Nisqually River chinook, Puget Sound coho and sea-run cutts good bets

• Published September 10, 2008

I'm not going to tell you which rock to stand on, but catching is pretty good right now in South Puget Sound -- especially if you're fishing chinook salmon on the Nisqually or sea-run cutthroat trout or coho salmon in the Puget Sound.

Lots of anglers are telling me that the chinook bite is finally heating up on the Nisqually -- especially if you're tossing smaller baits, lures or flies on lighter line. There are a lot of fish in the river, and the tribal nets are out of the water.

Smaller lures and lighter lines are a good way to fool chinook in clearer, lower water. Anglers are also catching a LOT of jacks, which are the best eating chinook salmon and fight very well on light tackle. Jacks are young male salmon that just can't wait to hit the spawning beds, so they return from the ocean early.

The limit on chinook jacks is six fish -- if you don't keep any adults.

Canny anglers are also catching some very nice coho salmon right here in South Puget Sound. The coho are rolling in from the Pacific Ocean to head up rivers and creeks to spawn, but they're mostly bright and big right now.

A friend of mine landed bumper-bright coho that pushed 10 pounds earlier this week.

Finally, this is probably the best time of year to fish for sea-run cutthroat trout. The trout are prowling beaches and rips right now, and they're pigging out to get ready for winter and the early spring spawn.

You have to release all cutthroat caught in the Sound, so use single, barbless hooks and be gentle. All of these fish are wild, and they spawn in the tiny, jump-across creeks that feed Puget Sound. It's a world-class fishery, and catch-and-release keeps it that way. They're also gorgeous fish.

It's almost time to start looking for early chum salmon, but I suspect we won't see many chums before October. Coho is what's happening out there right now.

The weather is prefect -- so tight lines to all of you!

Chester Allen