Northwest Fishing Reports

Can anyone tell me how the Newaukum river is doing right now as far as salmon/steelhead? Ive never fished it before but i really want to, but dont want to come home empty handed.

Now would be the time to fish it for steelhead. It s going to be a nate show for sure. Float a nightmare jig under a small float. Problem is finding publuc land to fish. Just below and above I-5 I have had luck in the past. And only found one other spot up river that was not posted no trespassing. There is no hatchery on that creek of a river.

Yeah i went there today and hooked into a HAWG! i was floating a pink worm with a white/pink pearlish corkie. Damn thing snapped my line right at the bank, Beautiful fish tho. what are the rules about native and hatchery fish on the newaukum?

Can't keep any natives in any rivers. Can't take them out of the water either. http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ok Cool, Thank you. Im kind of new to the whole steelhead game, so i wasnt completely sure if the same regs went for them or not.

Is this one of them small coastal rivers with big wild fish u were telling me about nate??

I was talking about it. It's a native run, as far as I know they haven't put fish in it for a while.

The last time they planted it was in 2007 for steelhead. Pretty sure they're gonna all be unclipped fish, or strays from the chehalis.

Im fine with that, harder fight, less people. Good stuff

Amen to that! The fish i hooked the other day faught soooo hard!

How big do you think it was going? 15+? Huge fish in small rivers are SICK!

I honestly dont know. if i had to guess id say maybe 12 to 13 lbs. it snapped my line before i could really get a good look at it but it felt very hefty lol

Haha nice! If ur looking for a line-uprgrade run 12 or 15lb mainline with 10lb maxima ultragreen leader. its the strongest, most durable leader u can buy and ive caught over 250 steelhead in the last 2 years and i can recall breaking off 3 fish only, and ive landed plenty of fish near 20 pounds. Its great, super strong, ties good knots and almost invisible underwater.

Oh damn, Ok. Thanks for the tip man! im running 12 lb triline clear/blue mainline and an 8 lb leader (mainly cuz thats the only spare line i have) but ill deffinetly invest in some better/stronger leader line.

Yea well its like 12 bucks for a big spool made for reels, but i buy it for leader and it lasts the whole season and into the next. 8lb is a little light for ssteel, especially natives in small creeks! lol they arent smart enough to tell 8lb from 10lb. Upgrade to the 10lb leader and youll land that hawg next time

OK, thats not a bad price, especially if it lasts that long lol thanks for the help man. I dont have a whole lot of experience fishing for steelhead so it helps immensely when people can help me out abit haha even if its something as simple as what line to use haha

As far as native retention there are rivers on the peninsula that allow one per year. My favorite leader would have to be seaguar flourocarbon. In even the most trying situations it has not only increased my hookups but i hardly ever break off. It's a little more spendy but worth it.

Yep, flourocarbon in a good way to go in clear water if the fish are picky, but like u said its more pricey and i havent really noticed that fllourocarbon is a must unless the water is SUPER clear, most rivers arent

Ditto on fluoro. Not necessary until the water approaches super clarity. But in those low water, high vis situations it can be the only thing that works. Maxima ultra green is a great line, I've been fishing Maxima since I was a kid, my dad fished it as well. It's one of the only lines manufactured in Europe rather than asia, and it has a lot more quality control. I swear it's rated for less than it's breaking strength though. The cheapest place to get it is Walmart. 12 bucks rather than 20 at other outlets. If you get the chance pick up a 1000 yard spool at Cabela's, you'll use it. In higher water and big fish, I run 12 main and 10 leader, 15 is a bit heavy for me unless I'm running a baitcaster, which I know fishenfreak uses. Spinning rods can't usually spool up with as much line that is heavier like that unless you are using a bigger ungainly reel.

But fluoro is killer. For low clear water I'll use it for my main line too. If I can get away with it, I'll go 8 and 6, it works very well and is invisible to the fish. It takes practice playing a fish on such light tackle, but it does make for a challenge and fun fight.

Good call, maxima is DEFINETENY rated lower than breaking strength. I have had 12lb mainline break before my 10lb maxima leader. Lol. one example of a river that flouro would help was the cascade in low water conditions. real clear like that it helps a ton