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Stillaguamish River Report
Snohomish County, WA

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Details

09/28/2009
Coho Salmon
Afternoon
09/28/2009
1
5045

Went fishing on the mouth of the Stilly today with my son. It was my idea of Heaven. There were thousands of salmons jumping, and you could almost tell the type of salmon by the jump! They were even skipping like rocks.

We used salmon (Humpie) eggs, crocodiles, jigs, drop shots, hoochies, and sand shrimp, but the fish were not biting at all, just jumping to kind of tease you.

So, got skunked, but I hope others will go see this spectacular sight. I've never seen anything like it in my life.


Comments

LittleTrib
9/28/2009 9:36:00 PM
Wow you really captured the moment. Looks like a silver
goin_postal
9/28/2009 10:13:00 PM
man you tried everything but what would work for sure in that situation,CORKY AND YARN,you would have had non stop catching for hours.very good pic.that would have been hard to capture.
elohssaknurd
9/29/2009 6:52:00 AM
Nice pic. I must tell you that you are not aloud to use bait anywhere on the Stilly. Look in the regs under selective gear rules.
fishermom
9/29/2009 8:08:00 AM
Please straighten me out if I'm wrong, but I thought the regs say that you can use bait on the Stilly, south of Standwood downstream from Marine View Bridge. I'm talking about the boat ramp area of of Boe Rd.
Anyone that knows, please comment, as I WILL obey the regs. Getting addicted to that spot - thousands of Silvers jumping, some just a foot from shore.
I'll try the corky and yarn, and I'm thinking now that it is cloudy and raining, might have better luck. Fished the Stilly the last time it POURED, and the fish were biting constantly.
Fritz
9/29/2009 10:21:00 AM
Fishermom, I believe you are correct. Selective gear rule applies upstream of Marine Dr, not downstream by the Boe boat launch. Perhaps this was a rule in prior years, because I've heard this from others, too. Anti-snagging rule is in effect downstream of Marine Dr., so watch how you rig your gear.
Jake Dogfish
9/29/2009 10:23:00 AM
Great pic Fishermom. Your right about the regs, it always amazes me that people that don't read them are correcting others.
Corky and yarn does not work without enough current to drive it into the fishes mouth.
fishermom
9/29/2009 10:54:00 AM
Have had a few "discussions" about what is legal where, on the Stilly right on the bank.
Hope that some of you all can go down and take a look - the Silvers are there if you can get them to bite.
joekacker
9/29/2009 5:11:00 PM
Its hard to get the coho to bite in such low clear water. Try plunking dick nite 50 50 barbless. works awesome for me.
goodtimesfishing
9/29/2009 7:12:00 PM
bottom of page 54-top of page 55 covers area 876. because it is split between 2 pages I think it becomes confusing. However both sections are numbered 876-downstream of marine dr. and from marine dr. to forks-876, top of pg.55 states selective gear rules. In the definitions look under selective gear rules and it will state no bait and other things including no barbs, no knotted nets, only unscented lures or flies. Once you get past the fork in the stilly you can use bait (north fork [area 872] and south fork [area 874]but area 876 is selective gear only. By the way awesome job on the photo. Have fun fishing
goodtimesfishing
9/29/2009 7:28:00 PM
After just submitting the last comment I saw someone state that the selective gear does not apply to downstream of marine dr.??? I am curious what area number is used for your punch card downstream of marine drive, maybe I am missing something in the regs. I can only find 3 areas for the stilly 876, 874, 872. If anyone knows the area number for downstream of marine dr. please post a comment.
joekacker
9/29/2009 8:09:00 PM
north fork is fly fish only. until winter steelhead
skeptile
9/29/2009 8:16:00 PM
It says that the Stillaguamish and all areas downstream of marine drive (south of Stanwood) is area 876. Also if you look in the definition of a Game fish, Salmon are not listed there. Salmon are Food fish ref. pg 31. Only landlocked salmon are game fish i.e. in a lake and no way to the ocean. Also, for anyone who didn't know, it says that you may use a barbed or barb-less hook ref. pg 30 under the Tackle section. Under the special rules section for the area downstream of Marine Dr. the selective gear rules are not listed there. From upstream of Marine drive to forks the selective gear rules do apply. I fish the Skagit a lot and the areas for that river are all 830 with different rules for some locations on the river. Hope this makes some kind of sense.

Would a nickel dick nite work as well as a 50/50?
fishermom
9/29/2009 8:22:00 PM
Here is my take from the regs -

STILLAGUAMISH RIVER (Snohomish
Co.) and all sloughs downstream of
Marine Drive (south of Stanwood)
(876)
ALL SPECIES - Aug. 1-Nov. 30: night closure and anti-snagging rule.
TROUT Year-round Min. size 14". Daily limit 2.
Other Game Fish Year-round Statewide min. size/daily limit.
SALMON Sept. 1-Dec. 31 Min. size 12". Daily limit 2, plus 2 additional PINK. Release CHINOOK.
(continued on next page)
skeptile
9/29/2009 9:13:00 PM
I am planning on hitting the Stilly tomorrow is there room to fish on the river there off of Boe rd., like from the bank, sand bar, rock bar or something. I'm looking at a map but it doesn't show me turnouts or designated fishing areas. I've never been but It's supposed to be dry tomorrow and my friend tells me it's best to go for coho after a good rain.
skeptile
9/29/2009 9:19:00 PM
I am planning on hitting the Stilly tomorrow is there room to fish on the river there off of Boe rd., like from the bank, sand bar, rock bar or something. I'm looking at a map but it doesn't show me turnouts or designated fishing areas. I've never been but It's supposed to be dry tomorrow and my friend tells me it's best to go for coho after a good rain.
skeptile
9/29/2009 9:20:00 PM
sorry about the double post.
skeptile
9/29/2009 9:31:00 PM
sorry about the double post.
goodtimesfishing
9/30/2009 8:17:00 AM
skeptile---you are confusing 876 as 2 separate fisheries what is at the bottom of pg 54 and the top of p.55 are the same 876 and all that applies on both pages covers both areas including selective gear. NOTE the abreveation cont. it stands for continued on the next page. lt does't start a new fish area. Does anyone have a fish area number for the downstream side of marine dr. besides 876??? Until I am sure of it being different I will have to stick to the rules of 876. Oh well I think I better get ready and go fishing, Hope the silvers are in the area I go.
fishermom
9/30/2009 9:29:00 AM
Skeptile -

There is room to fish on the ramp, left of the ramp, and off a path from the parking area that runs along the river. I went down and found an area that you could get down the bank. There are some snags, and one right where the fish jump alot. Since never caught anything, don't know how hard it would be to land one there. Be sure to let us know. I think today is a great day for that area.

Also, the water is not moving fast this time of year. We went out in a small boat with an electric motor and had no problems.

As far as the regs, now that I look at the continued, it DOES seem like there are special rules. But everyone was using bait, even the river guides. I'm gonna call about that area.
skeptile
9/30/2009 7:00:00 PM
used everything today. Dick Nites, corky-yarn, spin-glo with and without shrimp, jig and float, different spoons, even tried a buzz bomb. The fish were jumping all over but not biting on anything i had to offer. Look at the Skagit river special rules. It's all the same code (830) but different rules apply to certain locations up and down the river. It's the same with the Stillaguamish. The rules for everything downstream of marine drive are directly to the right on the page. It says (cont.) because that river's sections continue onto the next page. After it says the area on the left it has the code underneath it, that is the end of the description for that area, all rules are directly to the right. The Blue three digit code on the left separates locations on the river. Just because the code is the same does not mean the rules are the same. Everyone there today also said that you can't use bait or barbs upstream of marine drive.
fishermom
9/30/2009 8:54:00 PM
Sorry you didn't get any bites, but hope you enjoyed the fish jumping.

I'm starting to think that you can't use bait there. Called the hotline, but it was just a recording.
Big Mike
9/30/2009 10:05:00 PM
skeptile,I believe you are right. I looked at the regs carefully and the info on pages 30-31and must agree that "continued"means the river section continues on the following page. But the rules are not the same above Marine view drive as they are below. I know a biologist who works at the Mill creek office and I'll give him a call so we can all be doing the right thing.I'll try to post an answer tomorrow afternoon.
goodtimesfishing
10/3/2009 11:48:00 AM
Fished friday and after releasing several pinks I ended up with 4 super bright hens, I am surprised there are still that nice of looking pinks left. However most are very ugly... Saw a guy get the largest humpy I have seen this year, with huge hump and huge mouth, must of been twice the size of the average. Anyway while cleaning my fish the game warden came down checking for barbs, so I had to ask him about this whole down river and up river from marine drive bridge question. I WAS WRONG-- He said that selective gear is NOT required down stream of marine dr.(he seemed as if the question was a common one for him, as he did not hesitate with answer) I mentioned that this would mean that the anti-snagging rule is only for down stream of marine dr bridge and not up stream (because the anti-snagging rule is not listed on pg 55 or up stream side of bridge, not that I believe in snagging fish but that was part of my argument before, that if it was different rules they would have had the antilsnagging rule listed on pg 55 also) He did not seam to like my comment and was rather annoyed although he was dealing with another one of the people that decided not to pinch the barb of there hook. He said just because the regs show cont. on the page it is still a new set of rules. Anyway I had to write and admit I was wrong, because I was so sure that I was right, I now feel dumb, but now I know that it is ok to use bait, barbs, scents, and so on if downstream of marine dr. bridge. Have fun fishing!!!!!!!!
fishermom
10/4/2009 10:03:00 AM
Thanks for asking and clearing this up, as I fish there often. Now I will be certain that I am legal. FINALLY!!!!!!
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Available Guide

Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service

Phone: (509) 687-0709