Halibut

halibut opens May 4th wondering if anyone does west whidbey island at all.

Roger

Ivr heard the current gets humming out there at mutiny bay. Ive never tried for them there. I jist focus on lings for the next month half

https://paddling.com/launches/

(Upper left in the map shows a nice satellite picture and this site shows lots of other launch sites)
You can put-in at the Dave Mackie County Park.  Haven't fished there but talked with a friend who did years ago and caught halibut in 70+- feet of water on a sandy bottom just inside the rips.  I would guess you might catch a back eddy around Maxwelton just you can at point-no-point.  On that side you can put in at PNP and drift in a large circle that pulls you back toward shore at Hansville by the store and then all the way back to PNP.  Looks like the same drift MIGHT be possible around Maxwelton.    Obviously a good place to pay attention to forecasts and tides as if you miss a back eddy it could be a long hard paddle back unless you're catching the last hour +- of the ebb and ride back on the flood.  Big ships come through at good speed and can leave some sneaker wakes WELL after they are gone if you're not paying attention.  Would be great to see a report.

Here's a screenshot capture of Mutiny Bay bathymetry.  <snark> You know, something provided by that federal gov't that everyone loves to hate... </snark>

Jim

Snarks aside I wish I had color vision. Lol. Will take a peek at the tides and see what Mother Nature is planning. Maybe my past as a white water kayaker will help with water flows. But oceans don't act like rivers!!

No, they surely don't...  what I would take from that bathymetry is the presence of those sand dune current ripples just off the point at south side of Mutiny Bay.  Those are going to indicate some nice rippin' tidal currents thru the narrows, so expect to see some swirling around and eddying waters whenever there's a good tide exchange...  At the northern end of the bay looks like there's a ridge extending down that ought to give some structure for fish to get relief from currents.   Without the color coding, does it provide enough Greyscale shading to be useful?

This was one of two locations suggested for small craft at a halibut seminar I attended yesterday. If someone is planning on heading there I would like to tag along. I just need a harpoon, float, and bait. PM me if you are considering.  I would like to, but don't feel comfortable solo.

Greyscale. Why didn't I think of that.  It does help. Reading the water is different for sure. Maybe hitting it round the ebb if possible would work. Will look when I get home on the computer. Sitting in a lecture all day today. Sigh. 

Again, I haven't fished the area in a kayak, but I would venture a guess that the red circled area would be out of a smoking tide and might provide a circular drift around that underground ridge?  Would love to hear a report back...

Never boated there myself, but based on the bathymetry (and years of working with a bunch of hydrologists)  it does seem likely. 

Trident, the drawing helps, I brought it up on my Fish finder GPS, and got a paper map of the area, and its labeled windmill hole, which kinda tells me it circulates depending on flows... I think of it as a river with an eddy to the side, if you want to go ripping north or south you jump into the current and ziiiipppp yer flying.  While rivers and the sea are completely different, they have to follow physics, and that always helps. Looks like its open to the south west, so wind is my other concern, if its not blowing from that direction then should be fine.  Its looking more like stay in the hole, avoid ships, watch for waves from said ships, be aware of wind, and dont bite off more then one should chew....

Roger

I realize many can read their own charts, this just allows me to semi-participate rather than actually doing any work.

Below is the tide chart

Below that is an easier to follow graph of what will happen on the 4th

That means the morning to mid PM tide is best but the tide will incoming rather than outgoing as the picture with the circles suggests you might try.

So, in the morning with the incoming tide, I'd be inclined to consider reversing that red circle and paddling northwest more inside the bay (the tide isn't a big flood) and shoot for fishing the sand rips in the middle toward noonish with the least tide.  At the start you'd be drifting/paddling eastward toward the south end of the island.  As the tide turns (and it really will) you can ride back across the same rips, or head to the hopeful back eddies closer to the island where the drawing shows circles.

What appears to be the fishing area is around 7 miles around the outside


Best I can do to help, and I've talked with some friends who fish out of Hansville.  Again, I know many can do their own research, but if I can't go, at least this is fun. 

Thanks for the info! It is definitely nice to put heads together.

I have no problem with ya Trident... LOL, fact is my wife is saying I should listen to you....

Any and all information is good, plus I am a nerd as far as this stuff goes!!

Roger

I fish there fairly often.  Last year we counted  98 boats on the opener and 1 fish caught by 2 guys that were obviously not prepared for it. Gaffed the fish into the boat strong and  crazy. Dude was punching it in the head with his fist, gear flying everywhere, knocked his buddy down, broke the rod. Hilarious.  The current gets ripping and it's pretty tough staying off all the anchor lines under you. Some years they're thick in there, some years nothing at all. Ferry doesn't run till 6am so by the time you get on the water it's littered with boats.