Base: Fox Island, 16' skiff. Fly first. Coverage is South Sound north through Blake Island — waters that earn a rod, not a list of every pond.
Today’s defaults
Sea-run cutthroat
Beaches with gravel, points, freshwater seeps, moving tide. 5wt or 6wt. Olive/white Clouser, shrimp, small baitfish.
MA 13 salmon (home water)
Pamphlet: daily 2, release chum, wild coho, wild Chinook. Jul 1–Sep 30 Chinook 20". Oct 1–Jun 30 Chinook 22". Two-pole OK with endorsement.
MA 11 salmon (Vashon / Tacoma)
Pamphlet window now: 23 Jul–30 Sep hatchery Chinook (22", 2/day, 1 Chinook max, release chum + wild Chinook). Oct 1–Nov 15 coho-style, release Chinook. Closed mid-Nov to late Mar.
Quota can shut Chinook early. Check ER the morning you run north.
Fly outfits
5wt dry / SRC
Sage LL 586 Graphite III · Ross Colorado · RIO Technical Trout · Powerflex 4X leader · 3X/4X/5X tippet · orange backing
Box: Tacky Original 2X — small baitfish, shrimp, dries.
6wt short-line / wind
G. Loomis StreamDance Metolius 6 · Scientific Anglers System 2L
Box: Tacky Pescador MagPad Medium — larger cutt flies, pinks, stillwater leeches.
8wt salt / salmon
G. Loomis GL3 8 · 3-TAND VIKN V-80 · RIO Leviathan 8/9 as the sink option
Box: Tacky Pescador Large — baitfish, pinks, chums, bigger iron.
Baitcaster (not the fly program)
7'3" Forhan Revolver / DHX · Curado 150 DC HG LH · Sufix 832 20 lb · Seaguar InvizX 8/10/12
Lakes bass, docks, perch. Leave it home for SRC beaches.
Always on in MA 5–13
- Barbless hooks for all species except forage-fish jig gear.
- Salmon: single-point barbless, hand-held rod.
- Do not bring a wild / illegal-to-keep salmon aboard the boat.
- Sea-run cutthroat: catch and release in Puget Sound marine areas.
- Release all wild steelhead statewide.
- CRC (or eCRC in Fish Washington / MyWDFW) for salmon, steelhead, halibut, sturgeon, PS crab.
- Descending device onboard and rigged if fishing bottomfish or halibut.
- Rockfish closed in 10 / 11 / 13. Halibut closed in 11 and 13.
Licenses
Need saltwater license in the Sound; freshwater for lakes/rivers; combination covers both. Two-pole endorsement for MA 13 salmon and some other waters. Vehicle Access Pass is bundled with most annual licenses.