Winter bottom fishing south sound

[Fishingadam]

Is it a good time to catch flounder, sole, and or dogfish? If so how deep would you go? I can't seem to catch anything off the piers but bullhead and starfish, but might try my small johnboat out to get offshore.
Thanks for any advice

[The Quadfather]

Is it a good time to catch flounder, sole, and or dogfish? If so how deep would you go? I can't seem to catch anything off the piers but bullhead and starfish, but might try my small johnboat out to get offshore.
Thanks for any advice

This question comes up a lot, and I have a lot of time spent doing just such. ..... I can't say that there is any "Bad" time to catch flounder/sole/ or dogfish. I fish from a boat for bottom fish in the Sound. I fish in the Shilshole/Carkeek Park area.
You do not have to be out very far at all to have success. I have not experienced much dogfish being caught from the piers though. If you are able to get out safely even into 50' of water, you can catch dogfish by using a whole herring on a drop shot rig. ( sinker at bottom of line, with 2 barbless hooks attached about 18" and 28" up from the sinker)
put a whole herring on each hook, or for economy, just use one hook.) Drop it to the bottom, and then reel it up about 10-15' from the bottom. If it sits on the bottom the scavenger bottom fish will just poke at it until it comes off the hook. The dog fish are plenty active a little higher in the water collum.
You can catch flounder until you are sick and tired of it. Also just get out into even 30' of water. Same setup, weight at bottom, two hooks (barbless) above. Use a small hook, the size of your ring finger, finger nail. I use those white salad shrimp that you see in shrimp cocktail or on a salad bar. I've also used big ol' tastey shrimp at 12 bucks a pound, but the smaller cheap white ones are just fine. If you very slightly blanch them in boiling water, it will make them more firm and they will stay on the hook a little better.
You literally cannot miss, anytime of year or place in the Sound that I've seen. Hold your flounder/Sole up to the sunlight to look through the body for worms/parasites. Tumors will look like pencil erasers along the bottom. There is a high amount of all of that stuff in these fish. I find that the larger flat fish are usually in deeper water 80-100', they def. are smallish under 40' of water. But after 100' they aren't in that zone as abundantly.

Have fun!
Oh, and for the dog fish I'd bring a seperate rod loaded with either a 30-40lb braided line, or use even a 50lb leader. They have razor sharp teeth that will cut through your typical 20lb leader like butter.

[Fishingadam]

Hey thanks a lot. I used to do a lot of sound fishing when I was little and remember using whole herring for dogfish using a 4 oz bannana sinker and a mooching rig. I can't make it to the area we used to go at this time. But I only remember going in the summer and dropping down what seemed deep. Those were fun days though at a young age reeling them things in. I want the memories to continue with family for Many different reasons so working on getting back out. Hopefully soon I can get a 9.9 gas motor on but for now I think I can make due. I rigged up a anchor system color coating the rope every twenty feet down to 100 ft. To try and get a better idea how deep I am as long as I'm not on a hard changing tide at the time I think it will work. I think I will be heading out within the next week so as soon as I do I will let you know how it went.

[Fishingadam]

I just took a 4 hour trip out to marine area 13 and fished with herring and squid and didn't touch a thing. Fished out to 90 ft of water from my boat. I guess I have bad luck now adays in the saltwater. Might check out a new spot next time. Carkeek is a little long of a drive for me. South sound Tacoma area is better
Thanks for the input

[The Quadfather]

I will say though,, forget about squid for bait in my experience anyway. Ya, it stays on the hook uber nice! But I can drop it down to where other baits are working, and not get a bite. The whole size herring is great for the dogfish if they are in the area, but of course to large for flounder to deal with. (those salad shrimp I was talking about)
If you didn't target the flounder on the bottom, and only targeted the dogfish.... sometimes they just aren't in the area when I'm looking for them. Go another time, and target the flounder/shrimp.
Thanks for the reply/report.

[Fishingadam]

Will do. I was going to head back out in the boat tommorrow but with wind advisory at 20 mile an hour winds I think I'll head to a deep shelf from shore and try it out.

[jd39]

Good luck Fishingadams! Stay safe.

Thanks for the tips TQF! I want to try for some bottom fish this summer.

[Fishingadam]

Will do.
I will post how we do tommorrow.
There will be 2 possibly 3 fishing tommorrow.
Will be putting on the rain gear.

[Fishingadam]

one bite and a few starfish. Wasn't able to get to the shelf because the tide was to high of a low tide, so had to head to the nearest pier. Only as a last resort. Going to wait for better weather to head out to the sound. I will focus on steelhead for a bit.

[tommytitan08]

Have you tried Les Davis Pier? I used to fish all the time off of that pier and cathch dogfish all winter long for fun.

[Mike Carey]

Have you tried fishing around kelp beds in 10-20 ft of water with something like a 1/4 oz jig and plastic, maybe a small piece of bait on it? That should get you into the flounder. Just don't eat too many, some of our bottom fish are not safe to eat anymore depending where you fish.

[Fishingadam]

In past years I only caught tons of bullhead of les Davis but can give it a shot again.
Mike that sounds like a plan to try for flounder. Will try as soon as the weather breaks in a week or two. I think I know a spot tro try for that. I will have shrimp for my arsenal next trip out to.
Had a run in with a gammi on my trip out in the boat. He was a cool guy.

[Fishingadam]

I'm a big fan of letting a lot of fish go to. Have a freezer full of all game so fish can go back for another day until I need them.

[triehl27]

We fish for flounder up around Langley and Camano. Most are 1# but we have had 3-4# pretty steadily last year. Long shank hook (Longest hooks I can get as they inhale the things) and decent size hook, cuts down on the little fish. Tip with worm, drop to the bottom , 2-5 cranks off the bottom, BAM. Keep moving your rod, just a little otherwise flounder with ingest the bait, hook, everything they attack the bait and attempt to swallow it whole. If you are right on the bottom, you may not feel um hit, they just sit there and dine.

If flounder are in the area, you'll get them. As guaranteed as at a trout pond!

My daughter loves fishing for them. 4# test and an Ultra light rod, and have a blast, feels like your landing a monster!

We use the little ones for crab bait or ling cod, and the large ones are great on the grill. lotta bones, but nice flavor.

[cobrar543]

Eldger bay, right next to the state park boat launch . its sheltered, shallow, and very close to the lauch. more flounder and doggies then you can handle I always take my grand childeren there with trout rods for tons of fishing fun. I dont get to fish because Im so busy taking fish off hooks!

[Fishingadam]

Sounds like further north is where the good fishing is at. I have one more spot I will try that I think I will get them at.

[Fishingadam]

With the weather I haven't been able to get out in the boat where I want so checked the tides and it was a great low tide to hit my shelf. 3 of us fishing for 2 to 3 hours. We caught and released 7 cabazon and unknown amount of sculpin as well as a starfish. No flounder or dogfish in that area. The cabazon were only 8-12 inches. We fished shrimp, herring, and squid. Had a rough time getting the line out with 20 mile an hour winds and keeping the shrimp on. Rough weather but it was fun. Guessing we were fishing 50 to 60 feet deep. The cabazon were really going for the squid. I think we caught all of them on squid. Soon I will get out in the boat. Finish a few taxidermy bills and I will quickly save up for a small motor between 5 and 9.9 horse to put on the boat to help get out there.