Info on fishing around Tacoma

Hi there,

I am new to this forum and I am looking for information on kayak fishing in the Tacoma area. I live/work in Seattle and have been kayak fishing since I build my first kayak back in 2002. Since then my kayak fleet has been growing and my time in the water declining due to increased workload. Work permitting, I do most of my fishing on saltwater around Seattle but will be visiting friends that live near P. Defiance this upcoming weekend, they own kayaks but they've never fished from them before. Anybody has any advice on fishing around the Tacoma area? I read a couple of posts on people fishing P. Defiance but none recent. Any advice, ideas would be welcome. Tight lines to everybody out there!

Several of us have launched from Browns Point.. plenty of flounder around there and maybe a salmon or 2. I know you can rent kayaks at pt. difiance so i dont know why you cant fish there. just got to see whats open in that area to fish for.

SG

I know people fish for salmon from Pt. Defiance, all along the south shore of Commencement Bay. Trolling, mooching and jigging. Can be pretty protected from the prevailing SW winds, but watch out for Northerlies. Years ago, I read an article that suggested fishing the prop wash from a freighter- lots of confused prey getting swirled around. Just make sure not to get too close!

Just subscribing since I may be in the area this wknd as well, and if so will likely lug the yak.  The only time I've ever fished that area (grew up in Puyallup, but never fished the salt) was trolling by the old (decomissioned?) military looking ship south of the old town/Ruston interchange on a buddy's Bayliner.  We did catch dinner tho, so that's a plus. 

Thank you for your replies bigdood, P. Sicko and squidgirl. I also found some information on the following links:

http://www.salmonuniversity.com/pss_pt_defiance.html
http://www.steelhead-fishing.org/South-Sound_King.htm

If plans stay as they are (they may change if I find other info), we'll launch at Owens beach and paddle/fish along the south shore of Commencement Bay this Saturday's afternoon. Probably group of 4 including an off-color red (some may say pink) scrambler and a natural wood color kayak.
Thanks and tight lines!

I ended up launching from Owens Beach in P. Defiance Park Sunday (yesterday) at 6:45am and fished until 9:20am. There was no current at that time (low tide at 9:18am). I trolled a coyote spoon behind a fish flash towards the lighthouse to no avail fishing around 30ft down, then around 50ft down on the 80 to 150 ft depth contour. Lots of baitfish at the surface by the clay banks, I tried my sabiki rig for a couple minutes without success and then the baitfish disappeared (I need to find out how to work effectively the sabiki!). I bounced a Pt. Wilson dart off the bottom in front of the lighthouse again to no avail. The only thing I attracted were about a dozen seals that launched from the point, 3 large ones did a water splashing display that I took as territorial so I moved to explore the last remaining of the ebb tide. Nothing to show for a while so I started trolling back towards Owens Beach, picking up a couple shakers (released) on a coho killer spoon down at 40ft. Weather was nice, no wind, except two squalls that lasted perhaps 5 minutes each but were quite intense. I saw about a dozen boats fishing the park (did not see any caught), no kayaks except a friend that was not fishing. Note of caution: it was my first time fishing at P. Defiance so I decided not to explore beyond the lighthouse or beyond the tide change, a decision that paid off since the tide changed real fast and right at the tabled low tide time you could see flood current lines forming all along the park shoreline. A few minutes later, it was already a steady 2-knot current. I made my way back paddling easier between the shore and the kelp bed. All in all a fun first outing for me in the Tacoma area. Cheers

Best stay out of the Narrows when the tide starts running!!  You can get a one-way ride to Vashon Island in the rips....Owens Beach a early AM good spot in about 90-120 feet of water, the whole area is basically an ebb tide fishery. Summer kings are frequently caught right in front of the boathouse, and also close to the slag pile in about 60 feet of water, early on.  Downside to fishing around the boathouse is the great number of powerboats zipping around.  Kings are pretty much done, blackmouth should be starting soon, and everyone is wondering where the silvers are!!  Will this rain bring them in from the Strait, or is the run a small one???

I've got a few reports from friends in Sekiu w/ lots of hoho's up to 18#s plus. They're a comin.

Z

Hmmm....Sequim Salty-----ready??

Man I can't wait for them to get here.  Hopefully I can get at least one!