North Jetty & Long Beach - 1st Trip out

[Jay K]

Wife and I caught a deal on a motel out on Long Beach. Was hoping to fish saltwater for the first time. Gonna make some crab snares and visited Cabela's today to pickup some stuff for jetty fishing. Still gotta pickup some surf rods and terminal tackle. It's gonna be a whole new experience.

Any tips?

Looking to pickup bottomfish, dungies and red rocks. Might even try clamming for the first time. We'll be fishing Marine Area 1 (hopefully). I've been following a California fishing site and getting pretty pumped about fishing jetties for bottomfish. It's too bad we don't have a WA site that gets more reports on saltwater.

[natetreat]

Use sand shrimp and pile worms to catch the bait, live bait for the lings. To keep tackle prices down, I use jetty rocks for weights. The pretied baitholder hooks work great for sandshrimp, you can put three of 'em to a line. I use heavy mono line, say like 30 or 40 and just tie 'em to the mainline with an overhand knot. A pack of 12 or so hooks will set you back 79 cents. Get some quality steel leaders for the lings, they have teeth like a beast and the big ones can pull pretty hard and shred your mono. I like to put my live bait under a big float to keep 'em outta the rocks. Surf perch and greenling work best. The little ones will get you smaller lings and the bigguns'll get you big lings. Of course you can use the jig and worms but when you're jigging them back towards you from the rocks it's a recipe for pulling snags. Strips of fish on the bottom can get you sharks and crabs, for crab snares just wad up a bunch of old line and tie it to a big ole hook or bait bag for your bait. Actually works better than the personal crab snares.

This time of year be super careful, you may find that the waves are pretty darn intolerable. Haven't made it out to the long beach jetty in a couple years, but the westport jetty gets crazy wet and miserable. Ling season doesn't open until march 17, and salmon are closed. If I were out that way I'd skip the jetty and fish the naselle deep or the grays. Much more pleasant. Stick to crab in the boat basin and steelhead or salmon on the rivers.

I guess it depends on when your going.

[Jay K]

Nate- Thanks for the tips. I'm still getting all my gear together. Finally got the rods, reels and some bank sinkers on sale. Still have to get some braid, heavy mono, heavy swivels and hooks. From what I've read, I'm thinking 5/0 octopus circle hooks. 3/0 to 4/0 EWG hooks for carolina/texas rigging.

[Jay K]

Boy did I pick a bad time to visit the Washington coast. Bought a 3-day license and a Discover Pass in hopes of hitting Long Beach and Cape Disappointment north jetty for some saltwater fishing this coming week, but looks like it's gonna wind, waves, rain and perhaps a storm or two... ugh... Hope the wife and I don't end up sitting in the motel all three days.

Any last minute tips besides packing waterproof clothing?

[natetreat]

Waders. When the waves are pounding over the top of the jetty, waders, wading belt and a life jacket. You may want to stick to fishing the boat basin if it gets too bad. Also if you go into beards hollow at low tide you can get at some surf perch from the rocks a bit safer.

[Jay K]

Thanks for the reply, Nate. Monday morning was 35-60mph winds and pounding rain, some light hail then finally snow. Terrible. Unfishable. Lost out on the 3-day fishing pass. Visited the north jetty though - neat place. North parking lot's closed till May, so it was a long hike from the farther parking lot (just wanted to see what the jetty was like).

Saw a dungeness crab claw, so I guess crabbing does happen (saw some youtube videos re: jetty crabbing too). Saw a dead whale for the first time on Long Beach - surreal.

Can't wait to visit again.

[Jay K]

@Fish-Freak23 - Thanks for the info. Would love to make a trip out April, but the better half has thus far vetoed it.

Anybody have any opinions on the "camping" near Long Beach? Less expensive (yet nice) digs vs the local motels?

[natetreat]

Ft. Canby State park, which has since been renamed, is a great place to camp near long beach. Make reservations early, it gets booked up fast. They have beachfront sites and lake front sites, the lake front ones are closer to the jetty. Other than that nothing's very fun.

[Jay K]

So, after the disappointing, no fishing, inaugural trip to Long Beach, we'd like to try again.

One question: Anybody know where I can light a portable charcoal grill in the Ft. Canby/North Jetty area? I'm assuming there's picnic sites, but are portable charcoal grills allowed? Short of booking a campsite, is there some day use park areas? Looks like you're allowed to light recreational fires on the beach 100ft from dune grass areas after perusing the Long Beach gov website. We've just no experience.

[Chucksrage]

Hi Jay, dont know if you have made this trip yet but I would go to westport instead of Ilwaco area. The jetty in westport is very productive and if the weather is bad you can crab in the boat basin there in westport. There are several tent camping areas around westport(I usually stay in Twin Harbors State Park). Also with Westport there are more things to do than in Ilwaco/LongBeach. This is just my feelings, I save the time and monay and fish/crab in westport also if you go in October you can fish for silvers in the boat basin.

[3footvis]

Probably can @ Waikkiki beach on the way to the jetty.... There is a day use area there with picnic tables, etc. Bring some pt wilson darts & blue fox spinners for salmon if its open.