Northwest Fishing Reports

Hello,

For the first time, I'm trying this year to catch some pink from the shore.
I went last Sunday at Deception Pass state park, north beach, with my son.
There was 5-6 anglers already and we all all use similar lures: pink or silver buzz bombs.
We stayed 3 hours on raising tide, and we all got nothing.

I would need some advice please.
Are we too early in the season?
Is it better to fish at raising or lowering tide?
What else should I pay attention to?

I plan to try again at Mukilteo light house next week.

Thank you.

The pinks are in Puget Sound, well South of where you are fishing. In my experience these fish are just a matter of you being in the right place/right time.
I’ve caught them from the beach at all times of the tide cycle. I’ve caught them on the 1st cast, and like the 4th cast, DONE!
And then I’ve fished for couple hours with nothing.

You will hook up throwing pink buzz bombs if you just put some time in.
Little later in season, check out the Snohomish river about 1-2 miles below town.
It’s usually a fish fest.

2021 is forecast to be a 2.9 million fish run in 2021, or about the same as 2019. 2015 was far bigger around 6 million, but 2017 was down to around 670,000. So there are fish to be had. August 1 historically is a little early, but I had heard of pinks caught at Dash Point, Des Moines and Lincoln Park all around then. Not a lot, but a few. By the time of your August 8th post, they are coming in. It still looks a bit inconsistent to me.

Pink Buzzbombs and Rotators are the ticket. I'd say around 75% of the time it comes down to you dropping your lure right in front of the fish (by chance) on the cast, and most of the time they hit on the first jig. The other 25% of the time you happen to pull your lure past a fish while jigging it in. You don't need to be a champion caster as well. Pinks sometime come remarkably close to the shore. I've seen kids with trout poles get a fish on the "inside" while everyone is trying to cast far out. I've also had them chase a lure nearly out of the water on shore, so it is worth jigging the whole retrieval.

You can catch them at all time of the tide cycle, but I think it picks up when the water is moving. Maybe a little better when the tice is going out?

Learn to play a hoked fish up onto the beach as it can be difficult to use a net.

Thank you, I'll try again this week end!