Tillamook Bay Monday anyone?

I'm going to hit the bay on Monday with nobaddays for a little pre tournament fishing if anyone else wants to hit it. Drop in around 11ish low tide is a little late at 3:13 but wind is predicted at only 6 mph so why not.

  I'd imagine a few might be there Friday afternoon also. Get a little pre-tourney taste of the water there.

  Find out where the springers are hiding Shannon.

 I plan on being there noonish on Friday. Drop a crab pot and see where the fishing lanes are. First time there for me. If anyone with local knowledge wants to meet up I'll be throwing a tent up at check in time.

How many of you are rolling in on Friday??

It will be an outgoing tide till 6:18 pm but there will be guys here or I can line you up on the bay.

Mojo, you forgot to mention that it is supposed to be 74 degrees on Monday.  That in itself is a good reason to extend the weekend for fishing.

I was out yesterday and never saw another kayak.  My 1st time here so wasn't quite sure what to expect.  Just heading out to the south jetty was an experience.  Swirling water wanted to spin me around and I was having to constantly use the rudder to keep myself going straight.  Finally made it to the base of the south jetty and the tide was pulling me in even though it was supposed to be an outgoing tide (about 11 AM).  I fought it and worked my way towards the ocean and once I passed a certain spot, the tide started to really pull me out.  So I fought it again to hold myself in a general area until it got closer to noon.  Just after noon I let the tide pull me out and made a left turn around a corner and was finally able to see just how close/far it was to the jaws.  The slack tide period was extremely short and the tide started to bring me home. 

I've got over 2,000 hours in my Hobie in the salt, but maybe only 12 of them in Oregon.  I'm not used to such a strong tidal influence.  Maybe I just picked the wrong day, as evidenced by the lack of other kayak fisherman?  You could get in some big trouble if you're not paying attention to the tides here.

Results: 4 black rockfish, my 1st Greenling, 1 Sculpin and 1 red/orange fish that I think may have been a Yelloweye.  Had to use a 1/2 oz. leadhead to get to the bottom and the only thing they would hit was a 3" Bass Pro Shops curly tail grub in purple w/ black flake.  The fish cleaning station is great...1st one I've ever seen indoors!
   

Dave

Glad you made it back in safe Dave. You were experiencing the back eddy that can form around the two points  of the south side of the channel . Next time your heading out give me a shout if I'm available I will go out with you. That is why I tell everyone that fishes the bay to pay attention to the tides and use them to your advantage. And remember we have 5 rivers dumping into this bay.

Oh yea boys!!! I can't wait to get out there! It probly wont be till late Friday when I make it out and will be staying outside seaside but will be there and ready to fish Saturday morning, and will be staying in the area thru till Tuesday, and plan on fishing till I drop!!! I really want to fish in portland for some sturgeon while I'm there also if anyone wants to go with me.

Wow!  I've got zero saltwater time in my yak, but have worked on Tillamook Bay doing environmental studies.  The tides can rip so fast I'm amazed a kayak could even hold position anywhere from say the CG station to the mouth. On a day I wasn't working, our 22 ft boat got its prop fouled in its anchor line near painted rocks and nearly got pulled under with the stern into the current. Luckily the crew cut the line before they took on too much water.  The waves can really stack up there too, especially when the swell/tide/wind oppose each other.

I want to learn how to handle my yak so I can go out for rockfish, but not sure where to go practice.  Is Pacific City the best place for beginners?

Tillamook bay is a good place to get used to the salt on a good day.. A good day being a low tide two hours after sunrise and little to no windy out don't get a lot of time to fish the jetty maybe an hour or so but I have limited out many times out there with throwing fish back. It was just a windy afternoon for us. But nobaddays wanted to test the waters and got what info and experience he wanted.

I want to learn how to handle my yak so I can go out for rockfish, but not sure where to go practice.  Is Pacific City the best place for beginners?

Sunset Bay is the easiest launch on the Oregon coast, followed by Depoe Bay. Both have great bottom fishing. Pacific City was my first ocean outing, but it will require a surf launch, which can range from calm-as-a-lake to head-for-high-ground. Best to arrange an outing with a salty veteran wherever you choose.

I want to learn how to handle my yak so I can go out for rockfish, but not sure where to go practice.  Is Pacific City the best place for beginners?

Sunset Bay is the easiest launch on the Oregon coast, followed by Depoe Bay. Both have great bottom fishing. Pacific City was my first ocean outing, but it will require a surf launch, which can range from calm-as-a-lake to head-for-high-ground. Best to arrange an outing with a salty veteran wherever you choose.

It's been many a year since I was on that part of the coast, and never in a kayak.  The Depoe Bay exit looks like you're shooting a narrow channel but it seems to have very little in the way of a 'surf zone' at the channel.  Up at Netarts and Tillamook Bays, it looks like it's quite a bit shallower and quite a bit more surf zone to traverse.  True?  Seems like it's a lot closer to Portland so answer may be of interest to ChumBucket and others.

I've got a bit of salt experience here in the Sound, so used to dealing with tidal currents, but the swells and surf launching - nope that would be new for me too...

Jim

Up at Netarts and Tillamook Bays, it looks like it's quite a bit shallower and quite a bit more surf zone to traverse.

I'm not trying to safety-cop here... but I would strongly advise against any attempt to go out into the open ocean on a kayak from Netarts or Tillamook Bay.

Up at Netarts and Tillamook Bays, it looks like it's quite a bit shallower and quite a bit more surf zone to traverse.

I'm not trying to safety-cop here... but I would strongly advise against any attempt to go out into the open ocean on a kayak from Netarts or Tillamook Bay.

Which is why I was asking, of course, to get experienced answers...

So, what factors make it a bad idea?  The surf zone/bar, the currents, ?

Jim

I personally will not cross the bar at Tillamook bay it goes from nice and calm to rollers all the way accross without warning.