Northwest Sportsman – August 2019

62 Northwest Sportsman AUGUST 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com

COLUMN

coma-area waters for action this season.

Redondo is a good starting point at the

north end of Marine Area 11. With ample

beach access in the form of a few fishing

piers and parks, the beach angler has

a few places to cast a line. Pinks use this

shoreline to guide them toward the Puyal-

lup and Nisqually Rivers. The top produc-

ing technique is pitching out pink Buzz

Bombs and twitching them back. All three

salmon species cruising the shoreline –

Chinook, coho and pinks – will attack the

lures, which is why they are so popular.

If you can find a stretch of beach with

more solitude, floating a red-label herring

on a slip float will catch fish.

Boat anglers often troll out in front of

Redondo Beach. A Mack’s Lure Double D

dodger followed by a Coho Killer in the

herring aide pattern should be on at least

one rod at all times. A Mack’s Lure Sling

Blade dodger with a short leader to a mini

Bechhold and Son’s anchovy hood with a

herring strip is also becoming a very popu-

lar bait in the Puget Sound for coho.

Last summer anglers who kept their

boats at the famed Point Defiance Boat

House would run up to Redondo and

catch their limit of returning coho before

their coffee could get cold. When the locals

head to one location you should take note

and give it a try. With the amount of coho

expected back, Redondo should again be

a top producer.

Another lure to try is a Brad’s Super Bait

(remember to use a single-point, barbless

Siwash hook) with a 2- or 3-ounce banana

weight 2 feet in front of it. Stuff it with

canned tuna fish that has been soaking in

Pro-Cure Bloody Tuna Super Gel or Ancho-

vy Super Gel. The best lure colors are pink,

Seahawk and black jack, as they mimic

baitfish as well as shrimp, and the Super

Bait has a “wounded” action to it that feed-

ing salmon can’t resist.

SOUTH OF REDONDO you come to Dash

Point State Park, where once again the

bank angler will do well. Here fly rod-tot-

ing anglers wade into the salt to catch

pinks as well as some catch-and-release

sea-run cutthroat. A size 4 or 6 pink shrimp

pattern is a good combo fly as it can get

bit by either species on any given cast. The

With a conga line of anglers behind him,

author Jason Brooks’ youngest son Ryan

ties on a leader to fish for Puyallup salmon.

The overall forecast calls for 104,000 kings,

humpies and silvers back this year.

(JASON BROOKS)