Sekiu Lings ?

[Widgeondeke]

I am heading over to Sekiu for the first time ever. I know they have been slaying the coho.
My questions are:
Is there good fishing for lings in MA 4?
If yes, which direction would one head.  Not asking for your secret spot, just wanting to try for some lings while there and what direction to try. Any land marks to reference ?

Thanks in advance 

[7mmfan]

Is it open for Lingcod out there right now?

Just looked, looks like you need to be in Area 4 for Lings. I know nothing about the area, I just wanted to make sure that it was open. Carry on...

[NorseNW]

7mmfan is correct - not open in marine area 5.  So I guess to answer your question to be legal you would need to run a bit West.  Past the mouth of the Sekiu river puts you in area 4.  I've never fished lings down that far so I'm not much help on location other than where it's legal.

[Widgeondeke]

Yes, we would run to MA 4

thanks,

modified OP to state

[carlyoungs]

Do you plan on heading out to Tatoosh? Or are you trying to stay close to the border of 4/5 by the sekiu river?

[Widgeondeke]

Not against running to Tatoosh, but if knew of a closer spot I'd save the fuel.

[kball4]

Sail rock just East of Neah Bay.  Anywhere in area 4 push up to the edge of the kelp beds.

[carlyoungs]

 

And if you catch a small greenling hook that sucker up and jig it. Have caught some big lings that way.

[Widgeondeke]

We didnt find any lings, but the salmon fishing was phenomenal and we caught some sea bass 

[hunthard]

Looks like a good trip right there

[NorseNW]

Nicely done!  Thanks for sharing the pics.  I do like that place.  Always enjoy our trips.

[h20hunter]

Nice job. Who is that young man? Surely not your BABY boy!!!!

[Widgeondeke]

Nice job. Who is that young man? Surely not your BABY boy!!!!

Yes that's him. A sophomore at LSHS now.
Also moved in the next up to Evergreen State College yesterday. 

[Alchase]

Nice load of fish!

[Fidelk]

"""We didnt find any lings, but the salmon fishing was phenomenal and we caught some sea bass"""

For lingcod, may I suggest using the largest diamond jigs that you can find (14 oz.....largest I can find up here), smearing them with Smelly Jelly and then jigging them hard on the rocks below. Keep moving around until you find them. You may lose some jigs if the bottom is very rocky but that's where they will be, and you need to feel the contact with the bottom. My last two trips out (550' of water), I've used a 28 oz. jig, flat on one side, rounded on the other (orange/yellow) that has absolutely slaughtered the lingcod and has also brought 5 halibut to the boat (4 released). That is my largest jig (no longer made/available) that I bought maybe 30 years ago......I will weep mightily when I eventually lose it.

[Woodhunter]

Well gosh.

Post a photo of the jig.    Maybe in the colder winter months I just might make a mold out in my machine shop.

John in Port Angeles

[branches]

Nice shop. You are set up very well.

[Alchase]

That is not a shop, that is a SHOP!



You should be posting on the Garage Gernal

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=4570b47d03b995264ee6a1cbedd8de1e&f=3

[Fidelk]

"""Post a photo of the jig.    Maybe in the colder winter months I just might make a mold out in my machine shop.

John in Port Angeles"""

John, sorry but am very weak on photos and the internets. Just looked and found it by searching for "TNT fishing lures". These and similar large sized Tady Jigs don't seem to be made any more.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=tnt+fishing+lures&qpvt=tnt+fishing+lures&FORM=IGRE

Scroll down a bit and there are 4 jigs with a light green background in the photo...….mine is the red one on the top. It weighs 26.2 oz., approx. 9 1/2" long, 2" in the middle and 3/4" on both ends. Flat on one side and rounded on the other. These might be available on eBay. I pair up the lure with a Mustad 10/0 Treble Hook. I have only used this in depths of 550 feet, to match the weight being used by other fishermen in the boat (2 lb.) and avoid tangles. With some Smelly Jelly smeared on, this combo has really worked well for me for both lingcod and halibut.

The only other lures that I have been able to find in this weight were ordered for me by Brian's Sporting Goods in Sequim. These were marked Gibbs 126 Canada and are 23.2 oz. Think they are Norwegian Cod Jigs(?). Haven't used them yet but will keep them in reserve.

In shallower waters, you should be fine with 14 oz. diamond jigs (I bought some at Swain's in P.A.)...….I would cut off the factory hooks and put on the Mustad 10/0 plus the Smelly Jelly. You could go smaller on diamond jigs but I like to go heavier to be best able to feel the bottom and then bang away on the bottom structure to get the lings into an attack mode.

PM a phone number or addy for your shop and I can drop by if you want to take a mold of the lure......I'm in Sequim and will be in P.A. in the afternoon on Dec 7.

[CLARKTAR]

Well gosh.

Post a photo of the jig.    Maybe in the colder winter months I just might make a mold out in my machine shop.

John in Port Angeles

If you ever need a hand with something let me know! I would enjoy learning how those Mills work...

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[robodad]

I'm pretty sure those are a tuna lure actually designed to be trolled but hey if they work keep using em !!

Big John I need to talk to you about a mold if your interested !!

[Fidelk]

"""I'm pretty sure those are a tuna lure actually designed to be trolled but hey if they work keep using em !!""""

I think that you are correct. I've fished for albacore a couple times, trolling artificial plastic lures on the surface, not these metal things, but have seen them referred to as tuna lures.

I have a lot of experience fishing north of the Golden Gate (mostly out of Bodega Bay) for bottomfish. Rather than using strings of shrimp flies and a cannonball 2-3 lb. weight, I preferred to use a diamond jig or hex bar (8-10 oz.) with a single shrimp fly a couple feet above it. This was usually in water 250-350 feet deep. I was targeting lingcod rather than rockfish, but this setup usually yielded limits of both (5 lings, 15 rockfish). During this time, I bought a few of these heavier lures out of curiosity but never used them.

When I moved to WA, I didn't fish for several years but have recently started up again. Different gear is used up here, which I used the first time I went out. The second trip, I took along this heavier lure, wanting to try something that I was more used to in working it on the bottom (at 550 feet). It really really performed on the lingcod. Other guys were using 2 lb. weights to get down. The lure also caught 2 halibut, released. This past June, I went on a halibut trip, and used it again in 550 feet of water, lots of lings and 3 halibut...…..luckily the first one was the biggest (87 lbs.), the other two released. The lure also brought up a large black cod (lost at the rail) and several large rockfish (all released due to regs). It is a different setup than what I have seen up here but it works very well. I will continue to use it until I lose it. Another difference for me, is the composition of the bottom up here, from down south. I'm used to rocky bottoms and losing lots of bars when they snag up. The bottoms up here, at least at 550 feet and where I have fished (30 miles out of La Push) seem to be either sandy or gravelly and does not eat gear. I'm also surprised that these bottoms hold both halibut and lingcod. The one bottom line in using a jig like this (or a 2 lb. weight) is FEELING the bottom......these are bottom fish and you need to entice them to bite where they live, the bottom. You know you are there when line quits going out as you descend, but then you need to reel up a bit and start jigging it on the bottom. If you can feel the jig hit the bottom, you are in business.