LaPush or Westport for the lingcod opener

I'm new to kayaking, and was wondering if anyone is planning fishing either of these places for the lingcod opener... I wouldn't mind hooking up with a few people... I've fished the Westport jetty before, but never fished out of LaPush... Any advice about LaPush would be greatly appreciated...

Just waiting on the weather and sea state to clear, you can launch from the marina boat launch and then head south to cakesosta rocks.

The last 3 years the weather and waves havn't been condusive to fishing opening weekend from a kayak. A few brave souls have done it, like nansdog. But it usaully turns into a romantic weekend on the coast. take the same route past the jetty that the boats take don't try and cut through james island. THat channel will be the sketchy part two waves comeing together generally not breaking but washy. when you come back in with the mouth of the river pouring out stay close to the jetty to beat the current and then just dodge around the corner. If you stay in the middle of the channel it will be like running on a treadmill.

WATCH YOUR WEATHER! Early season in notorious for bad weather. Not just a little bad. If you are new to kayaking in the salt I would not recommend that you look for a day with less the 10 mph winds and seas less than 3 feet

Thanks guys... I thank you for the advice... Anything else about the area that you think will help would be great... I'm not asking for you secret spots, but I'm thinking more about safety and the do's and do nots of the area... If you are ever planning a trip out of there and don't mind a tag along, let me know... Thanks again... Eric

Both ports are at the mouths of rivers. You are going to want to be really careful about current. A max ebb current will pull you out to see a max flood will stand waves up and push you into the rocks. BE CAREFUL around river mouths.
Lingcod fishing is not rocket science. Find rocks and you will find lingcod. A depth finder is a huge help.

Having lived in Ocean Shores, I am a bit surprised to hear no one has fished from the Ocean Shores side.  I caught much larger rockfish and lingcod in general on the Ocean Shores Jetty though it was later in the year.  April/May time frame.  Inside of the jetty was my start to Kayak fishing.  Chunkier Black Rockfish and legal lingcod were fairly abundant when fished it 5 years back.  Here's a map.  With a suction gun, it's also a great place to stock up on Sand Shrimp.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zyVbYxmqX5uY.ktvaaNaf0CBc

If it looks ugly, you can always hit Duck Lake.  Bass, crappies, and trout.

Or go a little further down the road when the weather is better and I think fishing a place like Roosevelt Beach for surf perch would be awesome.  We caught some really nice redtailed surf perch there from shore.  Sitting outside of the breakers and casting in sounds like it could produce some really nice fish.  . 

 

You have my attention... was that blue line the area you would fish in?

Yep.  Got my attention too.  You said you started fishing the inside of the jetty.  Did you stay there?  Was there a difference between the inside and the outside of the jetty?  The pristine calm on the inside of that jetty seems too good to be true:)

The blue line is the jetty. If you switch to satellite view you can see it.  Outside always fished a little better but inside was productive. The places that produced best on the inside is wherever the most volume of water poured through the rocks.  I saw people fishing it in float tubes so I asked around and a coworker let me borrow a 200 Kmart special.

I think I fished it April/may. I know the fish go away once the water warms up. I think that was late June-ish.  Big schools of anchovies would hold off that jetty in July/August.  Caught some crab there too when season was open.

If anyone asks, you don't know me!!  Lol. Local spot supposedly. Haha.

At high tide you can go back and forth. Its submerged. At low tide I don't think you can. You could easily get around the ends at low tide. Look at google map. You will see.

Also at high tide (I think) it gets murky. Wait for some flow and it will clear up.

  Damn it Rudy......stirring up this pot again.

  To be able to cross from inside to outside you need to find a low spot in the rocks and need at least a 6' tide.
  If you have a mirage drive you should be very careful crossing over.
  I have had as much success inside as outside
  and yes Graham-- it can be nice and calm inside.The jetty acts to cushion the swell quite a bit. But the weather can also stir things up on the wrong day.
  best thing is--- very little current as opposed to Westport jetty. There is some but pretty minimal.

  Very little pressure at Ocean Shores jetty . I think the most I have ever seen was 5 boats in one day. And that was during summer. Agree with Rudy about a March through May time frame for the best fishing.

  And bring sand shrimp would be my best advice.

  Rudy --- will you have time to make it out to the coast while you're in Seattle ? I have extra boats 

This could be a good backup plan if the weather looks a bit too tough for Westport on the 14th.  I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be in one place or the other on the 14th.  Mark, you still planning an 11am launch from the lighthouse?

Hey Rudy... Thanks for sharing your secret spot... It's safe with me... Lol... I'll definitely give that a try this year... Can't wait to get a line wet... Good luck to you this season...

Ocean shores is my favorite place to go deer hunting.