Fishing

[Keverian FireCry]

In the past most of the fishing I've done was up in the mountains of Washington State (Olympics/Cascades). I did just fine with a cheap-ass rod/reel combo and caught lots of rainbow trout, which were often just big enough to throw on the fire and eat.

However I want to fish more often which means going to a beach, dock, or a friends boat in the Puget Sound(aka Seattle). That's northwest saltwater we're talking about, with a huge variety of sea-life.

Since I'm a beginner I didn't spend hundreds on a rod and reel, but I did get a considerable upgrade from the chintzy $25 rod/reel combo I had before.

I now have a Master Blackfinn 21, which is a 6'6" inch fiberglass rod that can deal with 10-25lb line. The reel I bought today(guess it's yesterday now) is an Okuma Helix II H-65, which can handle up to a 20lb line.

I know there aren't many here who live near or fish in Puget Sound, but I'm looking for general fishing tips, techniques, etc. Individual experiences with different lures, bait, depths, etc. for certain kinds of saltwater fish. I love fishing, but I'm a total noob so don't expect me to know every term. I didn't even know wtf a 'leader' was till today.

Thanks in advance.

[Kilmoll the Sexy]

You probably need Rich to take you out for a weekend of man-love and teachings. My only real advice is to spend some jack on one of the superlines like PowerPro or Spiderwire. They are going to be smaller in diameter and much much stronger than other types of line.

I do a lot of inland fresh water stuff so can't help out to much with the baits for salties. Give me those crazy fighting smallmouth bass or give me nothing!

[Canelek]

I know jack shit about salt water fishing, aside from cut-plug herring trolling at the Jaws of Nehalem, and URB Chinook fishing on main-stem Columbia, but that is only because I have a buddy that is a former guide.

Want some REAL tips on ALL fishing in the Pacific NW?

http://www.ifish.net/board/index.php

Here is all you need to know. Albacore, salmon, sturgeon, shad, other salties and even some river smallies (although bass fishing is generally frowned upon up here, fucking Oregon hicks).

Want smallmouth tips for rivers and lakes? Talk to me and Jeff. Dude knows his shit although I'd likely school him up here in Sasquatch country. That's right biatch!

[Kilmoll the Sexy]

I would bring my quarterbacks up there that those smallies have likely never seen before and you would not even have time to cast with the bitching you would do about my cheater baits. Pulled a 19" smallie out of the shit waters here of an Ohio creek 2 weeks ago. It is amazing what you can learn about fishing when the body of water can actually change every year due to flooding. I knew jack shit about moving water fishing 5 years ago and now I can basically tell you where I am going to catch something out of.


oh yea....we need to find a long weekend one of these days to hit it up somewhere where the bass run large and drink a lot of beer and get our fishing on brokeback lake style

[Aabidano]

I'm somewhat of a fishing fanatic, but know jack and shit about fishing in that part of the country

For me it's about kayaks, snook and redfish.

[Canoe]

Saltwater fishing is a blast, but unfortunately all I've ever done is with other people's equipment (I've fished in Alaska on the west coast for Rockfish, Halibut etc, and various charters for Tuna / Swordfish etc on the east), but the bulk of my fishing like others have said has been inland for trout, bass, northern's, etc....

Good Luck man.

If I were you, i'd take your best guess and not buy a lot (a few lures, some line) and just go up on the docks and talk to the locals (not the bait shop owners trying to see you stuff - the actual locals fishing). Most of the time they will know better than ANYBODY what you need to fish for the various types of fish that are up there.

Great story along the same lines. A couple years ago I went up to Alaska fishing for a couple weeks with my brother and my father and a few other friends. It was a combination salt water / fresh water trip - some salt water for the big boys (Halibut), and inland fishing for anything from King Salmon, To Dolly Varden, to Rainbow's.

Anyway - we spent a FORTUNE on lures for the King Salmon, as we all wanted to bag many of those while up there - I'm talking maybe $200 a person on lures, in addition to a special salmon rod etc. When we got up there - do you know what the locals used? A piece of bright yarn (florescent pink or orange usually) tied to a hook. That's it.

It was hillarious - we caught all our salmon on yarn and / or salmon eggs which we harvested from the salmon we were catching. And the hundreds of dollars of lures went unused to this day!

Anyway - go talk to the locals hanging around the docks and ships, and be friendly - you'll be surprised what you will learn

Canoe

[Canelek]

Chinook/Coho/Steelhead + fast-water = corkie + yarn and perhaps a crawdad tail or cured salmon skein. Keep your leaders under 18" for rivers/streams up here and NO FUCKING FLOSSING/SNAGGING!