Apparently, everyone in the Seattle metro area decided to go out salmon fishing this weekend. I was a little hesitant to go out fishing on Puget Sound this weekend, but when a good friend asks if you can take him and his father-in-law out fishing, you can’t turn that down. Coho Salmon fishing is just starting to peak in Puget Sound. I knew that anyday now, we could see some fast paced fishing that will be one for the record books! Today was one of those days!
The boat launch at Seattle’s Shilshole ramp was pretty busy at 5:30 this morning. I cruised up Shilshole Avenue and was about the twentieth boat in line for the ramp. It would be easy to grimace at the line and crowds, but as they say, “you can’t complain about traffic, because you are the traffic!” The line moved quickly and we splashed the boat and where on our way pretty quickly.
I had fished earlier in the week with some success at Jeff Head, but decided to start closer in Shilshole Bay, and move out further if needed. We cruised down to West Point, at the southern end of Shilshole Bay.
One set-up was a Green/Glow Blinky flasher with an Apple Core squid. Another set-up was a Gibbs Chartruese Glow/Moon Jelly flasher with a UV White hoochee. The setups with Hoochees were tipped with a strip of herring for some added flavor. Our third rod was on the surface with a 3 ounce mooching sinker and a cut-plug herring.
The first light of dawn crested above the bluff over the Shilshole Marina as we started trolling. We saw scattered bait rippling on the surface. It didn’t take long before we had our first hookup!
Mike popped the downrigger clip, battled, and landed our first Coho of the morning on the Blinky Flasher/Apple Core Hoochee setup. Within the next two hours we had phenomenal action! We tossed a few of the Coho back that were in the 4-pound range. But by the end of the 2 hour trolling session we had brought ten Coho to the net. We were a busy boat! One on the surface rod, seven on the Blinky/Apple Core setup (ran at 85 feet), and two on the Chartruese/UV White Hoochee setup (ran at 120 feet).
We were back at the dock by 830 am, and the checker had already interviewed a few boats with limits! Great salmon fishing close to home!
Seattle Fishing Report – September 2020
