3 years and no luck

[Doc Sauce]

I am getting to where I don't enjoy fishing at all.  Correction... I don't enjoy doing this anymore.  I have been in Washington for 3 years, moved up with the Navy, and have been trying my hand at hunting and fishing.  To date, I have caught a handful of trout from a stocked lake.  No Flounder, No Pile Perch, Goodness knows No Salmon... nothing.

I read folks saying they catch tons of flounder and pile perch... as though the things are super common.  I cannot catch a single one.  I have quit taking my kids because it became so hard trying to be positive and encouraging to them when inside I "know" that no matter what we do, we aren't going to catch anything.

At this point, I do not think I am going to buy a hunting license... I'm tired of wasting money that I don't have.  I'm also not sure if I want to fish any more in Washington.   I think I have had all I can take of disappointment.

Venting Complete.

Thanks

[snowpack]

I guess I'll ask, what kind of homework have you put into the fish and critters?  All kinds of things like run timing, river flows, rain, tides, moon phase/rise, etc.  Usually some kinds of secrets for the critters/fish for each area.

[Fishnclifff]

Don't give up.

Humpies are here.
I will be up in about 3 weeks. If ya wanna come hang out and catch fish with us, be glad to have ya.

[bearpaw]

Being successful is all about knowledge and finesse. If you don't get help here on the forum or have any friends who can help you learn the finer points then consider hiring a fishing guide for a day, the right guide will enjoy teaching you. How much have you wasted on gas and expenses, a guide is probably a cheap investment? 

This forum has pretty awesome members, I'll be amazed if you don't get offers of help.

[Smossy]

Being successful is all about knowledge and finesse. If you don't get help here on the forum or have any friends who can help you learn the finer points then consider hiring a fishing guide for a day, the right guide will enjoy teaching you. How much have you wasted on gas and expenses, a guide is probably a cheap investment? 

This forum has pretty awesome members, I'll be amazed if you don't get offers of help.

 
Also, Don't be afraid to ask questions, even if you think they're border line stupid..
A closed mouth don't get fed, I know first hand about that one.
I've only been on here since January and I can say in that short period of time of ranting, asking questions, bugging people, and meeting others. I've learned probably 300% more in these topics then I knew before. "Hunting and Fishing".

Be open to ideas's and criticism.

[JackOfAllTrades]

I'll ask.. Doc, where are you from and did you hunt and fish there with success?  So..  many years ago, a Navy buddy and I hunted Blacktail together for several seasons. He's from Indiana and for his age then, was a pretty accomplished Whitetail hunter. (they grow on trees out there).. Anyway, he never bagged a BT here through three tours of service while I did nearly every season.  I guess what I'm sayin, is that he hunted the way he'd learned back east. Patterning WT and sitting in one spot for hours/days on end... NOT the way I hunt BT, but he'd get back at camp after dark, dinner, sleep and be ready for another day of hunting the next morning. He moved back to Indiana and bagged a fine buck his first season. Fishing. Well, He could bass fish. Did well with Wahleye. Couldn't catch a Salmon until could teach him not to yank the rod so hard he'd pull the hook right through the fish's jaw.  So, other than a guide, you probably at least need a mentor for the quary you're after. If you're beach or dock fishing, be observant to what other successful fishers are doing. You don't have to ask them, but you certainly should. But look at everything from not just 'the' bait used, but 'how' that bait is put on the hook. What kind of hook/s. How long the leader is. Size/color/test of leader/Mainline.  Amount of weight. Is it fixed/Slider? Even the shape. Size/Weight of the rod/reel. Weather conditions. Tide flow. Wind. Depth of fished bait. Action of jigging. Fish are sometimes finiky eaters. Sometimes they are aggressive. A lure meant to piss off a spawning bass inducing a strike isn't going to entice a silver salmon at all. There are many threads of information available for catching different species of fish in the northwest. Read. Take notes. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
 
Don't quit! Anyone can catch a Humpie!
 
If you want a challenge, try Fly fishing!
 
-Steve

[huntnnw]

Ill tell u right now if you live on the wetside and cant catch a salmon or steelhead..You are either really new to this, your trying to figure it out on your own or just dont research and learn more about what your targeting. Id hire a guide in a area you fish..you will learn more in a day than a year of trying to figure it out on your own

[huntnnw]

I dont even wanna hear whining about hunting...put on the boots and get after it! Your new to it even more so! its all about experience in the woods and learning. I am still learning new stuff to this day and I have been hard at it for 25 years and will NEVER give up hunting EVER! Your above statement tells me your not really into it..Id never make that statement ever. There is some great hunting in this state to be had.

[csaaphill]

I dont even wanna hear whining about hunting...put on the boots and get after it! Your new to it even more so! its all about experience in the woods and learning. I am still learning new stuff to this day and I have been hard at it for 25 years and will NEVER give up hunting EVER! Your above statement tells me your not really into it..Id never make that statement ever. There is some great hunting in this state to be had.

My bother inlaw hailes from IDaho so is spoiled I guess, all he does is complain about Washington, but doesn't mean we dont' have good fishing and hunting. If you can afford it try around the Spokane area I hear they have tons of Whitetail.
Might have to settle for a doe, but meat is meat.
Fishing wise I can relate, but not for the same reasons just haven't been able to go as much.

[Smossy]

I dont even wanna hear whining about hunting...put on the boots and get after it! Your new to it even more so! its all about experience in the woods and learning. I am still learning new stuff to this day and I have been hard at it for 25 years and will NEVER give up hunting EVER! Your above statement tells me your not really into it..Id never make that statement ever. There is some great hunting in this state to be had.

Some of the best opportunities Id say....

[RadSav]

One of the best steelheaders I know booked a trip with me on the Siletz back in the mid eighties.  He booked the trip because he had been trying to catch a steelhead the five previous years without a single hookup.  It was a foggy cold December morning river just off color and so still you could hear the water drip from the oars as I would rest before hitting the next set...perfect day for fish!  On our first anchor I took out a drift rig and bounced a small peach Spin-n-glo through a rock pile.  Bam!  Fish On!  Handed the pole off to the client and be landed the chrome without releasing the anchor.  After the fish was landed I walked him through how I had read the water and what the take down felt like.  Next anchor set same gear same result!  Again I walked him through the steps and what it felt like. 

Two or three anchor sets later we reached my favorite hole on the entire river.  This time before casting we both stood up and we read the water together.  There were two flat boulders about 10 yards above a fast ripple.  Shallow pea gravel on the far side and deeper water and 6-8" rocks and gravel on the near side.  He made a perfect cast, great tension on line, perfect weight selection and then momentary slack line...tip up...Bam! Fish On!  For about 30 seconds   

After we lost that fish he looks at me with a big grin on his face.  This was not the expression I was expecting for losing his first hookup ever.  He pats me on the back, gives me a brief one arm man hug and says, "Do you realize how many fish I have missed over the past five years and never knew it?  I get it now.  Thank you. Thank you, Thank you!"  We put five more fish in the boat that day on drift gear and a couple more off plugs.  We talked about how to approach each set, but I never made another cast the whole day.  He did it all himself.

These days we get together for lunch occasionally and I listen to him talk about pounding steel all over the northwest and Canada.  He has even taught me a thing or two about targeting big fish and yarn presentations.  There is no doubt he has become a world class steelheader.  And all it took was a few hours in a boat with a guide willing to teach and help him understand.

Sometimes hiring a guide isn't so much about getting away for the boss or the amount of fish you catch.  Sometimes it's about how much knowledge you can absorb and how many questions you can get answered.  Most of your quality guides are more than happy to lend a hand in your education of the sport, the animal, the fish, the water and where to best concentrate your efforts.  Sometimes the fee for a guide can be difficult to swallow on a limited budget.  However, sometimes it's worth every penny.


I hope you don't give up.  If you keep after it there will come a time you can't believe you ever had difficulty getting the feel for it.  There will be days when every faulty cast seems to hook fish, every limp line eventually goes straight and every clearcut seems to have a bedded bull in it.  On those days all the waiting will be worth it!  Just keep at it and learn from your mistakes.

[Smossy]

One of the best steelheaders I know booked a trip with me on the Siletz back in the mid eighties.  He booked the trip because he had been trying to catch a steelhead the five previous years without a single hookup.  It was a foggy cold December morning river just off color and so still you could hear the water drip from the oars as I would rest before hitting the next set...perfect day for fish!  On our first anchor I took out a drift rig and bounced a small peach Spin-n-glo through a rock pile.  Bam!  Fish On!  Handed the pole off to the client and be landed the chrome without releasing the anchor.  After the fish was landed I walked him through how I had read the water and what the take down felt like.  Next anchor set same gear same result!  Again I walked him through the steps and what it felt like. 

Two or three anchor sets later we reached my favorite hole on the entire river.  This time before casting we both stood up and we read the water together.  There were two flat boulders about 10 yards above a fast ripple.  Shallow pea gravel on the far side and deeper water and 6-8" rocks and gravel on the near side.  He made a perfect cast, great tension on line, perfect weight selection and then momentary slack line...tip up...Bam! Fish On!  For about 30 seconds   

After we lost that fish he looks at me with a big grin on his face.  This was not the expression I was expecting for losing his first hookup ever.  He pats me on the back, gives me a brief one arm man hug and says, "Do you realize how many fish I have missed over the past five years and never knew it?  I get it now.  Thank you. Thank you, Thank you!"  We put five more fish in the boat that day on drift gear and a couple more off plugs.  We talked about how to approach each set, but I never made another cast the whole day.  He did it all himself.

These days we get together for lunch occasionally and I listen to him talk about pounding steel all over the northwest and Canada.  He has even taught me a thing or two about targeting big fish and yarn presentations.  There is no doubt he has become a world class steelheader.  And all it took was a few hours in a boat with a guide willing to teach and help him understand.

Sometimes hiring a guide isn't so much about getting away for the boss or the amount of fish you catch.  Sometimes it's about how much knowledge you can absorb and how many questions you can get answered.  Most of your quality guides are more than happy to lend a hand in your education of the sport, the animal, the fish, the water and where to best concentrate your efforts.  Sometimes the fee for a guide can be difficult to swallow on a limited budget.  However, sometimes it's worth every penny.


I hope you don't give up.  If you keep after it there will come a time you can't believe you ever had difficulty getting the feel for it.  There will be days when every faulty cast seems to hook fish, every limp line eventually goes straight and every clearcut seems to have a bedded bull in it.  On those days all the waiting will be worth it!  Just keep at it and learn from your mistakes.

 

[hunt_fish]

I am getting to where I don't enjoy fishing at all.  Correction... I don't enjoy doing this anymore.  I have been in Washington for 3 years, moved up with the Navy, and have been trying my hand at hunting and fishing.  To date, I have caught a handful of trout from a stocked lake.  No Flounder, No Pile Perch, Goodness knows No Salmon... nothing.

I read folks saying they catch tons of flounder and pile perch... as though the things are super common.  I cannot catch a single one.  I have quit taking my kids because it became so hard trying to be positive and encouraging to them when inside I "know" that no matter what we do, we aren't going to catch anything.

At this point, I do not think I am going to buy a hunting license... I'm tired of wasting money that I don't have.  I'm also not sure if I want to fish any more in Washington.   I think I have had all I can take of disappointment.

Venting Complete.

Thanks

If you're stuck on the bank and you're trying to fish for salmon, go to point no point early in the morning or Hoodsport for right now.  Later in late October the Chum will show up, go to Chico Creek, Hood Canal, John's Creek, Minter Creek for them.  Right now for trout I wouldn't even mess with any of the lakes right now if you're on the bank, I'd head for the rivers around the Hood Canal area, you should be able to pick up trout, my friend has picked up some nice sized cutthroat over there the past few weeks.  If you like eating squid, go to Waterman's Pier in Port Orchard or the Illahee dock during the night.  Like someone else said, if you do the research, you'll find plenty of info on where to fish, what to use to fish and all that stuff.  If you have a boat, you have plenty of options and should be picking up at the very least flounder out in the saltwater.

[h2ofowlr]

I have had my streaks in my younger days.  I always asked lots of questions, your likely to get more help on topics and techniques in your local are by face to face discussion with guys.  You still run into those that won't give up the secret of their personal success.
Hunting and fishing can be humbling.  If you like it, learn it, study it and practice what you learn.  Your bound to get lucky.
I talk to guys that have the same luck fishing every year.  Most of the time it is gear being used, location they are fishing or how they are fishing the water.  Move around, watch others, copy repeat successes or make your own gear.  Fresh baits are always a plus.

[wildmanoutdoors]

Your in Bremerton. I live in Port Orchard. Fishing the area is not great. Were kinda at the pit of the sound. Lol
I concentrae on the Manchester area, Southworth, and Vashon areas for Kings but you need a boat and lots of experience.

It has really tapered off in the last 8 years though. The Kings just arnt there like they used to be. Nothing is. Im to the point were Ive given up on South sound fishing because it was so good years ago. My very experienced bud fishes all week and weekends and still hasent landed a nice mature King. He did get a 20 or so plus pounder to the boat sunday to lose it at the net in Port Orchard.

Nov will have a good Chum run at chico. Easy to catch hard fighting salmon.

You really dont want to eat flounder from the area. Pile Perch are around but thinning out over the years.

There is a run of Kings comming back right now to Gorst creek. But unless you have patience and a boat with down riggers there not easy. We have that dialed. Me and my buddy have taken 6th and 1st place in the St clair derby in the last 4 years though. But I have been doing this my whole life.

You can fish for them in Gorst in the mud flats but its a crappy snag fest behind a shady strip club. Lol

Like others have said, Point No Point from the beach is going to heat up, as is Hoodsport. But Salmon fishing is a very competitive sport at these areas and its schoulder to schoulder.

Learning to catch Salmon and Steelhead in rivers is a long learning curve unless you can fish with experienced guys.

If you want to catch cleaner flounder and such you might try the manchester boat launch area. From the beach or docks. Manchester state park has some neat areas too if you follow that trails out to the rocks. I grew up fishing there.

For Plie Perch Id try the Anapolis pier, Watermans dock on Beach drive. Which is on your way to Manchester! Flounder should be there too!

Have you tried the Indianola dock?

Its easy to get fustrated with fishing here anymore. I have been at it for almost 40 years now. Ive guided and fished the West coast from AK, Queen Charrolets, Rivers Inlet, Vancouver Island, to Oregon coastal bays.

You have to work at it and travel now to be really succesful. Following the circut and productive fisheries.
 
Take the kids to Manchester, great beach and docks. Even if there not catching they will have fun!