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Hello, Just bought a 2020 Oldtown Predator Pdl and will have lots of time to use it this winter. Hoping to get it to the Washington/Oregon coast for some bottom fishing or maybe even Squidding if I can find some people willing to let me join in. I mostly fish walleye,Burbot and Salmon east of the mountains but want to hit the coast this winter. Rock Lake is not far from my house and I will be Chasing The Big Browns this winter in their would be great to have some other Yaks join in.
 Bill

Welcome.

The coast of Oregon is a mess all Winter long.  Be patient, be safe, and have fun.

A mess as in weather? You fish the salt down your way often?  Some kayak bottom fishing is definitely something I’m wanting to do, and I have about 3.5 months in the winter to get er done, just no experience in the salt.

Weather, sort of.  We'll always be windy, and often really windy - we joke that folks would call them hurricanes on the East Coast.  If the wind bothers to die down overnight, it starts to build around 9AM and we need to be off the water well before noon.  The swells will build and remain tall for days.  Winter tides submerge many of the beaches.  The weather forecasts are good for maybe 90 minutes...

I don't think there are many of us who try to venture out in a kayak during the Winter months.

Question:  Ladies and Gentlemen, what's the latest date you've gone saltwater fishing - and we don't mean any of that "in a bay" or "in the Sound" stuff?  And what's the earliest you been out?

Question:  Ladies and Gentlemen, what's the latest date you've gone saltwater fishing - and we don't mean any of that "in a bay" or "int the Sound" stuff?  And what's the earliest you been out?

Weather windows are brief in the winter for sure. I think I've been out at Pacific City every month except December, IIRC, but you have to be really choosy about your days. There is often a few-days stretch in late January or early February that is beautiful.

Overall the recommendation is correct: It's hairy out there most of winter and you better have your safety gear and plan dialed in.

welcome to the forum!

I hit the ocean out of Sunset Bay on Feb.8 in 2018, other years my first actual ocean outing is usually in March.

but if you are looking for good eats and not just an ocean outing, I would not overlook fishing the salt in the larger bays.  Pepper and I tend to fish and crab lower CoosBay several times over Dec-March months, nice lingcod move in during the winter months and big full crab to be had...we often pick up 2 lings and 12 crab...sometimes a couple of black rockfish. 

I am confident the larger bays up on the north coast are also productive in winter months.  cheers, roger

for example, CoosBay Dec.6, 2018:

Hey

Welcome to the forum!

I too have been lucky to make it out each month of the year!

 SteelWillie- have you been on the website MagicSeaweed or the NOAA?  I highly recommend MagicSeaweed as it is pretty accurate for what to expect a few days out.

Here is a link to Cape Kiwanda- a popular destination in which you will find many other kayakers to join on a calm day.  Trust me if it is less than 5 ft of swell  and on a weekend- there will definitly be people to join.

Hope to see you out on the water!

This is a link to the Pacific City/Cape Kiwanda webcam.

https://capekiwandarvresort.com/Webcam.html

 Wow, great info! I really appreciate all the input. I will definitely pick up a dry suit and probably look for a good Bay sometime after Thanksgiving.
 Will check out Magic sea weed[this weekend also.

Two other helpful links might be the U.S. Coast Guard bar observations at https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/marine/BarObs.php and the bar camera webcam images (when they're working) at https://www.weather.gov/pqr/barcams.  Together you can read what the current conditions are and see a picture of what it means.