Ditto, I just had the worst trip to Neah Bay ever. Fished four days, caught three coho, one legal. First couple days the blackmouth were everywhere, the last two days they were gone. Fished Duncan Rk, Shipping lanes in straights and ocean, Swiftsure, and tabletop. I left early to go back to work so I still have vacation time for later.

Reviewing my notes from last year mid month was on fire for coho at Neah Bay. We had some 50 fish days, 50 fish in just a few hours. Fish ripping it out of the DR clip often. Yeah, I hope they are late but that is seeming more unlikely every day.

I remember the foreboding, tell-tale signs last year that this year would be a bad coho year. No shakers at all in 2009. OK, I release one shaker all year. So anyways, lots of shakers this year is good. Dragging them around for an hour waiting for a bite is bad. Get 'em off quickly and save them for next year.

Looks like Curt is right. Numbers are dropping way off when they should be at their peak with all the rain we have been having.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2012843860_fish09.html

Westport's been OK.
Columbia has fished well for coho.
Neah/Sekiu suck.... not a good indicator for Puget Soound stocks. Hope they are just late.

Wonder how all of this is relevant to inside fisheries on the coast? Hope the coastal preseason forecast holds up as predicted.

Although brand new to the board, been viewing it regularly for years now just haven't had a good reason to reply till now, so here's my report. Fished Sekiu yesterday and as a lifer of the area I'm pretty familiar with the fishery and been pretty darn succesful out there(not being arrogant), anyhow, it was absolutely horrible, quite honestly, actually debated selling the boat(not really), but it was that bad. 1 blackmouth, 20some shakers and absolute frustration. Some have posted about them being late, well to me, late would have been three weeks ago, it's darn near mid sept, and they should be stacked in here by now if they were coming. A lot said the same of the kings, we did great early and watched it just peter off. Not to be nancy negative, but I just don't see it happening. Sad deal.

I think it is a pretty good indication that there aren't many coho around. You must have some coded wire tag data? Are you saying heads from Neah and Sekiu are mostly Frasier? I'd really be interested to see the data. I could see how fish from the ocean could be going anywhere.

I think we all drank the koolaid.

Anybody who is telling themselves these fish are late needs to remember all the other past forecasts that were heavily disappointing.

this is the worst coho season for me ever...i dont even want to go back to seiku...i think we are done for the year there...usually spend 30 summer days after the first of july spread out a little but we cut it shorter and shorter every time this year...now we just go to hang out with our freinds up there...i think they are going for just about the same reason....freinds...c

Wow, this is a real downer for me I fished Mid July, not much for bait that I could find and in three days got 4 salmon one day with only one keeper. Booked for a week later Sept. thinking we would build the smoked fish stock up with coho, doesn't sound very promising. But like the old fisherman always say if I don't go I don't know. Hoping for a pile of natural spawn fish to be hitting if not off to bottom fishing we go.

Hey Minesgold maybe we should have a plan B? If the fish dont magically appear at cq like they didnt 2 years ago we should bottom fish a couple of days and head into the sound or the canal or maybe a river and maybe get some tips from these kind board members on some other options? I dont know if I have the patience to sit in the boat for a full week cussing the fish gods. This year seems like a carbon copy of two years ago when we were high fiving and dancing in the boat over the one 8lb silver we got that week. Before Krausse flipped it back in the water when he grabbed the bag of the net while pullin it aboard. The boat was dead silent for about two hrs. after that. Anyway ramblin on see you at work tomorrow.

I'm also making alternate plans... Westport is still pumping out fish. Just trying to convince my friends with bigger boats.

We got a big enough boat but have not fished there for 25 years would not know where to go. T

It's easy at Westport... follow the fleet. Reports are the silvers are less than 20' down just out by the GH buoy.

My boat is too small... but I have friends. So, hopefully, I can pull some strings.

Something else to take into account is that the fish are already hitting hatcheries. Don't think those fish are slowing down right now with the water coming off the hills.

I hear the mouth of the wallace is good

Supcoop-
While there certianly are some coho in the river and a few at some of the hatcheries; even some over Sunset Falls when compared to the returns last year with the exception of the counts at Minter Creek this year's counts are running behind last year's for this time of month. Particularly scary situation given the last couple of weeks has had a lot more rain than the same period last year.

Since Sky-Guy mentioned the Wallace this year through the 9th there were 22 coho trapped at the hatchery and Sunset Falls had passed 85. The counts on the 10th last were 70 at the Wallace and 453 at Sunset Falls. Don't think the "missing" coho are all ready in the rivers. Hopefully they are still out in the big water but with every passing day that is looking less probable.

Tight lines
Curt

Last Columbia Compact they mentioned coho catches are behind everywhere, Bouy 10, Terminals. Charters aren't finding much of anything out front, hope we didn't take to much already.

Did almost 10 hours in the east end of MA 6 the past two days with nary a bite. No bird activity, very few bait balls and those were deep. Water was nice with temps ranging from 49 to 51. Marked fish on the sounder, but who knows what they were. Just know that they weren't biting on anything we put down.

went to Neah in august. same outcome. No fish in 5 days to speak of. 3 blackmouth keepers and no coho or big kings like last year. Makah tribal guys out just raking the fishing grounds. Local businesses could care less about the sportsfishers. swiftshure was putting out kings and hos' during this time. I'm still optimistic we mightget some late cohos. the ballard locks is just loaded with 95% big Kings right now, no cohos. hoping everything is just real late.

Here is an interesting read from two years ago...... Doesn't look good at all.

Originally published Thursday, September 11, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Puget Sound coho fishery shows mixed results
The coho fishery in Puget Sound is turning into a soap opera. Anglers find good fishing one day and then get stood up the next.By Mark Yuasa
Seattle Times staff reporter

The coho fishery in Puget Sound is turning into a soap opera.

Why are anglers finding good fishing one day and then stood up the next? Did they show up early, and is this the peak of what may be a lackluster return? And why is Lake Washington seeing such a strong early run?

We may never get the answers to all our questions, but those who keep plugging away are finding enough coho to keep the saga interesting.

"We didn't do so good Sunday and ended up with two coho, but then Monday we got eight off West Point [south of Shilshole Bay]," said Gary Krein, owner of All-Star Charters in Everett. "Guys in Edmonds are getting some too, and there have been a few fish off Richmond Beach."

Places like the Shipwreck area just south of Mukilteo and Possession Point were somewhat slow, but more coho appeared of late.

The bright spot is that the coho numbers returning to Lake Washington continue to look strong with 6,244 being counted at the Ballard Locks through Sept. 8. The biggest single-day count was Sept. 7, when 1,157 coho were counted.

Biologists say the lake's coho return has definitely started off well, and it will be interesting to see if it builds over the next 10 days. But most remain cautious as to how it will turn out. The historical peak in the lake is Sept. 18-23.

The Edmonds Coho Derby was held this past Saturday, and 750 tickets were sold with 200 coho weighed in.

"It was a little on the slow side for the derby, but 200 fish is respectable for this time of year and it will only get better," said Tony Floor, director of fishing affairs for Northwest Marine Trade Association.

Derby results: 1. Bill Ward, 14-pound, 7.5-ounce coho, $5,000; 2. Scott Rippel, 12-7, $2,000; 3. Randy Antonio, 10-13.5, $1,000.

Anglers in northern Puget Sound [Area 9] and Sekiu [Area 5] will be allowed to keep all coho [hatchery and wild fish] starting Sept. 16.

In North Sound, anglers at Point No Point, Possession Bar's west side, and Bush and Lagoon points on Whidbey Island have reported releasing larger wild coho.


The bad news is that the Strait of Juan de Fuca, particularly the Sekiu area, has slowed significantly in recent days.
"The Sekiu area has dropped way down for coho, and it was actually pretty dead [Tuesday] where it was barely a fish per boat average," said Larry Bennett, the head state Fish and Wildlife sampler in the Strait area. "Hopefully that [last week's good fishing] wasn't the peak of the coho run and more will come."

Bennett says Port Angeles is slow with just a few coho caught at midweek.

Followed by a report on October 9, 2008 from the Seattle Times.....[/color]

"Salmon in Puget Sound: Blackmouth fishing in the Tacoma area is fair off the Clay Banks.[color:#3333FF] Coho fishing remains very poor in Central and northern Puget Sound, and from Mukilteo south to the Shipwreck. Blackmouth fishing in Central Sound opens Oct. 16. The Port Angeles area is open for chinook and coho."

Don't want to believe this since I am headed here on Wed. but I guess I should keep my fingers crossed.

Here is one more article from the PI, sorry Mark, detailing 2008. Booooo! And it was sunny and dry that year. So through out too much rain as a theory.
http://www.seattlepi.com/othersports/379532_out18.html

Anybody been to Sekiu lately ?