Fished for the last two weeks around the appletree-cove/point-no-point, pilot point, possession, hat island/Camano head and nothing! Saw a seal lion chomping on one, hardly any bait or shakers anywhere. Where did the all go? South, North? HELLLLLP!!!

Anyways, thinking about hitting LK WASH. for some big trout.( dreaming of sockeye and silvers this summer...can't wait )

Anyone going out for springers? watch out if your a sledder like me, river flows are lowest in 30 years. OUCH, could be an expensive trip to a welder near you!

I hear you.
With the Skagit being too low (A first in my lifetime up there) I canceled my last couple of days on the river and we took the 24' out to the 'Juans yesterday. Black Rock (Thatcher Pass), Salmon Bank and Hein Bank... Nothing but shakers!!! I couldn't believe it. That was the first time I've been blanked out at Hein Bank.
Back at Washington Park the checkers had seen one fish for 22 boats
We should have stayed home and fished Saratoga Passage where we've been getting keepers every time out.
Oh well, it was a beautiful day in the Islands and the Banks were flat calm.
Time to catch up on the honeydo's and start to conspire against the Columbia springers. Good Luck!!!

There are fish out there. my fish and all others I have heard of from freinds, are close to bait. If you dont see bait move around....move out and in to differing depths until you find some bait. if none found motor someplace else. dont waste time on no bait areas. bait i have found is small also so put similar on your gear.

Sorry to ask a stupid question, but what does bait look like on the FF? I've seen a few surface schools, but am not sure what to look for on the FF.

I'm heading up to Admiralty this weekend, and will hit PNP and Bush on the way up. Any other likely spots?

Thanks, and regards.

Mike
Seattle

8 foot long time no hear, elliot bay seem to do pretty well at least for some people from the other boards, herd of some limits, check out some of the other posts on blackmouth, going to try to get out this weekend also good luck,

a large blob on the screen suspended usually (but can be near the bottom). you should now it when you see it. turn your fish i.d. off can help see better. learn to use the finder with fish i.d. off and you will see more stuff. usually if you look close you will see larger blips outside of the bait blob...those are your fish...good luck

I fish Manchester sunday . Hook into 25 or so fish. Alot of them being 1/4 inch off. What a blast.

Fished Elliot Bay last Sunday. Waded through about 15 or 20 shakers to get our two keepers (22 1/2" and 24"). Also saw a real nice 10 pounder boated. Worked the area right out in front of the ferry landing. On the water at 7:30 and done by 10:30. If ya want to see some pictures go to the ifish board and look at the Elliot Bay thread that RT posted.
As for the bait ball question turn off your fish ID, put your finder in manual and turn up the intensity to 100%, the bait balls will look just as described, like a wierd shape ball on the screen. Finding the bait is important, but to me for blackmouth what is really important is to keep the gear within 10 to 15 feet of the bottom. That's where there at!!!
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff

------------------
"Never be afraid to try something new."

Remember, amateurs built the ark.
Professionals built the Titanic.

[This message has been edited by salmonhead (edited 02-28-2001).]

WOW talk about shakers!

Anyways! Nice to hear from ya Doug! I've been around,I haven't been out much lately though. I developed a nice crack in my sled I had to get welded. Fixed now, just trying to figure out blackmouth! I went out alot when it was open in the late fall and got lots of barely legal fish around point-no-point! What a blast!

Headed over to the ifish board to take a looksee at the fish.

If all else fails I was behind Bill Gates place just outside the marker buoy in 200 ft of water and I noticed there are some large fish in LK WASH. Took my wife out for a romantic evening boat ride...AND DARNIT, she made me leave the poles at home....DOH!!!

Now wheres this manchester place? Lazy map reader here...lol I suppose I should look around the manchester ferry? OR maybe by the ferry docks in elliot bay.

8 Foot & Salmonhead - Yeah pretty important bit of info I forgot to mention....on the bottom...that is critical. Yeah, those small fish are regular biters so you will have to weed through them to get your keepers. But, when I have been fishing around bait I know Im seeing and catching bigger fish (6,6,9 and 10lbs so far) more regularly. you sometimes don't have a choice however because bait just doesnt seem to be anywhere....so do what you know works, where you know it's worked before. Oh yeah...When your out on the water watch what other boats are doing. You can learn a lot. Good Luck

8 foot if you would like any help with the blackmouth fishing let me know my boat or yours, am by no means an expert but have done pretty good, have all the gear if interested let me know would like to get out and do some fishing doug

8 foot...

The B-mouth are out there where salmonhead told you in his post. If you go to the other board and take a look the big fish was in my sled that day. We have fished that area 3 times since the opener and boated 7 keepers and close to a 100 shakers. The keepers we have taken were 24 - 29 inches. With 2 of them being about 10 pounds. All of the fish have come on Hotspot Flashers and spoons.

Fish 4 Fun

[This message has been edited by Fish4Fun (edited 03-01-2001).]

I've only been able to get out three times since the opener but have had no problem picking up nice fish. I've gotten away from using flashers and spoons or hoochies cause I dont want to mess with the smaller shakers and I've stuck to dragging the bottom with 4" silverhorde plugs( anyone with green backs will work but the 835s have been hottest) I have'nt had to go farther than hat island either so the fish are still here you just have to hunt around for them as they'll move around the bars with the tides

Area 7 has been good since the opener. I have seen(not caught -:})a 22 1/2 and a 25 # last weekend. The previous weekend, word has it that a 27 # won one of the derby's in the islands. West Beach,Pt Doughty, North Shore and Pt Lawrence has been good. Thacher Pass has probably been producing the bigger fish. We will going out again this weekend.Weather doesn't look all that good now but is supposed to calm down tomorrow.

Fishing winter hole of PA. 1st trip, caught 6, 1-8lb keeper (with eggs and white meat....), next trip, caught 5, lost nice one at the boat. Last trip, no baitfish around....no fish. Still learning the area.

You might hate fishing there, but Elliot Bay has tons of bait and lots of Blackmouth!

I'm headed out on monday to elliot bay Doug. What do you use? Seems like I forgot how to catch them...lol

Back in the first half of the Blackmouth season we used silver horde plugs and did great. I hear something about coyote spoons trolled behind dodgers and flashers actually work better. Is this true?

8 FOOT, just fished Elliot today, there has been a big wad of bait out in 250' of water NNW from the Todd Shipyard pier. Have pulled some nice fish out of there trolling flasher/bucktails with 150' of wire out at about 2 knots. I think folks are finding fish in other areas of the bay as well but you might want to check that spot out too.

What is the ifish board?How do i get there?Please.Can,t find it.

NP, www.ifish.net
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff

------------------
"Never be afraid to try something new."

Remember, amateurs built the ark.
Professionals built the Titanic.