Trophy Salmon

A place for readers to talk about river fishing in Washington.
Forum rules
Forum Post Guidelines: This Forum is rated “Family Friendly”. Civil discussions are encouraged and welcomed. Name calling, negative, harassing, or threatening comments will be removed and may result in suspension or IP Ban without notice. Please refer to the Terms of Service and Forum Guidelines post for more information. Thank you
Post Reply
User avatar
Fish_Bait111397
Captain
Posts: 696
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:22 pm
Location: Phoenix,AZ

Trophy Salmon

Post by Fish_Bait111397 » Mon Sep 05, 2011 4:31 am

Hey guys, one of my goals is to get a trophy salmon before im 18. That gives me a little over 4 years.
Whats a trophy king/silver/pink/chum/sockeye? And what rivers would you think give me the best possibility of getting a trophy salmon? Or is that to hard to determine?
Thanks Guys !
Last edited by Fish_Bait111397 on Mon Sep 05, 2011 4:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
~Men and fish are alike. They both get into trouble when they open their mouths.


~My biggest worry is that my wife (when I'm dead) will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.

User avatar
returnofthefish
Captain
Posts: 656
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:41 pm
Location: 206

RE:Trophy Salmon

Post by returnofthefish » Mon Sep 05, 2011 5:51 am

All of my trophy king,coho,pink are under 15 pounds. I am always going to remember the battle with my king and my silver till I catch a bigger one. I dont get to go out as much as others, so my skills are limited to what ever I am lucky enough to catch. My girl caught a 7 pound buck pink last week and its a trophy to her. [thumbsup] So it really depends on the person. I would be ecstatic to catch the kings that you caught.

Other members here have posted pics and reports with the trophies that your talking about. Hopefully they can chime in and give you a concensus mark for each species. Looking forward to pics with those trophies FB. I guess mines is breaking the 15 pound mark for now. Come on chums :fish:
Catch and Release Wild Trout
Catch and Release Wild Women

User avatar
MarkFromSea
Admiral
Posts: 1934
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2009 1:38 pm
Location: Kirkland

RE:Trophy Salmon

Post by MarkFromSea » Mon Sep 05, 2011 6:17 am

Just bust the 30 lbs mark on a KING! If you've done that, shoot for 35. My "verified" 30+lbs kings were Columbia River(buoy 10), Westport and Nootka Sound, always from a boat so can't help on a river suggestion.

Returnofthefish is correct also.

Getting a trophy wife is more likely to occur than getting a 50 lbs KING! LOL
"Fish Hard and Fish Often!"

User avatar
natetreat
Rear Admiral One Star
Posts: 3653
Joined: Sun May 23, 2010 10:11 pm
Location: Lynnwood

RE:Trophy Salmon

Post by natetreat » Mon Sep 05, 2011 6:25 am

The hump puts out some beastly kings. I'd wager you could get into some behemoth steelhead on the quiliyoot system, the bogey is fun upstream for nates. Don't bonk 'em unless there a record though if you can help it. My dad caught a 50+ fish in the Cow, but that was 20 years ago.

I've caught 30 pounders on several occasions in the nisqually. It's really luck, and when those six year fish are coming back to each system. People wait a lifetime to get 'em, and then they fly to alaska and book a charter lodge for a week. And catch 200 fish a day and still don't get the big one.

User avatar
natetreat
Rear Admiral One Star
Posts: 3653
Joined: Sun May 23, 2010 10:11 pm
Location: Lynnwood

RE:Trophy Salmon

Post by natetreat » Mon Sep 05, 2011 6:26 am

MarkFromSea wrote:Just bust the 30 lbs mark on a KING! If you've done that, shoot for 35. My "verified" 30+lbs kings were Columbia River(buoy 10), Westport and Nootka Sound, always from a boat so can't help on a river suggestion.

Returnofthefish is correct also.

Getting a trophy wife is more likely to occur than getting a 50 lbs KING! LOL
:) :) :)

Too true! I've got both, so I'm count myself truly blessed :-"

User avatar
returnofthefish
Captain
Posts: 656
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:41 pm
Location: 206

RE:Trophy Salmon

Post by returnofthefish » Mon Sep 05, 2011 7:44 pm

I caught a 15 pound 2 oz king today. Its a personal best for all species. Its a brand new trophy in my book
Catch and Release Wild Trout
Catch and Release Wild Women

User avatar
kingfisher101
Warrant Officer
Posts: 150
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 10:56 am
Contact:

RE:Trophy Salmon

Post by kingfisher101 » Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:01 pm

where at
Good luck-KingFisher

User avatar
returnofthefish
Captain
Posts: 656
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:41 pm
Location: 206

RE:Trophy Salmon

Post by returnofthefish » Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:03 pm

At the Puyallup River. Report will be posted soon once its approved
Catch and Release Wild Trout
Catch and Release Wild Women

User avatar
RiverChromeGS
Sponsor
Sponsor
Posts: 2460
Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:29 pm
Location: Bellingham, WA
Contact:

RE:Trophy Salmon

Post by RiverChromeGS » Mon Sep 05, 2011 11:39 pm

Sockeye, Pinks, Chums. Forget them, none are trohpy's... LOL.

For chinook, u gotta break 30 pounds. In canada at ALL the lodges you get a pin on your hat for breaking 30 pounds, their called TYEE salmon when they get over 30. That should be your goal. For me, since i chinook fish A LOT, my goal every year is to break 40 pounds. If you start breaking 30 a lot, go for 40. This year my biggest was only 35 3/4 pounds, but last year i got a 46 pound chinook and a 41 pounder.

For Coho, u gotta break 20. Anything under 20 is caught regularly and cannot be called a true trophy. i caught 10 fish between 15-20 last year on the skagit, but did not break 20. There hard to find.

As far as Places, ALL my big salmon, silver, and king have all been caught in saltwater, especially off vancouver island. Places around here dont have a lot of monster kings. Some rivers on the peninsula like the humptulips have some big chinook, but breaking 30, which is in my opinion the most important goal to break as a salmon fishermen, can be done in rivers like the skok and samish. Youve gotten close already. keep fishing and you will get a hawg 30+ king. trust me. good luck:cheers:
http://www.riverchromeguideservice.com

River Chrome Guide Service specializes in salmon and steelhead fishing in Puget Sound and The Olympic Peninsula

Official WashingtonLakes.com Sponsor

User avatar
curado
Admiral
Posts: 1785
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2007 8:49 pm
Location: Lake Stevens
Contact:

RE:Trophy Salmon

Post by curado » Tue Sep 06, 2011 12:07 am

sockeye i would say anything over 5. i got one that was 6lbs
If it looks fishy, Then fish it, If it dont look fishy, fish it anyways. <')}}}}><

Twisted Steel Guide Service
EGG GURU

EAmon___hoffman123
Warrant Officer
Posts: 109
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2011 7:35 pm
Location: woodinville washington

RE:Trophy Salmon

Post by EAmon___hoffman123 » Tue Sep 06, 2011 12:12 am

we break over 30lb"s down at westport. my dad<s biggest fish was 37lber 2 years ago
Fishing is cool. FOOLS

User avatar
RiverChromeGS
Sponsor
Sponsor
Posts: 2460
Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:29 pm
Location: Bellingham, WA
Contact:

RE:Trophy Salmon

Post by RiverChromeGS » Tue Sep 06, 2011 12:19 am

i caught a baker lake sockeye buck that was 8.5 lbs this year.
http://www.riverchromeguideservice.com

River Chrome Guide Service specializes in salmon and steelhead fishing in Puget Sound and The Olympic Peninsula

Official WashingtonLakes.com Sponsor

User avatar
knotabassturd
Captain
Posts: 612
Joined: Thu May 06, 2010 2:48 pm
Location: Renton

RE:Trophy Salmon

Post by knotabassturd » Tue Sep 06, 2011 12:34 am

fishenfreak- actually to be a true recognized tyee you have to follow the clearly defined guidelines. But yes, the weight threshold alone has to be 30 pounds, on top of the other gear and even vessel-related 'rules' (remember rowing LOL?). But 30+ is certainly big and 40+ very big! Even for West Vancouver so excellent job on those monsters.

Personally only, I consider a trophy relative to body of water AND species, all species angled for. So an Alaska 30 pounder ('nook) aint the same as a Puke 30 pounder. As mentioned, this last part is just personal taste:)
"Its the coming back, the return which gives meaning to the going forth. We really don't know where we've been until we've come back to where we were. Only, where we were may not be as it was, because of whom we've become. Which, after all, is why we left." -Bernard Stevens Northern Exposure

User avatar
Fish_Bait111397
Captain
Posts: 696
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:22 pm
Location: Phoenix,AZ

RE:Trophy Salmon

Post by Fish_Bait111397 » Tue Sep 06, 2011 2:28 am

Thank You All !

Returnofthefish, you are right-any fish can be a trophy, it depends on the person !
~Men and fish are alike. They both get into trouble when they open their mouths.


~My biggest worry is that my wife (when I'm dead) will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.

User avatar
RiverChromeGS
Sponsor
Sponsor
Posts: 2460
Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:29 pm
Location: Bellingham, WA
Contact:

RE:Trophy Salmon

Post by RiverChromeGS » Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:29 am

Yea i kinda wanna try one year to join the cambell river tyee club. LOL no bait, rowing ONLY and land a 30+ pound chinook. THAT would be insane!!!!
http://www.riverchromeguideservice.com

River Chrome Guide Service specializes in salmon and steelhead fishing in Puget Sound and The Olympic Peninsula

Official WashingtonLakes.com Sponsor

Post Reply