PNW BestLife

What is the PNW Best Life?

November 8, 2024November 5, 2024 by Kyle

Sekiu sunrise over flat calm Strait of Juan De Fuca Waters

Kind of a silly name for a fishing website right?

I’ve had in mind from the beginning that I wanted to promote a particular lifestyle and way of life over just being a fishing website or fishing channel. But I haven’t taken the time to explain what I’m all about and what I’m after.

That’s what this blog post is going to make clear, and I hope you will take the time to read it and join the community of like-minded folks who want to preserve a lifestyle of sustainably, ethically harvesting food from one of the greatest corners of planet Earth, the Pacific Northwest.

Will we get to fish for Washington Coast Steelhead in 2024-2025

November 2, 2024October 31, 2024 by Kyle

The short answer to this question is that it’s highly likely we WILL get to fish for winter steelhead on a majority of coastal rivers in Washington this 2024-2025 season.

The primary reason for that is the much better wild steelhead forecasts that WDFW unveiled earlier in October for rivers up and down the coast. Finally! Some good news on this front after several years of incredibly disappointing forecasts and perplexing fishing seasons that limited even the hatchery fishing opportunities in places with little to no impact on wild steelhead.

Fall Fishing, Hunting and Foraging Opportunities are Incredible in 2024

October 19, 2024 by Kyle

Ray holding a nice coho buck from the coast

We are almost to the halfway point of fall 2024, and oh baby, has it been a good one! Fall is my favorite season, largely due to the incredible variety and quantity of opportunities to harvest wonderful food from the land through fishing, hunting, and foraging.

The blog post covers some of my recent highlights fishing, hunting, and foraging, and tries to point you in the right direction if you want to pursue some of these same opportunities.

Let’s get to it!

Puyallup River Salmon Fishing 2024

September 22, 2024 by Kyle

Puyallup River salmon fishing is a local annual tradition that anglers from all the nearby areas flock to participate in. Once boasting great returns of both salmon and steelhead, now the river is a magnet for odd-year pink salmon anglers and those who focus on the often abundant runs of kings (chinook) and silvers (coho) … Read more

Skagit River Salmon Fishing 2024

September 22, 2024 by Kyle

The Skagit River is the premier river of the north cascades draining a massive watershed and providing up to 80% of the influx of freshwater into the Puget Sound. Winding through miles of mountainous terrain, foothills, and farmland before dumping into Skagit Bay between Stanwood and La Conner. This unique Skagit River salmon fishing page … Read more

Lessons Learned from Puget Sound Coho Fishing in 2024

September 21, 2024 by Kyle

I haven’t gotten out to fish coho in Puget Sound as much as I was hoping due to a knee procedure that took me out for a solid 2 weeks in the heart of prime coho season on Puget Sound.

I did however get out several times and like every year, there are a few lessons learned worth sharing, so that’s what this blog post is all about!

My fastest chinook limit in Puget Sound

September 2, 2024 by Kyle

Fastest limit of chinook salmon on a solo trip near Point Defiance in Marine Area 11

Salmon fishing in Puget Sound right now is exceptional! And for the most part, we’ve had a really good season in 2024. This blog post will discuss where we are in our Puget Sound salmon seasons and share my recent trip limiting on chinook in 5 minutes from the boat launch in Marine Area 11.

Puget Sound Crab Season 2024

June 14, 2024 by Kyle

limits of summer salmon and crab from Puget Sound

Now we know it’s summer right?! When WDFW Announces the summer crab regulations for Puget Sound, it’s like “Game on!”

Dropping crab pots and fishing for salmon in Puget Sound is an annual event, heritage and pastime that many of us have built fond memories participating in.

This blog post breaks down all the specifics, provides links to helpful resources and adds some additional insight and ideas for your crabby summer plans!

Puget Sound Salmon Seasons 2024

April 23, 2024 by Kyle

Holding a 17 lb westport chinook king salmon

Let’s take a deep dive look into all of the *proposed* and nearly finalized salmon seasons for Puget Sound in 2024.

2024 Puget Sound Spot Shrimp Season

April 22, 2024 by Kyle

Our favorite time of the year is at hand! The opportunity to harvest the delicious, the delectable, the delightful: Spot Shrimp of Puget Sound.

This blog post has all the basic information you need to know about the seasons in 2024 and a few helpful resources to refresh your shrimping knowledge since it has been about a year since we were last out there hauling up our pots.