Puget Sound

[Greg Armstrong]

Wife and I drove in a big loop around Puget Sound & HC today. Checked out a few beaches, some known to me and some not. I fished a couple of them for a short time while she read and took walks. Went 0 for two on the Cutthroats in the short time I fished, the darn hook shook loose when they thrashed around at the surface. But I didn’t get totally skunked. I had to release this Sculpin (does anyone else call then “bullheads?) as I’d foul hooked him. Look hard and you might see him…

 

[Wanative]

Wife and I drove in a big loop around Puget Sound & HC today. Checked out a few beaches, some known to me and some not. I fished a couple of them for a short time while she read and took walks. Went 0 for two on the Cutthroats in the short time I fished, the darn hook shook loose when they thrashed around at the surface. But I didn’t get totally skunked. I had to release this Sculpin (does anyone else call then “bullheads?) as I’d foul hooked him. Look hard and you might see him…


View attachment 15201

Always were called bulheads in my family.

 

[Zak]

Bullheads were small black catfish in my neck of the woods.

Edit: sometimes also called bullpout.

 

[ThatGuyRyRy]

Anybody else get out for these tasty critters yesterday?

 

[IHFISH]

Anybody else get out for these tasty critters yesterday?

Sure did. Lucky to have a good friend with a boat who likes to get after them. Best tasting item you can harvest from the Sound in my opinion. Couldn't get a good picture but that dot by the ferry wake in the second picture is a shrimp pot that was dropped or drifted a little too close - wonder if it survived.

 

[Stonedfish]

What a difference a day makes.
Yesterday I was getting served up a big slice of skunk pie until the last half hour. I managed to land two cutts, one pushing 18”.
No pics from yesterday as I was taking on white caps into my stripping basket while dealing with the fish.

Stayed local today as I had stuff to do around the house this afternoon. Really good day for MA 10 considering the water was a bit dirty and had a lot of garbage in it from yesterday’s blow.
Started at 5:00 and had fish immediately showing themselves chasing fry. That continued on until around 10:00 when the tide petered out. I call it a day at 10:30 after a half hour of nothing.
Really fun to see the fish going crazy after the fry. Sometimes 3-4 fish were crashing them at the same time. Fry were flying out of the water with some tail walking with a cutt in hot pursuit. There were some big jumbos really getting after it out over the eel grass, but unfortunately I can’t cast 200’.
Lots of fish hand with nothing very large but a fun day with five hours of pretty much non stop action.
I never changed flies all day and used a solid white clouser with Palmer chenille belly and herring Krystal flash over wing.
Puget Sound continues to suck!
A few pics from today.
SF

 

[Wanative]

What a difference a day makes.
Yesterday I was getting served up a big slice of skunk pie until the last half hour. I managed to land two cutts, one pushing 18”.
No pics from yesterday as I was taking on white caps into my stripping basket while dealing with the fish.

Stayed local today as I had stuff to do around the house this afternoon. Really good day for MA 10 considering the water was a bit dirty and had a lot of garbage in it from yesterday’s blow.
Started at 5:00 and had fish immediately showing themselves chasing fry. That continued on until around 10:00 when the tide petered out. I call it a day at 10:30 after a half hour of nothing.
Really fun to see the fish going crazy after the fry. Sometimes 3-4 fish were crashing them at the same time. Fry were flying out of the water with some tail walking with a cutt in hot pursuit. There were some big jumbos really getting after it out over the eel grass, but unfortunately I can’t cast 200’.
Lots of fish hand with nothing very large but a fun day with five hours of pretty much non stop action.
I never changed flies all day and used a solid white clouser with Palmer chenille belly and herring Krystal flash over wing.
Puget Sound continues to suck!
A few pics from today.
SF

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You da man bro'

 

[Divad]

What a difference a day makes.
Yesterday I was getting served up a big slice of skunk pie until the last half hour. I managed to land two cutts, one pushing 18”.
No pics from yesterday as I was taking on white caps into my stripping basket while dealing with the fish.

Stayed local today as I had stuff to do around the house this afternoon. Really good day for MA 10 considering the water was a bit dirty and had a lot of garbage in it from yesterday’s blow.
Started at 5:00 and had fish immediately showing themselves chasing fry. That continued on until around 10:00 when the tide petered out. I call it a day at 10:30 after a half hour of nothing.
Really fun to see the fish going crazy after the fry. Sometimes 3-4 fish were crashing them at the same time. Fry were flying out of the water with some tail walking with a cutt in hot pursuit. There were some big jumbos really getting after it out over the eel grass, but unfortunately I can’t cast 200’.
Lots of fish hand with nothing very large but a fun day with five hours of pretty much non stop action.
I never changed flies all day and used a solid white clouser with Palmer chenille belly and herring Krystal flash over wing.
Puget Sound continues to suck!
A few pics from today.
SF

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Ooolala the repetition to hand is awesome, nice! Also been fishing a fly incredibly similar. Low K fish (seems to be normal up there?) but hey quantity over skunk any day.

At least MA10 has sea-glass! It is all sea-mud down here in the deep.

 

[Stonedfish]

Hi MA 10 again this morning on a different beach.
Much slower then yesterday. Only a few fry around. A few fish to hand. Same size as yesterday.
Walked almost three miles up and down the beach trying to find fish. Fair number of walkers, rock throwers and swimming dogs at the end of the day. Glad I left when I did.
Same fly as yesterday. Only pic I took today.
SF

 

[Wadin' Boot]

Wanted to fish the ebb and turn but things were slow and the water became progressively dirtier. The wind picked up right when I anchored up into a race where fry were being chased. Paddled back to the beach and worked hard for one fish. Decent size, 16 inches, not slim, but the grab was 8 feet from me and it was a methodical catch and release.

 

[Stonedfish]

I knew I was forgetting something this morning.
SF

 

[Bagman]

I know how it feels.

 

[Greg Armstrong]

I know how it feels.

X2

 

[jasmillo]

My right middle finger has a permanent callous from stripping line. After a few hours of fishing the Sound, it usually soften ups and starts bleeding. I should wear tape or the cloth guards I bought last year but it gives me something to feel good about on my otherwise softee keyboard commando hands .

 

[Sam Roffe]

Last night I did hit MA 11, and a hot minute in MA 10. I liked the tide last night, just enough wind to make a some ripples, and provide some nice drift along the beach. I tossed my normal stuff. Some grabs but no players last night. Encouraged to see baitfish around one of my haunts that isn't easily accessible. I need to tie up some of my Dad's legendary "pink ugly's"

 

[Divad]

Yesterday was suppose be a good time from 2-4 so I left work early to cast right as it rose from slack.

Absolute muddy as$ water, the frig is that! No big rain in that tide event and on other low tides it’s been crystal clear.

Caught one dink. I must say the deep MA13 can be very frustrating compared to mid or upper 13.

 

[Stonedfish]

Yesterday was suppose be a good time from 2-4 so I left work early to cast right as it rose from slack.

Absolute muddy as$ water, the frig is that! No big rain in that tide event and on other low tides it’s been crystal clear.

Caught one dink. I must say the deep MA13 can be very frustrating compared to mid or upper 13.

As @nailbender used to say to me about fishing in the mud....."time to break out the snowshoes".
SF

 

[Sam Roffe]

MA11 didn’t have much love last night…. Water was clear and a couple takers. Most were playing by their own rules, short takes and one jump.

 

[Kfish]

Muggy rainy beach walk with the family, kids found some agate.

 

[Stonedfish]

Slow day today. Lost one nice fish and four others to hand. Nothing over 12-13” or picture worthy.
Much nicer then forecast, which didn’t help.
Flat water with little wind.
Water seemed warm to me. A few fry around.
Added to my beach ball collection.
Stop by a popular spot on the way home. One person fishing and a sea lion working the trench. Traffic was a bitch getting home.
I think this will be my last trip south until fall.
While I like spring cutthroat fishing I just enjoy fishing for them more in the fall when they are in their prime after feeding all summer and prior to spawning.
Fishing in the rain was terrifying.
A few random pics from today.
SF