Washington North.... Fishing holes

Hello All! I am pretty new to the area (Washington) and to Kayaking in general. 

I moved to Bellingham for work about two years ago. Since moving here I bought a T-13 angler, made a few mods, and have been hitting as much water as possible. 

Last year I did a lot of freshwater fishing and learned how to use the kayak. This year I have been trying to find areas to hit the salt. It seems like there isn't much going on in the bay near Bellingham with the pollution, reservation, restrictions etc... 

Does anyone have any experience out in this area or close to it? I did a search for Bellingham and didn't come up with anything. I noticed "The Tall Man" had a similar post but it didn't yield much info. I assume people don't fish out here? 

I have a buddy that likes to kayak too and we are both willing to drive in the evenings or on the weekends if we can find a decent spot. Wouldn't mind fishing with more experienced guys so we can learn. Both are pretty laid back.

Love to get your feedback about:
Areas
Pointers
Baits/lures
Cool stuff I haven't bought yet Lol.

Thanks in advance. I appreciate all of the info I have gotten from this site. If you are ever in the Bellingham area I am usually good for a coffee or a beer and have plenty of stories. Some are even true.    

Hang tight, The tall man and others will reply soon i bet. He is relatively new to the sport but seems to be knocking them dead. From posts i have seen quite a bit happens up there and there is tons happening in the san juans. Try doing searches with more localized locations such as birch bay or specific points rather than "bellingham" and i think you will find quite a bit. I know crab is hopping up there right now.  Doug in sequim

   B'ham-ster here!  I'm currently up in Ketchikan, but my home is in Bellingham.  You're right about the nearshore fisheries options right around town.  Not so hot.  There are some good areas for flatties here and there, but the refinery is within sight distance of some, if that bugs ya.  A short ferry ride to Lummi can put you on the shipping lane side of the island, but be sure you know your weather and currents and have radios and submersion wear ready, and don't go alone if you don't have salty experience.  That can be some big water with some big boats cruisin' around.  There are some decent salty options within an hour or so of town, and a drive is the norm in order to get to some of these spots.  When the coho come in, it's not unusual for neptune beach, point whitehorn and lego bay to kick out some fish, but you have the problem of the restricted areas for some of that, which can be a challenge for someone who needs to shore launch and land.  There are several smaller islands around that area within paddle distance if you dedicate enough time and are willing to put in the work, though if you are new to the salt I'd recommend you go with an experienced buddy.  You might want to check out fishin' at post point, but remember you can't target or retain either rockfish or lingcod right now.

We'll have to meet up and give the fall fishin' a shot when I get back.  Good luck and tight lines!

Thank you for the replies. I responded to your PM and look forward to meeting you!

If there are fish around here I will eventually find them...

Kinda windy today. Not good for kayaking!