by Jason Brooks, July 28, 2013

Browns Point, WA-Car’s parked along side streets with pedestrians heading down the road, fishing rods in hand. It’s what you would expect with nine-tenths of a million pink salmon heading past the jutting point on their way to the Puyallup River; you and several other bank bound anglers pitching lures as far as you can into the surf for a chance at the large passing schools of salmon, yes, it’s what you would expect this August. The jutting point is labeled on maps as Browns Point, which sticks out on the east side of Puget Sound towards Vashon Island, and is a landmark of sort separating the central sound and the south sound, with its old lighthouse tours on weekends.

The fish have already begun their journey, with 6.2 million pinks heading to Puget Sound Rivers. As they make the turn from the Strait of Juan de Fuca the large pods of fish will separate. Some pinks will head north to the Canadian rivers such as the Frasier, and some head straight on and up the Skagit. The others make a turn south and continue their journey home. Over 988,000 will part as they pass Everett and head up the Snohomish system. 1.3 million of them are expected to mill around Elliot Bay and start up the Green, with 1.2 resuming the journey south to the Puyallup and over 750,000 heading to the Nisqually, a fairly new fishery for the deep southern part of Puget Sound.

For the Puget Sound angler that is stuck to the beaches, piers and points, they are right in the way of those Pinks heading south. Pink Salmon eat zooplankton, small saltwater insects, and use cover of kelp beds and structure for safety and guidance on their voyage. Because of this when the fish head south out of the Straits they tend to hug the shoreline, especially the east shoreline of Puget Sound. There are several public beaches, parks, points and piers along the east side of the sound for anglers to pitch their lures.

Browns Point is probably the most popular, but on the salmon’s way they will pass other popular spots as well. If you’re in Seattle, try the Elliot Bay Fishing Pier at Terminal 86. Further south is the Des Moines Marina Pier and the Redondo Pier. Continuing on with the Puyallup Pinks opportunities you have the Dash Point Park Pier, and in Tacoma itself is the Les Davis Fishing Pier. All of these piers become very popular during the Pink years, and all have handicap access. For more information on public fishing piers check out the WDFW site at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/piers/

One thing that the public piers and Browns Point have in common is a lack of good parking, so it’s wise to get there early. Other things to consider are the tides. For Browns Point the fishing is best from an hour after low tide until an hour before high tide. It seems the schools of Pinks will mill around the point, first starting on the north side, going back and forth along a large cove and up the beach. Then, as they round the point itself they cruise by very close, making this prime real estate, but also short lived as a great spot. Then the fish continue around the point and then again, mill around on the southern bay.

You will know a bite is on as you look down the line of bank bound anglers and see someone fighting a fish. Then a few people closer and another person’s got one on, and so forth, as you watch people catching fish getting closer and closer to your spot. Then you see the fish, which tend to swim right along the surface, and you cast like mad, hoping to cast over the top of the school of fish and reel your lure through the pod, enticing a bite. If you cast short, into the school of fish, or worse yet, in front of the fish, you will scare them off, and possibly turn the school back around. It’s like this for a few hours, schools of fish going back and forth in front of you, and then it’s all over, just like that. As the tide rises the fish use the slack pond to head straight for the mouth of the Puyallup and get up the river as far as they can while the going is easy.

So, get there early, and not during high tide. Parking is very tough at Browns Point Park, as all of the parking stalls belong to a home owner association, even though the park is for public use. The boat launch at the park is also private and only for those in the Browns Point Improvement Club and not for public use. There is some limited parking at the dead end of Tulalip Street; otherwise you are parking on narrow public residential streets. Please remember not to block driveways and be polite to those that live in the area, after all, how would you like a few dozen to a hundred or more cars parking in your neighborhood on a daily basis for a month. The park itself offers 1,500 feet of waterfront, and also public restrooms and a picnic area along with the historic lighthouse offering tours on weekends.

If you’re looking for other areas in the vicinity of Tacoma try Thea’s Park. A small park, with again very limited parking at the head of Thea’s Waterway right in downtown Tacoma. Take Pacific Ave. north through downtown and just as you leave the buildings behind you come to S. 4th St. Take a right on the railroad overpass and at the bottom of the ramp is a small driveway on your left, which is Thea’s Park. There is a large bulkhead to fish from, and a small gravel beach which is perfect for launching a car topper boat or kayak. Here, high tide is prime time, as these fish come into the waterway and mill around, thinking it’s the Puyallup. You can spot fish the schools of Pinks as they surface while hanging out at the waterway.

If Thea’s Park isn’t producing you’re not very far from Les Davis Pier. Continue north on Schuster Parkway (Pacific turns into Schuster after S. 4th St, the turn to Thea’s Park). Go past the large grain elevators and continue on to Ruston Way, where you will find Les Davis Pier. There are also small gravel beaches, bulkheads, and grassy areas to fish from at high tide. This is a great place for a picnic as well with tables along the way and ample parking.

If you keep heading north you will go through the Ruston tunnel. At the top of the hill take a right on Pearl Street towards Pt. Defiance. At the entrance to the park take a right down to the boat launch where you will come to the Pt. Defiance Boat House. There are public fishing docks at the boat house, along with a small store that will have what you need for fishing, as well as snacks and refreshments. There is also a public restroom here, and the docks are wheelchair accessible as well.

Another location to target pinks is across the Narrows Bridge at a small county park aptly named Narrow Park. At just 35 acres with a small parking lot just south of the Narrows Bridges you will find a small piece of solitude and a great place to take the family for a beach walking adventure. For some reason Pinks will hang out along the west shore, which at high tide has a lot of kelp beds just out from casting distance. Keep in mind, while your south of the Narrows Bridges you are in Marine Area 13, which means any unclipped Coho you catch must be released. This is a great place to target resident Coho and sea run cutthroats with flies and spoons, and for some reason there are pinks here too. Maybe they are a few wayward ones heading for small creeks. But more than likely these are Pinks that took a shortcut and stayed west of Vashon Island, passing Southworth and get pushed there during strong incoming tides through the Narrows.

While exploring the beach near the Narrows Bridges, keep walking north to the farthest point. An old navigation marker juts out, revealing Evans Point. This is my “secret” resident Coho spot, and in odd years we do well for pinks here too. You’re back in Marine Area 11, so the Coho don’t have to be clipped. In August expect them to run the same size as the pinks, about 2 to 4 pounds.

For boat anglers: All of the above mentioned areas are great for those not stuck to the shores. A common way to fish for the pinks along Browns Point is to shut off the motor and pitch the same offerings as the bankies as you drift along. For the Narrows area, I start trolling in 65 feet of water in a “zig zag” pattern going with the tide on the incoming, going as shallow as 30 feet with my gear down about 25 feet. I do this until I get to the Narrows Bridges, pull up my gear and head back to Evans Point and do it again. This area is a staging area for Chambers Creek Kings, and my oldest son and I got a 21 pound surprise one day fishing right at low tide on our “Pink” gear. An 11” hotspot flasher and a small squid trailing, again 25 feet down from the boat on our downrigger.

Other areas to try with a boat are your typical Point Defiance, Owens Beach, and the Slag Pile merry go round troll fisheries. But you might want to motor on towards the Ruston Way Waterfront, south of the Slag Pile. Pinks tend to mill around the shoreline here. As you continue trolling along you will pass the Les Davis Pier, where some shore bound anglers will be pitching lures, and continue on. As you near the “Grain Elevators” at the end of Dock Street you are nearing the mouth of Thea’s waterway, and Thea’s park. If the fish move out from Thea’s Park you can chase them all the way to the mouth of Puyallup River. Make a large hook turn heading back north, now on the other side of Commencement Bay and keep going to Browns Point.

For those just north of Tacoma, launch at Redondo and head south. Troll along the shoreline heading towards Dash Point. You can keep going and fish the large bay just north of Browns Point, which is all private beaches, so you will get a chance at the fish before the shore bound anglers at Browns Point. Keep in mind that this large point sticking out into Puget Sound is like a speed bump for the fish. They tend to turn around just before the point and go back north in the large bay area. I recommend you do the same and troll back and forth in here for the pinks.

Whether you have sandals and shorts stuck on the shoreline, a car topper or kayak, or even a yacht, there is a place for you to fish in the south sound for our odd year pinks. There is room to roam, and enough places to fish to keep you busy all month long. Here’s your chance to get out and enjoy this unique urban fishery.

What to use: While most people in the past have pitched 3 inch pink buzz bombs, this year there are a number of new lures made just for this fishery. Try the new hot pink Panic Minnow soft bait by the local company Density-Tackle (http://density-tackle.com/) on a pink 3/8 oz jig head or rigged with a size #1 hook and 24 inch leader to a swivel with a 3/8 oz sliding weight. You can find the Panic Minnow at 3 Rivers Marine, Auburn Sports & Marina and other dealers (check their website for more information or call them directly).

A small pink herring either floated under a bobber or rigged behind a white dodger will catch Pinks, Coho and Sea Run Cutthroat as well as an occasional Chinook which can be a handful on light gear and a lot of fun. River Bend Jigs and Bait (http://www.riverbendjigs.com/) are packaging pre-brined and dyed herring in various colors and sizes, including pink. The best part about their per-brined herring is that once you get done fishing for the day put the left over baits in the refrigerator where they will last for weeks so you don’t waste unused bait!

If you have enough elbow room you can pitch pink flies on a spey rod. A trick I learned while fishing for the pinks at the Hoodsport Hatchery is to throw a pink and white marabou jig under a bobber ahead of the schools of fish and let it sit. It seems the wave action to the float gives makes the marabou jig flutter and since the jig is in the path of the school of fish, they can’t resist it.

By Jason Brooks, 2011

*Editor's Note:

This article originally ran in the August 2011 Northwest Sportsman. The information still holds true as we enter into the 2013 sockeye season!