Tillamook hints please?!

[flycast]

Hi,

Just joined here, and this is my first post so i hope i get it right.

I want to take a trip down to Tillamook and fish there with my 6 yr old son. He has only been fishing one time before in Mexico, and we caught a lot of bonita slow trolling. I have a small boat and downriggers, as well as fly and surf gear. I am not presonally all that particular about what I catch, but I would love to see him have a great trip. We will be down the 2nd weekend in September. What am i best hunting for, and what would be the best terminal rigs to use? Any help appreciated.

Dan

PS. Where is the best place to camp on the bay?
images/icons/cool.gif

[ 08-15-2001: Message edited by: flycast ]

[Hotrods]

camp at barview jetty camp ground

[flycast]

in response to the boat question, I will have an 11' whaler. it is set up to run downriggers (believe it or not) if i want.

overall, i really just hope to get some volume of fish more than anything for Bryce. If that means we catch a bunch of surf perch, that is just fine. If I were doing thsi for me alone, I would hunt the bottom fishing opportunities... dan

[Pete]

One option you might consider, for volume of catch and kid pleasure, is crabbing. The bay always has lots and you should find keeper sizes and hard shelled critters in the mix.

[FishinMission]

I dunno...that's a pretty small boat. I suppose it would be o.k. in calm water, only problem is it can go from calm to stormy pretty quick. Personally...I think if you wanna go out on the water, you ought to look into renting a bigger boat, or fishing off the jetty. Be safe, and have fun..Mark

[FishinMission]

Hi Flycast...welcome aboard. Tillamook, huh?? You said your boat was "small"...how "small" is it?? There's lots of fishing opportunities in the Tillamook area. There might be a few salmon hanging around inside the bay, or perhaps you'd like to try jetty fishing for other varieties. You can crab off the docks in Garibaldi too. Stop in at one of the local sporting goods retailers there, and they'll tell you what's available, how to fish, and where to find 'em.

[Jennie@ifish]

And.... Just keep reading here, cuz it will start heating up around here about then.
Used to be the salmon would be in the 1st of Sept, but now the action starts a little later.
Jen

[flycast]

in response to the size of boat issue, i use a small whaler because they won;t sink, even in an emergency. I also have a 25 horse on there to get me somewhere quick if needed. and it the weather shoud be lousy, i would definitely do the jetty route -- a fool i am not. i have had this boat in the puget sound, lake washington in seattle, and priest lake in idaho. i feel pretty confident it it's ability to stay afoat, and in my ability to cut and run if the conditions go south fast. that is one of the reasons i want to do the bay, instead of heading intoo the ocean. were that the case i would take a much larger vessel.

dan images/icons/rolleyes.gif

[Bait O' Eggs]

Not to put down your boat, but at 11 ft. I think a lake in the area might be better suited. You dont seem hung up on species, so a couple options might be

Lake Lytle (near rockaway) trout, bass
Cape Meares Lake (near cape meares images/icons/rolleyes.gif ) trout, bass
Lake Tahoe (up south fork of the trask river) trout
Spring lake (I have nver fished it, I assume it has fish, it is near rockaway also)

Or you could fish off the jetties near barview.

And if you can figure out how to fish skookum lake I want to go with you. I have watched the fish jump in this lake with binoculars for years and nobody but a few outlaws sneak in to fish it. It would be a long walk images/icons/rolleyes.gif into the lake and back up the hill to the nearest public road. (it is the Tillamook watershed that is closed to access) The lake has to have tons of big fish in it.

[flycast]

okay, so i don;t get it. am i missing something about this bay i should know? something that makes it not that friendly for a smaller boat? from pictures i have seen of it, it does not look all that intimidating, and my boat drws about a foot, so i can travel most places the water may be shallow. so what am i missing here?

dan

[Nanook]

As stated above, seaworthy Boston Whalers
are much bigger than 11 feet. Stay inside
and be careful.

[Firedog]

Flycast, as long as you stay inside you should be fine this time of year. T-bay can get very rough inside in the fall when the storms are rolling through. I have seen some pretty decnet swells inside in bad weather but they are rare. It is a big bay and the wind can get to blowing across it. You should have no problem as long as you are careful on the inside.

[flycast]

okay, now i get it. i should have explained i WANT to stay inside it the whole time. which again goes back to my 1st ?? which was, what will i have the best lock hunting (inside the bay) in volume? and what is the suggested terminal tackle set-up? if not, i try the jetties...

I am really just traveling to Tillamook to "see it" but want to fish as well. That is why i am not heading for some other lake area...

dan

[Thumper]

If it's a nice day and a minor tide you are OK in the bay, probably out about to buoy 6 (as I recall). Heck, they rent rowboats for that area. Downriggers.....at Tillamook Bay.....ugly thought.

[flycast]

yeah, but i am STILL looking for some catching guidance here... images/icons/confused.gif

dan

[Grits]

I would second the Petes nomination and go crabbing. My son takes a day of crabbing over fishing anytime. You might also check with Tillamook Bait shop advertised on this site. They were reporting good surf fishing a week ago but I don't know how long they expect it to last.

[Firedog]

The tech of choice in the lower bay is trolling plug cut herring just off the bottom. 30#-40# leaders with 6/0-5/0 hooks. I use about a 5'-6' leader with a bead chain in the middle to help with weeds. Use at least 25# mainline. Hope this get you a bit of the info you were looking for. Also can try different scents with your herring, inject them with herring oil, sardine oil or one of your other favorites secrets. Good luck and be careful in that small boat.

[Bait O' Eggs]

flycast
If you are looking for numbers of fish, I would target the greenlings/sea trout. I would take a trout type pole and about 6 or 8 pound line. Rig it up with a 1/2 ounce egg sinker above a swivel, with an 18 inch leader to a number 4 +/- hook. Use sandshrimp for bait.

Fishing from the 11 foot boat, images/icons/rolleyes.gif I would fish along the south jetty, inside of the corner. The south jetty run out into the ocean parallel to the north jetty. The south jetty makes a 90 degree corner and turns south. Stay well inside the corner. At the corner it is about 50 to 60 feet deep. I would stay back where it is like 30 feet deep (about half way to the end of the rocks) Put the bait right on the bottom.

If the jetty doesnt produce, I would move across the channel and fish along the rocks (very small islands) in front of Lysters tackle on HWY 101. You will see a big rock with a tree growing out of it near hwy 101. I have done well there for perch, and you will see a rock that looks kind of like a small mattahorn just north of it. I believe it is called the painted rock. At least that is what I call it. It is painted in bird sh.. uh... um.... droppings. The rock is very white in bird paint and lots of birds will be sitting on it. I like to fish around the rock, predominatly on the west side.

Good luck and even though that 11 foot whaler may still float upside down, doesnt mean you will. I hate to send you towards the bar from the boat launch, but that is where you will most likely find the best fishing.

I have seen Tillamook bay flat like glass, and very rough where I almost sank my 18 foot sled. Use a lot of common sense when on this body of water.

Wear a life jacket.

[ 08-17-2001: Message edited by: Bait O' Eggs ]

[flycast]

Thanks much to the last two of you! I will arrive as well prepared as i can. If all goes well, I may even two a 17' whaler based upon what everyone is saying here. but coming from seattle, it is just so much easier to haul the 11 footer.

For any of those who may wonder as to my sanity or boating experience, i have years of both behind me. I have also rode the puget sound in a 25'r in 8 foot swells, so i know bigger wave stuff. I ALWAYS wear a lifejacket, unless it is blistering hot out AND i have a few other adults along. And my kid knows how to operate the 11' as well.

Once again, I REALLY appreciate EVERYTHING i have read here. This is a great board. I plan to lurk around a lot in the future, and will still take more suggestions along the way!

dan images/icons/wink.gif