Any spots/tactics for Nisqually?

Hi Guys! Today I went for the first time to Nisqually - it is boat ramp near Nisqually Reach Nature Center. I wanted to fish some bottom fishes - flounders, sculpins, etc. So I have tried hell bunch of different baits - Gulp Alive saltwater worms, minnows, shrims, octupus, shad. Tried all depths from 5 to 60 feet - for 6 hours caught only 3 mini sculpins ~4-5 inches, 1 starry flounder ~12 inches and 1 usual flounder ~8 inches, 1 crab. Released almost all of them. I am wondering if it is normal catch for this place? Is it a good time of year to fish for bottom fish here? What the floaters are sitting all around this place? I seen some guys with boat doing something with them. What are the best spots in this area for bottom fishing? Thank you in advance!

Eugene,
From your description that is Luhr Beach Boat Launch. You have to be careful there due to the tidal mud flat. Even Kayaks aren't immune to it. ( If you've ever fished around Charleston, SC, then you should know what "Pluff Mud " is... think of it as that)

If you went left and continued left, (southwest around the corner) that's a tribal shellfish farm with all those "floats" designating the beds. Obviously, a Do Not Fish/ No Go area.

Also, other "floats" such as 2-3 gallon cooking oil jugs and other plastic bottle/jug devices are net floats used by the Nisqually tribe, who net the living hell out of the immediate area. Sometimes these things end up just scattered all over the place with no apparent attempt at cleaning them up.

Salmon University has a great map set showing the mouth of the river and surrounding area. Take your time and pick your way over to the actual outlet, be careful of the fur bags, and it's fairly good going up to the eastern side of the I 5 bridge if you want to go after salmon in the river.

Others should be able to share better spots for starry flounder etc in that area. I don't fish it as much as they do, and I've never chased anything other than sea run cutts and salmon in that area.  (there's a hatchery not far from where you put in, but you can only see it from the highway or the northern end of Martin Way going up and down Nisqually hill. )

[WR] - thank you for the response! Yes, I heard something about this mud flat, but actually I didn't get how to deal with it. And it is because I went to west, at east it is very shallow all over there, it is some kind if underwater flat and I was afraid to stuck in this mud flat. Also all east was flooded with tons of green seaweeds, it was almost impossible to fish because each cast brings a bunch of them. I hardly got my anchor back to the kayak - there were as I guess few dozens pounds of large green seaweeds on anchor line. Overall place is not bad, nice views especially mountains behind the islands, nice animals, I seen that scary sea lion for the very first time - it is hell big and was swimming around my kayak, and of course seals - they are everywhere. Definitively I want to visit this place more. The only bad - boat ramp is not safe, big waves and sharp rocks around, when I was launching big wave washed my kayak from ramp to the side, it is almost flip over, fortunately not, but washed one my glove, by luck I forgot my fishing gloves at home and it was usual work glove that I carry in car just in case

That place fishes best from the end of Oct-Feb. Target 15-50' out near the pylons. My go to baits are small saltwater Gulp anything on a dropshot with a #2-4 hook. The starry flounder will pile up on the break to chow on all the little critters getting flushed off the flat. There will be a lot of duck hunters (myself included) plus a pile of sealions in there during that time frame as well.

Dick,
Eugene mentions using an anchor in that area. I usually use a 20+ inch drift sock and reset when needed. Works for me. What's your take on it?

Eugene
Only attempt to cross that flat during high flood tide. Even then, it will only have 4-10 inches of water over it, so you should pull up rudders, mirage drive, etc and use the paddle to pole yourself across if you attempt it.   You did right by going around it in the channels.

Also, do go to the salmon university site and download that map.  http://salmonuniversity.com/regions/washington/Puget-Sound-South

That Tyler fellow put together a pretty decent flounder fishing vid for that area, if you're interested:

No anchor, or sock. Only fish the last hour or two of the outgoing tide, and come back in on the flood. During high tide the fish scatter out, and the current can rip in the middle of the ebb and flood. You want to drift around a little to cover more ground. If in a Hobie, point your bow into the current and use the drive to control your drift.

I fish there a lot. Next time you go out shoot me a PM, I've done well for all sorts of stuff. Currently fishing squid out there.

I fish there a lot. Next time you go out shoot me a PM, I've done well for all sorts of stuff. Currently fishing squid out there.

How you doing on squid? I've randomly picked up a few closer to the green can, but never specifically targeted them there. I've plucked a few from the Stelicom ferry dock at night. Plan to do it from the kayak this year. Bought a bait snake light and rigged it for the task. Would be cool to get a few guys together when the time comes!

 

I'm getting a few every drift even on very fast tides.  No buckets full of them but worth the effort in my opinion. And I'm fishing during the day . I tried trolling spinners up the river last week for nothing, despite pinks and coho rolling everywhere.

That Tyler fellow put together a pretty decent flounder fishing vid for that area, if you're interested:

Thank you. I have seen this vid few months ago and it is because I wanted to try this place. I have been one more time here, caught few flounders and sculpins, but no starries((

That Tyler fellow put together a pretty decent flounder fishing vid for that area, if you're interested:

Thank you. I have seen this vid few months ago and it is because I wanted to try this place. I have been one more time here, caught few flounders and sculpins, but no starries((

Wait until mid winter and go  again. I'm a transplant from the southeast, so I fished flounder here a lot my first few years in WA. Hands down it produces far better from Nov-Feb during low tide.

I'm getting a few every drift even on very fast tides.  No buckets full of them but worth the effort in my opinion. And I'm fishing during the day . I tried trolling spinners up the river last week for nothing, despite pinks and coho rolling everywhere.

If you want some company, shoot me a msg before you go next. Also, leave the spinners at home. Try twitching jigs. They typically produce in the lower Nis, but visibility is garbage this year. Not sure how bad that will affect things, but I'm sure it'll play in.

Wait until mid winter and go  again. I'm a transplant from the southeast, so I fished flounder here a lot my first few years in WA. Hands down it produces far better from Nov-Feb during low tide.

Polyangler - thank you! Definitely I will try. And last time I did a little bit better than first time, because this time I used a tactics to fish this slope around a flat (depths from ~30 to 100 feet) and it produces pretty good, a lot of baits. But the worst problem is hell big current, I tried a lot of leads from 1oz, 1.5, then 3  and finally stayed with 4oz. But any way kayak drifts way fast and I was spending a lot of time to paddle back to good spots, it was kinda 15 minutes fishing then same 15 minutes paddling back... Some time ago I bought 32" drift sock anchor, but still haven't tried it yet. I think maybe it could help?

Wait until mid winter and go  again. I'm a transplant from the southeast, so I fished flounder here a lot my first few years in WA. Hands down it produces far better from Nov-Feb during low tide.

Polyangler - thank you! Definitely I will try. And last time I did a little bit better than first time, because this time I used a tactics to fish this slope around a flat (depths from ~30 to 100 feet) and it produces pretty good, a lot of baits. But the worst problem is hell big current, I tried a lot of leads from 1oz, 1.5, then 3  and finally stayed with 4oz. But any way kayak drifts way fast and I was spending a lot of time to paddle back to good spots, it was kinda 15 minutes fishing then same 15 minutes paddling back... Some time ago I bought 32" drift sock anchor, but still haven't tried it yet. I think maybe it could help?

The sock won't help in current. Think of them as wind anchors. If the water is still, but the wind is blowing they will slow your drift. If water current is the culprit than a sock will do you no good. Just watch the tides. Go out with the last of the ebb, and come in on the front of the flood. There will always be current due to the volume of the river and creek's combined flow, but it's manageable just either side of slack tide. Stay out of there on a big ebb! Not necessarily dangerous, but not exactly fun either.

I never fish heavier than 1oz there. Once you learn to read the currents 1oz is more than enough to stay on the bottom out to 50ft or so. During max ebb you'd be lucky to hold bottom with 6oz!