Bottom Fishing in Puget Sound

[Hunter757]

Hey guys well got the new boat and my son's want to go fish for lings and try there chances for Halibut. We have never fished the salt other then salmon on a friends boat. What I need help with is where to go in MA10 for Halibut and area 11 or 13 for lings. I will be launching from Point Defiance or might do Redondo. I have found plenty of maps for areas way up North but nothing for the southern boys...

I have watched a ton of videos online but no real areas are laid out. Not looking for secret locations just a idea or spot to start. I don't have any gear yet and don't want to go overboard just looking to try for some fish and have a good time with the boys well young men there in there teens and twentys.

Any information your willing to share via PM or here would be greatly appreciated!

[Larry3215]

Your odds of catching either halibut or lings (salmon too) goes down dramatically the further south you go in the sound.

There was a recent report of someone catching an out of season butt near Point No Point, but thats the furthest south Ive heard of anyone getting a butt in a long time. On the other hand, its fishing so you never know

Mutiny Bay off the west side of Widbey Island is probably your best bet inside the straight - but be prepared to share the water with a LOT of other boats.

The chances are better for lings as you move south but still slim pickings. Starting on the north end of your range, Possession Bar off the south end of Widbey is usually decent. Technically thats area 9. The break water outside of the Elliot Bay Marina is also usually good for a few lings.

The next best bet is the slag pile on the far side of the Yacht Club basin right outside of the boat launch at Defiance. As you leave the launch, follow the ferry like your heading to Vashon Island, but turn right and hug the shore. The rock breakwater protecting the Yacht Club is a very steep drop off and usually produces a few lings each year.

Next best bet is the Tacoma Narrows bridge. You will want to fish the Tacoma side starting a little south of the tower base on the shore side and let yourself drift maybe a 1/2 mile north from there towards Point Defiance. Be prepared to loose a LOT of gear though. Its snag city because of the old Galloping Gurdy bridge structure on the bottom. A few smaller lings are still caught there each year.

We have also head about guys catching a few lings every once in a while off Toliva Shoal. Thats a shallow shoal due south of the southern most point of Fox Island almost exactly in the middle of the channel. Its marked with a floating bell/bouy. Lots of dog fish.

We usually stop to catch a mess of flounder for ling bait out in front of the Narrows marina when fishing south or sometimes in front of Chambers creek or outside the Day Island Marina. Stay out of the marine protected waters between Day Island and the Bridge. We usually stop off at Alki Beach area for the flounders when fishing Elliot Bay Marina and there are bunches all around Possession Bar.

Flounders are easy to catch on most any flat sandy bottom area in 30 -100 feet of water using herring chunks. We keep them in our live well and fish them alive using slip hook salmon rigs. Hook them so they can still swim and stay alive. I Like one hook in the mouth and one in the tail just through the skin.

The sad thing is that the number of lings and especially butts caught each year goes down inside the straight.

Oh - be careful to release all rock fish and check the regs for other species. One of the reasons lings are so scarce is that one of their favorite foods is all but extinct in the sound - rock bass/rock fish.

Good luck! Lings are my all time favorite fish as far as good eating

[Larry3215]

Oh - if you havent fished salt you will want to check the tides very carefully and watch the weather - mainly the wind. The sound can get really rough really fast when the wind picks up. You can also run into some very strong currents when the tide is flowing fast on a big tide change.

Ideally, you want to fish for lings or butts on the slack tide so your not drifting too fast. We like to pick days when the tide change is relatively small - the difference between hi and low tides. We also like to start maybe an hour before the hi or low tide and fish through the change until the current gets too strong. On a perfect day, you can find a time between one tide peak and the next with a relatively small change and fish righ through the hi and low tides for several hours in relatively slow currents.

Many tide charts will tell you when max and minimum currents are - they are not exactly the same as the hi and low tide point.

One more tip - make sure your boat is up to snuff as far as safety equipment - fire extinguishers, life jackets, whistle, flares etc, etc. Ive seen the Coast Guard out on Elliot Bay and around the Tacoma area quite often recently checking boats. They are nice guys but they will give you a ticket!

[Larry3215]

One more tip

Two great resources for places to fish and techniques are Johns Sporting Goods website and Salmon University. Lots of good reading.

Many of the "hot spots" they list are no longer very hot due to over fishing, but still good places to start.

http://www.johnssportinggoods.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Check Johns news letters and fishing maps and videos.

http://www.salmonuniversity.com/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tons of good stuff here.

If your shopping for gear, I have found SportCo in Fife has about the best prices around and the guys are very knowledgeable.

[Larry3215]

Ok, last tip - if you havent heard of this its a great resource for pre-fishing in the salt and in many of the lakes around Wa. Much easier - and cheaper - than dragging out paper charts or sitting in the boat looking at a small GPS chart screen on the night before a trip

http://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Hunter757]

Larry, thank you very much. I have a few ideas now. I have read a ton of stuff on Johns sporting goods web page and read the news letters as well. The boat is in tip top shape and have all the safety items almost taken care of just need to install the vhf radio and antenna and well be ready to go.

I have heard of fishing under the Narrows but heard you would loose a ton of gear. I think might just head north and find all the other boats and watch who is doing what and go from there. I have been out on the sound and seen it turn bad on us and those tankers throw a good wake. Sportco in fife is having a tent sale this weekend and its super busy today..a real zoo.

Hope to see you out there Larry and thanks agian for the info.

Eric

[Larry3215]

Hey Eric, Good luck on your ling and halibut hunting and I hope to run into you as well. If you see three old fat guys in a Smoker Craft Phantom 202, give a shout out

[Matt]

I am not sure where you are located but making the drive out to Anacortes to fish anywhere in area 7 is absolutely worth it.

Ling fishing is 5 star, and halibut can be taken anywhere in Juan De Fuca.

Good luck!

[Bobber_Dogging_Gal]

Larry was funny when he said to Eric "If you see three old fat guys" to give a shout out. There's three old fat guys everywhere you look on Puget Sound *lol*

[Bobber_Dogging_Gal]

I am not sure where you are located but making the drive out to Anacortes to fish anywhere in area 7 is absolutely worth it. Ling fishing is 5 star, and halibut can be taken anywhere in Juan De Fuca. Good luck!

--------------------
What area are you in Matt? We're new to this site and looking for others to fish with. I don't have a salt water boat but can chip in reasonably. I'm used to fishing area 8-2 out of Port Susan but would love to fish for lings or halibut farther north. I've heard quite a bit about Penn Cove. Suggestions on where to fish or camp would be cool. Anyone w/a bay boat interested in fishing those areas, just give a jingle ((((((((Fish On)))))))))

[tbrinks]

Ok, last tip - if you havent heard of this its a great resource for pre-fishing in the salt and in many of the lakes around Wa. Much easier - and cheaper - than dragging out paper charts or sitting in the boat looking at a small GPS chart screen on the night before a trip

http://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yes, a great resource. Also SonarCharts now go down to more than 1,000 feet and are always being updated in both Fresh and Saltwater.

[obryan214]

the ling fishing in ma11 here around tacoma hasn't been wort the effort for most guys i know.