The last week or so has been hit and miss for most anglers. It seems there is nothing predictable with the salmon return except it is unpredictable. You think you have the timing down and then it switches on you. One minute they are biting on low tide and the next it is at high tide.

Last week I was down on the beach and my fishing partner and I watched anglers 50 yards away catching pinks every 10 minutes or so but where we were, not one was caught.

One day I take the boat out and the beach anglers are putting on a show pulling fish in but I get nothing in the boat. Next day I fish the beach and the boats are putting on a show. You just can’t win sometimes.

But like everything else it changes and you find a nice pocket of pinks. I found mine this past weekend at Lagoon Point.

Those fishing the beach were catching them as well as those out in the boats. There also have been a few coho caught and you can look for that kind of action to heat up in the next couple of weeks

When they arrive, get out your favorite spoons or cut plug herring and give it a try. Coho will be in the upper areas of the water column and when they are hooked, they can give quite an aerial display. Troll speeds will be slightly higher than for kings.

A local angler recently landed what his scales said was a 12.3 pound pink salmon. I saw the picture and it is the biggest pink I have ever seen. Unfortunately the fish ended up on the barbecue not in the state record book, so the current 11.5 pound pink is still the salt water record.

Some nice fish have been caught in the Samish River in recent days. Several reports have been sent in of fish over 30 pounds being caught.

My favorite technique is to suspend a nice glob of salmon eggs just off the bottom. You might need to add some weight if the current is swift.

Also get down there early. I have friends who take off at 3 a.m. and they still see lots of anglers already there — especially on the weekend.

If you get out to the Samish after a good rain, there will usually be more fish in the river. Once again low tide is the most productive as it will concentrate the fish in deeper holes.

Youth, senior pheasant hunts

A youth special season pheasant hunt for licensed hunters under age of 16 will be held Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22 and 23, beginning at 8 a.m. each day at the Arnold Farm release site on Zylstra Road south of Oak Harbor.

Hunters should be accompanied by an adult age 18 years or older and a limited number of experienced mentor hunters with dogs will be available to accompany youth hunters who do not have an adult with them.

For more information, call John Moore at 679-4194.

A senior special season pheasant hunt for licensed hunters 65 and older will also be held at the Arnold Farm release site Sept. 24 to 28. The hunts began at 8 a.m.

For information, call Fred Stilwell at 675-5535 or Dave Graham at 675-5639.