Winter Blackmouth, Juvenile King Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Springs or Tyee
From October through April our Seattle Washington fishing charters can access this great winter Salmon fishing on Puget Sound for juvenile King Salmon that locals call Blackmouth. This fishery is a great alternative to Winter Steelhead fishing when the rivers are blown out or anytime for that matter. The fish range from little kids to 20 lb fish and the average keeper is around 6 or 7 lbs but varies throughout the winter.
Minimum size for these juvenile Chinook salmon is 22" and the average keeper is probably 25 or 26 inches though many of the fish landed may be under the 22" size limit and some will be over 30" in length.
The most common technique for catching these winter Salmon is to troll near the bottom in 100 to 130 feet of water. We use plastic squid, spoons, plugs or herring on 20 lb test rigs about 6 to 10 feet behind a downrigger ball. The downrigger is a temporary weight used to keep the lure down deep while trolling. The downrigger weight releases the line when a fish strikes and the fish is then played on the fishing pole to a hand held landing net along side the boat. We often use rubber landing nets to reduce stress on the fish in case it is released. Catching Winter Blackmouth is a staple winter time activity for Seattle Washington fishing charters operating in the Puget Sound region, much like winter Steelhead fishing.
