Fishing Spots near the Puget Sound?

[schibbyzoltan]

Hey guys, my brother and I are looking for places near the Sound to fish. I live in Gig Harbor and he lives in Tacoma. He's a California transplant as of about a year ago and he and I are starting to get into fishing but we always seem to be SOL where we go. We drove a couple hours about 6 weeks ago to the hatchery on the Cowlitz. There were probably 15 boats and 60 people out there and no one caught anything. We're not fishing for anything in particular, just something that swims and will catch onto a hook. Just a good time for my brother and I. Anyone have any recommendations on when and where to check out? Appreciate guys!

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[HandLoad]

Tacoma Narrows Park is on GH side, at the base of the Bridges. I have only been "Fishing" for a month or so, and have caught NOTHING! @TNP, the bottom is a gentle slope down for a ways out, with seaweed and stones - I haven't lost any gear there, but I have amassed quite a pile of Seaweed in my Two visits there. Ya can walk up and Down the Beach a ways.

Good thing is that it is a Very Short walk from the Parking Lot (I am handicapped), and the Potty.

About Twelve Miles by road from there, there is a FINE Concrete Pier off the South End of Fox Island. When You Fish off that Pier, You can cast quite a ways into the deep. Problems there are a Few: It is a Pretty Long Walk for me to get to the Pier. No Potties on or Near the Pier - a Looooong way back Uphill to get to the Potty and the Parking Lot. Depending on Tide, you can be as much as an (Estimated) Thirty Feet above the water level. If you land a heavy Fish, you will have to pull it onto the Beach, Leave Your gear, walk allll the way bsck to the parking Lot, and take a Different way down to the beach. I takes me Thrity Minutes! (But I am Old and Walk Slooow)

I have been there about Six Times. Only Once did I see ANYBODY else! Peaceful and Picturesque...You can see the Bridges in the Distance. You can see "Bait Fish Balls" all the Time, and they Jump....

Tide at both places makes for a Fast Current so ya might want to look at the Tide Tables, and Figure to be there an Hour before Slack, and maybe as much as an hour After.

As far as I have learned, the Fishing at either place is Great! - But the Catching ..not so much!!! I am a Complete Idiot about Fishing, though. YMMV (and if it does, tell me what you did, Would Ya?) One Final note on these Two: Even though The Parks' Info says "Dawn to Dusk" Hours, it is really 0730 till Dark. Don't go expecting to hit slack Tide at 0430 - the Gates will be Closed! (Ask me How I know)

Another place That rents Boats! ANND has a Concrete Pier, and lots of distance of Concrete SeaWall to fish from, is Point Defiance Park, on the Tacoma Side. I haven't fished there, as I abhor paying a Bridge Toll, and avoid it like the plague. Might have to break down and Rent a Boat, if I can Find a Couple of others to share the costs, but it is too far and too involved to go fishing over there very often.

I have a Friend who is a Super Fisherman, and He tells me that ya gotta have a Boat if ya want to have a decent chance to land a King or Chinook Salmon - they stay too far offshore, and too deep for Shoreside Fishing, for the most part.

 

[HandLoad]

Oh yeah, a Buddy of Mine who is a Real Fisherman tells me that the Pink Salmon Run is productive at Fox Island.. He says that the Pinks have a reputation of being only just a tad better than the Icky Chum Salmon, but if you gut the Pinks and Ice them immediately, they are "Pretty Fine". He says that they are fun to Fish, as they have No Quit, and Fight all the way to the net. Good for Kids and cheaper gear, as they are not so big a fish. He also says it is near impossible to Not catch one when they run, in Mid-July to Late August. Big Limits on them too, so you could fill your Freezer, or Canning Shelves. I will be there on Weekdays for that!

 

[Jarhead2]

If you can wait until August it you will catch your limit of Pinks in the Puyallup river in about an hour.
Nasty fish (in my opinion) but a fun fight and good practice.
Everyone and their sisters brothers cousin will be on the river this season so try and find a good spot.

Ian

 

[Caveman Jim]

When I lived around the Sound, a friend & I would rent small boats out of Point Defiance. We did well because he was raised on Fox Island & fished it all his life..
That being said, 2013 has been the worst year for Spring salmon and Summer steelhead in my opinion, so hope the Fall kings are going to show in good number but I am not anticipating it being any better.
Good luck & be safe out there...

 

[2506]

If you can wait until August it you will catch your limit of Pinks in the Puyallup river in about an hour.
Nasty fish (in my opinion) but a fun fight and good practice.
Everyone and their sisters brothers cousin will be on the river this season so try and find a good spot.

Ian

Agreed, nasty. Smoke 'em if ya got 'em, I always say.

 

[Caveman Jim]

If ya ain't gonna eat em, don't fish for em, I always say.

 

[Jarhead2]

If ya ain't gonna eat em, don't fish for em, I always say.

Ever heard of "Catch and Release"?

Some rivers you can catch all day but not keep.

Green River for example, you go and catch silvers all day and keep your limit.
Then you hook and land a King. Well you aren't allowed to keep kings in the Green river.
So why fish it??? BECAUSE IT IS FUN!!!!!

 

[jsparks747]

Ever heard of "Catch and Release"?

Some rivers you can catch all day but not keep.

Green River for example, you go and catch silvers all day and keep your limit.
Then you hook and land a King. Well you aren't allowed to keep kings in the Green river.
So why fish it??? BECAUSE IT IS FUN!!!!!

Catch and release fishing still kills fish. Morality rates are between 10-30% depending on the river, type of catching device, etc. Mostly stupid fisherman don't wet their hands before they grab a fish.

 

[Flymph]

Find some kelp beds or jetties on calm days. Boulder fields in bays (I'm talking garage to barn size)... use drop shot and medium light tackle on incoming tides with whatever as bait. Surf perch and kelp greenling, or whatever may bite that day. Live sand shrimp or mole crabs work well, and once you find fish, the hardest part is keeping bait on the hook. Buy a few dozen shrimp if you want to fish for more than an hour.

At least that's how we do it in Oregon...

I hear October has some awesome squid fishing.