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Hit my local beach for Coastal Cutthroat Trout. An absolutely amazing fishery, albeit catch and release. Jakes Lures Spin-a-lure is generally my go to, but today the heavy winds made me pick a heavier spinner. Used a #4 Blue Fox with a Pink Mini Hoochie on the hook and caught one in minutes. Was around 16". Caught another o smaller one a short while later. The bite died off for the rest of the afternoon despite switching the lures up with a Spin-a-lure and a lil cleo. A Thomas cyclone almost landed me a third fish to end the day with, but he didn't hook on. I got to see a lovely jump right in the surf though!
One of the most frustrating things about getting into fishing was learning where to go and what to do. I have had plenty of gracious individuals on this site and other local non fishing forums help me out, the folks at Teds sporting goods were very helpful as well, and John Martinis's videos are a goldmine. I haven't spent as much time browsing the articles here, but they look quite helpful as well.
While acknowledging the information that is out there, I still feel like learning about local fishing has been a fight. A fight that I can see other potential anglers being off put from the hobby because of. And the last thing I think any hobby needs is less people participating. I completely empathize with and understand the value of secrets in fishing. Too many people hearing about a spot can ruin that spot for everyone. And while I will loudly proclaim that the best interactions I have ever had with strangers all stemmed from fishing, I will also attest that crowds can make it a miserable experience. I wouldn't expect anyone to give me their favorite hole, (I have had a few people give me specific advice that I take with the highest gratitude) but I really wish I had an easier time learning about how to find good spots by myself. So I thought I would offer a mini lesson on Cutty fishing to anyone who wants to give it a try. If anyone here has more experience, sees anything inaccurate, feel free to correct me.
Cutty are found in very shallow water close to the shore. At high tide they are best fish for without wading, as you would otherwise scare the fish off. I have found high tide to be more productive than low tide. Use an ultralight rod. The fish have a pretty light bite, so the extra sensitivity is good to have. They are a lot more fun to fight on an ultralight rod as well, and I have found that the fight time isn't too long for the fish. Use spoons and spinners. I have had good experiences with Blue Fox's and Jakes Lures spin-a-lure spoons, but I imagine anything on the medium to larger end of the spectrum will work. With spinners, use a medium rate of retrieve. With spoons, use a faster one to imitate prey.
You can find them on a lot of Puget sound area beaches, but I have had most success at beaches where a creek empty's into the sound. If you live around a beach as I do. Other fish you can end up with depending on the day include sculpin, flounder, and juvenile salmon. Depending on the season a lot of people have mentioned catching adult salmon, but so far my largest off the beach was ten inches. If you ask me, even if your local beach doesn't end up being home to trout, it's quite hard to go fishing at the beach and have a bad time.
Coastal Cutthroat Trout in the sound are catch and release only. This actually came about as a result of the urging of the fly fishing community, to who the fish is very much loved. At one point, the fish were highly endangered. While the population has definitely improved, there is still very much we don't know about the fish, I would imagine that's why they are closed to harvest. As such, it is very important to handle them with the utmost care. Make sure to wet your hands before touching them, as dry skin can damage their protective coating of slime, leaving them vulnerable to infection. Use a non threaded net, and keep them in the water as much as possible. Before releasing, hold them for a bit to let the water flow through their gills. Try your best not to drop your gear in the water, as saltwater can ruin your reels as I have found out the hard way. Tucking your rod under your armpit while you dehook the fish would be wise.
I hope I provided information of value to anyone else wanting to give this great fishery a try!
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