Point Defiance 6/29 "report"

I say "report" because there wasn't a whole hell of a lot to report! I was on the water at 5:30 out of Owen Beach and paddled over to my little hole by the concrete stairs and started jigging with a white candlefish Dart...Lots of boats out and the current was perfect for jigging...Nice morning out and then it started to cool down...Switched to another color jig but in an anchovy and started in again and nothing...I pretty much kept everything right on the bottom...Slathered up both jigs with salted anchovy Smelly Jelly and...NOTHING. I did manage two midsized flounder that tasted pretty good but other than that, nada. I did not see any boats pulling anything in either. One thing to note: even if I did hook up with a salmon it probably would have been dinner for the bastard seals that were everywhere out there...They were thick between boats just watching and waiting for someone to hook up...I swear when they see someones pole take a dive, they head straight for that boat and poach that fish. So not much to report yet...Hopefully the fish are on the way.

Thanks for the report.  I saw a post on a different forum where a seal had taken the face off of their salmon but they manged to get it somehow.   They lost a different one to the seals.  I would think a seal stealing a salmon could be quite a problem in a kayak.  I have also heard of them grabbing the fish in the net on the side of the boat.  Seems to me that unhooking a native fish might really pose a significant risk for kayak fishers.

I understand that hazing with paintball gun is completely legal.  I don't have one (yet) but boaters should start using them to do a little educating before someone gets hurt.

(noob alert)  You mentioned that the current was perfect, I thought because there was such a big exchange that the current might be pretty strong.  How do you determine what a good current is out there?

I try and hit the Point at high slack tide. That is generally the best fishing because the bait get moving and the current dies during the tide change. I mean, it still moves, especially if you get closer to the clay banks. But when I was jigging, I stayed right around the concrete stairs by the walking trail and didn't have to paddle too much for about an hour and a half, then it started moving some more. It pretty much works the same for low tide as well - you get about an hour and a half and then it kicks back into gear. I was jigging in about 100 feet of water or so...

So once it kicks in to gear, you are pretty much done on the big exchanges?

Once it gets going it rips pretty good...It's not bad but you get a hell of a workout. Usually I will jig/mooch through the tide change and then start trolling when it gets movin'. I am done with the stupid Deep Six divers though...Sticking to the 12 OZ ball weight/Kone Zone setup. I am actually going to take pride in blowing up/melting down my Deep Six on the 4th of July because I was so frustrated with the thing yesterday...Death by Artillery Shell...

I have a downrigger with a 4lb ball.  I am in the process of making stainless steel stick weights for the downrigger ball.

I try and hit the Point at high slack tide. That is generally the best fishing because the bait get moving and the current dies during the tide change. I mean, it still moves, especially if you get closer to the clay banks. But when I was jigging, I stayed right around the concrete stairs by the walking trail and didn't have to paddle too much for about an hour and a half, then it started moving some more. It pretty much works the same for low tide as well - you get about an hour and a half and then it kicks back into gear. I was jigging in about 100 feet of water or so...

... Concrete stairs ...  D'you mean the ones by the Les Davis pier?  Or is there another set out closer to the Point?  I have done a bit of diving off Les Davis, but haven't done any boating or diving out that way...

Jim

The concrete stairs near the boathouse along the pathway...Sometimes the kings will hang out over in that "pocket" so I usually go there and then drift back towards Owen Beach. I am going to bring herring next time...Should have this time but I spaced out.