Snohomish river Chinook and Coho fishing... How is it supposed to be?

[Jaksonbrown]

So the silver run this year in the snohomish has been dismal as everyone knows. So, my question is this as this is my first year on the river.... Is it usally a really good fishery for Kings and Silvers? What is your average number of fish caught per year out of the Snohomish? Where do you rank it as far as numbers of fish as say compared to the skagit or the Cow? How early do the Kings come into the river?

[natetreat]

The cow is phenomenal compared to most puget sound rivers, but then again I grew up fishing the cow and am not used to having to work so hard to get on fish. I would rate 'em a three up here.

[scott080379]

if I had a sled I would be fishing the skok for kings when the runs come in......can't make it very far up river but you can get away from the bankies ina few areas

[wolverine]

The Sky has been a declining king fishery for years. It normally has a much better silver run. Getting them to bite consistently is another matter. The Skagit is better than the Sky, but is a mere shadow of its former self. The Cow is the best of the 3 as it doesn't get flogged by tribal fisheries.

[Matt]

First of all, I will tell you that this year has been spotty at best in the Snohomish system. Usually it is outrageous for silvers, kings are a different story, but for silvers it is usually a Goto in the PNW. Unfortunately this year has been lacking; but ask anyone who fished it last year if it was good and you will hear about a PHENOMENAL year, outstanding coho fishing with pinks to supplement the downtime with guaranteed FUN!

To comment on what nate said:

The cow is phenomenal compared to most puget sound rivers, but then again I grew up fishing the cow and am not used to having to work so hard to get on fish. I would rate 'em a three up here.

I would argue that the cow is NOT a PS river, which really isn't an argument, period, because the Cow is a Big C tributary, NOT water poured outa the sound so it is completely different. The reason the Cow rocks and its talked up so much is because it runs well up into Washington and is a tributary of the Columbia, one of the best salmon rivers left in THE WORLD.

Just my .02,

[Jaksonbrown]

if I had a sled I would be fishing the skok for kings when the runs come in......can't make it very far up river but you can get away from the bankies ina few areas

So I have been reading all the reports for this year on the Skok. Is it just me, or is flossing for salmon just the accepted method, and by the reports, the only one used? I mean, every report written has people talking about how many foul hooked fish they end up with and they are all using corkies and yarn.

Second question...

The distance to the Skok and the Cow are almost the same for me coming from Snohomish, but still a long days drive to and from. Which river would you fish? What are the pluses and minuses of each?

Where do you launch your boat on the Skok? How far up river can you get?

[wolverine]

Unless you have a death wish Don't even consider fishing the Skok from a sled. You'll be a target for every corkie tosser/flosser/snagger out there, as well as dodging tribal lead wrapped treble hooks from the rez side. You have a big inboard sled. It would be barely able to turn around in the Skok. There is a rough launch just below 101 that works for pontoon boats or rafts bur even then it can be tight getting them around the log jams and its possible to drag them out below at the lower bridge. You would have to launch a sled at one of a couple of salt water launches and attempt to run into the not at all well marked river channel. If, and I mean if, you were able to get in the river as far up as you'd be able to go is just above the first bridge. I've only seen 2 sleds that ran up and they were both very small flat bottom outboard skiffs that didn't stay long. Have you ever been to the Skok? Before you ever consider attempting to put a boat in there you need to go look at it first.

[Jaksonbrown]

Unless you have a death wish Don't even consider fishing the Skok from a sled. You'll be a target for every corkie tosser/flosser/snagger out there, as well as dodging tribal lead wrapped treble hooks from the rez side. You have a big inboard sled. It would be barely able to turn around in the Skok. There is a rough launch just below 101 that works for pontoon boats or rafts bur even then it can be tight getting them around the log jams and its possible to drag them out below at the lower bridge. You would have to launch a sled at one of a couple of salt water launches and attempt to run into the not at all well marked river channel. If, and I mean if, you were able to get in the river as far up as you'd be able to go is just above the first bridge. I've only seen 2 sleds that ran up and they were both very small flat bottom outboard skiffs that didn't stay long. Have you ever been to the Skok? Before you ever consider attempting to put a boat in there you need to go look at it first.

Nope never been... just gong off of what Scott said. It sounds like ill be sticking with the Cow. I simply hate combat fishing. I spent 20 years doing it in Idaho as that was the only opportunity you had at a salmon or metal head. I wont do it here.

[scott080379]

okat I would never put a sled in above the 106 bridge. I would put in the salt in the hood canal and run the mouth and up a little. There is a spot right above the mouth that rarely has any bankies on it and right by the mouth as well. yes drift fishing is the primary way of fishing the skok but that are great areas to float eggs and jigs on the skok and that is what I prefer. You will find people trying to drift these areas and most of there hookups are fouled hooked fish.

but yes like wolverine said you should go explore the river first. You rarely ever see anyone on any kind of boat on the skok for good reason. I would only fish the mouth and about 1000yrd up river and that is about it from a boat.

[natetreat]

First of all, I will tell you that this year has been spotty at best in the Snohomish system. Usually it is outrageous for silvers, kings are a different story, but for silvers it is usually a Goto in the PNW. Unfortunately this year has been lacking]The cow is phenomenal compared to most puget sound rivers, but then again I grew up fishing the cow and am not used to having to work so hard to get on fish. I would rate 'em a three up here.

I would argue that the cow is NOT a PS river, which really isn't an argument, period, because the Cow is a Big C tributary, NOT water poured outa the sound so it is completely different. The reason the Cow rocks and its talked up so much is because it runs well up into Washington and is a tributary of the Columbia, one of the best salmon rivers left in THE WORLD.

Just my .02, [/quote]

You're right, I wasn't calling it a PS river, I was saying that it's really hard to compare them, on account of it's a Big C river. I grew up fishing for steel on the Cow, the LEwis the Elochoman and the Columbia and moved up here two years ago expecting that it would be the same based upon all the literature that talked about the skagit as an historical salmon utopia. I love the Sky and Stilly, but you spend a lot more time on the water to get fish comparably. I'm not against 'em, if it flows I'll fish it.

[knotabassturd]

"I grew up fishing for steel on the Cow, the LEwis the Elochoman..."

Spoiled youth LOL.

I never fished the Big C for salmon or steel but boy those other 3 were awesome. Don't forget the Kalama too back in the day. Ahhh, the Elochoman used to be such a great small steel river. I only fished it for winters though. Occassionally managed a dark summer while fishing winters back then.

[A9]

The cow is phenomenal compared to most puget sound rivers, but then again I grew up fishing the cow and am not used to having to work so hard to get on fish. I would rate 'em a three up here.

Cowlitz fishery is managed much differently. Very few remaining "wild" fish, but the hatcheries on that system pump out the majority of the fish on that run. Most north Puget sound rivers don't have the hatchery infrastructure that the Cowlitz does.

[A9]

The reason the Cow rocks and its talked up so much is because it runs well up into Washington and is a tributary of the Columbia, one of the best salmon rivers left in THE WORLD.

Just my .02,

For hatchery fish. The Columbia only sees returns of 4-7% of historical numbers, with roughly 70-80% of the current returners being of hatchery origin. Dam's on that river really messed up the migration routes and spawning habitat.

[flinginpooh]

I love the skok when the Kings are in. When the silvers and chums come in its a fun ride for about a month. Its about over there again. The cow on the other hand is the river I fish a good majority of my time. I usually fish it from Oct-june. Right now boot kings are fun, silvers are in and some are still nice and chrome, and steel is usually all year here. You have to work for steel. All and all 2 of my favorite rivers skok and cow. Im headed to the cow in about 30 min. So tells ya where Id go. Glow for steel!

[pilchuck]

Glad you fish the Skoke and the cow! and not here! Why are you on this thread(Snohomish) anyway?? Just to tell us your gonna go floss and snag whatever you can out of the Cow. Good luck Glow Ballin'....

[kinghunter]

Glad you fish the Skoke and the cow! and not here! Why are you on this thread(Snohomish) anyway?? Just to tell us your gonna go floss and snag whatever you can out of the Cow. Good luck Glow Ballin'....

Hey, just chill dude. Pooh is just sharing his opinion since JacksonBrown was asking about the Skok vs. Cow. Don't be a hater to all those flossers, are they breaking any rules? If so then let the gamie take of them. Why do you think there is a drastic reduction in the report sections, all those haters out there so quickly to judge. If you don't have somehing nice to say then just shut up man.

[racfish]

For salmon in my opinion is the Willapa system and the Satsop. My biggest coho caught have been out of those two river systems.

[scott080379]

Glad you fish the Skoke and the cow! and not here! Why are you on this thread(Snohomish) anyway?? Just to tell us your gonna go floss and snag whatever you can out of the Cow. Good luck Glow Ballin'....

What is your problem Pilchuck? Seems every other thread you post on it is something negative. Nothing he does or has done in any report is wrong. If you don't like flossers than you should just keep your mouth shut on here and go and try to get the rules changed. Calling people out on these forums do nothing for you or anyone else other than cause hat and discontent there is nothing in the rules about flossing, so it is perfectly legal.

I would rather float gear, eggs or shrimp or even even toss out hardware then drift fishing. Some places drift fishing is the best way to catch fish, so that is what I use and everyone else uses. So please stop causing all this hate and discontent on here about flossing and snagging. It does no one any good in the end.

[Fish_Bait111397]

I've seen 1 bass boat way up by the Hunter Farms Hole, and a pontoon boat as well.

[Jaksonbrown]

Come on boys.. no fighting now. So lets talk Metal heads. Sky or Skagit? Which is better in your opinion? Whats your favorite method. Back home on the Salmon river and the Snake we were big backtrollers bouncing eggs out of a jet sled. Sometimes just bactrolling kwiks. I have always wanted to try the whole bobber and Jig thing but the holes on the salmon that we fished were deep. Like 10-15 feet. Is it even possible to fish deeper holes with the bobber method or do you have to find shallower spots?