Fish of Washington Waters —
and the Gear That Catches Them
These are the exact rod, reel, line and lure setups Ashton and Michael fish day in, day out on the Skykomish, Snohomish, Snoqualmie and Puget Sound. Pick your species below — or skip the shopping list and let us hand you a rigged rod on the water.
Chinook Salmon “King”
The biggest salmon in the Pacific, and the standard every other fishery is measured against. We troll the Sound at first light in summer, then follow the fall run into the Snohomish system as the rains come.
- Rod
- 8’6”–9’ medium-heavy casting/spinning; 9’ heavy if plunking plugs
- Reel & line
- 30–50 lb braid; 25–30 lb fluoro leader (salt), 40 lb mono leader (river)
- Terminal
- Flashers + cut-plug herring, 3–5 oz divers, downrigger balls 15–40 ft
- Go-to bait & lures
- Cured eggs, Kwikfish with sardine wrap, #5–6 spinners, spoons
- Techniques
- Troll & mooch the Sound; back-bounce eggs, wrap plugs, plunk tailouts in rivers
- Where we fish them
- Marine Areas 8–10 · Skykomish · Snohomish · Snoqualmie
Guide tip: Kings push shallow in the first two hours of light — be rigged before sunrise.
Coho Salmon “Silvers”
The people’s salmon: aggressive, acrobatic and everywhere from Puget Sound beaches to the smallest Snohomish tributary seams. Coho chase moving water — the first September freshet turns the whole system on.
- Rod
- 8’6” light-medium spinner; 10’6” float rod for jigs
- Reel & line
- 20–30 lb braid, 15–20 lb leader
- Terminal
- 3/8–1/2 oz jig heads, float stops, 1/0–3/0 hooks
- Go-to lures
- #4–5 inline spinners, #3.5–4.5 spoons, twitching jigs (pink/purple), streamer flies
- Techniques
- Cast-and-retrieve tailouts; twitch jigs in soft seams; cut-plug troll in salt
- Where we fish them
- Puget Sound · Snohomish · Skykomish · Snoqualmie
Guide tip: Twitch the jig once, then let it sit — most strikes come on the fall.
Pink Salmon “Humpies”
Every other summer, millions of pinks flood the Straights and Puget Sound on their way to the Fraser and Snohomish systems. Numbers, hard hits and the best fish tacos of your life — the perfect first salmon for kids and newcomers.
- Rod
- 7’6”–8’6” light spinner or 8-weight fly rod
- Reel & line
- 15–20 lb braid, 10–15 lb leader; floating line + sink-tip for fly
- Terminal
- 3/0–4/0 hooks, 1/4 oz jigs, 8–12 lb fluorocarbon tippet
- Go-to lures
- Small pink spoons, #3–4 pink spinners, pink flies (clousers, comets)
- Techniques
- Steady medium retrieve; fish close to shore — pinks hug the bank
- Where we fish them
- Skykomish gravel bars · Snohomish · Puget Sound beaches
Guide tip: Pink year crowds are real — fish the first two hours of daylight and you’ll have the bar to yourself.
Chum Salmon “Dogs”
The most underrated fight in Washington water. Chum pull like freight trains, jump like tarpon, and arrive right when the rivers quiet down after the coho rush.
- Rod
- 10’ medium-heavy float rod or 8-weight fly
- Reel & line
- 20–25 lb braid, 15–20 lb leader
- Terminal
- 1/8–1/4 oz jigs under floats, bobber stops, strong 2/0 hooks
- Go-to bait & lures
- Chartreuse & purple jigs, cured eggs, small pink spoons
- Techniques
- Float-fish seams near gravel bars on the incoming tide
- Where we fish them
- Stillaguamish · Skagit · lower Snohomish system
Guide tip: Set the hook low and hard — chum have cartilage-heavy mouths and soft lips. Steady pressure wins.
Steelhead “The fish of 10,000 casts”
Chrome-bright ocean-run rainbow trout — the fish that built PNW steelheading. Winter fish are ours: the Skykomish at Reiter Ponds is one of Washington’s most storied winter runs, 25 minutes from the shop.
- Rod
- 9’6”–10’6” float rod or 13’ centerpin; 12’6” 7-wt Spey for swinging
- Reel & line
- 15–20 lb braid, 8–12 lb fluoro leader; Skagit head + T-8/T-11 tips
- Terminal
- Beads 8–12 mm, yarn, strong hooks, split shot, quality floats
- Go-to bait & lures
- Jigs (pink/orange), beads, cured roe; intruders & woolly buggers for the swing
- Techniques
- Dead-drift the seams; swing tailouts at first light; fish soft winter water
- Where we fish them
- Skykomish / Reiter · Snoqualmie · Stillaguamish
Guide tip: Winter fish eat in 40° water — slow everything down and fish the walking-speed water.
Cutthroat & Rainbow Trout
The year-round backbone of Washington fishing. Local lakes produce from opening day through winter; sea-run coastal cutthroat patrol Puget Sound rivers most of the year. This is where we start most new anglers — high catch rates, light tackle, pure fun.
- Rod
- 5-weight fly rod with floating line; 6’6” ultralight spinner
- Reel & line
- 4–6 lb mono or fluoro; WF floating fly line
- Terminal
- Size 8–14 flies, small split shot, single hooks
- Go-to flies & lures
- Woolly buggers, chironomids, elk-hair caddis; small spoons & worms in lakes
- Techniques
- Troll or cast drop-offs; match the hatch on summer evenings; sight-fish cruising cutts at dawn
- Where we fish them
- Blackman’s · Flowing · Cassidy · local rivers (catch & release water)
Guide tip: Still-water cutthroat cruise the shallows at first light — a dry fly on flat water is the most fun in fishing.
Saltwater bonus seasons
Lingcod
Apr–Jun · Marine Areas 8–10. 10–16 oz lead jigs or live bait on 40–65 lb braid, fished tight to rocky structure. Big, mean and outstanding on the plate.
Halibut
May–Jun · Puget Sound / Strait seasons. Heavy 6’ boat rod, 50–80 lb braid, 1–3 lb jigs or herring on a spreader bar — plus the patience of a saint.
New to any of this? Don’t buy a thing. Every guided trip includes rigged, tuned rods — and we’ll teach you exactly what your own setup should be before you spend a dollar. Ask us →
Want to catch one of these this season?
We’ll match your dates to the strongest run and hand you a rigged rod.