Combined report for Monday, 7/8 through Wednesday, 7/10

We were eager to test the salmon fishing out of Ilwaco, so got up at the crack of dawn on Monday, jumped into my buddy’s boat and headed out toward the bar. Unfortunately, this put us out in harm’s way at the bar crossing just about the worst part of an outgoing minus tide and waves were breaking all across the bar. Buddy’s boat is very seaworthy Reinell but only 18’ and we were taking a pretty good pounding just getting close enough to figure out it was a no-go situation. So we went back to the truck, retrieved crab pots and headed back out to launch them inside the north jetty where we had good luck last August. We left the crab bait back at camp because we thought we’d be salmon fishing so we soaked the salmon bait in the pink crab attractant stuff and divided it among the pots. Spent a little time bottom fishing along the north jetty and rocks at the base of the south head lighthouse with no bites. On the first pull we had a couple of blanks several females one nice big male in soft-shell condition and just one keeper so we stacked the pots back on the boat and took them farther out toward mid-river and out toward the salt. About the time we launched the third of our pots we discovered the river current was pulling our flags/buoys under so we retrieved the pots and formed plan B. By this time, the current had slowed enough where we could sneak out over the bar just about ¼ mile off the end of the north jetty and out onto the sand flats off the state park beach. There were a number of commercial and private pots out here so we gave it a go. Soaked the pots for a good hour+ while we sat and enjoyed calm seas and warm weather and our lunches. This move proved more successful with 3 keepers on the next round but we were still sorting out lots of females, softies, and smallies. Headed back to camp with tally for the day at 4 keeper Dungeness crab.

While crabbing on Monday, we noticed several private boats heading out later in the morning to avoid the worst part of the tide so we decided to get after the salmon Tuesday by going out after breakfast. I had gone into town Monday evening to get more bait and the guy at the bait shop said silvers were being caught with good regularity just a couple miles off the north head light so we made a plan to go that direction in search of salmon. Not having fished the area before, we did not realize how large the sand flats are off the north end of the river, nor how shallow the water was out there. Started fishing about a mile off the beach and thought the fish finder was on the fritz as it said water depth was only 12’. We were using delta divers and herring/anchovies and it didn’t take long to figure out the fish finder was accurate. About 5 minutes into the troll the first rod went down. Dave grabbed it and it was game on! After a short fight he brought in about a 3 pound flounder. Not what we were looking for, but booted the skunk out of the boat and gave us some meat to take back to camp. Moved out to deeper water off the northwest edge of the sand bar and started up our troll again fighting a growing wind out of the northwest that wanted to constantly push us back onto the sand. We did get one good take down on the diver set-up with a plug cut herring and it turned out to be about a 10 pound king, a thule I believe based on its gold hue. I played this fish and got it just to the edge of netting range. Dave swung at it and missed and unfortunately nicked the leader just above the hooks which snapped the leader and sent the fish away with my hooks still in its mouth. With weather chasing us back onto the sand we gave it up and headed back in with tally for the day at one flounder boated and what would turn out to be our only salmon of the trip lost. On the bright side, Dave’s brother-in-law Patrick is a chef and he turned our flounder into an very tasty treat by poaching it with soy, ginger, and garlic we all enjoyed a few bites before our dinner!

Wednesday we did the crab and bottom fish drill again. This time we went straight outside to the sand bar and launched our pots out there, a bit farther outside this time. We had better bait in some turkey wings and legs and the flounder carcass but forgot to soak them in the pheromone concoction first. Went back inside the jetty to figure out the bottom fish program as I had found a gentleman cleaning fish at the table near the boat ramp the previous afternoon and he said he caught his whole pile of fish using anchovies on the bottom fishing on the jetty. It took us some experimenting to figure out the drift and how close to the jetty we had to be to get where there were fish but not so close we were just donating gear to the rocks. Lost a few leaders and one of those twin-squid ling rigs and managed just one smallish rock fish for our effort. Went back out and pulled the pots and had 3 blanks and one pot with one keeper and a couple of throw backs. Went back in with total tally for the day at one rock fish and one keeper Dungie.

All-in not the success we had hoped for, but we learned a lot on this trip.

Tight lines and good luck out there!

Fish Dawg