Fished the Satsop Today after looking at the Nooch, and it was a good choice. 9 fish hooked, 7 landed, 2 were big kings. Silvers were brght and good size. First time on the river and it is a no brainer for the novice. Still is high and fish were tight to the bank most of the time..

Have you ever fished the Satsop when it was crowded ? ??????

GS, thx for the report. I was fixn to be going there this weekend. With the water still being high how was the clearity. Did you get any chance to fish the mouth?? I hear ya Local, at times not so fun with the crowds. Got pretty lucky last year, fished around good people.

Erndog

i fish the satsop every year, i really like it down there, but i put it off as long as i can because of the crowds.

You mean like tomorrow?

Dan S. "Correct a mongle".

Good one Dan. You ain't lying. Report or no report I was heading down there this weekend. I usually it every year right after a good rain. Looks like this year the crowd will be there early also.

Erndog

Interesting post. I must however question the validity of your post. I too was on the Satsop today. Hooked a few yes, but all were boot chum. We did hook a nasty king also. Not sure what happend to the coho. We were expecting an epic day. Spoke to several other boats. Same story. A few dogs but the silvers were absent. Come to think of it I probably spoke to you. Interesting that you come down from Seattle and "school" the locals? Oh, by the way, I hear the Sky is on fire...limits of mid-teen silvers for everyone.

Paranoid, all the silvers probably came in a mad rush when the rivers blew. We were doing damned good with mint bright silvers a couple weeks back. When they put the nets in on the Chehalis, they were clobbering them, couldn't keep up. I assume, with size they were pulling and we were catching, they were the piggie runs heading to the Sop. So, I'd say, a good chunk of them went to nets and up with floods. Where they went after that, well, umm, check the trees. LOL

I agree, 69. Fished it again today. Same story! a few chum showing up with the rain. The snaggers are showing also. Time to take a break I guess.

Musta been that hot report that lured in the big crowd.

Do people really drive to the Satsop from Seattle?

Here we go again. You guys are gonna wine because somebody is doing what this site is set up for.
To back up his initial post my buddies brother went 4 for 6 day before yesterday and got 2 real nice silvers.

Is it whinning ? or is it telling some one to be a little more careful about posting hot spots. The Satsop is not like the Chehalis or Westport. Those waters can take the pressure. The Satsop cannot. I have always thought the idea behind this site was to post informative information about techiques, gear and areas in general to fish. For example, If I posted a report that the Nooch had a log across the river above white bridge 4 miles,(it does) it would be to advise others of possible danger. If I posted that I just caught 20 chrome bright silvers on the lower Nooch and anybody can do it, what is accomplished ?

I just cringe a little when I hear a "I got 20 on XX river today". You can bet XX river will be packed the next day. It's true. If you don't believe it, then you weren't on the Satsop today and yesterday to see the difference in crowd size.

The funny part is just about every river in the state is full of fish now. I don't know why so many people follow hot reports instead of fishing local rivers.

No big deal though. I know what I'm doing......and some extra guys aren't gonna stop me from catching fish. The thing that worries me is that crowds mean garbage, and garbage means PO'd land owners and PO'd land owners mean NO Trespassing signs, and THAT ticks me off.

In my opinion, the Satsop is no zipper, and I don't go there looking for solitude. This reminds me of the day I drove down to the Satsop one October day in 1992, after having moved back to the area. I fished the Satsop a lot in 68, 69, and 70. By 1992 it had become a lot more popular. I drove by all my former haunts, from the mouth to Shafer Park, where I ran into a guy I knew from Issaquah. I asked him what he was doing way down here when he had such good rivers near home (there were at least 20 rigs parked at Shafer). He said it was well worth the drive to come and C&R a bunch of chums in a day - and less crowded than Hoodsport, in his opinion. I told him I'd driven up and down the entire river that day and counted more fishing rigs parked at the usual spots than I'd seen in all of three years back when I fished it regularly. And no one I knew ever fished for chums on purpose - anywhere. I only knew of fishing the Satsop for cutthroat, silvers, and steelhead. It was the first time I ever parked at Shafer when there was another vehicle there, if that's an indication of its increasing popularity - or my increasing age. And no one was learning about it on the internet, either.

Seems interesting that the fishing isn't as good as "it used to be," but there are ten times as many people out there doing it. So what does it mean to say a river cannot take the pressure? That too many surplus hatchery salmon will be caught? Or the quality of the experience is diminished because of the crowds?

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

AS FOR THE TOPIC OF LAND OWNERS GETTING PO'D. HOW ABOUT THE GUY ABOVE THE S CURVES ON THE SATSOP POSTING HIS LAND AND RUNNING AROUND WITH A 9 MM STRAPPED TO HIS HIP YELLING AT FISHERMAN ABOUT CALLING THE SHERIFF. THEN CALMS DOWN AND SAYS TO ME THAT HE IS PO'D ABOUT FISHERMAN TRASHING HIS ACCESS AND GIVES ME AN EXAMPLE OF A REFRIGERATOR BEING DUMPED. YAH, SEATTLE FISHERMAN DRAG REFRIGERATORS DOWN TO THE RIVER TO DUMP THEM. WE ALL KNOW IT WAS A LOCAL BUT WE GET BLAMED. ON FURTHER DISCUSSION, HE ADMITTED HE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY TO FISH IT HIMSELF. I HAVE SEEN LOCAL KIDS DRINKING BEER ON THE KALAMA WHILE SNAGGING FISH AT NIGHT BY THE HATCHERY ONLY TO COME BACK THE NEXT MORNING TO FIND A DISCARDED HALF RACK ON THE RIVER BANK. SAME WITH THE SATSOP BY THE BRIDGE 2 WEEKS AGO. MOSTLY LOCALS HAD BEEN FISHING IT BUT I AM SURE "OUTSIDERS" WILL GET BLAMED. I HAVE LIVED IN WASHINGTON ALL MY LIFE AND DONT CONSIDER MYSELF AN OUTSIDER ANYWHERE IN THIS STATE. ANY TIME YOU SEE ANYONE LEAVING GARBAGE, DEAD FISH, ETC ON THE BANK, CHALLENGE THEM. DH

Good point Salmo G, obviously we live out here for a reason. I also remember the days gone by of fishing the Satsop/Nooch. Now days when I go to the Nooch and I can't find a place to park, I go home. That's my choice, I don't like combat fishing, fishing is more than catching fish. It has to be or most people wouldn't fish at all!!!

Local

And to think I thought the purpose of the board was political discussions.

OK who hasn't heard of the Satsop, isn't that river as well known as the Columbia...........

On one hand, we don't want to share the hotspots with anyone but our "good old boys" network. On the other hand we expect the public to vote for fishermen and for fishermen's issues when it comes time to go to the ballot box.

We're not being selfish now are we?

I've come to realize that we are better off if more citizens are out catching fish than just having a few citizens catching a bunch. All of our fellow citizens should be able to enjoy catching some fish now and then.

BTW, why are you hitting the rivers this time of year and expecting solitude? When I hit these places, I try to enjoy the company. Try it, you just might make a new friend and help someone catch a fish!

The river in question isn't the issue at all. It's ANY river that gets the "hot" report. It brings crowds......more than the typical day. No crime in that..........

The crowds in the early 90's are nothing compared to what they are now. Before the early 90's (mid-70's to late 80's) you'd see a handful of boats on any given weekend. Then a certain guide, who has since left the area, started write-ups in F&H News about the native steelhead and late-season coho on the Satsop. The crowds increased to a dozen or so DB's in the east fork and about the same number of sleds below the west fork. People fishing the late season coho got wise to the kick-ass tough-fighting chums and you started to see significant crowds fishing them in the early 90's.

Then a dillweed STS writer, who shall go un-named, wrote an article about a phenonenal day of salmon fishing on the Satsop that he and his friend (who shall also remain nameless) had. The STS article and the repeated write-ups in F&H News really built up the number of people fishing the Satsop. By the mid-90's it was pretty well known by the majority of fishers in the area. It's gained popularity since..........because it can be a tremendous fishery.

Like I said before.........I'll still head there and do my thing, but the banks of that river are becoming a sty with $hit left all over the place. That's really the only thing that fires me up about it..........thinking you can go back to the day of 3 boats on the Satsop is a waste. Same with the Hump, Nooch, Skok, and umpteen others around the west side.


So go and enjoy.........but pick up a little trash while you're there, it will do us all a lot of good.

The main problem on our rivers is an expanding population. Developements are everywere, and more and more people are interested in fishing for a lack of anything better to do probably. But, like DanS said, people use the internet and magazines as their "fishing highway". Hot spot reports will bring people outa the closet.

The thing that bugs me the most is the GARBAGE! i cant get over the idiots who leave beer cans and bait containers all over. The other thing is the corkers, the people who see someone land a fish and is imediatly in their back pocket when there is 20 miles of open water...
oh well, life goes on....

This is why I have never fished said zipperlip...too many peoples for ltlcleo.My choice.

I do not understand people that base there fishing experiances on hot reports on the internet or a local magazine.Its like a game of follow the leader but I am not sure who the leeader is.

i think the thing that went on in f&h and sts is "the nisqually effect"

they did the same thing in the 80s and look at the nisqually now, a river that used to have some of the best winter run steelhead fishing in the state, has no more fish

Dan, there are alot of people living in Seattle who grew up in other parts of the state, including Grays Harbor county. So, of course, there are people who drive down there to fish. Although I do agree with all that you stated about hot reports and articles bringing the crowds out to rivers that probably don't need the extra pressure. Satsop and Kalama to name a couple.

Regarding Paranoid's remark - When did people from Olympia become locals in Grays Harbor County?

for all you internet hot spot followers what I have learned is if your reading about a good report you have all ready missed the action so be like a few of us 10% and find your own hotspots and enjoy those times because the crowdless days are getting fewer and fewer!!! But just for instance my wife and I landed probably 30 kings on Sunday without a soul around but I guarentee you I would never post where.!!!PEACE

Stadle,

I guess I never considered that. If I had decided to settle in Seattle, I'd probably find my way down to the Satsop a few times a year.

And I don't live really close to any river besides the Nisqually, so I'm an out-of-towner wherever I go. I don't fish the Nisqually much.

Fastwater

If I had too share my water like you guys in seattle do I would quit fishin.I will never look down on another fishermen for being out of town.Hell I am over here in north kitsap with lots of home rivers right.Not.

I just have always had an unexplainable drive to go explore and find my own fishing spots that nobody else uses.It has driven me back way off the road and into the brush and canyons of the olympics.I do not always catch fish but I am alone with the chance and I get the satisfaction of knowing I have gone a step beyond the average fishermen.I get dissapointed when I see signs of somebody else.I actually freely talk about alot of these spots knowing damn well it is too much work for somebody to do to maybe catch a fish.I will not although post them on these forrums.I have never been one to talk about the fish I have caught.Telling people that I caught fish has nothing to do with why I fish.

I can honestly say that I have never "rushed" to a river based on a report given on this BB. I may ask for reports on a river that I plan on targeting but these "hot spot" reports mean nothing to me. I am confident that I will catch fish wherever I go. As for the Satsop, that river has been like Blue Creek for 10 years now, maybe even more. My usual Satsop fish hole was actually "less crowded" last year than it was a couple of years back in my opinion. I don't know.... I've been slammed for posting reports on this BB when I was a brand new member. I quickly learned not to post such reports. But the Satsop.... That's no zipper.....
Cuttie

Back to the topic of scum trashing accesses with their s**t, I'm surprised nobody's piped up about the gravel bar above cook creek getting gated. It was a good launch point for the boat with more "elbow room". Not the end of the world as I can still launch from the road immediately below the creek but it will be a comedy of errors at daylight with rigs and trailers jockeying in and out of that little slide.

Eric,

That's a very good point. I simply don't know the answer, at least a socially acceptable one. I pick up a bit from time to time, but it seems pretty hopeless. River trash keeps pace with the increasing number of anglers. I see fishermen who claim not to litter dropping stuff on gravel bars and trails. I mention it to them, pick it up, hand it to them, they mumble, and I know they'll do it again because it's their habit. I think it comes down to the human species not having the manners of a cat. Anglers are their own worst enemy. I often mention to friends that the problem with hunters and fishermen is that it's the 80% of clods that are making the remaining 20% look bad.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

I tell few people I hunt and fish anymore because of the slobs that that represent the majority of both sports. It used to be the vast minority were slobs and gentlemenly behavior ruled the rivers and woods. Try to teach a 4 year old respect for the resource with everyone around you snagging and keeping more than the limit and leaving litter everywhere. The foul language at the boat ramps, fist fights and threats over space and access etc. etc. etc.

I find more respect for the environment and resource in downtown Seattle than I do in the small towns of the PNW.

Come on, we all know the problem is the bait fishermen. Restrict all the waters to flyfishing .

Papaslap,

I guess that would reduce the number of styrofoam bait containers left behind. It wouldn't eliminate it tho. The NF Stilly is flyfishing only in the summer, and I used to find bait containers there anyway. Not everyone follows the regulations.

Not to mention that your suggestion, which I suspect was t.i.c., would not set well with more than a few upstanding, non-flyfishing members here. And it won't appeal at all to the slovenly littering fishermen who are also among WDFW's constituents. Gets real complicated real fast, doesn't it?

Got another good idea?

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

All you have to do is sit in your car at a supermarket parking lot and watch people dump their shopping carts to see how lazy people are becoming.

ltl,

Sadly, you know that this is simply not the case for most fishermen. As long as fishing is only about the biggest, the best and the most, you won't stop hearing people boast or seeing posts on this board that only serve to draw attention to themselves and how many, how big and where they "sleyed" them. I guess it's because most people never seem to be satisfied. It's just not enough to be thankful for what they have received (nice fish, great day, good water, beautiful surroundings, a boat to fish from, friends to fish with and time to enjoy, to name a few). It seems we'd all rather grumble and complain or tell everyone how great we are than to share what limited knowlege and appreciation we have to the benefit of others. But I guess until our heart is changed nothing else will either. Just think, we have a whole new salmon steelhead season of bragging and zipperlipping to look forward to. Just a thought, but perhaps we'd all do well to follow Bob's example on this board instead of just using it as our own pee pot.

Thanks for sharing the message that fishing for you is more than just the fish or you. And thanks again for the knowledge and appreciation you have shared with me personally in the past. There's always a spot in my boat for you, even if you'd rather beat the brush.

Eric,

Thanks for the word on the gravel bar. I wasn't aware of it either. A real shame. It was a good take out from Schafer; pulling out at the lower Cook spot won't be as easy as I recall. What happened and what's the outlook for the future?

Once again I braved the inevitable and ventured back to the Satsop. As expected the number of fisherman has increased tenfold since last weekend and so has the carnage. I would like to respond to a couple of posts. First to Stadle: I do not consider myself a "local" on the Satsop, but it is my "home" river. I feel that after several years of working on the steelhead broodstock program and countless hours spent on cleanup and restoration projects has earned me the right to express my concerns. I have a personal stake in the future of this fishery and will meet head on with anyone who impacts it negatively. Eric: You write regarding the closure of the Cook Creek launch- "Not the end of the world as I can still launch from the road immediately below the creek but it will be a comedy of errors at daylight with rigs and trailers jockeying in and out of that little slide". You can't be serious. "Comedy of errors"? How about flat out dangerous. That is not a launch for the novice. You can bet that there will be a fatal accident on that corner one day soon because of "the comedy of errors" taking place in the dark and fog. That ramp would be closed. Soon there will be no public access to the east fork at all. Then what will you do? But more important to me...What will I do?

the access on cook creek...is that the one right by the big chum meathole at the mouth of the creek by the little bridge(where everybody parks now)? the place we used to get into to fish for chums(the big muddy road into the woods) got pretty much fenced off, now you have to get in a little down the road and walk down the creek

chum man

Sounds like you're talking about Schafer Cr. but I'm not positive from your descrption.
The Cook Cr. launch is right off the road halfway up the East Fork on the way up to Schafer Cr. It's literally right off the road. It's really more of a slide than a launch. Short but steep access drops into a tight brushy channel bounded by a long gravel bar (if it's still there). It can be a minor hassle dropping out of there on a launch, but it would be a major inconvenience if you missed the entry channel on the left side on a take out. Parking is a faagettabowdit! No turnaround room at all. Potentially a very dangerous spot under the right conditions. Guess it'll have to do in a pinch. Be careful and considerate out there.

anyone up for a drift on the satsop thursday or friday. 253-874-1931

Yer killing me griz. I'm stuck in the orifice till quarterlys are done.

I can't believe no one is jumping on your offer with all the talk about how many people are heading off to ruin the last zipper known to man. For me, it's just not that often I can find someone to take the sticks, so thanks for the generous invite. Maybe some other time, some other zipper. Best of luck.

Paranoid, we all have a right to express our concerns, but please go back to your original post and read it. There was no opinion or concern expressed there, just a comment that if you the "Local" didn't get a silver on this river today anyone claiming too, must be stretching the truth. Personally, I find such an attitude offensive.

I floated the river Saturday and again today and the number of fisherman out today compared to Saturday was down from what I saw. Maybe not the number of boats, but bankies and boats combined was down.

I think one point that is completely overlooked regarding the number of people on any given river today vs "X" number of years ago is the increase in the number of fisherman in general. Not too mention the increase in the number of guides....

Dan, glad you could see things from someone else's shoes.

People planning to float this river should be aware there is a log across the river between Cook Creek and the Forks. Not too bad today, but as the river drops this could present some danger.

paranoid,

don't get me wrong. I'm not making light of the fact that the slide below the creek is dangerous......that was just my play on words essentially saying the same thing you are. And yes, I am serious.

Well, the scret is out - the Seattle Times has loosed the secret - the Satsop is on fire. But so is another river that I am heading to today... ;-)

Dan said it right...

Pick up trash, even if it's not yours...

Our future access is on the line. With the added pressure of more anglers and media attention we really need to go the extra mile to keep our impact as light as possible. If not there will be very little places left to fish.

I couple of weeks ago I planned to fish the Satsop this coming weekend. I see this article and think to myself....great. Everyone and their littering arse brothers will be at the Satsop. I'll bring a big bag and try to pick up as much of your crap as possible!

LMFAO this thread needs to die.

Hey ridgeway-change your to their. You aren't picking up our crap.

Cleaning up after the slobs is your best defense against these property closures.I have been hauling trash out of my local haunts for years to keep them open and to keep them worth visiting.I am also known to speak up when I see somebody abusing a spot.One spot i have been chasing the tweeks out pretending to call the police.Paranoid f234heads.

Quit Talking about this and that and just go fishing!!! God some of you spend way to much time on here talking about this river and that river trying to extract info. Just pick one and go learn it.
Peace
Superfly