Westport July 4,5

I'm exploring heading to Westport to bottomfish a couple days this holiday weekend. Not for sure yet...big factor is obviously the weather, and it's still a few days out for a reliable forecast.  But here's a few questions for ya:

1.  Anyone interested in meeting up for one or both days?  I'm thinking of heading out (from Bellingham) Saturday and spending the night in or near Westport, then starting fishing early Sunday and also Monday.

2.  Who wants to share some knowledge about fishing Westport area?  I'm guessing a good place to start is the jetty just west of Westhaven State Park.  Any other suggestions near or even outside Westport are welcome!

3.  Any suggestions on where to stay?  I know we're kinda late in the game here for holiday weekend reservations.  I'm hoping to find sometplace like the Chinook Bend RV place we stayed at for the ORC.  Someplace that I can set up camp but have access to a shower and bathroom, and is not right next to a highway.

Cheers,
Rory

Yeah, I wanna go out there, but probably won't happen this weekend.  If something changes I'll let ya know.  Right now the plan is some back country Alpine Lakes in Gifford Pinchot.  The GF just got a 4x4 and she's itching to break something.  

The June issue of NW sportsman has an article on the Westport Jetty.

Edit:  One other thing, there was supposed to be a group of folks heading out there for surfing/fishing at some point this summer.  It was gonna be the Westport Bro Down.

FRIEND OF MINE WENT OUT OF WESTPORT SUNDAY, GOT 2 KINGS, N 18 AND A 19 #.

that south jetty does look promising

Those pictures from your iPhone?!!!

FRIEND OF MINE WENT OUT OF WESTPORT SUNDAY, GOT 2 KINGS, N 18 AND A 19 #.

Out of curiousity, was he fishing from a kayak?

that south jetty does look promising

What app is that Isaac?

Winds are gonna be from the NW, lighter in the morning, picking up in the afternoon. For the jetty fishing I'd hit it at the very first crack of dawn, launch by 5am and hope the wind doesn't pick up right away. The high tide is around dawn now, with the low around mid-day, then another high in the evening.
Not as critical for a tidal creek, as I paddle in on the high and like to fish on the way down with the dropping tide.
Check your pms for my cell# and home message machine. I'll be around.  I was thinking of paddling up a tidal creek and exploring and maybe tossing some flies for cutthroat, or back into the Elk River estuary, rather than trying to fish the jetty. Also, I was thinking of just surf fishing from the beach for Redtail Surf Perch.

I always seem to play "wait-and-see" with the mix of conditions, and then try to go for the best sounding option at the last minute.

To hit the top of the tide for fishing, the earlier launch might be better. Or else just paddle upstream somewhere in the afternoon and return after high tide in the evening.
Huge awesome fireworks display by the Shoalwater Indians at Tokeland!

Just saw this today, by the way. Wow... Places to stay....I just don't keep up on this!
Normally I would suggest either Twin Harbors State Park or Grayland State Park, but they may be booked. (I live about halfway in between them).
I'm not an RVer and wouldn't know which private RV campground to recommend, but there's a bunch around. If you can't find something closer to Westport, Kenanna down between Grayland and N Cove might not be filled up, since it has a lot of space.

How many in your crew?

yakfish between the rock-mounted horn and the y at the end of the word, "jetty."
If its calm and the surf is flat, you might even try out around the end near the sunken jetty, but I haven't been out there yet in my yak, just in a zodiac.
Tricky currents and bar there if the surf is up at all.

Thanks for the advice CHM!  Yes, I was just planning to go out to Westport and figure out what to do based on the conditions.  Curious about something though...the South jetty appears to jut out almost directly west from the peninsula.  Assuming I'm fishing on the south side of the jetty, wouldn't that offer some bit of protection from NW wind/swell?  Also, if you're fishing the jetty do you usually launch from Gray's Harbor or from the beach?  Looks like there's a potentially decent beach launch on either side of the base of the S. Jetty.  Again, this is just looking at the map - I really have no idea.

Finally, in the event the NW winds don't allow safe kayak fishing near the jetty, what about the area just off the south end of cape disappointment?  (I do realize this is 80 mi from westport)

http://tinyurl.com/2fgglrb

Looking at the map it appears there are two jettys down there, and then there's the whole inside area east of that peninsula that I would think might be a little quieter.  No idea if there's fish in there though.  Do you?  Any other backup suggestions for more protected fishing for lings/rockfish?

Outside chance I might try to hop on a salmon charter too.  Lots of options!  Just have to see how the weather shakes out.

I have been launching in Half Moon Bay near the base of the Jetty, from Westhaven St Pk. Fishing the N side. The surf has finally been smaller. I would have fished yesterday in the S winds if it hadn't been raining, but the rain was coming down pretty steadily most of the day after 11am, and I was really beat up and sore from a few days of powering out all my lawns before the holiday, because I knew the rain was coming and I wanted to wind it all up. I'm not touching a mower for another two weeks!. Blue skies today!  woohoo! I'll talk at ya later. Gotta go!

For the most part, you don't want to be fishing the non-river side of any jetty.  And even some of them you don't want to be fishing that side ... like the north jetty at Ocean Shores.  That one has a shallow rock shelf extending out from the jetty and it is just a bunch of breaking waves and rocks washes.  But I tell you, that jetty used to be really good to us.  We used to fish it on low low tides, find some tube worms, and go out to the end of the jetty on the ocean side and drop them close to the rocks.  This section was actually the calmest section on the jetty (of course just the opposite of what I said above).  The bite would drop off as the tide came up.  Not sure why this pattern worked for us and you had to have those tube worms.  None of the other baits worked well.  Saw my first cabbie out here and it was a big un.

The jetty at Cape Disappointment is where we're having the dungy tournament this year.  It can be very fishable for rockfish, greenling, lingcod, and salmon.  I used to fish the jetties a lot as a kid, even caught an 8 pound black off the CD one.  One memorable morning we had a run of 5 pound starry flounders.  They were coming up of the bottom and slamming the anchovies we were floating under a bobber for kings.

-Allen

Thanks - good to know.  I'll check out the conditions and see what's what when I get there.  In regards to cape disappointment it looks like there are two jetties, an east and a west one.  Which are you referring to, and which side of the jetty is preferable?

Thanks - good to know.  I'll check out the conditions and see what's what when I get there.  In regards to cape disappointment it looks like there are two jetties, an east and a west one.  Which are you referring to, and which side of the jetty is preferable?

West jetty at CD.  You can launch at Waikiki Beach.  South side of the jetty.

-Allen