The Skagit River has just opened for sockeye fishing. I plan on going fishing over the weekend, but i don't know what to catch them with. can anyone help me? thanks for any info.

I've caught numerous sockeye on jigs and also drifting sandshrimp.

I can't vouch for it personally, but I was told by a guide in Alaska, that he uses the yellow/brown kitchen sponge for bait. Cuts it about the size of a rasberry, and attaches under the egg loop on his hook. Fishes it just like drift gear. Don't know whether it's a crock or not, but we catch a lot of fish around here on colored nerf football trimmed like a big egg. Nuff said

A friend of mine uses a red sponge cut to simular sizes with his super secret scent he does real well with this ...

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Row Quietly and fish a Cataraft }<<(('>----<'))>>{
Release all Wild Fish

Sponges are a great bait substitute. Especially if you scent them up or make a homeade vaseline bait.

Tight Lines

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Marty
Steelheader.net marty@steelheader.net

Plunker,

Highway 20 doesn't cross the Skagit River anywhere but the upper end of Gorge Reservoir above Gorge Dam. And there ain't no Baker sockeye nor any other migratory fish up there! So what are you doin' this weekend, fishing for stocker rainbows? Or did you really mean the Hwy 9 bridge or the Dalles bridge?

Gonefishin',

I hate like heck to give this away, but you might try a number 2 red hook on 12" of leader hanging from a nickel plated spoon. When you limit, you owe me!

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Salmo-
The infamous, purist, flyfisher giving gear fishing advice??? I thought you were above that. hehehehehehehehe

Tim

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"Walk softly, but carry a big steelhead"

Hey, even a purist like Salmo G knows that sometimes the only fly they will bite is "Garden Hackle". LOL. Nothing wrong with being pure, "I'm pure rotten". Gotta go get a shovel for my next trip to the river with my fly rod.

So am I hearin' here that the world famous Plunker is goin' with a different tactic or am I just imaging what I read???? What is the world comin' to!!!
Hey Salmo G,
Thanks for the tips, it'll go into the word 2000 memory banks with the other 1000 good things I have learned here (I know my own memory banks won't remember all of it).
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff

Plunker,

Blush. Oops! Not having seen the regs, I didn't know that the Baker River was also open. If I wasn't committed to a family trip this weekend I surely would come by and shoot the breeze. Maybe exchange sockeye barbeque receipes.

Fishinfool and Hawk,

I'm an angler who flyfishes, but am not sure why you'd thinnk I'm a "purist." I throw flies at trout, including steelhead, but have been known to drag a cut plug herring for chinook salmon, throw spinners at silvers, and experiment like hell to get sockeye to bite. A smallish green fly works well on the Kenai. Wish I'd known about the wing bobbers.

Darkwon,

A selection of spoons would be preferable, but the only ones I had were a couple nickel ones about 2 and 2 1/2" long that I picked up off the river bottom. Seems to work OK, but I think the size and weight should be adjusted to the water speed and depth - and also the clarity. I've had more experience trailing the red hook off a dark attractor fly pattern, and the hook outfishes every fly I've tried. I never figured out why.

Good luck everybody.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Hey Salmo G

Wasn't trying to slam you about being a bugtosser. I'll try just about anything to catch fish (if its' legal). Kind of hoping you were an exclusive bug tosser, as that is my weakest area, and can use some help in that regard. There are lots of times when swinging bugs is the ticket for our fish. Just haven't been able to figure out all the lingo about sink tips, line types, casting methods, riffle hitches, and all that other stuff to feel real confident. I don't have the greatest feel when it comes to running fat line, so as soon as my numbers start to drop, I revert back to Chuckin and Duckin. Maybe we can break bread, and make me a better fly fisherman too. Have a good one.