Anyone around here ever fish Sekiu and surrounding Area 5 for Halibut and bottom fish? I just booked a few days up at Van Rypers around the first of June and was wondering about what to use and where to fish and any success stories you might have. Pictures? Thanks Glenn

Will butt's even still be open that time of year?????. Rock fish in the kelp bed's.Good luck,
SZ

Not the best for halibut and or rockfish. There are some halibut found in the area especially off the mouth of the Sekiu River. Rockfish are pretty scarce there. You can find greenling at the edges of the kelp beds.

if you have the time and enough boat you can run to Tatoosh and beyond and find good rockfish areas. Do check the regs. they are getting more and more complex every year. Many areas are closed altogether and others are closed to certain types of rockfish.

Butts will be open thursday through saturday starting the last week in may and ending June 23rd I believe. Butts can be plentiful in some spots, all I can say is good luck. Dave gave you one location, its a good spot but is a nursery( a lot of 10 - 25lbers). Other than that search near and far, you will find fish. See ya on the water, Chris!

Check the regs for where you can keep rockfish. There is also the 120' restriction to contend with except while halibut fishing. The link below will take you to the regs. See page 10 of the marine rules for MA 5


http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01384/2012-13_marine.pdf

Thanks I will try at the mouth of the Sekiu. I just bought a Hewescraft 220 Pacific Cruiser. So I could head out around Tatoosh. It came with a pretty good gps I could probably find some spots if I had the names of places. I have been fishing out of Sekiu since 1978 two or three times every year and sometimes four if I am lucky but it has always been chasing Salmon. Dave my favorite story about Sekiu is the one you wrote for STS. Looking at those old pictures it is hard to imagine it being the same place. Now days I dont go if I cant get a room. When I was younger I used to tent camp get soaked get up at 4am "totally hung over usually" to fish. To quote Patrick Mcmanus a fine and pleasant misery. Thanks for the info Glenn

As others have stated, the straits are marginal for rockfish. I usually fish out of Neah Bay and run out past and south of Tatoosh. I typically take the extra 45mins to run south to Cape Alava and fish near the Bodeltah Islands. Yes, it's a bit of a run but I limit on rockfish every time in 30-60 minutes and don't have much trouble finding lings etc. Also the limit in area 4 is 10 rockfish/person whereas it's only 3 in area 5. When I hit rockfish in area 4, I only need to fish 2-3 days the entire summer to have my fill for the rest of the year. I still have some vacuum packed and frozen from last August.

Don't get caught fishing in a lower limit area after you limit in the higher limit area......go straight back to the dock.....best to fish lower limit area first if you want, then go to the other area before going back in.

I second, the head south of Tatoosh to the islands in the distance. Bottom fishing is unbelievable.

If you have a bigger boat id find yourself some spots in deeper water straight off sekiu thats where the bigger ones come from. Whiskey creek too. But stay away from between the rivers theres no fish there.

My buddy and I make an annual Halibut trip to the Straits, sometimes CQ and sometimes PA. This year we are going to PA since CQ is open only in June and my first grandson is due around 6/20!

We do OK for Butts at CQ. Last year the two of us got 3, two were small teeners and the third was 55 pounds. The ocean is better but there are fish there.

Here are the regs for this year.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/mar2212a/

"Around the first of June" there are rather mediocre tides over there. On 6/2 for instance, it is a 1.2 minus tide and a 5.8 high tide, 8 foot of tide change makes for a lot of tide flow. Count on back trolling against the tide with your kicker to keep your lines somewhat straight up and down.

We usually fish west of CQ just east of the Sekiu River off of Kaydaka Pt. Usually 350 to 400 feet of wtr, 32 to 40 oz. We do get fish in closer if the tide is really a problem, often 150-200 feet.

Good luck. CQ aint much for rockfish. You get a true Cod now and then fishing for Butts.

Chuck, I think I saw you guys right around Seal rock (I think that is what it is called) on Saturday. The wind on Saturday sucked but Sunday turned out to be nice and we put a good dent in the freezer.

Contact your local Power Boat squadron or USCG Auxiliary unit for a boat inspection. You'll be up to date on gear, etc when they're done.

Their window sticker won't preclude a stop/boarding by USCG, SO, or WDFW but you'll know your flares, life jackets (check the indicator on your inflatable) etc are current.

The Sheriff on Saturday and CG on Sunday both were quick to do their thing and let me return to fishing. CG just looked at my slip from the CG inspection/boarding in November and said have a good day.

No problem getting off topic when I was doing my shake down cruise on the new boat a sheriff boat came up along side.Very nice group I saw them coming and said to myself oh great here we go. But they just chatted with us I didn't have my numbers on it yet but they did see the temp sticker in the window. Over here on the east side any time you get approached by the man you get a thorough shake down which usually ruins your outing and sometimes your wallet. In one day over here I was stopped by a sherriff boat a tribal boat a coastgaurd boat parks department boat and a federal game warden on lake Roosevelt. The Coast gaurd guy was the most annoying. He says skipper I am going to board your vessel. Asks me what my home port is I guess he meant where did I launch and when I didnt have a bilge rag and and bucket unnamed vessel it was a 19ft. run about I didnt think I had to name it and a few other sundri items he says. Skipper I am going to have to terminate your voyage and hands me a ticket for $1100. Which I was told I would have to go Alameda California to contest it. It is just my opinion but I think we are so busy trying to protect ourselves from ourselves we are sucking the life out of living. Thanks for the Halibut advice I read in the regs that they may open area 4 if there is any quota left and if that is the case I will run out to one of the spots off shore if the weather is good. Does anyone have an opinion on if it is better to run out from CQ or to trailer up and launch in Neah Bay then run out.
Thanks Glenn

Wow, I've been fishing CQ since the early 80's and I've never been checked by anyone, not the CG, Sheriff or anyone. I was over there in early august last year and the WDFW came along side and just wanted to know how we were doing and chat awhile. Didnt ask to see our licenses or anything.

Just an FYI
Olson's has taken out the fuel dock. No fuel available except at the gas station in Clallam Bay.

I carry 42 gal in my Seahawk, thats usually enuff for several days around CQ. I dont usually to make long runs there. I've got a habit of stopping in Sequim on the way home and gassing up at the Costco. Close to the highway.

That gas dock at Olsons is a pain anyway. Rarely anyone there and you always had to run up to the office to get somebody.

Thanks that is good to know although a pain and expensive some times it was handy. I have 85 gal capacity and am planning to launch at Neah Bay if they reopen area 4. Thursday morning with a full tank then trailering back to CQ to spend the night I will be sure to top off my tank. Speaking of which any Ideas on gas for a new 250 Honda. Like premium? or additives? Ethanol free? I have had troubles with an 8hp honda kicker fueling up at Olsons the guy at the boat place there said the newer motors are more sensitive to what you feed them and wont run on bad gas like the older ones would. I never related the problem to the gas at Olsons. Just thought I got condensation because it did rain the whole time I was last there.