[Sturgeonbait]

I am sorry to post asking for help on the Pudget sound oa a Southern Washington,, Oregon Based board :depressed: but I am going to. This Friday I am going to be leaving for a two week trip out of the De Moines Area Heading up to San Juan Islands, and primarily Orcas Island. We will be doing Some Salmon Fishing Crabbing but most importantly I need help with catching the bottom fish :whazzup: . I cheked the Regs Lingcod will be closed but many other Bottom fish will be open fishery . Some Help would be great.I realy Don't know much about it :shrug: . I would also be thankful for any help on Salmon and Crabbing. Thanks :grin: .

Early To Bed Early To Rise Fish All Day Make Up Lies :tongue:

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[DJFISHS2XS]

get a 1 oz dart and jig it next to the kelp for greenling and the rock walls for rockfish...its no problem catching your limit, just keep moving along when the bites off....DJ

 

[Knucklebuster]

Go to middle bank or hein bank. They are about a 20 minute ride from Orcas into the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Jig with herring or whatever.

 

[Pitch Pocket]

Don't get too excited. You can only keep 1 rockfish and 2 cabezon per day per person in the San Juans. You can keep 15 "other" bottom fish, but I'm not sure you want to keep that many dog sharks. What else can be down there that you'd want to keep?

You can find rock fish biting on the down current side of most humps and banks around the San Juans. I do well with 4 oz lead heads with oil slick rubber worms in about 275' of water. There are some big rock fish up there.

Be sure you know about the exclusion areas (game preserves 200 yards around some of the rocks and islands) and the voluntary 'no take' zones (just about all the obvious close in bottom fishing areas). A lot of boats fish Hein and Middle Banks.

 

[Fshklr]

Used to live up that way.
Try smith or blakely Islands. Lummi can produce as well out of bellingham bay but get a chart for the rock areas. Hien, middle, and eastern bank also do very well. A really good choice would be the nw corner of guemas (sp?) island out of Anacortes.
Pick up a few Dart (stingers) in 2 1/2 in and 4 inch lead jigs. These resemble candle fish and come with a highly polished painted finish..Silver underside with dark emerald green backs and a RED eye. Find 100 feet of water or less and the bottom feeders should be there...hang on!! never know what will hit those jigs..Salmon, Halibut, Lings, rocks, bass, yellow eye...etc. Also the ne bay of guemas will produce bottom feeders.
Good luck :cheers:
Be sure to stop at ant kelp beds if you come across them. they will hold Cabazon, greenling, sea bass, rock cod and more...Fish those stingers vertically. Good quick pump up and let flutter down..repeat...they pick it up on the flutter so be ready!!

[ 07-08-2003, 06:04 PM: Message edited by: Fshklr ]