Went out to the Hood Canal Hatchery Zone today. GOOD NEWS! The chums are here! I caught and released about a dozen fish in a couple of hours.

Here are some pix of todays outing. These were taken at high tide. At low tide there were about twice as many people.

Carl, did you fish from your boat. If so, where did you launch. I have a small 14 foot smokercraft witch a 10.5 horsepower motor. Do you think that would be usuable there. Thanks again man.

Na, fished from shore today. My boat is still without a motor. You have pretty much the same setup I do. I have a 14' with a (had) 15 Hp. The Hatchery Zone is very do-able in a small boat. There is a nice launch just north of Potlatch SP on Hwy 101 and it is a short run to the Hatchery Zone.

Hey Easy...

So I didn't notice many boats? Were there many or did I just miss them?

How did the dogs look? Were they brite or were they dark (with stripes)?

Thanks!

Thanks for the info Carl. I know the launch you're talking about, I've crabbed out there, but i never realized it was close to the zone. I fish at hoodsport often too, but it looks more fun from a boat. I think I'll give it a shot this Friday and Saturday, gonna try some of these cerise silentapproach jigs that work so well in the rivers. Thanks again.

Hey Sturza ...

If you want some fun my buddy and I took both regular and fly gear last year.

We tried a fly called a Pete's Special (lightly weighted) on floating line and parked out boat about 50 feet past where the guys on shore could cast...

Used a pull-wait-pull strip of about 15 inches each strip... we just lit them up... we had guys just swearing at us we even told them what we were use and they were still mad at us...

Good Luck!

There weren't many boats out there today, maybe a half a dozen. The wind really kicked up just after I got there at 10 am. When I returned at about 2:30, for low tide, there weren't any boats on the water. I prefer to fish the Zone from a boat no matter what. Need a really good anchor though. I use a 70lb river anchor for my 14' aluminum just to hold my boat in place.

Carl - are you still interested in fishing this week? How about Wednesday? I have the day off....I know you have kept this as your non-fishing day though. What do you think? How about next Sunday. BTW I have a danforth anchor that was rated for my boat - do you think it will be enough? Or do I need another one? Thanks for checking the area out!!!!

Busy, I can't fish during the week this week. I can do next Sunday, early. You won't want to bother going over to the Hatchery Zone during the middle of the week. Ya know how the Green looks during the week with all the nets? That is how Hood Canal/Hatchery Zone looks during the week.

Carl, They net Wednesdays for the next 6 weeks? Say it ain't so! I'll have to help Tom negotiate his boat through to the ZONE.

Hey guys, do you think there will be any fish on Friday??? That's when I"m planing to go, but I can push it back a day if I have to.
Also how deep is the water in that area. I have an anchor, but I'm not sure if I have enough rope to hold my boat in place.

I'm told that the water most people are fishing is 10-15' deep, so you shouldn't need much rode.

I'll be there Saturday or Sunday morning. I'm sure the fish won't all be gone by then

Regards.

Finegrain
Woodinville

Finegrain, sorry what I meant about no fish was the Indians net the area on wednsday, and I was wondering if there will be any fish by Friday.

Hmmm ...

I hope not! I'm guessing there are still lots of chums making their way down the Canal, and that they're not all pooled up at the river mouth already.

Then again, with my luck, it will be dead next weekend

Regards.

Finegrain
Woodinville

Mike, it has been my experience when I have gone over there to fish the Zone in the middle of the week they are netting from the Zone northward. They will also net right in the Zone. The time you and I went we did not fish the Zone and it was snowing out. So they were probably all tucked away in their tee-pees.

The Canal is a different place during the week. The indians do not give a F about you or your boat. They will run a net around you even if you are standing in the water. This happened to me! FAIR WARNING!

Sturza, you will want to anchor up where you can still see the bottom.

Thanks for the info guys. I think i'm gonna fish Saturday instead of Friday. Taht way I'll have time to get the boat ready since I've got school Thursday. I think I'll give the Green another shot for silvers in search of one last chromer (ya right). See you all around.

I dug up a pix from last year so you guys can see what I am talking about. This is the Friday after Thanksgiving. That is the Hatchery Zone in the background. They would net so the fisherman were standing inside the net.



See the guy on the other side of the boat? The indian almost ran him over with his boat.

Just talked with the Skoks...though they are netting the canal right now. Their is no hatchery zone netting scheduled as of right now.

The norm is that they start netting the first week of November every Tuesday and Thursday, every year the rumors fly but it usually settles into this pattern.

If your going to be their tomorrow come on over and say hi....big purple/maroon sled.

JimB

Just an FYI,
The nets were in thick last weekend both sat. and sun.
From potlatch up to hoodsport they were every couple hundred yards. I also went up to Lilliwup and the had nets up that way too.

They were netting on Sat and Sun? I guess that was before the sport opener on the 16th, huh?

Easy,
How did you miss seeing the nets last weekend the 26th and 27th??
There were more nets than I have ever seen between potlatch and hoodsport. They were running from shore out about 100 yards. They were selling chums in potlatch for $5.00 ea. The nets were still in and being work when I left sunday afternoon. Didnt you notice the boats running north from the launch were way out from shore? You must have been to excited about getting to the hatchery to start fishing.lol

I did see some nets and some netting boats Sunday afternoon. I guess I did not think anything of it because I have seen the Canal with a lot more nets and netting boats. The netting effort seemed small.

Wait, so will there be nets in the hatchery zone on saturday or am i safe there. Just wondering cause I'm a little lost.

This does not sound good for next Sunday! We will have to check this one out!

I was told about the Skok hotline today by them....I just tried dialing and couldn't get to any recording...so ignore that number!

JimB

The Hatchery Zone should be free of nets on Sat and Sun. The indians keep a low profile on the weekends, at least they did last year.

Seems like it would be pretty easy pickin's fishing inside a closed net!

GO NOW! There are so many chums at the Zone and in the Canal itself you can't help but catch fish till your arm falls off.

If you decide to go this weekend, make sure you claim a BIG rock next to the concrete wall next to the hatchery. Tide was so far up, idiots were fishing off the catwalk as you walk to the steps to the beach. How they were going to land the fish, I didn't stick around to find out.

Robert

Fished the canal today. WHAT A BLAST. Stayed well away from the Zone confusion and still hooked many fish. Seemed like 7a.m to about 10a.m we were knocking them dead then it was few and far between.

Next weekend I am taking the float tube. Who needs a motor when you have a floatube and a 14# chum.