Sekiu/Neah Bay Halibut

Hi all,

A buddy of mine and I are headed to Sekiu middle of next week for halibut, and will also target some lingcod and rockfish around seal/sail rock.  I am not looking for gps coordinates, but I am hoping someone has some knowledge/information they would be willing to share with a fellow kayaker about general areas that will produce, particularly for halibut.  I know people say they catch halibut in Clallam Bay just outside Sekiu, but I was hoping to spend most of my time near seal/sail rock as I will have much more opportunities for various species up there (including salmon).  Are there any general ideas of spots or areas near there that would be prime halibut territory?  Plan right now is to try and find sandy/gravelly bottom with a hump or slope and drift fish a spreader rig with herring and see what I can dredge up. Thanks in advance.

you might find this helpful: https://www.huntfishharvest.com/2020/08/18/seven-places-to-kayak-fish-in-the-strait-of-juan-de-fuca/

Might be worth calling the WDFW fish folks and asking them. Also, local fishing shops & guides will have good info - you just gotta figure out how to get it out of them.

The WDFW 'Marine Area' pages define 'major fishing areas' and give quick overviews of fish targeted and techniques used:
https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/locations/marine-areas/sekiu-pillar-point#major-fishing

http://salmonuniversity.com/regions/washington/strait-of-juan-de-fuca

Call Olesons or Van Ripers to get more detailed information. Halibut have been running small this year with a mean weight of about 14lbs (retained) - usually they're around 20lbs.

A few years back a group of us launched at Sekiu. I don’t remember exactly where we launched, but do remember there were a lot of boats out that could be seen from the road that will be a good indicator of where to fish. The tide was a bit confusing. When we thought it would turn the other direction (per the tide tables) and it didn’t. We did about a 16 mile round trip that day and it was a lot of work peddling back to launch into the current. So, unlike us, be mindful of how far you drift. I hope this is helpful. Good luck