Any one fish for flounder out of Hoodsport area?
Catch and release Chum are fine and fun, but a dinner fish would be nice too.
How to, and areas would be nice.
thanks in advance

Hey BASSIN, if you are looking for flounder or other bottom fish I would suggest going to Areas 11 and 13. I hardly ever hear reports from Area 12 of people catching bottom fish. I don't know if bottom fish just aren't there or people just don't fish for them in that area, besides crab. Good crabbin' in the Canal!

Hey there... I can't speak for the south end of the Canal, but the north end is lousy with flounder. I haven't fished for them specifically, but I've caught a bunch while salmon fishing. I'm sure you can target them and do well, but I'm not really sure how to go about it.

Here's what I've found: most of the flounder I've caught have been from the depths-- over 40 feet. They've all taken herring or baitfish imitations such as Coyote spoons. If I wanted to go out tomorrow for flounder, I would use a bunch of small cut plug herring and dead drift with the bait a crank or two off the bottom. Fish shallow, and you're more likely to pick up sculpin and greenling.

You might be able to do well trolling artificials such as small spoons close to the bottom in the shallows or anchor and fish bait such as herring chunks or clam necks (which I've seen recommended) off three-way rigs. Fly fishermen tell me that they've caught a ton of flounder in the shallows fishing over mud and sand bottoms.

While I've been fly fishing for searun in some of the bays, I've seen starry flounder quite a bit.

Hope this helps because few things are as tasty as shrimp-stuffed flounder fillets.

absolutely go deeper than 40'. that is the key. get too shallow and you will get scavengers. i use cut herring or fresh squid and both have been working well in area 11. we run the bait on a 1 or 1/0 hook with a 3' leader with a 1 to 3 ounce sinker depending on depth and current (use as much as you need to keep it down on the bottom but go as light as you can get away with) and bounce along the bottom with the current, or slowly with the motor.

Thanks for the replys, KSR and Kjackson, where would you put in at for those locations? I may get a chance this week to get out and all the water down here is runnning REALLY muddy.
thanks in advance.

redondo has a paved back-in ramp with a $5 parking fee and des moines has a hoist for $20 in/out (if you've got a boat over 18' and dont want to back your truck into the salt, this is the best way to go) i usually fish the poverty bay area north to 3 tree point. i havent been down to the narrows in a long time, ive heard that is a pretty good place fish also

For the north canal, I'd launch at Salsbury Pt. Park just north of the bridge on the east side. They've pulled the docks, though, and it's a bugger in a north wind. The other alternative in the north is to launch on the west side of the bridge at Shine Tidelands. The sign says it's closed, but you can still launch. Not a great launch, but it works when the wind is wrong for the other side.

Another location - area 10, Jeff Head off the white house in 120 feet of water. I was pulling them off my line last month while in pursuit of blackmouth. Heck, they were coming up 20 feet off bottom to grab my hoochie/herring strip rigs. So they reallt taste OK? I've never much bothered with them...

Mike--

You know that sole you see advertised for something like $5 a pound? Or have you ever bought "stuffed sole" in a restaurant for $20? That's the same thing...

Keith

When I was a kid we used to catch a lot of them around Bremerton. Back then they were wormmy and not fit to eat. So we fished for true cod and they were better eating than Sole. Just my two cents worth. Jim S. :p

bassin, here's a surefire way to catch sole. Get yourself one of those metal crappie rigs and tie on a couple of 2/0 hooks. Then put on the appropriate size weight on the bottom of the rig; usually a 3 ouncer is fine. All you need for bait is earthworms, just rig them on the hook like you would for trout and it knocks them dead. No kidding! I use Sole for bait when I am fishing for Lingcod and I have found this method to be the quickest for catching Sole. Use anything smaller than a 2/0 hook and you will be digging down deep in their stomache for the hook. Just let the rig hit the bottom and reel up a couple of cranks. Good luck!

Bassin

Used to fish down there alot. We have a house just north of the powerplant. Follow what the other replies have said. Get fairly deep and use herring or baitfish just off bottom. I usually would go a little north of the powerplant (about 1/2 mile). You can get some decent ones there but there arent alot around. There is a pretty good launch just south of the powerplant but I dont remember the name of it.

Good luck.

[ 01-06-2002: Message edited by: Big Al ]

[ 01-06-2002: Message edited by: Big Al ]