Puget Sound

Got out on Friday to a mid-sound beach. The sun was warm but the N. wind was fierce so I spent the whole time facing south and fried my casting wrist where I missed with the sunscreen (PSA: Early May sun is just as UV-strong as late July sun!). Just a few small guys to hand on a fry pattern when the tide did it's little flip-flop at midday. No trash to be had!

The market is *finally* open for those of you who know where I'm talking about!
 
My wife had a work engagement so decided to head out and take a walk and enjoy the nice weather after dinner. Shame on me but I have never explored the Japanese Exclusion Memorial here on Bainbridge even though I’ve lived here over 9 years now. Sad and a bit shocking to think this happened only 80 or so years ago. It’s a small but impactful place. If you happen to be on the island, I recommend this as a stop.


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It was also a beautiful evening. Warm, sunny, light breeze. Not too shabby for early May!

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Hit a local MA 10 beach this morning. This beach has a creek that dumps in not far away. Between yesterdays wind having stirred up things and the dirty creek water, I wan’t super confident. Not much going on except for the last couple hours before the tide petered. Fish started getting on fry pretty good. I could see fry that were several different sizes, but they seemed to be focused on the bigger ones. I tied on a yellow over white clouser with gold flash and that did the trick. Always fun to have targets to cast to. The fish were on the slim side but hopefully the fry will plump them up quickly. A few fish pics from today.

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There were also a lot of sandshrimp carcasses floating around. Maybe victims of a minus tide plus wind?

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Any of you gear tossing dirtbags lose this? 😉

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Not bad on the litter front today.

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SF
 
Hi SF,
Nice day on the water.
Were the sand shrimp (ghost shrimp = Neotrypaea californiensis) molts or mortalities? This species reproduces in spring / early summer. After guarding her from other suitors, a male will mate with a female after the female molts (like other decapod crustaceans such as Dungeness crabs). The female retains the fertilized eggs on her pleopods (swimming legs) under her abdomen for several months. Eventually, the offspring hatch out as zoea larvae and spend a month or more in the plankton until settling out to dig their own burrows in late summer / early fall in Washington. Ghost shrimp are important food resources to the gray whales that migrate to Puget Sound in the summer.
Steve
 
Cabezon said:
Hi SF,
Nice day on the water.
Were the sand shrimp (ghost shrimp = Neotrypaea californiensis) molts or mortalities? This species reproduces in spring / early summer. After guarding her from other suitors, a male will mate with a female after the female molts (like other decapod crustaceans such as Dungeness crabs). The female retains the fertilized eggs on her pleopods (swimming legs) under her abdomen for several months. Eventually, the offspring hatch out as zoea larvae and spend a month or more in the plankton until settling out to dig their own burrows in late summer / early fall in Washington. Ghost shrimp are important food resources to the gray whales that migrate to Puget Sound in the summer.
Steve
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Steve,
As always, thanks for the info. Likely molts then as I didn’t know sandshrimp molted. 😉
SF
 
Kfish said:
Fished with @jasmillo this morning then moved on to a lake. Lots of little guys around with a few decent ones in the mix.
This lunker rod would pair nice with your lure Brian.
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Yeah, lots of little guys around today. Like this little….

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My best landed. Lost my biggest of the day trying to net it. Not a monster but a solid fish.

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Fished yesterday morning at a few popular beaches. Constant rain and a bit more wind than I was expecting kept others off the water. First was at a place with beer, food and former post office near a bridge. Nothing. Second was near a small top barista and Italian restaurant. Saw fish swirling up on shore. Tied on a gurgler type topwater fly and landed three, largest was about 10 inches. Many other blow ups that kept me entertained till low tide. Glad I did not go home after defeat with streamer fishing most popular seam. Glad I explored near small creek and houses where fairly consistent rises caught my attention. At first I thought it was bait fish, but then I saw bigger fish shadows below them. A few jumped out of water and appeared to be 7 to 9 inch cutthroat . All this action happened as close as 10 feet from me and in knee to chest deep water. I had to back up to make casts to the rises.
 

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Not a great pic, but arrived at a canal beach last weekend while it was dark. The clouds formed a nice opening for the moon.
SF

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Now that lingcod season is open, what flies do folks use to target them?
 
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