Jetty Fishing Illwaco WA

Tulelicious · 03-17-2004, 08:20 AM

I have always wanted to try and fish off of the jetty from the state park outside of Illwaco. Does anyone have any information that they could pass on to someone who hasnt done this before. Ie what can I expect to catch? What should I use for bait? Is this a semi productive fishery? I do a lot of surf fishing off the beach and was going to fish the same way. Any help is appreciated.

Birdnest · 03-17-2004, 08:30 AM

I've seen guys down there fishing a herring under a bobber during the Buoy 10 fishery. It was hilarious to watch the seagulls. One would crash the bobber and start swimming, causing the herring to come to the surface, while his buddy would grab the bait.

Be careful on the jetty, the waves can sneak up on you with a big old log just to make it more interesting.

I hope somebody with more info post on this, because I too am interested in the details.

Joe

seeker · 03-17-2004, 08:42 AM

I have done it for years and have had alot of success for everything from sea bass to ling cod, even some cabizon and a skate or two believe it or not. As well the late summer can be very good for silvers with a bobber and herring. It is alot of fun sometimes to dead drift a whole herring on a mooching rig. For most everything except salmon I have used 1/2 once jig heads with a variety of plastic worms casted out say 20 yards and worked thru the rocks. be ready to lose alot of gear until you get the hang of jigging around rocks and dont be afraid to move if you dont hook anything within say a half hour.

When you go down stop off ad Ed's bait and tackle in Ilwaco......It's on the way to the jetty. They are a wealth of info.

Birdnest · 03-17-2004, 08:54 AM

Hey Seeker,

How deep are you running your herring for the silvers? Thanks.

Joe

BUGLEMAN · 03-17-2004, 10:00 AM

I know those Fall nooks like to come in along the North Jetty. Before they closed it to boats that was the hot spot. My Dad used to fish it with his dad when he was a kid. I have always wanted to try for salmon off that Jetty with a bobber. The nice thing is that you fish on the leeward side of the jetty. The prevailing wind of the summer comes out of the NW.

Has anyone caught a nook off that jetty. Ed's bait and tackle has lots of pics of jetty caught nooks.

[ 03-17-2004, 11:01 AM: Message edited by: BUGLEMAN ]

Tulelicious · 03-17-2004, 10:13 AM

Any chance of catching a springer from the bank in the area. Maybe the church hole or above the bridge. I just wanted to try something new for fishing in the area, I dont really feal like getting beat up by the surf while fishing for the perch.

Green Willie · 03-17-2004, 10:52 AM

As you can tell by my moniker, I love to fish the jetties. The north jetty of the Columbia (at Fort Canby State Park) is where I cut my teeth.

I prefer a 3/4 ounce leadhead jig for that jetty. I also like to use a lighter hook wire (the gold colored wire) as you can work a snag loose more easily with that hook. You just have to keep a hook file handy to keep the point sharp. I also use 12lb test Trilene Big Game for line. Have tried 20 lb, didn't make any difference on catch rate/lost ling rate, but was hard to break off when snagged. I prefer 4" grubs to the 6" you commonly see. For colors, white is the overall favorite, although it's not my personal favorite. I prefer purple and pumpkinseed colors. Both work well. The pumpkinseed attracts the lings, as one of their primary food source is kelp greenling, which the pumpkinseed color matches pretty closely.

Watch the tides. Fish the last hour of incoming, high slack, and ebb tide until the current gets too fast. Cast up current, and work along the rocks. You can use the old standby jig/pause method or a slow steady retrieve. Both work, sometimes one works better then the other, so try both. When your jig gets in close reel fast, and keep you rod tip up, it'll help reduce snags. I like a medium action steelhead rod with spinning reel for this fishing.

If you don't catch anything within 30-45 minutes move 20 yards and try again. Rockfish are a schooling fish and they move up and down the jetty. When you find them, work em over, the action can be hot.

Have fished for salmon off this jetty as well. The crowds can drive you nuts during B10 season. You use a bobber stop and sliding bobber with a mooching rig, I like 1 1/2 to 2 ounce moorching sinker. The seagulls will pester you. Around 7-9 feet seems to be a good depth for the silvers and 13-15 feet for the Chinook. My largest Chinook was caught off the rocks there, on bobber herring. It weighed 25 1/4 pounds. Used to be a photo of Ed's of it (it's been a long while ago now when that fish was caught).

Sandshrimp work very well for the kelp greenling (sea trout as some call them). And they can be a blast to catch on light gear. You'll get an occassional perch as well.

Do plan to loose some gear, snags happen. That's why I cast my own jig heads now.

Good luck, and now is the time to get out there.

Mike "Jetty Nut"

[ 03-17-2004, 11:56 AM: Message edited by: Jetty Nut ]

Birdnest · 03-17-2004, 12:13 PM

Jetty Nut and Seeker... [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

Thanks for all the good info.

Joe

Half fast Toyn · 03-17-2004, 03:50 PM

I cant believe im telling you this.. my lil secret.
try a medium sized Repalla sinking lure.... or one like it AT NIGHT durring a slack tide. That 5 gallon bucket will be full before the propane cylinder on your candle runs out.

The lings come out at night!!

Mike

Tulelicious · 03-17-2004, 04:18 PM

Thanks for the advice, I have one question. Is it legal to angle for fish at night or are there certain fish that can be fished for at night? If it is regulated, are oregon and washington the same? Something I've always been curious about. Im heading down this weekend hopefully I can get out and try the night thing.

HntnFsh · 03-17-2004, 05:20 PM

Wear some felt sole shoes or boots.Those rocks can be slicker than snot.The felt is a huge plus.I've fished it for silvers,chinook,and bottom fish with good success.Fish the beach side for perch.It can get pretty good for them too.Lots of good advice here for you.

seeker · 03-17-2004, 11:19 PM

Birdnest,

Like Jetty Nut mentioned, I use a bobber stop which is nothing more than a rubber band tied around your main line. Basically what I do for silvers is to start out say around 4 feet and move down slowly to around 10-12 feet until I find what depth the fish are running. Because you will be casting and drifting almost constantly its just a matter of every 1/2 hour or so dropping your bobber stop back say a foot or so.

When it is busy watch the people below you for clues to when the fish are coming. Sometimes you can actually watch the wave of fish rolling in by all of the people setting the hook down the jetty from you. when this happens hang on because more often than not you or someone you are with will end up with a fish on. Just try and make sure it is you with the fish on so you dont end up with a net in your hand and rod out of water while the mass of fish go thru!!!!!!

Tulelicious · 03-17-2004, 11:29 PM

Jetty nut

Thanks, thats exactly what Im looking for. Hopefully I will have some success. Thanks again.

driftphish · 03-18-2004, 02:16 PM

try to put your feet on some good soles too. my feet hurt so bad I could barely walk after fishing up and down that jetty all day.

Green Willie · 03-19-2004, 10:49 AM

Tulelicious,

Your last PM isn't in my mailbox (got lost in the conversion I think), please resend it.

Thanks,

JN

crittergitter · 03-19-2004, 06:30 PM

Fishing from the North Jetty can be hotter than a firecracker at the right times. I have been fishing B 10 there for years when I can't catch a boat ride. I usually fish whole herring about 10-12 feet below a big foam sliding bobber. 2 oz of lead, and have caught nooks and silvers, and some really nice Lings. shhhhhhhhhh :grin:
The main thing is to watch everything around you all the time, when the tide change hits things can get rough in a hurry, and no those great big rocks are not cemented in, they can move and roll when you least expect it, as my daughter found out the hard way a couple of years ago. Be careful, have fun and good luck hope to see you there.

:smile: :smile: :smile:

Tulelicious · 03-22-2004, 07:46 AM

Well, I went out on Saturday but had an unsuccesful trip. I had definate strikes and fish on but they may have been swiming into the rocks because I would snag on the way in. There was a really bad wind to I was unable to cast very well. On top of that there were swells that pretty much kept me on the top of the jetty. I will definatly give it a try again. I fished the north jetty on the south side opposite the beach. I did make up for my failure on Sunday and fished from the beach in Seaview, I came home with 5 perch and 1 crab. One perch was the biggest I've ever seen, at least 6-7 lbs. Thank you every one for the advice.