How do I catch a fish up here?

TXtroutkiller · 04-12-2007, 08:15 AM

Hey guys and gals,

Just moved to the northwest from the south coast. I am a little out of my element and I wanna go get some fishing in. I am gonna lose it if I dont get some hunting/fishing in soon.

Anyone recommend a good charter as I would love to go catch some of these halibut I keep hearing about. Hell maybe even some salmon.

I live in Seattle. Anyone got any recommendations on how maybe I could just drive to the beach somewhere or a jetty and throw a line in and catch some fish? All I have is my speck rig (open faced reel with a light action 7' American Rod) but I could go buy a better rig for fishing up here, if I new what that rig was.

fyshndad · 04-12-2007, 08:34 AM

Troutkiller
There are several salty dogs in your area
i am sure some of them will chime in here

I see this is your 1st post
We have a custom here at ifish that newbies tell a fishy story so we can get to know you a bit better

Welcome to ifish

I look forward to your story

HiTekRdNek · 04-12-2007, 08:40 AM

Welcome to Ifish. you have made the biggest step in catching a fish by finding this site. Just do a search of topics and you will find the answer you seek.
Usally a new person will tell us a fish story.As a introduction.
Halibut fishing
Salmon (whatever that is)

Tuna
Steelhead
Charters
It's all here.

Chrome Bumper · 04-12-2007, 08:58 AM

You can wade out in the surf a bit and catch surf perch. I think there are some piers you can fish from around Seattle. They taste great. Maybe see which areas around you have been stocked with planter trout.
Westport is a fairly near saltwater port for salmon, bottom fish and live bait TUNA!

Charters and guides ussually provide gear.

Hook into a steelhead on a local stream with a light rig and you will be hooked.

Fred Meyers and Wally World have some decent cheap combos on the rack.

retiredgal · 04-12-2007, 08:59 AM

"Just moved to the northwest from the south coast."

Welcome to i fish and the great Northwest. No better place to be for outdoors recreation IMHO?

Care to share a story for all to read?
You'll find the members here very helpful and friendly.

Just ask what you want to know? They'll bury you in good information.

TXtroutkiller · 04-12-2007, 09:31 AM

hmmmmmmmm a fishy story.

not sure what kinds of stories are appropriate here.

anyone here done any fishin with a telephone crank? haha probably not. but that would be more freshwater appropriate. I just graduated college with some pretty questionable fishing and hunting buddies so Ill try not to get myself in trouble here.

Well most of my experience is fishing for flounder, specks, and redfish. A few offshore trips where I was able to get into some snapper, kingfish, and dolphin. But not much of that. If I would have know someone with an offshore rig there would have been plenty more of that.

Went wade fishing not too long ago (the redfish were tailing) but we really got into some specks and had nice stringers going. All of a sudden some huge mullet start charging at us. Swimming and grazing our legs. Pretty unusual for mullet to be aggressive. I look over and see the old man walking on water. And when you see someone else running for their life you try and keep up and ask questions later. Turns out we were standing in the middle of little blacktip sharks. I guess a couple of em got after my dad's stringer and made a commotion and he pulled his stringer in to see what was wrong with his fish. When he saw only parts of his fish left on that stringer thats when he bolted. Luckily none accidently got a piece of our legs. So there we are, standing on a little sandbar island in swimming trunks and our boat a couple hundred yards out in the water. After dumping our stringers it was a loooooooong walk back to the boat in waist deep water.

Livin the Dream · 04-12-2007, 09:53 AM

Nalu Charters out of Depoe Bay...He may still have some halibut dates availalble. Personalized charter and Ifish sponsor!

Welcome aboard!
AL

Something Good · 04-12-2007, 09:56 AM

That's a great story thanks for the laugh. Welcome to the club. Don't know much about the fishing up in Seattle but any info about the Oregon coast I can help you out or at least make something up.

ron m · 04-12-2007, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TXtroutkiller

Hey guys and gals,

Just moved to the northwest from the south coast. I am a little out of my element and I wanna go get some fishing in. I am gonna lose it if I dont get some hunting/fishing in soon.

Anyone recommend a good charter as I would love to go catch some of these halibut I keep hearing about. Hell maybe even some salmon.

I live in Seattle. Anyone got any recommendations on how maybe I could just drive to the beach somewhere or a jetty and throw a line in and catch some fish? All I have is my speck rig (open faced reel with a light action 7' American Rod) but I could go buy a better rig for fishing up here, if I new what that rig was.

Hi Tex

I moved here long ago form Fla, so I know about the specs, redfish, mullet, kingfish, etc. Fishing here seems to be very different from fishing the gulf coast, as least very different from fishing the grass flats. Salmon fishing is really different, it's taken me a long while to learn about it. As others suggested, I also suggest you do a couple of charters, but six-packs where you'll have a chance to ask questions. Then watch for open-seat posts on this board, some folks will post open seats. Many of us have enough equipment to take folks without their own equipment and some of us are crazy enough to enjoy showing new folks how to fish here! Sometimes we even catch fish!

good luck and have some fun learning
ron m

baddawg · 04-12-2007, 10:07 AM

Welcome TX! nice story. There are some opportunities here in puget sound area. You just missed one of the best winter blackmouth seasons we have had in years. The sound is open for halibut thursday thru mondays, although it is usually tough fishing for these tasty buggers this far inland. We will have a ling cod season coming up in may, kings in area 9 and 10 in july and crab season starts around the 4th of July, and since it is an odd numbered we will have a humpy (pink salmon) run in august through september followed by coho salmon in sept though oct or even early november. Depending on the returns we may even get a sockeye fishery in lake washington this summer. All of these are boat fisheries.
Rivers will open in the summer for steelhead, humpys will be plentiful in mid august on the rivers and silvers and chums follow in the fall followed by winter steelhead. The lake trout opener is the end of april if you like chasing 9" planters.
Send me a PM and I will give you some ideas on charters and tips on bumming a ride with some of the locals. Let me know where in the Seattle area you are located.

Salty Walty · 04-12-2007, 10:10 AM

Not familiar with the Seattle Area.

There are some good halibut and rockfish oppurtunities out of Neah Bay. Some good live bait Albacore in the Summer out of Westport also.

tracker · 04-12-2007, 12:19 PM

If you watch this site you will see some open seats come available. I have a few now and then and go to Neah bay a bunch. Tuna when they get here. Welcome! Your story was a good one! Sorry to hear about your slide into the darks side! He He! You may not know it yet but you are on your way!

TXtroutkiller · 04-12-2007, 02:18 PM

Thanks for all the tips!

Ill be keeping my eye out for any open seats. Maybe grab a charter or two.

Also, Ill be checking in and asking the best way to go about catching some salmon. I tried my hand at smoked salmon two weekends ago and that had to be the best fish I have ever eaten. So maybe some good locations, methods, gear to use, will be appropriate questions to ask.