How To Fish For Upper Columbia Sockeye

[smokin' Kokes]

Another huge run forecast for this year. Good eats.
Giant kokes

http://nwsportsmanmag.wordpress.com/2011/07/15/how-to-fish-for-upper-columbia-sockeye/

 

[DLM]

Wow, that's quite a drive. Any way to fish for them successfully as they move up the river?

 

[eenakoK]

We had a blast 2 years ago. I plan to go this year as well!!

 

[mrmike]

Smoken'Kokes I did catch a video fishing at Wells Dam and looked like fun and I was in pressed. How and what they were doing. Never caught one myself. I've been advised don't know how true it is there will be a special tag for sockeye this year. With the liberal limits fisherman didn't want to use up there Salmon tags on sockeye with make sense. From what I read starts off in July and they set a date.

 

[GoneCatchin]

We target them between Cathlamet and Vancouver on the Columbia. Yes they bite, yes they can be caught in low and high water, and yes they are very good. They usually blow through in about 2 weeks, the last 2 years the state has opened the season before they got by us and I wouldn't expect anything less this year. Should be epic!

 

[eenakoK]

I am just hoping that the Okanogan river heats up so the fish stay in the brewster pool, if that happens.... it will be LIGHTS out! Last year that river never really did and the fish just shot up river..

 

[Kingchinook]

It's all about shrimp dyed pink coon shrimp that is we landed over 100 last year and over 200 the year before if anyone has questions I'd love to help out it also has alot to do with the lure you put the shrimp on but first of all you must have hoochies out of R&K tackle they caught 10 to 1 to other hoochies so if you have questions contact Robbie at R&K He knows what I used and hooked on toys in Wenatchee now carries his products let them know that matt sent ya then they will definitely take care of you

 

[Smalma]

KingChinook -
Thanks for the great information - with that sort of insight in a new fishery to most of us I'm sure that many of us here on the West side will be heading over the "hump" to "share" that unique fishery with you.

It is folks like you that are willing to share info that makes fisheries around the State more accessible to us non-locals. I'm sure that a few hundred more of us will make little difference in the crowding at the boat launch(s) or at the hot spots on the water.

All the above is very much t.i.c. - just after the Palmer lake discussion I could not resist.

BTW -
I had fished the area for sockeye in 2010 and can vouch for the effectiness of the pink coon strip shrimp (though properly cured pieces of white prawn worked as well). Had a good time and was pleasantly surprised of the quality of the sockeye we caught (mid-July). Generally found folks to be friendly and helpful to a newbie to the fishery though there was some blacklash from a local or two about us westsiders fishing "their' water.

Tight lines
Curt

 

[Torres]

KingChinook -

It is folks like you that are willing to share info that makes fisheries around the State more accessible to us non-locals. I'm sure that a few hundred more of us will make little difference in the crowding at the boat launch(s) or at the hot spots on the water.

All the above is very much t.i.c. - just after the Palmer lake discussion I could not resist.
.

Tight lines
Curt

Curt I was thinking the same and you beat me to it.

KingChinook,

You are more than welcome to come over and fish the Baker Lake, or if the run forcast is good the Lake Washington Sockeye fisheries with us anytime if you are willing to come over and brave the "wet side".

 

[Kingchinook]

All I can say is there are lakes on my side of the mountain that don't need any body from the other side on them but I'm more than willing to share info were I know that pressure won't hurt like Roosevelt and a few others even lake Wenatchee for sockeye can be outstanding

 

[mrmike]

A good cure for the Coon Tail Shrimp stay away from the Sodium and Nitrates in your brine just use Salt, sugar, and krill along which ever color you want to dye them. Krills the magic touch. Krill is what they eat in the ocean, that's why there meat turn red.