Northwest Sportsman – August 2019

76 Northwest Sportsman AUGUST 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com

FISHINGFISHING

Others have found that the lure of

choice is a pink Rotator trailed by a

small pink plastic squid. Let it flutter

down into the water and then slowly

retrieve it back to shore or the boat.

By far the most popular way

to catch the salmon in the river is

casting and retrieving a Dick Nite hot

pink spoon or a Silver Horde Number

2 Kingfisher spoon. But a small^1 / 8 -

or^1 / 4 -ounce pink jig, either fished

under a float or cast and retrieved, is

a favorite as well.

Another favored river method

is trolling small hot pink Hot Shots

or Wiggle Warts with no weight on

your line about 35 to 40 feet behind

your boat.

Fly anglers will toss a size 4 pink

Flashabou Comet or just about any

other pink-colored fly.

You don’t need an expensive rod

and reel for pinks. Many anglers will

use a stout 8- to 9-foot salmon or trout

rod and a good levelwind or spinning

reel strung with 8- to 12-pound-test

line. A 6-weight fly rod will get the job

done for those who prefer to cast flies.

In a boat on the salt, downriggers

are the most effective way to fish

since you can dial in the precise depth

where the fish are located. If you

don’t have downriggers, simply attach

a 6- to 8-ounce banana-shaped lead

weight a few feet ahead of a dodger

or flasher and run it out no more than

30 to 50 feet behind the boat.

Whatever you choose, be sure to

have lots of gear in the water because

double or triple-header hook-ups

aren’t uncommon. Once you hook a

fish, circle around to stay on top of

the school.

AS FOR SPOTS, the choices for boat

anglers are far and wide. Pinks can be

found from the entrance to the Strait

of Juan de Fuca clear into streams in

deepest south Puget Sound. Just be

sure to check the regulation pamphlet

for what marine waterways or rivers

are open or closed to retention this

year due to the lower forecast.

“If folks are looking for an

opportunity to catch pinks, much of

that will occur in the marine areas

that are open for salmon fishing,” says

WDFW’s Dufault. “There will also be

some opportunities for pinks in a few

rivers like the Green, Puyallup and

Nisqually. Places you can’t keep them

since we aren’t expecting to meet

Dick Nites are a favorite for river fishers, but so too

are pink jigs. This custom one made by a Green-

Duwamish River angler looks not unlike the salmon

species’ prey at sea, squid. (ANDY WALGAMOTT)

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