John's River Chinook

This fishery is located in the Grays Harbor (Chehalis River) estuary. The season usually opens about the 15th of September. For WDFW purposes, the area we are discussing here is Marine Area 2.2, which is east of buoy 13 between Westport & Ocean Shores, upriver to the Hiway 101 bridge at Aberdeen. It is accessible from at least 3 launches, listed are, starting at the downriver one first.
            (1) Westport launch --Port of Grays Harbor
            (2) Johns River launch WDFW
            (3) 28th Street Boat Launch -- Port of Grays Harbor

Westport launch: It would probably be best for the larger boats to launch at Westport, as at Johns River, the ramp is slightly steep & runs out at a low tide. The launch at Westport is next to the Coast Guard Station, go south on N Montesano Street, (the main street leading to the dock area) then at the Hungry Whale gas station/bait shop at the intersection of Wilson Ave., take a right to its end. The parking lot will be on the right, with the launch straight ahead.
This is a good 2 lane blacktop ramp with docks, and another ramp on the north of the north dock that is not paved as far down, but still very usable. The launch fee is $5.00. There is plenty of paved parking available.

Johns River launch: This launch is on south side of the river, close to the old road just east of the concrete bridge at Markham. Coming from Aberdeen, at Markham, you cross the bridge & then take the next road to the left (Johns River road), which is a short tie-in road to the old hiway which parallels the newer road you just left. There will be a "Public Fishing" sign at this intersection & then again where this road intersects with the old hiway. This will take you back & down a hill to the river & the Johns River Recreation Area & the WDFW launch. There is limited parking during the peak times, with overflow parking up the hill from the launch along the county road. Just don't block the private driveways.

After launching you need to go downstream under the bridge, & when entering the bay you will have to hang a right near where a few boats are docked to stay in the channel. And you need to run about a mile out a narrow shallow (5 ft at low tide) channel to reach the fishing area. There are marker piling & usually hemlock poles pushed into the bottom to mark the channel out to the south channel of the Chehalis. A car-topper boat could be fished here if you launched from this launch, as you are coming into the upriver fishing area from the East & with a shorter run & less exposure if the wind picks up.

28th Street Boat Launch: This launch is in East Hoquiam, and will be on the upper-most section of this fishing area. It is operated by the Port of Grays Harbor. Go West on Simpson or Wishkah Ave, take a left at 28th Street; follow it less than1/2 mile to the parking area & boat ramp. It is a good 2 lane concrete launch with dock. Has a protective upstream log breakwater. Limited parking lot, but you can park along the north side of the road leading into launch. No restrooms.

When you fish: Under most estuary fishing you normally will be fishing the upper half of the incoming tide, which should flush the fish into the lower estuary. Then, if these fish are committed to going upriver, they will then travel against the current on the following first part of the outgoing tide. It has been observed by some veteran fishermen in the lower reaches near Johns River that the best bite sometimes comes after the high slack & up to about 2 hours after that.

However as with many fisheries, the location & the fish sometimes write their our timetables & they can be caught on any time of the tide. This seems to be the case farther upriver near Aberdeen, as I have seen fish caught on the low outgoing tide & near the tide change also.

It also makes a difference if the weather is dry for some time, or if it has been raining. If it has been dry, then the fish tend to stack up in the bay. If it starts to rain, they will move thru & upriver rather rapidly.

Some large Chinook (40# +) are occasionally pulled from these areas when the season permits an opener. The Chinook here would probably be either the Chehalis, Satsop, Skookumchuck or the Humptulips fish.

There are different fishing areas to choose from: To get to either, from Westport, you go out of the boat basin, head left (north) to "A" buoy. This is the 2nd red dot on the LH side of the picture below. Buoy 21 is in a straight line at the corner & is the 4th red dot. The next red dot is the "SC" buoy, which identifies the South Channel. In this same area you see 3 dots on the sides of the south channel. These are high piling with range markers for the ships to line up on heading upriver or downriver for the main shipping channel. The red dot up the south channel is piling marker #8, where the Johns River empties into the south channel.

The yellow areas are the normal fishing areas, with the green dots being launching ramps.

Buoy 13: Here the heading toward the areas split, straight on out & slightly west is buoy #13. This is the farthest LH red dot on the above chart.

This time of the year the season's western boundary is at this buoy. There is considerable fishing that takes place immediately east (upriver) from this location, as usually noticed by the concentration of boats, including some charter boats. This area can be either mooching or trolling. Water depth here will be in the 40' range .

Chehalis River shipping channel: The main fishing in this channel will probably be from buoy #21 upriver to Aberdeen. You will also probably have more success by trolling the 20' line along the edges of the shipping channel. The channel is dredged to maintain 40' at low tide.

Johns River: The other area is upriver near the mouth of the "south channel" which Johns River empties into. You will not be fishing the actual Johns River, but the area just off the mouth of it. For this area you head out as before, but instead of heading left toward the ocean at "A" buoy, you hang a right & start up the river. At low tide there will be Whitcomb Flats (sand) on your right, so you will have to follow the main shipping channel buoys up the river. From buoy "14" all the others upriver are in a straight line to the bend at buoy "21". There are large range marker piling on both sides of South Channel / Johns River entrance.

The fishing is normally done either near the main shipping channel of the Chehalis near the South Channel (SC) buoy, or in the south channel itself to near & above the actual mouth of Johns River. Johns River empties into the south channel at it's piling marker "8" about 1/2 mile east (upstream) from where the south channel empties into the main channel. The south channel is smaller & shallower & it condenses at low tide as it gets farther upriver toward Aberdeen. The main channel bends at the range marker piling & runs upriver. Fishing in the main river usually will be from buoy #17 to #27.

Some will fish up this south channel clear up to the water tower on the south bank hill. There are a few depessions in this shallow channel that hold fish. It is not fished as heavily as the rest of the river system.

Ocean Shores Side: During this fishery many of the Salmon are heading for the Humptulips River. Not many fishermen fish this side. These fish will tend to take a left & head toward the Humptulips, which takes them past the Ocean Shores marina area. There is a somewhat wide deep area (from 40-60') from here up to the Ocean Shores entrance that is fishable. The buoys here will be #1 & #3 right off the marina entrance. The channel to the Humptulips heads for Goose Island & is about 15' deep with a slot about 30' at Goose Island. Here, it may be best to fish on the incoming tide, which flushes the new fish into the river system.

Upstream near Aberdeen/Hoquim: Upstream more, the fishing boundary at the start of the season is the Hiway 101 bridge across the Chehalis River in Aberdeen. The 28th Street launch is downriver about 1 mile & right in the middle of this section of the upper fishery. Most of the fishing takes place from just above the launch to downstream near the airport. The shipping channel here where most of the fishing is done is about 45' deep.

The method of fishing: The preferred method seems to be trolling, one thought is to keeping your bait NEAR the bottom. Other fishermen seem to prefer about mid-depth & deeper. So take your pick. Some experienced fishermen here will troll the 20' depth line along the edges of the shipping channel with good success. This type of fishing is shallow enough that downriggers can prove to be to much of a hassle & normally are not used. There are usually no underwater snags in this area, therefore you can "drag" the bottom with little chance of hanging up.

The preferred gear usually is a standard mooching slider rig, or a sinker slider on the mainline to which a lighter leader of about 12-18" is attached to a round sinker, with a large purple or black label cut plug herring pulled behind a medium or large Fish Flash. It appears that the best 2 colors are green/prism & red prism for either of the above. Fish Flash size recommended by the guides is the medium. The most important aspect is to use a Samppo ball bearing swivel off the rear of each to keep leader from kinking. Some fishermen use a Les Davis crippled herring bonnet and use smaller bait that can equal the length of a large cut plug.

Use the standard estuary set-up with a slider & 18" to 24" dropper to a 6 to 8 oz sinker. Put about a 16" line material between the mainline end & the fish Flash. Use enough weight to get the bait to the bottom at a line angle of 45 degrees. Most fishermen use too light a sinker. If fishing more than one aboard, but an 8 ounce for the forward fisher & an 6 oz for the rear rod.

The standard 6' leader will work, but if the water is turbid, then shorten this leader down to 24" to 48". Also a 40-50# leader is used many times, as you are fishing shallow (15-30') & the big fish have no place to go but run, and those big Chinook can cut a 20# leader with their teeth quite easily. With the turbid water here the fish are not leader shy. You may want to inject those herring with scent, to aid in attracting the fish, since the water is murky. If targeting Coho, then shorten the leader to the shorter dimensions or less. Use the Hi Vis mainline especially if there is more than one person on the boat, as this allows you to see where the lines are at all times.

The bait should be frozen herring in either blue or purple label size. In the morning before you leave, in a small insulated cooler, place the herring in 2 qt water, 3 cups rock salt, 1 cup powdered milk & 5 drops Pro Cure Bait Bright or Mrs. Stuarts Blueing as used in washing clothes. As a substitute for bait bright, simply use a blue food coloring. The salt toughens them, the powdered milk, having lactic acid sets the scales, & the blue coloring adds the iridescent blue color of a live herring.

Keep them cold by adding ice all day long. When the day is over, do not throw this bait away, but place it in a good sealable "zip-lock baggie", & place the brined herring, enough of the brine to cover the bait & place it in a protected place in a deep freeze. This solution is so saturated with salt that it will not freeze. When you need them again, they will be good & tough, except do not expect them to last indefinitely, as they will freezer burn after about 6 months..

Use cutting block, & hook placement determines the roll. For green label you need 3" between back of front hook to front eye of rear hook. Blue label requires 3 1/2", while purple label needs 4 1/4". Bury the larger heavy hook in the tail. Use Octopus type hooks for better hooking & KEEPING HOOKED ability. Run a size 5/0 hook in front with a 6/0 in the rear.

What works best in the Grays Harbor area is a cut-plug that has a "Big Flop" spin. The Buoy 10 fishery however seems best when using the "Bullet" spin. Practice cutting herring & watching it spin. Placement of the hooks also govern the spin.

The tide difference between Aberdeen & Markham is -14 minutes. Be there 1 1/2 hrs before the high tide & prepared to fish the 1 hour before high slack, thru the slack & 1 hour after. Otherwise you will be spending much of your time removing grass off the line. if you have a high run-off the bite will usually be only at the tide change. However if the tide has a low swing, then the bite will usually last clear thru the tide & into low slack.

Tide difference farther upriver at Aberdeen is near 1 hour later than the tide book says.

Troll slow & with the tide. The biggest problem with experienced fishermen who now try this fishery, is that they try to set the hook to soon. You want to put the rods in the rod-holders so that the rod tip is within 2-3' of the water. The fish will tap, the bait 2 to 3 times, when he does, speed the trolling motor up immediately to FAST for a while. What this does is the fish thinks the bait is getting away & he will chase & attack it. When this happens & the fish hits it hard enough to basically set the hook himself, & the rod tip will be buried in the water when the fish take offs. This is now the time to grab the rod & just pop the tip to be sure the hook is set.

For those of you who have to watch & hold the rod, many times you will not detect the dramatic hit when these Chinook pick up the herring, as they simply pick it up & follow you if that is the way they are moving, so be ever watchful of your rod tip. You may set the hook on seaweed, but then it may be a nice fish. This method will miss many more fish than the above method.

Have extra rods rigged & ready, so that you do not miss any prime fishing time when the "bite" occurs & you need to be re-baited or to remove weeds.

Line angle is important to get proper lure action. You may have to change trolling speed many times as the tide & currently changes. Check the bait action when ever you are putting new bait in the water.

You will also pick up some Coho here. There is a hatchery on the Satsop River, but also there are many wild fish from the other rivers that have no hatchery in the rest of the Chehalis system. So check the regs. carefully each year as to what you are allowed to keep. It changes year to year, from no season at all, to release all Chinook, to 1 Chinook & 1 clipped Coho, or even 1 wild Coho for the year 2000, so depending on the estimated returns the catch also changes.

Coho can be found anywhere in the system, & it makes more sense to look for them on the flats between buoy #25 & Ocean Shores at high tide, before they funnel into the river channels.

You will be inside the estuary enough that even a normal afternoon wind will not really effect you in the fishing area. You might however encounter more wind chop heading back to the Westport dock.

The one thing here, is that if the Salmon have lockjaw, a well prepared fisherman could try for Sturgeon. You have your choice of fishing the sand flats, or the deeper holes. The usual bait for these is either smelt or sandshrimp, however your Salmon bait (herring or anchovies) can be also used

GPS Locations: This time of the year you can run into fog in the morning, for those of you with GPS the locations are listed below. The following numbers should be good for all but the last 2, as they were taken physically after Selective Availability was removed from the system. Readings for buoy 27 & 32 were taken off a chart.

Buoy “A”	46-55-02	124-06-93
Buoy “14”	46-55-27	124-06-43
Buoy "17"	46-55-29	124-04-27
Buoy “21”	46-55-29	124-03-46
Buoy “SC”	46-55-33	124-02-85
John’s River #8	46-55-50	124-00-50
Buoy “24”	46-55-59	124-01-97
Buoy “25”	46-55-70	124-01-17
Buoy "27"	46-56-50	124-00-06
Buoy “32”	46-57-50	123-58-60

Grass: This can be a problem, especially if you are there at a high flood tide, as the weeds seem to be pushed upriver with the tide, These weeds can accumulate enough on the line to foul the swivels, therefore creating twisted gear. It is advisable to pull your gear every 15 min. or so to check it. If troubled with seaweed or grass on your line, adding a golf tee on the mainline as your uppermost gear, will help divert many weeds off & keep the swivels free. The tapered small portion of this golf tee seems to allow the weeds to be passed off, where a knot at a swivel seems to stop & hold the weeds.

Crabbing: If you drop off a crab pot, remember that you usually will be going out at low tide & need to allow for plenty of line to compensate for the incoming tide plus any current that accompanies it. Otherwise you may have to go back later & try to locate & pick it up on another low tide. There are commercial crab pots in the area north of buoys "15" to "21". This water is about 20' deep for a quite large flat area here. Another area to crab would be hang a right coming out of the boat basin & run up Elk River a short ways. There usually is not crabbing much above this point however, as the water salinity is lesser enough to discourage any crab concentration..

Ships: There is not much commercial shipping traffic in this river & the large ships that do use it tend to lay & wait for the high tide before heading up or downriver. However you may encounter a barge being towed at any time. If there happens to be any commercial traffic coming thru, give them enough room, as the channel is not overly wide.