Questions from a tourist chasing bottom fish.

Greetings Washington Kayakers,

I'm kayaking fool in Texas and the wife wants to escape the 100+ heat we've been experiencing.  We will be on Orca Island the last week of August.

I trust a good board like this, so I wanted to pose some questions, so I don't show up clueless. 

1.  Should I rent a kayak from Orca Island or should I get one from Seattle?  I am flying with a "dashboard" so as long as its a sit on top, I wont have to worry about rigging it.  I don't want to be restricted, i.e. I want to be able to take it where I want.  I'm experienced as far as the texas coast, where we've paddled out to oil rigs after launching from the surf. 

2.  Will I need a wet suit to stay warm?  If so, can you rent these? and where?

3.  From my research, my best bet at catching fish is to bottom fish. Is this right? or is the bottom fishing around Orca island over fished or just poor? Please correct me if I am wrong.  I'd love to catch a salmon, but I may not have the skill set to do so.

4.  I've downloaded the regulations, but would love someone to clarify what I can catch legally.  We don't have fishing seasons in Texas, but I definitely want to be legal.

5.  Does anybody have a guide they recommend out of Orcas Island.

I have more questions, but that will do for now. 

Thanks in advance for any responses.  In turn, if ever headed to the gulf coast, go to www.texaskayakfisherman.com and ask any questions you may have.  I will definitely respond and so will lots of others.



tight lines,

Andy

welcome to WA    good fishing around the San Juans.  i don't know about rentals in the area but you could start with REI in Seattle.  i think they rent them but doubt they have SOT's.  the only place i've found an SOT for rent was this place http://www.kayakalki.com/rentals.html .  they had only one for rent and it was for sale so they may not even have it any more.

for fishing, if you want an easy way to fish for salmon, all you need is some banana weights and some herring or you could go even simpler and grab some Point Wilson Darts and jig them at slack tide around bait balls.  try some pink buzz bombs too since it's a pink year or tow around a white flasher and a pink hoochie.  pinks are good biters and there is going to be plenty of them to go around this year.

bottom fishing is mostly done (from what i've seen) with plastic jigs in brownish type colors on a ~2oz jig head. drop it to the bottom, jig it and depending on whether you're around structure or sandy bottom, you can come up with rock fish, sand dabs/sole/flounder, cabezon and who knows what else.

wet or dry suit is a good idea since the water temps here are around 50°.  not totally necessary if you aren't too far away from shore or there are other boaters around if you get dumped.  just my opinion on that. you can check temps and water conditions here : http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/PZ/135.html

looks like you'll most likely be fishing in Marine Area 7.  rules there are salmon must be 22", you can only keep one King out of your two fish limit plus 2 additional Pink salmon.  so you could keep one king and two pinks, or one king, one coho and two pinks.  after August 1st, you must release wild Coho(silver) salmon.  legal, hatchery fish are marked by removing the adipose fin. (the little one between the dorsal fin and the tail)  looks like the limit is 1 rockfish.  you can keep up to 15 flounders though.  hooks must be barbless and no trebles.  up to 2 hooks per lure.  confused yet?  might want to grab a printed copy of the rules at a sporting goods store to keep with you.  they are confusing at best.

you may even get to see some Killer Whales around the islands while you're out there fishing.  

good luck and enjoy your vacation.  

Bobby

I would study a current atlas and washburne table...otherwise stay close to shore and go out at slack.

It's a fairly dynamic place as far as currents are concerned. I was at Cypress last week and we had some spots with current at 7-9 nauts and 2 foot tidal rapids. It's not like that everywhere, but you can be at one spot at slack with no current, and the same spot two hours later will be ripping with whirl pools etc.

Going when the moon is half full will give you the smallest tide exchange and smaller currents.

It's best to at least wear a wetsuit...I don't plan on getting in a car wreck everytime I drive my car, but I still put on a seat belt.

Don't mean to worry you, just be aware of the hazards and be safe!

Thanks fellas!  I'm looking forward to my trip

Try Shearwater kayaking out of Doe Bay.  I know they rent out kayaks, have no idea what kind....

Ok, I talked to my first rental shop, and the results were thus:

I told them I have a Cobra Navigator, a sit on top, and have frequently taken it on the gulf of mexico as far out as some oil rigs (bout three miles).  These are surf launches.  Also some class three rapids and multiple lake trips.

They rent sit on tops, but thought I should take a sea kayak.  i told her I'm not experienced with sit in kayaks, and asked if the transition from sit on top to sea kayak is reasonable/doable.  after speaking to her coworkers she came back on and asked about the conditions in the gulf.  Well, i told her I have launched in 6-8 foot surf and the swells can be large out on the gulf, with fairly big north to south currents.

At this, she said the conditions were way different around orcas island and they wouldn't rent one to me.  Now, we were friendly the whole time, and I am not angry in anyway with them.  But dang, the pictures and from what I've read, it doesn't seem that bad in doe bay and around west bay. 

Now, I'm just wanting to paddle around the sounds and near shore, no island hopping or long distance trips. 

Did they just get worried about the liability?  I mean, i see rowboats in the pictures. We'd never take row boats out into the gulf (well, I take that back I've seen john boats with 8 rednecks 20 miles offshore, but thats not me...)

thanks,

andy

SINK kayaks are so established in the Pacific Northwest that it's hard to convince some people that SOT kayaks are a viable option, particularly for fishing.

I think the woman at the kayak shop's main worry was currents and tides as Nanook suggests above.  You would be a lot more efficient in a SINK and you'd get used to the stability issues quick enough.  But adding the fishing aspect into the mix and a SOT would be a better bet, especially if you be sure to time things with the tides.

Call another shop and say you're going to the local dollar you-catch trout farm. 

I think I am just going to play it safe, and stay close to shore and go out at slack tide.  I think I will get a good dry suit and go with the sit on top, I know what I can do with them.  Of course with the life jacket, paddle leash, etc.

Looks like I will rent in seattle or anacortes and carry it over on the ferry.  Do you have a favorite shop I should look into to rent it? 

Also, I really like the gulp line of soft plastics on a bucktail jig here in Texas for redfish and speckled trout.  Do yall use gulp up there? 

Also, are barbless jigheads easy to find?  I plan on stocking up when I arrive. 

thanks,

andy

Pinching the barbs on the jigheads will make you legal.

Gulp minnows worked great for my kid and I last May at Lopez Island, for bottomfish.

Doe Bay may be a big shock for a guy from Texas (unless you're from Austin), so maybe it's best you're not renting from them.

The tide and wind conditions can are a big deal in the islands, and are complex, so it's not easy to explain in a few sentences.

I am indeed from Austin, so perhaps I should look into doe bay lol. I will bring my gulp and pinch those barbs.  Thanks so much for all the help. 

Another question:  is the clamming very good on orcas?  From what I can tell mostly cockles.... And a garden rake is all I will need. 

I've bought several books on fishing clamming and crabbing in the pacific northwest, of course none are orcas specific.   Do you have any good books to suggest?  The info yall've given has been fab

thanks

andy

Andy

The currents around the islands can be amazingly swift. Especially through narrow passages. That's why the shop owner wanted you to use the SIK. Stay near shore and watch the current carefully. Last time I was out there it was a decent tide swing but you'd swear you were in a river.

Z