King Salmon fishing season now open on Lake Sammamish
August 21, 2008
By Administrator
By Dallas Cross
The salmon have arrived in Lake Sammamish and are making their way up its tributaries to be captured for their eggs and milt at the state hatchery on Issaquah Creek. The state has determined that the king – or Chinook – salmon run will exceed its need at the hatchery this year and has opened Lake Sammamish to salmon fishing from Aug. 15 until Nov. 30.
Fishermen must have a fishing license and catch card, the minimum size must be 12 inches, and there is a limit of two kings per day.
Sockeye and kokanee salmon must be released, and no fishing is allowed within 100 yards of the mouth of Issaquah Creek. The easiest way to tell if you have caught a king salmon is to see the black on the inner mouth.
Admittedly, some of the salmon have been in the lake a while and are dark in color and a bit soft, however there are more recent arrivals which are bright and prime candidates for the barbeque grill. Take along an ice chest to keep your catch fresh. Also, for better quality eating, cut the gills of the fish you keep and let them bleed out in the water before putting them on ice. From past bad experience, keeping them in the net while you do this is advisable.
The key to getting kings to bite is to fish at the right time and at the proper depth. Early morning, just at first light, is the most productive time. Past experience argues that lures should be fished at depths of 25 to 30 feet. Of course, using a downrigger is the easiest way to get to the desired depth.
For trolling with a sinker, use trigonometry. Let out about 45 feet of line, fish it at a 45 degree angle to the water’s surface, and your lure will be close to 30 feet deep.
For faster trolling speeds, let out 60 feet of line to fish at an angle of 30 degrees to get a lure 30 feet deep. Adjust the sinker weight and boat speed to get the proper degree of downward angle on the line.
An oft cast hook in the sea of answers
On questioning line with lures so bright,
Attract fine species of many forms,
Some are caught, but why did they bite?
King and most other salmon supposedly give up eating when they enter fresh water, but we catch them because they do not give up biting.
I have not found much food in the stomachs of salmon I have caught in fresh water. Two reasons have been given for their biting behavior – defensive aggression and an involuntary feeding response to past, familiar food sources. Thus, the lures you use will generally fall into these two categories.
Metal spoons such as a Kwikfish, flatfish lures, and herring strips are popular lures in Lake Sammamish. These are usually fished behind a flasher at a medium-slow troll speed. Some are having success using jigging spoons or marabou jigs.
Taking a page from the sockeye fishery in Lake Washington, more and more salmon fishers are using bare 3/0 or 4/0, red hooks behind Dodger flashers. Why is this lure so effective?
Krill are small, shrimp-like crustaceans that swim in the seas and are a major food source for almost all salmon. The different species of krill range from under a half inch up to five and a half inches. One of the most common krill is Euphausia superba with an average length of 2.3 inches, the same as the total length of a 4/0 hook.
Krill, like shrimp, curl in nature and a hook-shape would be a natural shape presentation during their swimming activities. Lots of krill have bright colors, mostly red, pink and orange blotches near the front part of their bodies with spots of color along their full length. Another characteristic is that they have prominent dark eye spots.
Some of my fishing friends are having great success with Lake Sammamish kings by adorning their 4/0 bare hooks with small bits of fur and feathers in a manner that echoes the physical characteristics of krill. Perhaps they should also add burnt nylon eyes at the front. Me thinks they are re-inventing a salmon fly.
Reach Dallas Cross at DalCross@aol.com.
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