Northwest Fishing Reports

SO in my fishing career ive caught just about as many of any salmon i wanted, except chum, simlpy because i have never targeted them, i go straight from coho to steelhead, never really targeting the dirty chums, mainly because id rather catch one steelie than 20 chums, haha but this year ive learned from some guys a few great skagit chum holes, and i was thinking of offering a 75$ per person chum day trip to the skagit to catch these fish. I know a lil about how my buddies catch them, but i am just wondering anyone out there who has experience actually targeting these beasts, whats the best thing to use, do they like eggs? ive hit some on egg on accident before. Main thing i heard is big, bright jigs with shrimp under float. anyone have any specific colors they like or techniques, would like to get into some big chum days in the little lul between coho and steel

When i fish for coho on the satsop, I always toss purple and pink marabou jigs, and for every coho i catch 10 chum. My success with them is more of the darker colors on jigs,(dark purple, hot pink, green, dark blue.) some combanations i've hit them on are green blue white. pink purple white flash. purple rabbit fur with cherry marabou. I also hit them on eggs and dark corkies with some yarn drifting it. I've also heard that they hit plugs too. I found that using white yarn with my eggs i hook alot more than i do with other colors. Also, any of the jigs i mentioned above work great under a float too. I hope this somewhat helped you at all.

i got two this year on big ass clumps of eggs. both on accident when my bobber was like 2 feet from the shore in frog water with my pole on the ground lol

purples, pinks, whites, orange, green, lots of colors work. Jigs, yarn, cork and yarn, dick knights, plugs, spinners and my favorite way to catch them, big leach flies. Never really fished bait for them, don't really have to most of the time

i use big fluffy chartruse, green/purple, and purple with flashbou jigs. under a float at first but if the bite is slow ill switch to twitching. plunking with big bright spinglos and scented yarn has also picked up a few when im high water steelheading. And my buddy has been getting them on the skagit swinging big spey flys

They usually like a little slower presentation. Jig & float, plug being backed into their face, or a fly. I haven't had much luck with eggs for chum, nor spinners/spoons. Colors: purple/pink/green

on the Quilicene the chums where slaying my bright green jig, same on the sky

fear_no_fish wrote:purples, pinks, whites, orange, green, lots of colors work. Jigs, yarn, cork and yarn, dick knights, plugs, spinners and my favorite way to catch them, big leach flies. Never really fished bait for them, don't really have to most of the time

I think you were using chartreuse on sunday when i pulled up and you had that beast on.. ;)

good to meetya

Got em floating purple jigs, pink jigs, & green jigs (twitching the same as well) and drifting rocket red corky & red yarn.

Jig under a float, or green corky and yarn. Green seems to be the best. They absolutely SLAM drift gear, unlike their light biting brethren.

ive done really good plunking plugs wrapped with a sardine or just putting a piece of sardine filet on a hook behind a spin n glo. for drifting done real good with corky/yarn or even drifting a rubber worm. then twitching jigs works well i hear but ive never had much luck. if you want info on a few more good chum holes you can pm me

thanks a ton for all the info guys, ill get some jigs and bright green/red drift gear and post some pics if we slam some hawg dawgs!

buddy swears by cerise plugs. get silvers to hit em 2. but wont find me wasting my gear on those dirty dogs.

Chums = Anything green I find. Green yarn works on chums. I was laughing at Eamon cuz I too fish the Satsop. I hate those rotten chum. I dont eat them or waste time smoking them. JMO.

Try a chrome green corkie with a red hook and green yarn with some Krystal Flash and krill proCure. Also the fluorescent or metallic green or pink Vibrax spinners work really well. I also make my own Spin-glo rigs on wire shafts. I use a #4 chrome green or fluorescent green mylar wing Spin-Glo with 3 6x8mm soft green glow beads and then a #2 or #4 red Mustad wide gap hook. Sometimes I dress the hook in Flashabou/Krystal Flash/yarn or even colored shrink tube. If they seem to be short striking it, between the Spin-Glo and the hook I run a 1" bead chain swivel. This works really well when the hook is dressed because the bead chain gives it kind of a swaying hoochie like action.

i love them dirty dogz i cant wait

OFFDAAHOOK wrote:i love them dirty dogz i cant wait

Love and chum(Or "dirty dogz") in the same sentence? Never heard that one before.

Chum are AWESOME! Green and purple to the trick, but really they'll bite anything you'd use for other species and more often. You get a big godzilla on the line and you won't be disappointed, and the eat up just fine when you get a bright one. The hens put out the perfect sized roe for winter steel or caviar, and when you're catching 30 fish a day, there's nothing wrong with that! They get a bad rep because they turn so quick, but if you wanted to simply eat fish it's cheaper to go to the grocery store. I love chum! Found a few in the Sky the other day and I was thrilled!

natetreat wrote:Chum are AWESOME! Green and purple to the trick, but really they'll bite anything you'd use for other species and more often. You get a big godzilla on the line and you won't be disappointed, and the eat up just fine when you get a bright one. The hens put out the perfect sized roe for winter steel or caviar, and when you're catching 30 fish a day, there's nothing wrong with that! They get a bad rep because they turn so quick, but if you wanted to simply eat fish it's cheaper to go to the grocery store. I love chum! Found a few in the Sky the other day and I was thrilled!

I do agree chum's are pretty fun. Never kept one, but i'm thinking of fishing more for them to get big skeins of eggs for steelhead.

Nasty toothy beasty from the Wallace