Port Townsend

I'm going to be in Pt. Townsend for 4 days starting Thanksgiving. I haven't checked regs or anything yet, but I'm fishing for something off of Pt. Townsend. in the channel or straight.

Anyone in the area is welcome to come along.

J

Jason, I'll be up visiting my folks in Sequim for T-day. This time of year I would ordinarily be thinking of early hatchery steelhead, but the rivers are blown, and might still be for T-day. I might take a yak with me.
Not sure if it will be my Tarpon or my Ultimate 12. Would be the former for any open waters, but I much prefer my U-12 for lakes, and I was already thinking of hitting a lake for trout (weather permitting) before you posted (since the rivers might be blown out).
The U-12 does fine in protected waters. I've paddled it around in and outside of the mouth of Sequim Bay a couple of times. I'll probably haul that one along.

I'm not planning on fishing for salmon in the salt, since the area is now closed. Rockfish closed on Sept 30th, and anyway, I think the rockfish limit in Area 6 is the first legal rockfish you catch.
 Cabezon is still open there until Nov 30th. Limit on those is 2. I've never really bottom fished in that area. I do know where to target some flounders, though. Daily limit on those is also 2 fish. You can keep 2 Greenlings, as well.  Ling Cod is closed. Surf perch are open year-round, daily limit 10.

I'll let you know if my subconscious kicks up any ideas.

I've been looking at the NOAA chart, and I'm thinking of hitting the kelp on the west side of the point at ft. warden for greenling etc., and if it's nasty out I'll either fish E of the point where it's a bit more protected for flounder and whatever ever else happens to strike....I don't mind catch & release for fun, and until I get told by F&G otherwise, I believe I'm within the law if I'm bottom fish in less than 60ft of water if I'm targeting Cabs.

I've fished around the pier there and caught lots o stuff.

I'm not really to serious about targeting anything, just want to get out and jig with the handline in salt again and see what wide wide wonders of the sea I pull up. More about any action these days vs. trolling for salmon etc. I've become a bottom fish junky.

I won't be up until T-day eve. probably wont get out on T-day, but Fri/Sat/Sun is a possability.

I've never eaten a greenling. Are they good? always seem to catch them, just C&R though.

I've never eaten a greenling. Are they good? always seem to catch them, just C&R though.

I think Greenling are excellent! They're delicately fleshed. The rock greenling's flesh is often blue-green & turns whit when cooked. I especially like them gutted & cooked whole on a smokey BBQ (maple, apple, alder, or oak). I've also prepared them as sashimi  or ceviche. I'm gettin hungry. Time for lunch.

Small black & larger Kelp greenling

ready to eat

I've never eaten a greenling. Are they good? always seem to catch them, just C&R though.

I think Greenling are excellent! They're delicately fleshed. The rock greenling's flesh is often blue-green & turns whit when cooked. I especially like them gutted & cooked whole on a smokey BBQ (maple, apple, alder, or oak). I've also prepared them as sashimi  or ceviche. I'm gettin hungry. Time for lunch.

Small black & larger Kelp greenling

ready to eat

That looks tasty. Those greenling look nothing like what I've caught in the past. Pole said  the last pics I had looked like white spotted greenling. I didn't realize therre was such variation with them. I'll have to look at the fish ID book again to make sure I aint eating an indangered species or somesuch.

Male and female greenling come in different colors. The female is orange or yellow and the male is greenish blue. There can be some variation and some are lighter/darker than others.

Z

Male and female greenling come in different colors. The female is orange or yellow and the male is greenish blue. There can be some variation and some are lighter/darker than others.

Z

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/finfish/sp/kelp_greenling.asp
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/finfish/sp/rock_greenling.asp
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/publications/recfish/guide_south_vAug04.pdf
Please note .pdf doc: Greenling

Female kelp greenling


Male kelp greenling


Can't say I've seen a rock greenling before. I don't think we have 'em in our 'hood. Are they really that red?

Z

That one on the bottom looks most like what I've seen. Thanks for clarifying.

J

This fish ID stuff is interesting. Thanks for the kelpy pics Z. Don't wanna hijack, so I'll start a new topic.

The ODFW links are interesting.  ODFW has at least two different fish ID pages:

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/finfish/sp/fish_list.asp
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon/FishID/FishIDLists.asp

Although the second lists "salmon" in the URL it is all inclusive.  The photos and descriptions for the same species at the two URLs differ.

OK ConeHM, I've been looking at charts and currents, and I'm thinking I'll fish the kelp around N Beach, West of Ft. Warden for greenling. Or the sand/mud East of Pt. Wilson for flounder, then there's a "fish haven marked on the chart, some kind of concrete structure on the East side of Maristone Isl in about 50-60ft water that keeps intriguing me.

Currents are peaking in the eve....up to 3.7kts 1 mile NW of Pt. Wilson, but I don't think I'll be fishing that far out anyway.

We'll just have to see how wind speed/direction and current direction line up. If it was blowing hard against 3.7kts, it wouldn't be fun trying to hold position in 2-4ft wind waves and current etc.

That's my plan, kinda open & vague, probably going out more than one day, and everything depends on weather I guess. If it's too nasty I'll just go touring and play around.

Just PM me if you're around.

J

I'll know by Wednesday evening if I'm taking a yak with me. Forecast looks wet/ugly for after T-day. Right now, Wednesday looks to be the better day of the week coming up around here.

Has anybody else noticed that these "El Nino" late Falls and Winters seem to be front-loaded for the weather systems? Late Oct, Nov, and Dec get a ton of precip and strong systems (heavier, more than normal), and then it lightens up for the late Winter. So far it's been a wet and wild Nov, and I read somewhere that "El Nino'" conditions were developing in the Pacific. I'm inclined to expect this Dec to be gnarlier than normal.
This weather sucks! But hey! Its Nov! I have been hunkering down the last few days, doing research, housework, abominable crunches, iron pumping, technical analysis of equities and the markets, minor projects in the shop, etc.

I'm going to run outside, yell something loud just for the helluvit, and go beachcombing before it rains again! Laters!

I was thinking the weekend after T-day looked pretty good 50f, 60% rain, wind to 10kts.

It's mostly the wind that I don't like.....rain and cold (above 25f) are ok with me. The wind frustrates me for jigging....mix it with current and it's about impossible for me to keep a tight line to the bottom.

One of the downers of jigging the handline is that, unlike with a rod where I have a hand free to paddle & hold position, the handline takes both hands....and I don't like to use an anchor. Allot of wind and current will kill jigging for me.

Jason,
i think our resident chef  floating cowboys lives up that way.. it may be he's over in port angeles too. i usually get those two places mixed up.

might want to contact him just in the off chance he actually is close to there.
[WR]