I hit the Puyallup opening day, and again last Saturday and did alright so i decided to go back today. Hooked into a couple big fish but lost 'em. I did take home some nice, bright pinks today. Been smoking them and they are coming out really tasty.

Ooooooooh fun. Will go this week and get my foot wet with my leaky waders.

If you get wet catching Humpys, you're doing something wrong. You can drink beer and plunk from shore and still throw back more than you could want.

What are you folks using for equipment?

First time I went salmon fishing someone convinced us to spend $200 on gear. After that failed a guide asked us if we had regular trout gear and spinners and we made out like bandits-and the $200 gear has been sitting since.

I’m looking for super low budget recommendations for tackle.

On this particular river, a 8-10’ light tip rod and a long leader with corkie and hook is all you need. Its just flossing here, no real skill needed.

No waders needed if you don’t mind getting wet to your shins.

Throwing all the pinks back, we want silvers and kings here!

You guys are doing it wrong.... Use a boat!!!
I’ve spent 30+ years traipsing up and down river banks using just a cookie on a 2’ leader w/eggs, a few spinners or spoons.

I stay away from the hoards who “floss (snag) salmon (think Nisqually, Puyallup, Green, Skokomish rivers)... If you hear someone yelling “COMING UP or COMING DOWN” they have snagged a fish. That ain’t fishin!

Rant over

I driftfish for jacks in August with eggs just like I do for steelhead and in late Sept/Oct we get in the boat and troll the tidewaters for Coho.

I do on occasion have an open seat and I’ll post it in the General Discussion board.

Just my .02, but I would not eat a salmon out of any Puget Sound rivers.

These fish have been in the sewer before heading to your favorite river.

No real desire to fight the snagger/flosser R Tards combat fishery crowd on the rivers anymore. I’ve heard some rivers are closed to pink retention this year (didn’t bother to look because I don’t plan on fishing the rivers). I’m not eating some nasty beat up pink from the puyallup, or certain other rivers anyway. Wouldn’t even feed them to my dogs. If I want pinks to eat, I’ll take my boat out to Sekiu. If I want salmon to smoke, I can catch bright chums on a fly rod on Hood Canal 2 minutes from home in November. Fish that aren’t 1/2 dead, and aren’t snagged. Rant over.

Wow, lots of hating on our local rivers and the pinks.... I'm having lots of fun and its very inexpensive just buying teardrop sinkers, corkies and yarn with a 2/0 hook, and even the pinks are great for smoking. Out of the 15-20 I've landed thus far, only 1 fish was foul hooked, so its not just flossin.

Good luck, Barf!

Enjoy your time on the banks!

I'd love to go sometime!

Didn’t mean to raid on your parade brother.

I’ll post an open seat when they come available but most are during the week.

Good luck out there...

I need to need to get to bed cause dad and I are driving to Riffe in a few hours. Will have to stay at the public campground tonight cause we will not have a space at Mossy Rock till Sunday. $200 for fishing gear is a drop in the bucket when you have to go down two - three hundred feet to get to the fish.


UPDATE

Riffe lake fishing sucked. There had been a knat and caddis fly hatch so the kokanee were full of bugs and not feeding much. Came home early.

Lots of fish action on the puke this week. Staying the fuck away during the weekend. I don’t mind some combat but its not worth the time wasted untangling lines with the dumbos.

Been great fishing on the Puyallup. Been finally getting into the kings and silvers. Definitely busy on Saturday, but nice during the weekdays.