Pink Year

[Pink Nighty]

Decided to do a count yesterday, in 10 minutes i watched 158 pinks ascend a riffle about a mile below the Skagit/sauk confluence. It was like that all day, I dont think I found the densest 10 minute window by any means. Truly impressive.

 

[Jake Watrous]

It’s always amazing to me to see the same species being caught by folks in fresh and in salt on the same days and see the dramatic differences their bodies undergo so rapidly.

 

[Pink Nighty]

It’s always amazing to me to see the same species being caught by folks in fresh and in salt on the same days and see the dramatic differences their bodies undergo so rapidly.

View attachment 82517

The missing link!

 

[HauntedByWaters]

I like the big in river male humps on my fly rod. Im nasty. I got some on the Skagit yesterday.

 

[speedbird]

Hit the Snohomish but my God are they lockjawed. Fish checker told me people were struggling to catch them all weekend too. I didn't get to tangle up with pinks on the fly this year, considering sacrificing a beach day for a skagit trip

 

[jeradjames]

Hit the Snohomish but my God are they lockjawed. Fish checker told me people were struggling to catch them all weekend too. I didn't get to tangle up with pinks on the fly this year, considering sacrificing a beach day for a skagit trip

I haven't been to the Skagit but I did go to another "S" river this morning and most of the pinks are spawning and some are already rotting away on the banks. I'm new to fly fishing so it was still cool to see the tail end of the life cycle in person. It's amazing how they're essential immobile and people are still casting away hoping to take one home... I went to hit a tributary that is supposed to be good for sea run's but didn't have time unfortunately.

 

[speedbird]

I haven't been to the Skagit but I did go to another "S" river this morning and most of the pinks are spawning and some are already rotting away on the banks. I'm new to fly fishing so it was still cool to see the tail end of the life cycle in person. It's amazing how they're essential immobile and people are still casting away hoping to take one home... I went to hit a tributary that is supposed to be good for sea run's but didn't have time unfortunately.

There’s still bright ones coming into some of the rivers, probably the rain pushing the last ones in

 

[the_chemist]

Hit the Snohomish but my God are they lockjawed. Fish checker told me people were struggling to catch them all weekend too. I didn't get to tangle up with pinks on the fly this year, considering sacrificing a beach day for a skagit trip

Folks twitching little jigs are doing well. Really really tough to get them on the strip this year. Ive had minor luck casting to big boils moving upriver. Stuff in typical resting/frog water has been futile. On the upside I did unexpectedly run into this dude.

 

[speedbird]

Folks twitching little jigs are doing well. Really really tough to get them on the strip this year. Ive had minor luck casting to big boils moving upriver. Stuff in typical resting/frog water has been futile. On the upside I did unexpectedly run into this dude. View attachment 82912

I was actually twitching marabou jigs today but in the frog water you mentioned, most guys at that spot weren't having luck either. I'll give that moving water a go next. Gorgeous native King

 

[Stonedfish]

I was actually twitching marabou jigs today but in the frog water you mentioned, most guys at that spot weren't having luck either. I'll give that moving water a go next. Gorgeous native King

Don’t rule out a bobber / jig combo. Sometimes slowing things down is the ticket if they aren’t taking stuff on the swing, drift or twitch. Great way to catch chums as well, on both gear and fly rods.
SF

 

[speedbird]

Don’t rule out a bobber / jig combo. Sometimes slowing things down is the ticket if they aren’t taking stuff on the swing, drift or twitch. Great way to catch chums as well, on both gear and fly rods.
SF

Most fun I ever had river fishing for salmon was bobber and jig fishing chums

 

[RRSmith]

Most fun I ever had river fishing for salmon was bobber and jig fishing chums

What does a chum jig look like for you Washington folks? I am thinking of targeting some Oregon coastal chum salmon later next month and in early November.

 

[the_chemist]

I was actually twitching marabou jigs today but in the frog water you mentioned, most guys at that spot weren't having luck either. I'll give that moving water a go next. Gorgeous native King

Were fish showing in reasonable numbers? When pinks are really in, it's nuts. Boils and jumping everywhere. I've got a little boat so I've just been kicking up and down the river until I find them.

 

[Stonedfish]

What does a chum jig look like for you Washington folks? I am thinking of targeting some Oregon coastal chum salmon later next month and in early November.

Bob,
My favorite jig color for chums is cerise.
Pink or purple will work as well. Tip with a piece of raw prawn if legal to do so, though you can easily catch then without the prawn.
A decent size prawn will give you about four baits per prawn when cut up.
I like 1/8 oz jigs, just like I’m fishing for steelhead.
SF

 

[speedbird]

What does a chum jig look like for you Washington folks? I am thinking of targeting some Oregon coastal chum salmon later next month and in early November.

For me, I run a 1/2 oz bobber and a 1/4 oz cerise and purple marabou jig. The prawns do help but when the fishing is good you really do not need them, they are just so aggressive. Most salmon I have hooked are pretty cooperative with hook removal, the chums are the only ones I have tangled with who bite down harder when you try to take the hook out.

Were fish showing in reasonable numbers? When pinks are really in, it's nuts. Boils and jumping everywhere. I've got a little boat so I've just been kicking up and down the river until I find them.

I am pretty sure I caught a wave fresh from the sound with yesterdays rain, they were moving upriver slowly, and very bright. Constant boils and jumps all afternoon

 

[SKYKO]

Bobber down for chums is so much fun when it's on.

 

[Smalma]

I used to fish small "Crazy Charlie" type pattern for pinks. I used small bead chain for eyes (on the top of the hook) on size 12 or 10 hooks with a pink body with the eyes tied down with red thread result a nice contrast with the pink body. Would use 10 to 12 strands of pink crystal flash opposite the bead eyes cutting the length of the strands at the bend of the hook.

I would dead drift the fly in travel lanes or where the fish stacked up along a current seam in 3 to 5 feet of water. You could watch the fish peel off from the school to take the fly. I see no reason one could not drift the fly under a small indicator suspending the fly just off the bottom. Should result in pretty steady "bobber down" action. Those small flies typically were more effective than the more standard "pink flies" with a much lower snagged fish rate.

Curt

 

[Ian Broadie]

Bobber down for chums is so much fun when it's on.

Using a center pin for chums adds another dimension to Mr. Toads wild ride.

 

[RRSmith]

Since we are stripping flies for chinook in the same tidewater holes, my thought is to run a jiggy fly under a bobber err... indicator. I tied a few of these up to try if the chum happen to be around.

 

[johnnyboy]

A large pink year usually means pinks being seen colonizing new waters.

It looks like there are lots of pinks being spotted in the streams in the Lake Washington/Sammamish basin. I’ve seen photos and heard about sightings of a school of 100 of them there. They are being seen in the same places Chinook and Sockeye are often spotted.

I’ll go look in the spots where I think they are holding to go see for myself tomorrow. Looks like we may see a day where Lake Washington pink salmon fishing is a thing!