Puget Sound

January so far seems to be the hardest month for south sounders. I’ve not caught a cutt in a couple outings and rezzies are very slowly coming into the mix. Had one decent resident chase to my feet the other day then bailed last minute.

Someone update this so I can revel in your success.
 
Divad said:
January so far seems to be the hardest month for south sounders. I’ve not caught a cutt in a couple outings and rezzies are very slowly coming into the mix. Had one decent resident chase to my feet the other day then bailed last minute.

Someone update this so I can revel in your success.
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Been skunked 4 times this month already with fish showing themselves everywhere. I had three strikes yesterday morning but they have been so soft I haven’t been able to get a solid strip set. You aren’t alone.
 
Winter doldrums for cutts.
Starts happening every year about this time.
Possible skunking on the afternoon tide to be reported later. 😂
SF
 
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1 for 2 in MA 12, 1 for 3 in MA 13. Not much action over five hours.
Only saw two sippers. Nice day otherwise.
SF

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Hey everyone! I found this thread a couple weeks ago and really appreciate following along. I fish around the Gig Harbor area a few times a week (typically in the afternoons). I concur that the past couple weeks have been brutal. It is always a tough realization that winter fishing has truly set in for SRC's. I have been alternating between white/hot pink Delia squids and slow stripped euphausiids. Any tips on more productive flies this time of year?
 
When fishing is slow, like now, time to tie some flies. In a couple of weeks time to get back it with all those newly tied flies...
 
WolverineSRC said:
Hey everyone! I found this thread a couple weeks ago and really appreciate following along. I fish around the Gig Harbor area a few times a week (typically in the afternoons). I concur that the past couple weeks have been brutal. It is always a tough realization that winter fishing has truly set in for SRC's. I have been alternating between white/hot pink Delia squids and slow stripped euphausiids. Any tips on more productive flies this time of year?
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When it's slows down I turn to my "all-star" patterns. That would be this Squimp and Polychate worm. The worm is just a Bugger tied with up with short brown hackle and no collar. Here's a picture of an old beat one.. The marabou is about gone but you get the idea.. Both are fished deliberately slower, with a pause between strips..both are also effective for Ressie Coho..
 

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Tried 2 Area 13 beaches yesterday on a strong outgoing tide, and we only saw one jumper at each beach. One weak hit on a gurgler, and that was it. Saw baitfish moving at the first beach, but no slashers or jumpers visible among them. Pretty nice day, but that water makes for cold hands in a hurry right now.

Time to start looking forward to lake season?
 
Divad said:
January so far seems to be the hardest month for south sounders. I’ve not caught a cutt in a couple outings and rezzies are very slowly coming into the mix. Had one decent resident chase to my feet the other day then bailed last minute.

Someone update this so I can revel in your success.
Click to expand...
jeradjames said:
Been skunked 4 times this month already with fish showing themselves everywhere. I had three strikes yesterday morning but they have been so soft I haven’t been able to get a solid strip set. You aren’t alone.
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Same here. Last two trips produced nada down south at a few beaches in MA 13 and MA 11. A few soft strikes to make it not totally suck. But man!

To add to that, I'm near MA 9 and one of my local beaches has a very stubborn group of SRCs, possibly rezzies but am sure they are searuns. They've been hanging out in the same spot for a few weeks but are just not reacting to anything I'm throwing at them. I'm ready to give up but the beach is too close not to try my luck again.

Are the searuns just checked out right for the time being?

@Stonedfish, man I hate you right now! Hahaha Nice looking fish. Thanks for bringing some life to the thread.

Cheers.
 
Semper_Fly said:
Same here. Last two trips produced nada down south at a few beaches in MA 13 and MA 11. A few soft strikes to make it not totally suck. But man!

To add to that, I'm near MA 9 and one of my local beaches has a very stubborn group of SRCs, possibly rezzies but am sure they are searuns. They've been hanging out in the same spot for a few weeks but are just not reacting to anything I'm throwing at them. I'm ready to give up but the beach is too close not to try my luck again.

Are the searuns just checked out right for the time being?

@Stonedfish, man I hate you right now! Hahaha Nice looking fish. Thanks for bringing some life to the thread.

Cheers.
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😂
I just got lucky. Lots of casting but not much catching. As you mentioned, the bites I got were pretty subtle rather than hard aggressive takes.
It’s just that time of year where you kind of have to grind it out. February at times can be downright brutal. You can still catch fish, but it isn’t going to be easy like it was in fall.
Someone asked about flies and got some good suggestions. @Wetswinger mentioned polychaete worms.
I recall fishing a worm pattern on one super cold day on the canal. There was ice in the bay I was fishing. I cast the worm out and it landed on the ice. As soon as I pulled it off the edge of the ice and into the water, a fish was on it. Pics of what it looked like that day.
One other pattern that had worked well for me more so in December but during colder months has been a sculpin pattern fish slow and near the bottom. Cast it out, let it rest then three strips like it is fleeing then let it settle again. Vary the speed of the strips until you find what they like.
The small game of amphipods and euphausiids will work as well if you find sippers.
Things will pick up once the chum fry start showing up in March plus you’ll also have pink fry this spring.
SF

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Stonedfish said:
😂
I just got lucky. Lots of casting but not much catching. As you mentioned, the bites I got were pretty subtle rather than hard aggressive takes.
It’s just that time of year where you kind of have to grind it out. February at times can be downright brutal. You can still catch fish, but it isn’t going to be easy like it was in fall.
Someone asked about flies and got some good suggestions. @Wetswinger mentioned polychaete worms.
I recall fishing a worm pattern on one super cold day on the canal. There was ice in the bay I was fishing. I cast the worm out and it landed on the ice. As soon as I pulled it off the edge of the ice and into the water, a fish was on it.
One other pattern that had worked well for me more so in December but during colder months has been a sculpin pattern fish slow and near the bottom. Cast it out, let it rest then three strips like it is fleeing then let it settle again. Vary the speed of the strips until you find what they like.
The small game of amphipods and euphausiids will work as well if you find sippers.
Things will pick up once the chum fry start showing up in March plus you’ll also have pink fry this spring.
SF

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Hard-core! That is a chunk of a fish.

I shifted my focus back to rivers in December, it's been fun but I'm itching for some beach sessions, need to fit those in over winter.
 
Late post, but last Monday in MA13 from the boat a buddy and I had a solid day. Was checking in on the usual haunts, some spots had fish, some didn't, but enough action to keep us entertained for the afternoon. I posted this first fish in the First Fish of 2024 thread, but this other fish was longer in length but may have been one of the skinniest cutts I've ever landed. Pink sea run bugger was the hot fly, but also caught fish on baitfish patterns and Delia's squid. My buddy did well on a small pink and chartreuse clouser.

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IHFISH said:
Haven't fished the salt in 2024 yet but the few SRC and rezzies I found in Dec. all took pink/tan/peachy foam-backed or bucktail shrimp patterns stripped slowly on an intermediate line.
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No salt outings yet for me in 2024 either but I have found slow and steady to be the retrieve of choice in January and February as well. One thing that works often for me when fish are around but being picky, is a slow retrieved (basically bumping bottom) olive bugger. I assume it is taken as a worm though I do tie my buggers with big schlappen collar so maybe a sculpin 🤷‍♂️.
 
January can be tough, but I have found some success this year and in past Januaries on the HC a couple of hours after the highest high of the day throwing patterns that could be taken for polychaetes. It didn’t/doesn’t seem to be any specific pattern, but rather that profile/movement that led to good action. They seemed uninterested in the tiny scuds and the krill patterns I threw (half-hearted grabs), and straight up ignored my favorite sculpin (fish on before and after using it).

It's my inexpert understanding, and if the bios on here know better or can clarify or correct me that'd be great, that polychaetes are fairly prominent in winter and I have heard they hold big breeding orgies during the full moon like we have at the end of the month.

Edit: Looking at the tide chart, it looks like the full moon coincides with some nicely-timed morning highs.
 
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