Point Brown

[SilverFly]

Every year my in laws set up a family vacation. I have little to do with it outside the initial group query on the location; Is it near water? ... "It's at the beach" ... then, YES!

This year, I was only told "Ocean Shores". Great, haven't been to that stretch of WA coast in decades, but no doubt a good spot to do some surf perchin'. Stupidly though, I didn't ask for specifics earlier, because the North Jetty at Grays Harbor will be within walking distance. Haven't checked regs yet, but looks to me like a place where I'd have a reasonable chance to get a ling, some rockfish, and maybe even a coho. On that note, nearby Damon Point looks like it might even be a better spot for coho.

Part of me likes the challenge of going in blind to a new spot, but being a family trip, with non-fishing family, I do try to dial things back a bit. So open to any local intel, suggestions, experience.

The sucky part will be watching the tuna fleet return to WP every afternoon.

 

[Evan B]

My extended family has a vacation home in ocean shores, but I never go, not being a particularly big fan of the area. That said, my cousins and I have caught loads of surf perch right here:

46°56'46.4"N 124°07'56.7"W

goo.gl

 

[Stonedfish]

If you get bored while fishing or while just walking around on the beach, Damon point is a really good place to find agates…..that is if you like cool rocks.
SF

 

[Shad]

If you get bored while fishing or while just walking around on the beach, Damon point is a really good place to find agates…..that is if you like cool rocks.
SF

And cool birds! (if you like that kind of thing).

 

[Shad]

You can definitely catch rockfish and the like off the Chehalis side of the north jetty. Off the ocean side, you might be able to get after the surf perch and whatever lies at the edge of the surf if it's mellow. I hear salmon are a thing seasonally, and if so, that should get going any time now. It can sometimes be sheltered from the predominant NW swells, which makes for a safer, more pleasant experience versus fishing the south jetty and dodging sneaker waves.

Nearby Copalis Beach is a cool place if you haven't been there. You can walk a trail from Griffiths-Pridday State Park all the way to the mouth of the Copalis River if you like, and I recommend it as an easy, but surprisingly long day hike. The mouth of the Copalis is a beautiful spot. I don't think it's open for salmon until September, but the ocean beaches there look very fishy, so you could probably find surf perch out there if you want to fish for something....

Have fun!

 

[Wetswinger]

At Damon, I've watched people catch crab with those weird wire traps you throw out on a casting rod. That beach area does look fishy ..

 

[SilverFly]

My extended family has a vacation home in ocean shores, but I never go, not being a particularly big fan of the area. That said, my cousins and I have caught loads of surf perch right here:

46°56'46.4"N 124°07'56.7"W

goo.gl

Doesn't look very "surfy" but I know redtails do come into the bays and protected areas. Might also be a good spot for striped perch? I need to figure out those hook spitting buggers on the fly (at least one that isn't tipped with a Gulp sandworm).

If you get bored while fishing or while just walking around on the beach, Damon point is a really good place to find agates…..that is if you like cool rocks.
SF

Yup!

And cool birds! (if you like that kind of thing).

I do!

You can definitely catch rockfish and the like off the Chehalis side of the north jetty. Off the ocean side, you might be able to get after the surf perch and whatever lies at the edge of the surf if it's mellow. I hear salmon are a thing seasonally, and if so, that should get going any time now. It can sometimes be sheltered from the predominant NW swells, which makes for a safer, more pleasant experience versus fishing the south jetty and dodging sneaker waves.

Nearby Copalis Beach is a cool place if you haven't been there. You can walk a trail from Griffiths-Pridday State Park all the way to the mouth of the Copalis River if you like, and I recommend it as an easy, but surprisingly long day hike. The mouth of the Copalis is a beautiful spot. I don't think it's open for salmon until September, but the ocean beaches there look very fishy, so you could probably find surf perch out there if you want to fish for something....

Have fun!

Thanks for the confirmation on rockfish. Today is my last day to prep so I'll tie up more jetty patterns.

Any idea on better sections of the jetty to try? The jetties I'm familiar with have definite productive areas, and not so productive. Seems like the deeper spots inside the bar are usually the best.

 

[Bagman]

Doesn't look very "surfy" but I know redtails do come into the bays and protected areas. Might also be a good spot for striped perch? I need to figure out those hook spitting buggers on the fly (at least one that isn't tipped with a Gulp sandworm).


Yup!

I do!

Thanks for the confirmation on rockfish. Today is my last day to prep so I'll tie up more jetty patterns.

Any idea on better sections of the jetty to try? The jetties I'm familiar with have definite productive areas, and not so productive. Seems like the deeper spots inside the bar are usually the best.

Good luck out there and watch yourself.

 

[Porter2]

Regarding Copalis river area I have been to Roosevelt Beach in July a couple of times and several were on that beach with conventional gear targeting surf perch.

 

[Jake Watrous]

Are you bringing any sort of paddle water craft?

If so, there are a couple of rivers on the Bay that have lights-out SRC fishing.

I’d definitely give Josh and Pete a call at Spawn.

 

[SilverFly]

Are you bringing any sort of paddle water craft?

If so, there are a couple of rivers on the Bay that have lights-out SRC fishing.

I’d definitely give Josh and Pete a call at Spawn.

Nope. Full bank maggot this trip. That sounds intriguing though.

 

[Jake Watrous]

Nope. Full bank maggot this trip. That sounds intriguing though.

Westport Jetty, don’t have to go far, throw a jetty worm with a type 3+, and you should have some good success. Only been skunked there once.

 

[Vandelay Industries]

West Port Jetty, don’t have to go far, throw a jetty worm with a type 3+, and you should have some good success. Only been skunked there once.

View attachment 78517

How far did you have to hike out to fish? Hoping to head out after the tuna trip.

 

[Jake Watrous]

How far did you have to hike out to fish? Hoping to head out after the tuna trip.

Not very far. Kind of depends on the tide, but not even 1/2 way, for sure. North side seems to do better than south side, but ymmv.

 

[Chucker]

I was at ocean shores last week, not fishing, but did get to watch some sea lions tearing up salmon just off the jetty. Would have been too surfy to fish it with a fly rod the day I was there.

 

[SilverFly]

Westport Jetty, don’t have to go far, throw a jetty worm with a type 3+, and you should have some good success. Only been skunked there once.

View attachment 78517

I should've tied up a few but stoked to be in a location and time when coho are a real possibility. Wonder if those would work for striped seaperch. They are suckers for pile worms (or Berkely Gulp sandworms). Think I had a couple fly taps a few years ago when I caught a nice stringer when dirt bagging. I suspect they are Olympic class hook spitters. That'll be a fly engineering project for another trip.

I was at ocean shores last week, not fishing, but did get to watch some sea lions tearing up salmon just off the jetty. Would have been too surfy to fish it with a fly rod the day I was there.

Didn't need to read that . Bringing a spin rod to cover the bases. Fresh coho on the grill would go over well back at the rental.

 

[NukeLDO]

Westport Jetty, don’t have to go far, throw a jetty worm with a type 3+, and you should have some good success. Only been skunked there once.

View attachment 78517

Ok..you gotta tell me about the resin tabletop. Total Boat resin with latex and a heat gun?

 

[Jake Watrous]

Ok..you gotta tell me about the resin tabletop. Total Boat resin with latex and a heat gun?

Lol. It’s the board I made for my norvise. I don’t have the skills to make a nice table.

Multiple colors of blue epoxy, clear and white epoxy. Pour it in stripes parallel to the “shore”, then blow the white and clear epoxy with a heat gun to make the waves and foam.



^ This is version 2.0.

1.0 (below) was too small and didn’t look quite how I'd wanted it.



EDIT: I appreciate the folks who have already reached out to me about making them vice boards, but as I let them know going into the school year I won’t have the opportunity to make them for you, even if I was confident enough of my abilities to accept money. It's a nice compliment, though.

 

[SilverFly]

Got down here late afternoon. First thing I saw was a bird pile just off the end of the Jetty. Trying not to get too excited.

 

[Wadin' Boot]

You can definitely catch rockfish and the like off the Chehalis side of the north jetty. Off the ocean side, you might be able to get after the surf perch and whatever lies at the edge of the surf if it's mellow. I hear salmon are a thing seasonally, and if so, that should get going any time now. It can sometimes be sheltered from the predominant NW swells, which makes for a safer, more pleasant experience versus fishing the south jetty and dodging sneaker waves.

Nearby Copalis Beach is a cool place if you haven't been there. You can walk a trail from Griffiths-Pridday State Park all the way to the mouth of the Copalis River if you like, and I recommend it as an easy, but surprisingly long day hike. The mouth of the Copalis is a beautiful spot. I don't think it's open for salmon until September, but the ocean beaches there look very fishy, so you could probably find surf perch out there if you want to fish for something....

Have fun!

Plus upriver is the Copalis Ghost Forest, subducted in a 1700 earthquake to sea level, it killed a forest, some of it still standing....