Westport Fishing

OK, I just got in from loading up some of my gear, & my Tarpon is strapped to the racks. I'm planning on launching by mid-morning, somewhere near the bottom of the tide or soon after.
I got a new drift sock to mess with, if the wind and current are at odds.
I might even mess with my downwind sail later if the wind picks up.
Need to do some terminal gear prep still. Trying to minimize it to the essentials, but maybe pack some spare stuff in the rig.
I'll be looking for you guys around 2pm, when the wind starts picking up and blows me back in.

Also, I went down to the docks this afternoon and it looked like most of the charter anglers coming in had their limits, and plenty of nice Kings, too. Wind was light WSW to W most of the day. Was drizzling again at my place when I got home just before 6pm, and still is. Very light, though. Almost a mist.

Forecast changed again. They must have some yo-yos working down at NOAA.
This Saturday morning is looking pretty good now. Sunday and Mon not as good.
 Elk River Challenge paddling event is this Saturday morning, held at Brady's Oysters on the Westport side of the Elk River bridge. I'm not entering this year. I'll probably go fishing somewhere instead! Maybe the Jetty.

Conditons are looking pretty darn good this morning for the Jetty. Its a GO! Calm wind right now. Light drizzle and low overcast, patchy fog, NW swell 4' @ 7 seconds.

Saturday is looking good, too. Light SW winds becoming W later in the day. Should be a good day to hit the morning low-tide change in a yak.

Friday has W to NW winds forecast, no good for the Jetty, and I'll be workin' then.

Ravdakot and 2ndfloor, I'll see you this afternoon. If you're quick launching, you can make it out there before the tide gets high.

Well good luck guys I wish I was able to go.  I thought about it but I have a test today from 10:50-12:20 in Seattle.  Hope you guys get some good pics and info to share with us.  I will be there next weekend but going out on a charter boat on Sunday.  I was thinking of maybe taking my kayak and playing in the surf on Saturday though.

It was a fun trip, and an experience to say the least.The paddle out was an amazing time over the 5-8ft rollers. It was enough to keep us entertained. We made it out to the sunken jetty at slack tide where 2ndflooryak hung a nice Irish Lord. Then things got crazy, but I'll let him tell you about that. Unfortunately that was the only fish boated today.

It was great to finally meet you CHM. I'll be back for sure soon. Thanks again for all the updates.

So out of curiosity when you guys went fishing where do you launch from?

The beach in Westhaven St Park right at the base of the jetty on the harbor side.

Thanks sounds like fun even though I have done almost no ocean kayaking and it amazes me you can just launch at the beach and paddle out through all those waves.  I remember as a kid and how hairy it got in our 21' boat going through the bar maybe that is why I find it so amazing.

h_chris_e, the Harbor side of Westhaven State Park has a little protected cove  between the base of the jetty and the parking lot, with hardly any wave action wrapping in there. And since the fishing is mainly on the harbor side of the jetty, its a good place to launch. A Wheeleez cart with the fat low pressure tires makes it easier to drag the yak over the soft beach sand. Then one should give the sunken tail-end of the jetty a wide berth going around it if the surf is up, since it is basically a man-made reef.
The only hard part is dragging the thing back up over the lip of the berm of the dune when you're returning. Its about a ten foot, short, but steep climb. If I can do it, you can do it. Its a bit easier if you unload your stuff and carry it up first, lightening the cart.
The "buddy system" really helps here. "2ndflooryak," full of youthful vim and vigor, grabbed the rear grab-handle of my Tarpon and assisted me up over the berm.
Thanks again!

My brief   report: I finally paddled off the beach by noon. Was running late. I paddled out against the max flood, and the 4' @ 7 second swell was getting some tidal push, which produced some bumpy swell.
I paddled out to just inside a PB out there fishing, and jigged vertically at first, since the wind and tide were both incoming, working in unison to drift me back in along the jetty. That easy drifting didn't last too long, and I switched to casting soft plastics on jig-head. Tried twirl-tail worms, swim-baits, and the 5" Vision "sand eel" pumped full of anchovy oil. Weren't any anchovies around though, since the water surface temp was reading only 51 F. I think the anchovies are still up in the warmer waters of the estuaries (I saw 50 katrillion or so of 'em up there last week.  
I had a freak steeper wave almost capsize me, since I didn't see it coming.
Lost many jig rigs in the jetty rocks.
At 3pm or so, I decided to troll my way back in and see if Ravdakot and 2ndflooryak had arrived yet, and I spotted them just rounding the base of the jetty.
Ravdakot talked us into heading outside the tip to fish the sunken section. I hadn't headed out that far before, only fishing by myself. There were a few sea lions out there around the tip, including a group of juveniles, and a big one molting on the rocks, looking kinda "out of it."
2ndflooryak right away hooked into what looked like a Brown Irish Lord and landed that.
My camera would not go on for some reason, so I couldn't take any pics. I had it in my vest. Worked fine when I got home. Maybe it doesn't like the salt air.

Ebb current was picking up and making the rip and standing waves a little edgier, so I announced that I was heading back inside the tip, and paddled back into where it was a bit mellower. As I fished, the tide took me back out rather quickly.
Max ebb was picking up.

A wave rolled 2ndflooryak just after I paddled in from outside, and after that, he and Ravdakot came back in. I didn't see the roll, since my back was turned. Apparently 2ndflooryak handled his re-entry OK, but was bummed because he lost his fishing pole/reel.
Sorry I headed in so abruptly with only minimal warning, but I figured action would speak louder than words.
The best time to fish outside the jetty's tip would be starting on the low tide change. Currents and any "rip induced" standing wave action around the tip would be mellower on the flood tide.
Usually, we have up to 2 hours after the high before the ebb starts picking up steam to where you have to consider your situation. We were outside the tip about that time (5 - 5:30pm, high was at 3:30pm) when I noticed the ebb getting stronger. I hadn't dealt with the max ebb out there before, so I was getting kinda nervous. Wasn't a huge run out, though, from 7.6' to a 1.5' low at 9:30pm.  A bigger run out, say from a 9' to a minus level would produce a stronger ebb and hairier conditions then around the tip.

First absolute skunking I've had out there in my yak. Not even a small rockfish to hand. I had some hits and a couple on briefly, but lost 'em right away. I should have used bait or that gulp "fish crack" stuff. any how, I felt like I wasn't using the right stuff, whatever that may be.

It was cool to meet and fish with Ravdakot and 2ndflooryak.  And I wouldn't have paddled outside the tip by myself, so it was good to have some buddies out there.
I looked at the chart again, and the sunken jetty extends way out further than where we were.

Cone Head... keep us informed when you will have more time to get out. maybe we can get a group to join ya on the ocean. I know i would be up for it.

SG

Sounds like fun to me!  I hope the southerly flow brings in some warmer water. My temp reading was only 51 F, and I have heard that the rockfish bite is often better at slightly warmer temps. We get cold upwelled water mixing in with the warmer surface water at times. The colder water helps produce the fog, too.
 I don't have any concrete plans, but the wind is looking favorable thru the weekend. I'd want to hit it as early as possible so that you can fish the bottom of the tide. This means being rigged and launching just before the low, after the max ebb has diminished. Fish up thru the high.  Looking like mid-late morning thru evening in the next few days.
There should be some good days in August.