San Juan Island Salmon fishing

Well, I am on San Juan Island for the summer with access to a kayak and a fishing pole.  Looking at the regs, rockfish is closed, so bottom fishing doesn't seem like it makes sense for just a few species. 

I'd like to go salmon fishing. The little I know about it, though, would suggest that everyone trolls on the bottom with downriggers.   What would be the technique for kayak fishing?  What lures, and how to fish them?  I'm just trying to decide if it is worth spending a few bucks to put together a full fishing setup (new line, lures, etc, etc).  Are they target-able with a kayak?

I am definitely looking forward to crab season!

Thanks for any advice!
Frank

For bottom fish, you can still go after cabezon, greenling and flounder/sole/dabs.

For salmon, you certainly can downrigger fish for them, but I think most people on here use banana weights to control their depths.  You'd probably need a sounder to figure out the depth to fish at though.  You can also mooch for them.

I'm hoping to proove to myself that it's not a futile effort to catch a salmon from a yak this year.  Good luck!

Simplest way:  4 oz banana weight in red or chartreuse, 2-hook leaders with 3/0 and 4/0 hooks tied with 30# test mono,  some 6inch herring---green label, and you're in business.  You will do best with a depthfinder, but if you don't have one, jest let out about 40 pulls of line and stay within 100 yards of shore, the up-current side of a point is best. Good luck!!

The SNug Harbor or Roche island marina should be able to point you to the right area, and should have frozen herring.

Thanks for the info

I just got back from casting a buzz bomb along the wall between Smallpox bay and Lime Kiln without a strike.  The problem is that it's so deep, it takes forever to get to the bottom, if ever.  I'll probably have to wait until August when the Silvers and Pinks arrive, as I think they tend to be closer to the surface.

Frank

When casting a Buzz Bomb, one need not necessarily go to the bottom.  Yesterday my sonar showed small groups of fish shallow, 20-40' in fairly deep water, ~150'.  Every salmon I have ever caught on a Buzz Bomb was shallow.  You can also jig with Buzz Bombs.  Just drop them over the side of the kayak and let them free-fall, flutter down.

Also a cannon ball sinker provides less drag/float than a banana, i.e., you will get deeper with equal weights.