hours from Tacoma. So that makes sense. But the Hump is like a two hour dirive. Most of that river you really need a boat to access the river. But not too many people who fish post on this site. I would say 98% are hunters which is cool. So I do not post much on the locations on the other sites.

I am also thinking that the majority of the fishing population are pretty lazy. So if you can get into areas that are not accessable by boat you can spank some fish.
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: TheHunt on February 05, 2012, 08:53:59 AM: It was also a beautiful day out. So the nice weather fishermen were out as well. Heck, I was hiking around a bend of the river and there was lady with waders on and her flyrod next to her sleeping in a folding chair enjoying the sun. When I walked by she was snoring and I was not very quiet. Her husband was up river fishing. I think he pushed her a little too hard and she needed a snooze in the sun.
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: TheHunt on February 05, 2012, 09:06:57 AM: Quote from: Houndhunter on February 05, 2012, 04:32:12 AM
Where's the 7300 bridge? :chuckle:

If I can stay awake when I'm off in a hour I may try to go out, all the rivers right now seem to have fish

I read a lot. There are two paper back books with maps on a lot of the rivers in Washington. The maps are NOT too accurate but they will get you to the river and you can figure out good fishing spots from there. If you want the names of those books I can post it. For a new fishermen like me it is the ticket to go figure out a river.

Also, be very careful who you ask. If you ask another fishermen. They are almost all liers. Heck, they lie as much a golfers or worse. :chuckle: I usually ask a police officer of the nearest town (to find out if they have a problem with crack or car prowlers while my truck is parked), I ask for a good resturant to eat breakfast or a good bakery. Those house the people who like to BS and will tell you the about the river.

I ate two hot cakes and coffee at the Beehive in Monsanto. Talk to a couple of mature folks in the beehive and a few others and I had what I needed to scout the river. So next time I am just going to hit the river and I am good. I still need to figure out the Satsop and the Humptulips.
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: BigGoonTuna on February 05, 2012, 09:39:34 AM: there's a lot of fishable rivers in grays harbor, but the downside is that not a single one of them has what i'd call "good" bank access, especially with the puget sound closures and hordes of people coming out here to fish. most of the accesses on the wynoochee are fairly obvious from the road. same for the satsop and humptulips, there just isn't much. i can't stand being stuck on a 200 yard long section of gravel bar all morning, i like to cover a mile or two of water if i can, so i find myself driving a lot during the winter.

and the skookumchuck, that used to be fun back when i was in high school. go out there and there wouldn't be more than a dozen guys spread out from the field to the deadline on a weekend, and almost nobody during the week. i used to cross the river and fish the hole that the plunkers stake out before first light every day now, they'd probably pelt me with beer bottles if i tried that nowadays. seems like since about 2006 or so the pressure has really exploded out there, now there's probably more dudes down there than at blue creek on a typical day. i fished it for the second time in 4 years last weekend, one thing i noticed was a big sign saying "closed to public access" right in front of the salmon hatchery hole.
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: PolarBear on February 05, 2012, 10:03:47 AM: Magazine articles like the one in NW Sportsman etc, that lay out maps to these rivers like the Nooch and Skook kill the fun for those of us who have been fishing them for years with relative solitude.
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: Button Nubbs on February 05, 2012, 10:08:55 AM: There's still a few left ;)
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: TheHunt on February 05, 2012, 10:15:00 AM: I am with you on finding water that is fishable and with not too many people is hard to do.

I will tell you that I have fished the Skookemchuck and started at 2 AM or start at 4 PM. It seems that many leave. BUT you have to figure out the glow in the dark baits.

I have figured out a few things. Like glow sticks on the bobbers, glow corky, glow rubber eggs, glow worms, etc... But who wants to fish at night?
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: PolarBear on February 05, 2012, 10:59:24 AM: It is funny that you mentioned night fishing on the Skook. Last night during out anual poker game we came very close to breaking it up and taking it to the banks of the Skook. We agreed to try it next year. Build a fire, set up a card table and plunk the night away. We use to do that on the Chehalis in our little shacks with the wood stoves. We would get there around midnight -2 am, play cards and hang out while listening for our bells to go off. Camera flashes come in handy for recahrging those glow in the dark spin n glows.
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: TheHunt on February 05, 2012, 01:15:12 PM: Would I be invited to get warm by your fire? :dunno:
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: PolarBear on February 05, 2012, 01:20:17 PM: Sure, as long as you don't bogart my fishin' spot. :chuckle: I might have the kids camped out there one night next weekend to see how they like it.
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: TheHunt on February 05, 2012, 02:11:42 PM: I usually fish the line or the deep hole on the bend or the lower hole from the parking lot. I have been known to go walk down stream if the water is low enough. If you are up on the road where the plunkers hang I will stop by.
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on February 05, 2012, 02:16:31 PM: Quote from: PolarBear on February 05, 2012, 10:59:24 AM
It is funny that you mentioned night fishing on the Skook. Last night during out anual poker game we came very close to breaking it up and taking it to the banks of the Skook. We agreed to try it next year. Build a fire, set up a card table and plunk the night away. We use to do that on the Chehalis in our little shacks with the wood stoves. We would get there around midnight -2 am, play cards and hang out while listening for our bells to go off. Camera flashes come in handy for recahrging those glow in the dark spin n glows.

I just want to be invited to the poker game :'(
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: TheHunt on February 05, 2012, 03:04:47 PM: We could have a heck of a good time out there. Could you imagine what that would look like?

Yes, officer.... Well, some of us are fishing and some of us are sitting around these tables. Card's... What cards? Oh, we are just playing some family friendly card games. Why do you ask? .... Sir
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: PolarBear on February 05, 2012, 08:50:12 PM: Hmmmmm.... This sounds like a good idea for a South Sound H-W git together, eh?
Title: Re: Hitting the Skookemchuck in the morning
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on February 05, 2012, 09:23:15 PM: Quote from: PolarBear on February 05, 2012, 08:50:12 PM
Hmmmmm.... This sounds like a good idea for a South Sound H-W git together, eh?

It does to me!!!!!!