Anacortes Fidalgo Bay area?

Looks like I'm going to be up at the Fidalgo Bay RV Resort April 24th-26th attending a truck camper get together.  I'm taking my kayak to at least paddle the bay, but would like to know any specifics that I should know regarding fishing, boating rules, warnings and other sneaky regulations that may not be well known.

Hmm, salmon will be closed, rockfish and lings won't be open til May 1. Halibut will be open but that immediate area is not likely to have any. For those, your best shot would be to drive down Whidbey Isl. to Keystone (near Fort Casey State Park) or Pt Partridge (Fort Ebey State Park). Conditions can be tricky down there, with strong tidal currents and rips.

On the other hand, you should have an excellent view of the refinery on March Pt. 

Dang, sounds like it's just paddle time and no fishing.  Almost hardly worth taking the kayak. 


How about oysters, clamming, and crabbing?

Give the guys at Holiday Sports in Burlington a call.  They can answer most of your questions.  They are the "locals" tackleshop.  They actually have a weekly fishing report that comes out via Yahoo groups on Thursdays that I subscribe to.  It's good historical info.  I've got about a year and a half of them saved.

Side question.  Is there something wrong with flounder or sole?  I have some local friends who used to go out regularly as kids and catch'em, but I don't hear much talk about them anymore.  When I read the recommendations for human consumption, they are some of the safest fish according to WDFW.  What's the deal?

I think it has more to do with the filleting them from what I hear.  Unless you bag a big'n it may be harder than it's worth. 

I'd fish for them up there if I were sure I wasn't going to be catch'n everything that isn't open yet.   

Crabbing, I'm certain, will be closed. We sporties, with our ~10% of the state's total catch, have got to be kept under control.

Again, you're going to be close to a large refinery. I'd probably avoid eating a lot of seafood (clams and oysters) from out in front. This RV park is not remote, or anything like it. I think it's actually inside the city limits of Anacortes.

I've taken newbies on daytrips out to the San Juans, where we just walked on the state ferry and did short kayak tours with one of the local outfitters. Years ago, my dad and I did one out of Roche Harbor, on the NW corner of San Juan. They had a shuttle van that took us out to Roche, for free (part of tour package). The lunch, afterwards, in Friday Harbor, was pretty tasty, too. If you have a partner that's a little leery of paddling, this can be a great easy intro. Could be a great way to earn WAF/GAF!! Here's a link to the outfit at Roche Harbor- http://www.sanjuanislandoutfitters.com/kayaking.php

'Yak Monkey- Nothing wrong with fresh sole or flounder, assuming it's come out of a clean area. The Holiday Market recommendation is a good one.

No rock fish, lings, crab, probably shouldn't eat the clams, and oysters.....

What are you trying to tell me guys?   
Please tell me this place isn't just for taking pictures of birds, eating granola and hangin out with the wirey gray haired ladies in the green jackets?

Good thing I am going to be up there for other reasons, but I'm not liking the idea of so many "off limit" situations.   

Sorry if I'm bumming you out, Insayn. Partly it's a timing issue. You're arriving a week and half after salmon closes (until July 1), and a week before lings and rockfish open. Not much you can do about it.

The other part of the issue is that the RV park is right across from one of the most industrial views in the area. You're not going to be RVing in some wilderness area. I really hope you'll get out and explore.

If you have a chance, I highly recommend taking some extra days before or after the RV event and checking out the neighborhood. If you can't get out to the San Juans, then head down Whidbey Island (Over Deception Pass) and stay at one of the parks. Deception has gorgeous scenery but gets kind of noisy with naval overflights (near Whidbey NAS). Fort Ebey is pretty nice, with campground in the trees above the beach. Fort Casey is exposed and right on a beach. South Whidbey is again on a bluff above the beach, but I'm not sure the access to the beach has been fixed.

Camano Island is another nice option, not far off I-5

I only have Thursday after the kids get out of school, till I have to be back to work on Monday.
Maybe I'll tow my big boat up there, and then we can cover more water with it. 

If you have a fly rod check out Pass Lake.  Fly fishing only, catch and release, no motors.  Home to some nice fish.

i second the pass lake option...just down the road a tad

nothing wrong with flounders, i usually go out once or twice a year just for flounder fishing...i dont bother to fillet them, just cut everything unedible off/out and throw the entire slab onto a grill over the fire

tastes just like halbut at anthony's

use light tackle and you could swear you were reeling in a barn door

course there are alot of people who paddle that area just watching out for birds too...if that turns yur crank

Never fly fished, but the flounder sounds interesting.  Are they just out in the flats there?  What's the choice lure/bait for these critters?

night crawlers drug across the bottom in 40ft of sandy bottom

Small herring can con some pretty good size starry flounders.

IMO, finding the right area for flounder is more important than what you fish for them with.  Once you're in the right area, it is hard to keep them off.  I found that out when fishing a plug cut herring for salmon and having a flounder attack.  You'd think a full plug cut would be too big for flounders, but no!  Not saying you should use a full plug cut ... downsize a bit, smaller hooks (say #2) ... herring chunks, squid strips, worms (like HBH says), anything really.  If you want to get fancy, tip some larger sabiki flies.  Or tip small spinners with bait.  Lighter gear makes it more fun.

Fidalgo Bay may look fishy in terms of flounder, but we used to crab a lot in that area growing up and I'd try and try for flounders, without too much luck.  The bottom is more mud, than sand/gravel.  I think there are a lot of juvenile flounder in that area, but not a lot of the larger kind.   You can see them in the eelgrass beds.

-Allen