Puget Sound

[jasmillo]

1-5 for me today. Fished from around 5-12. First beach was slow for me but I did hook and lose two heavy fish. One felt like I set into a Buick and left a wake like that of a seal for about twenty feet after he shook off. I wanted more from the second beach I was fishing considering the tides but oh well. I fished alongside another fly guy and contributor here most of the time who had a much better day at both beaches. The one fish landed…



@Stonedfish, you need to walk around the rig of someone you want to fuck with to pass along lostfishitus. All kidding aside, I lost so many fish last year I completely switched up my stinger hook setup and the hooks I use. It was sooooo frustrating. Not sure it really matters in the end but it was so bad I had to do something just for confidence sake. Today notwithstanding, I have been happy with the results.

 

[IHFISH]

A 1.5" sand shrimp was the only recognizable food item in the belly of the fish I cleaned today. 0-2 at the first beach and 2-3 at the second, with a 5-6 lb unclipped fish the first one I was able to bring to hand. Fun fishing at beach 2, lots of bait around that would spray whenever a bird flew over or a cast landed. When the bait would spray without birds or a clouser splashdown, it was time to get your fly in the water and strip fast. At least some of the fish seem to have sized up a little bit from the 3-lb cookie cutters.

 

[Nick Clayton]

Overslept but managed a short session at a little road end beach close to home, 1/2 with the landed fish having an adipose and similar size as last week's. With outgoing up to slack beach had a decent seam and corresponding slight eddy. The amount of life in the water at this spot was impressive, starfish everywhere, various crab, sculpins etc. What appeared to me as 3 different types of baitfish pods: small 1" fish dimpling surface, medium 2-3" very thin snakey fish and the big momas at maybe 3-4" with black barring on sides and kinda plump, when these larger fish would break the surface enmasse it made a crackling sound like pouring milk over rice crispies which was cool. Based on the Pic @jasmillo posted a few pages back I thought maybe perch, does that jive? Thanks

The snaky baitfish you saw sound like sandlance.

The "big mamas" were likely shiner perch

And I'm not entirely sure with the 1" ones. I've seen schools of what appeared to be some sort of salmon fry the last few weeks, but I haven't been able to fully identify them.

Yesterday we saw herring all over area 9. From individuals skittering along the surface, to large frothing balls of them, they were everywhere. Sometimes there were fish on them, many times not. We also spent time in an area where we were casting onto a giant mixed school of shiner perch and herring. It was right next to the boat at several points and it was kinda neat to watch. The herring were just under the surface and for the most part the perch were hanging below, but they were definitely mixed together and basically all moving together down the beach. It was pretty neat.

 

[Nick Clayton]

There was a custom pontoon boat that caused a big stir in Westport a handful of weeks back by crossing the bar and making it out to fish salmon in the ocean

 

[SKYKO]

The snaky baitfish you saw sound like sandlance.

The "big mamas" were likely shiner perch

And I'm not entirely sure with the 1" ones. I've seen schools of what appeared to be some sort of salmon fry the last few weeks, but I haven't been able to fully identify them.

Yesterday we saw herring all over area 9. From individuals skittering along the surface, to large frothing balls of them, they were everywhere. Sometimes there were fish on them, many times not. We also spent time in an area where we were casting onto a giant mixed school of shiner perch and herring. It was right next to the boat at several points and it was kinda neat to watch. The herring were just under the surface and for the most part the perch were hanging below, but they were definitely mixed together and basically all moving together down the beach. It was pretty neat.

Thanks for the help with the ID, after seeing the Pic SF posted it makes sense on the sandlance. The little guys were really little, in pods and when I would see them they were right at the surface. All this stuff is really cool to see, a bonus when a fish or two are hooked. I'll be having another go at the same spot tomorrow morning, curious to see if they all show up again with similar tides and currents.

 

[johnnyboy]

Went for a walk (and made a few casts) at low tide today at several different beaches. Always amazed at the different types of marine life you can find close to home.

I also need help with identifying this cluster of eggs I found on a piece of kelp (on the first picture). My first thought was herring eggs, but I'm no marine biologist

Edit: After researching on the web, I think these eggs are tube-snout (Aulorhynchus flavidus) eggs

 

[Stonedfish]

Herring will make that snap, crackle, pop noise also.
Here is a great picture of sandlance by member @DimeBrite from a few years ago. It does a good job of illustrating the different sizes and the cool colors of them.
SF

 

[Wiznet]

Is MA 9 open for fishing on non Thursday-Saturday days now due to the king closure? Not sure if I’m reading the regs right.

 

[Brian Miller]

Is MA 9 open for fishing on non Thursday-Saturday days now due to the king closure? Not sure if I’m reading the regs right.

From Fish WA app

It looks confusing

 

[Brian Miller]

This should be the current rules

 

[Wiznet]

This should be the current rules
View attachment 75345

Right, it’s pretty confusing. Open only Thursday to Saturday but rules apply outside of those days?

 

[Northern]

Right, it’s pretty confusing. Open only Thursday to Saturday but rules apply outside of those days?

No, the emergency rule essentially extended the August rules back into the last few days of July. So, open every day, but release chinook, chum, and wild coho

 

[Wiznet]

No, the emergency rule essentially extended the August rules back into the last few days of July. So, open every day, but release chinook, chum, and wild coho
View attachment 75347

Awesome thanks! The app doesn’t have the language “open daily” so I was pretty confused!

 

[Stonedfish]

The WDFW app is garbage.
SF

 

[Jake Watrous]

The WDFW app is garbage.
SF

Nah, garbage is pretty reliable and you don’t need an internet connection.

 

[VMP]

Another slow day, at least comparing to previous weeks (shifting baselines!). I went stupid early to set crab pots and then look for bait/surface action to cast flies at while waiting for my kid, kid friend and dad to wake up and come pick them up for some kid friendly fishing before picking crab pots. Just could not find the bait, except very deep while setting crabpots, looked at 3 different spots, nice cloud cover, nada. Right before slack I found a weed line in the middle of nowhere, no signs of bait or surface action but at least it was something. A hatchery, ocean coho just shy of 5 lbs picked an oversized "dazed and conefused" fly at the start of the retrieve, charged the boat as I furiously stripe line to catch up and the fish just stood there, confused next to the boat and refusing to fight! Weird fight, but it came home nonetheless. No other action before picking the crew, right after that and with the bright sun starting to burn the cloud cover, we trolled and picked a second coho. Then time for the "always a hit" session of flatfishes on ultralight gear for the kids, mini aquarium on the boat for a bit and then all released. Then crab pot pick up (enough for a 2 family dinner). The checker said it was very slow and the creel reports for area 10 show less than 30 coho and 15 kings for more than 100 anglers...where did the bait and fish go? Good day overall, kids had a blast, just missing the surface action we had seen lately.






View attachment 75270
@Stonedfish , I am pretty sure that's the "Wharfing (Barfing?...spelling?) Annie"), it has been fishing central Puget Sound for salmon for the last several years (at least since COVID times), interesting boat for the salt for sure!

 

[Matt B]

Nice! Love that fly pattern as well.

My go to beach rod for years was a 10’ 7wt IMX. It was for sure a launcher with an 8wt line.

Andy

You might get a kick out of the reel I am running on it right now. And to continue the “vintage” theme, I am throwing a 300 grain Streamer Express which flies out the guides, provided the running line has been stretched and reasonably stacked/coiled from the prior cast. That running line does occasionally tangle but otherwise I really like how that line fishes.


Dang that fish cut and ate so well! My wife asked several times, “Why is this salmon so good?”

 

[GOTY]

I think I saw you again today. If one of you was rocking some bright ass orange bibs .

Surprised you noticed my attire, I thought the bright orange bibs and matching bright orange backpack were quite stealthy against the cloudy backdrop. Back to the drawing board I guess, might have to clip some of those metallic streamers they use as bird deterrents to my cap.

The flounder below the boat I was sight fishing to with a 5" clouser didn't get spooked by the bibs. A well executed figure 8 at the surface brought those pancakes up to the surface for some vicious grabs. @clarkman would have been proud.

 

[jasmillo]

Surprised you noticed my attire, I thought the bright orange bibs and matching bright orange backpack were quite stealthy against the cloudy backdrop. Back to the drawing board I guess, might have to clip some of those metallic streamers they use as bird deterrents to my cap.

The flounder below the boat I was sight fishing to with a 5" clouser didn't get spooked by the bibs. A well executed figure 8 at the surface brought those pancakes up to the surface for some vicious grabs. @clarkman would have been proud.

View attachment 75423

Your not going to remain GOATY for long if we can all spot you on the water from 8 miles away. I blame your attire for the beach going from 3 guys Saturday to 11 Sunday. Some suggestions next time from other high visibility celebrities.

Benedict Cumberbatch



Leonardo DiCaprio.

 

[Wiznet]

Fished an east side MA9 beach. Started at 6am on an outgoing tide. Saw some bait jumping around but nothing to hand. Although, I did catch the biggest sculpin of my life! If Paul is around here on the forums, it was great chatting with you again!