Hello, new to kayak fishing. In Snohomish County, WA. need Puget Sound advice

Hello,

I'm new to Kayaking. While I am not 'new' to fishing, I'm pretty much brand new to any style of fishing that would happen out of a kayak. So I'm working a double learning curve at the moment. I use a cheap, entry level, but very stable kayak as I learn the ins and outs. I have spent time in a number of local lakes but have not caught anything out of the kayak yet.

I am most interested in catching saltwater bottomfish. Catching stocked rainbows doesn't quite excite me. I would love to go out in the Puget Sound, but I am a little hesitant. I read conflicting things about the safety and water conditions. Of course I have a good PFD, but don't have a wetsuit or anything like that yet. I bought a kayak fishing book and understand tides, rip currents etc. Is the the Puget Sound significantly safer than the open ocean water of the Washington coast?

If anyone has any suggestions on areas to start that are calm, protected, safe etc. If i'm nuts to go out in the sound without the wetsuit gear, feel free to tell me that too.

In the right weather I don’t think you are nuts as long as you are not alone and you have practiced self rescue enough to be proficient at righting your own boat and reboarding it without help.

I rarely wear my drysuit above 65 degrees if I am close to shore in a relatively calm area. That said I am also pretty sure I am getting back in my boat if I end up in the water.

Crabbing season starts in a couple weeks and is a great way to start to learn saltwater. Targeting a buoy in the current will teach you how fast the water is moving and how much it affects the boat pretty quickly. Places like the Marine Park in Bellingham, or Samish Bay offer good spots to start to learn. I am sure there are others closer to you that could be found with some research.

Kyle

I wear my dry suit whenever I go in the salt. It is not the air temperature that will get you in trouble, it’s the water temp. The water temperature in the ocean varies very little year round, it’s cold. It doesn’t take long to get hypothermic. On a warm day, If I start to get warm I just slash my suit using my hand pump bilge.
Just my 2 cents....

I wear my dry suit whenever I go in the salt. It is not the air temperature that will get you in trouble, it’s the water temp. The water temperature in the ocean varies very little year round, it’s cold. It doesn’t take long to get hypothermic. On a warm day, If I start to get warm I just slash my suit using my hand pump bilge.
Just my 2 cents....

^^^ THIS

You don't need a drysuit, a wetsuit will work, even a Spring shorty will work, but you definitely need some kind of thermal protection in case you do end up in the water.  Surely you've mastered a deep water re-entry and now how shockingly cold jumping into the water can be.

Your worst nightmare is the gasp reflex that causes.  If your head is underwater when you take that involuntary gasp for air, it can be all over before it begins, PFD or not.  Go here and learn more: http://www.coldwatersafety.org/nccwsRules3.html

Just the other day my Grandkids were swimming in a river with a water temperature of 72-degrees and an air temperature around 78-degrees.  They were fine and having fun until they stepped out of the river into a 20 knot wind and started to shiver, hard and almost uncontrollably (they were approaching Stage 1 of hypothermia).  The thermal protection also protects you against what happens when you climb back on the kayak.

Have fun and be safe!

Thanks all for the advice. About 10 years ago I rented a Kayak just across the border, and paddled with friends across the Indian Arm wearing a swimsuit and PFD. I'm realizing now that subconsciously,  that experience is trying to make me equate the two areas' safety.

Thanks for that link Tinker, lots of great information there.

I've decided i'll get a wetsuit to start out. I already have neoprene paddle boots. Would a 3mm neoprene farmer john be a good start? I don't plan on going way far out from shore until I get more experience in the salt. My budget isn't quite ready for a drysuit at this stage of the hobby, but I could see it in the future as i start having more fishing success.

Does anyone know if Port Susan or the Everett area is a good area to begin?

I have had my Kayak for two years now and I think the most important decision I made was to buy a Dry Suit .I thought about getting a wet suit to start with but I realized I would probably get a dry suit later so why spend the money for a wet suit when I really wanted a dry suit .The dry suit has been the best item for giving me the confidence to venture out on days when I wouldn't of done so in a wet suit . I would recommend practicing falling out of your Kayak several times to get familiar to the re-entry process .You should start in shallow water then move out into water deep enough that you can't stand up. Once you have experienced floating in a dry suit with a PFD next to your kayak while you relax and catch your breath then easily re-entering your kayak ,you will be comfortable with your ability. I would recommend the dog park beach at Edmonds as a great walk in site to get some experience .

regardless of your immersion clothing,  please go practice self-rescue with someone, in a safe area, so that you have some skills for saving yourself.   Once you have the routine down in protected waters,  get your immersion gear on and ask someone to accompany you out to the saltwater and practice again.  Your life depends on it.  Safe paddling.

I've decided i'll get a wetsuit to start out. I already have neoprene paddle boots. Would a 3mm neoprene farmer john be a good start? I don't plan on going way far out from shore until I get more experience in the salt. My budget isn't quite ready for a drysuit at this stage of the hobby, but I could see it in the future as i start having more fishing success.

I have to disclose that I'm not a fan of Farmer John wetsuits as immersion gear, but putting my irrational personl prejudice aside, 4mm should be adequate, depending on your local water temperatures.  An alternative might be to find a surf shop and look for a good deal on a surfing wetsuit because you might find one of those for less than what a Farmer John dive suit will cost.  Plus, a local surf shop will know more about what you'll need for the water and air temperatures in your area than I know.

Some of us start with a drysuit, and a lot of us moved from wetsuits to drysuits, some of us stayed in wetsuits - there's a lot of decision points between where you start out and where you end up, and both personal preference and budget are heavily involved in those decisions.  Both options offer adequate cold water protection, neither is inherently "better" than the other, and one costs a lot less when we're starting out.

I wasn't ready to plunk down big bucks until I was sure I'd stick with the sport and was certain I wanted to bob around in that scary ocean.  When I was certain and when I felt I was ready, I got a more capable kayak and a drysuit for the ocean.  Nothing wrong with testing the waters before diving in. 

Plus, starter gear doesn't have to go to waste.  I still have my first kayak and the shorty wetsuit I started out with, and I still use them in the lakes and rivers around here - because what I started with is a much better fit for those conditions than what I use in the ocean.  You might find it's the same for you and start building your own fleet of kayaks.

Does anyone know if Port Susan or the Everett area is a good area to begin?
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Welcome! I learned how to kayak in the Port Susan area and recommend it to any newcomers. Kayak point park and Camano State park are two of my favorite launch sites. Kayak point is usually calm and reflectively protected, plus there are no ferry’s and limited boat traffic. Camano is a little bit more exposed, but I find the fishing and crabbing to be better.

Welcome! I learned how to kayak in the Port Susan area and recommend it to any newcomers. Kayak point park and Camano State park are two of my favorite launch sites. Kayak point is usually calm and reflectively protected, plus there are no ferry’s and limited boat traffic. Camano is a little bit more exposed, but I find the fishing and crabbing to be better.

Excellent, Kayak Point was the area I was most interested for my first dip in to the salt water. Next up is more re entry practice and to visit some surf shops to see what they recommend. Hopefully I'll be reeling in some flounders/cabezons/dogfish this summer. How difficult is it to pull up a crab trap in a kayak?

I wasn't ready to plunk down big bucks until I was sure I'd stick with the sport and was certain I wanted to bob around in that scary ocean.  When I was certain and when I felt I was ready, I got a more capable kayak and a drysuit for the ocean.  Nothing wrong with testing the waters before diving in. 

This is sort of where I'm coming from too.

I wasn't ready to plunk down big bucks until I was sure I'd stick with the sport and was certain I wanted to bob around in that scary ocean.  When I was certain and when I felt I was ready, I got a more capable kayak and a drysuit for the ocean.  Nothing wrong with testing the waters before diving in. 

This is sort of where I'm coming from too.

And there's not one darned thing wrong with that!  Have fun.