flat fish in Grays harbor

[fish_4_all]

Anyone know where to catch flounder, hake or other flatfish from shore in Grays Harbor? I have caught occasional one here and there but I really want to get into a good number of them and not have to go all the way to Tacoma. There has to be somewhere they congregrate because we catch them as far as 15 miles up in the Chehalis river. Granted it is tidal but that is a long ways up to expect to catch them.

Anyone know where to go and what to use to catch them? Or maybe better yet, when to target them in Grays Harbor?

[A9]

Anywhere in the Puget Sound with a sandy/gravel bottom is usually host to a good population of flounder.

They'll bite anything. I like small chunks of herring....Cast and slowly slowly reel em in....

[tommytitan08]

the best places for flounder IMHO are any river mouths with sandy bottoms. I like to use squid because it's tough but stays on for a long time. Give it a try. Tight lines

[fish_4_all]

Guess I will just have to try and figure out when they are in here in the bay. I know they are here but never in any kind of numbers like you see in the sound. I would go up there but it is a 2 hour trip each way and I would much rather stay local so I can afford to go more than twice a year.

There has to be something close to here.

[Shad_Eating_Grin]

Like you, I am a shore fisher. I have tried in vain to locate good numbers of them in Grays Harbor, more particularly around Westport. The few that I have caught or seen caught from shore are starry flounder. I've tried fishing the typical terrain in Westport where I expect to find them (e.g., intertidal areas with sandy bottom) and have mostly drawn blanks. I catch way too many perch and rockfish and greenling from shore at Westport though.

[Dustin07]

Where in the Puget Sound do you guys catch them? The area I know best is around Point Defiance, but I've only trolled for salmon there. How do you go after flounders?

[kutthroatkilla]

Where in the Puget Sound do you guys catch them? The area I know best is around Point Defiance, but I've only trolled for salmon there. How do you go after flounders?

I caught tons in Yukon Harbor by Vashon/Pt. Orchard when I was 10 years old living over on that side of the sound. All we used were little buzz bombs in about 20-30 feet of water on a sandy/gravel bottom. I do believe there was some outlet creek nearby Yukon Harbor in Puget Sound. No need for bait, really, but it works just as well. Buzz bombs - any color! Also, around Blake Island can be good. Some of these flounder can get up there with some impressive weight! The area in red is where we fished. Also, there are many sea-run cutts for C&R along that shoreline too. That's an amazing spot for flounder of good size. Good luck if you go. I usually hop the ferry from Bainbridge/Vashon.

[fish_4_all]

I have been up and fished the Puget sound 6-7 times and never had a problem catching them. Worms, herring, anchovies, smelt, squid and everything else was swallowed up everywhere we went.

Looks like it is almost alosing cause to find the locally though. Guess we don't have the water depth needed to find them in any real numbers.

[christopherbeebe]

I have been up and fished the Puget sound 6-7 times and never had a problem catching them. Worms, herring, anchovies, smelt, squid and everything else was swallowed up everywhere we went.

Looks like it is almost alosing cause to find the locally though. Guess we don't have the water depth needed to find them in any real numbers.

i have read in a few books that the north jetty in ocean shores produces good numbers of starry flounder, but i have never tried personaly..but if ya happen to find any good spots please share cause i love catching flat fish even living in westport and fishing everyday as a teen i never came across any. and the ones we have here in the sound tend to be heavy with parasites so i tend to not even keep them like to catch em though

[The Quadfather]

Not to hijack the thread...... but how about title it "Where are places that you (cannot) catch flounder.

[fish_4_all]

Well it would fit better. But you can catch them here just not in large numbers, not that I have found anyway.

[G-Man]

I think in general most folks fish for them in too deep of water when fishing from shore or the jetty. You need to fish where they can find and ambush the bait and that is usually in or near the surf. When the tide is way out, look for a trough or depression in the sand and irregularities at the base of the jetties. When the tide is in this is where you are going to catch them. In Puget Sound most are caught in bays and off of points as this is where, when the tide runs, the bait will be concentrated and pushed down in the water column. Your biggest problem will be surf perch taking your bait, but hey, I'll take a few dinner plate sized surf perch any day of the week.

PS - If you can find them, pile worms have always done the trick for me with flounder.

[kutthroatkilla]

Yukon Harbor holds big ones without worms. We ate them too. 5-8 lbs. They put up an amazing fight...I imagine a fly fisher could have some fun with these buggers too...they are not always easy to find in schools/groups, but that place always did me well.

You get good protection from the strong southerly/southwesterly winds we receive during the fall-winter-spring.

[tommytitan08]

I've caught hundreds of them at the mouth of chambers creek in steilacoom washington from shore or boat while salmon fishing. Also try quartermaster harbor between vashon and maury islands. A little more protected because of being a large cove.