Charter recommendations for neah bay bass and lings.

[trophyhunt]

Looking for recommendations for a great charter for bottom fish, don’t care about halibut, boring as heck.  Only looking for ling cod and bass around opening day, I think it’s April 16??  I have cousin who is a great captain and we’ve always done well on his boat, but he may not be able to make it this year so I want a back up plan. 

[opdinkslayer]

Unless your set on going out to Neah Bay you might contact Jim Richeson of Top Notch Ocean Charters in LaPush. I know he slays some pig ling cod in April out in the deep water.

[buckfvr]

Tommy Cod

[3boys]

Todds extreme fishing. He is a fish assassin in Neah Bay. Runs a nice North River for 4 guys.

[trophyhunt]

Thanks guys, I’ll be checking all your recommendations.

[WSU]

You’re going to puke!

[trophyhunt]

You’re going to puke!

almost guarantee that!!!  I am a puker for sure, but zofran certainly works as long as it’s not too rough.  But that time of year, it will be rough!   

[Crunchy]

If you are only after lings and rockfish I would make sure you fish on days when hali is closed.  I would also consider a week or two later in the season as it wont be as crowded (maybe) and weather might be better.  Ive done Neah once and it was an onslaught of monster waves.  I was fishing about 200 yards from another boat, and could only see it 30 seconds out of a minute because the waves were so big.  Never puked but felt like I wanted to die.

[WSU]

I could just give you fish. No puking involved!

[Wetwoodshunter]

Looking for recommendations for a great charter for bottom fish, don’t care about halibut, boring as heck.  Only looking for ling cod and bass around opening day, I think it’s April 16??  I have cousin who is a great captain and we’ve always done well on his boat, but he may not be able to make it this year so I want a back up plan.

I'm biased, but try Excel Fishing Charters from Neah Bay. I ran a second boat for him last year but took a new job and cannot swing it this year.

Tom specializes in bottomfish, he recently repowered and does 25 ish knots cruising in a 28 ft by 10.5 ft wide Uniflite.

You cannot go wrong with Girtz, Jim Richeson, or Randy Lato. All super fun to fish around.

[bigsads]

Alpha angler

[elkrack]

We’ve killed the bottom fish and salmon on the Neptune traveler!

[Houndhunter]

Unless your set on going out to Neah Bay you might contact Jim Richeson of Top Notch Ocean Charters in LaPush. I know he slays some pig ling cod in April out in the deep water.

[cohoho]

John Thiel - Alpha Anglers - John is out of LaPush though.. 

[follow maggie]

I did this type of trip a couple years ago with Sieku Charters and had a great time. Everyone caught limits. (360) 640-4857 They fish out of Neah Bay & Sieku

[W_Ellison2011]

Looking for recommendations for a great charter for bottom fish, don’t care about halibut, boring as heck.  Only looking for ling cod and bass around opening day, I think it’s April 16??  I have cousin who is a great captain and we’ve always done well on his boat, but he may not be able to make it this year so I want a back up plan.

I'm biased, but try Excel Fishing Charters from Neah Bay. I ran a second boat for him last year but took a new job and cannot swing it this year.

Tom specializes in bottomfish, he recently repowered and does 25 ish knots cruising in a 28 ft by 10.5 ft wide Uniflite.

You cannot go wrong with Girtz, Jim Richeson, or Randy Lato. All super fun to fish around.

I second this. Fished with him the last 2 years in a row. GREAT GUY! Works hard to get you limits and always a great attitude. Gives discounts if you pay cash and also a discount if you stay at their inn. He does what he calls and inshore lingcod/bottomfish combo. Thats what we have done. The rockfish are WAY bigger than what we caught the time we went out of westport and we have caught several good sized lings and cabe's with Tom. I don't know if I will get to go this year but I really hope that I can... if he isn't booked solid already.

[MLBowhunting]

Excel Fishing Charters for sure.  Tom is top notch.

[C-Money]

Alpha angler

I talked to the Alpha Angler guys at the Tri City Sportsmen's show. They seemed like a good outfit to fish with.

[The Fin]

I fished with Todd's extreme fishing and it was an amazing trip.  Left the dock in Neah Bay at 6:30 and didn't get back till almost 7 pm. The guy wants you to get quality fish. Our ling cod averaged over 20 lbs. and the sea bass were plentiful.  There were 4 of us on the boat and had easy limits. 

[trophyhunt]

I fished with Todd's extreme fishing and it was an amazing trip.  Left the dock in Neah Bay at 6:30 and didn't get back till almost 7 pm. The guy wants you to get quality fish. Our ling cod averaged over 20 lbs. and the sea bass were plentiful.  There were 4 of us on the boat and had easy limits. 

on the web site it says they use electric reels, I know that very nice for deep water, but is there any fight? That’s all the fun in catching lings.

[Wetwoodshunter]

I fished with Todd's extreme fishing and it was an amazing trip.  Left the dock in Neah Bay at 6:30 and didn't get back till almost 7 pm. The guy wants you to get quality fish. Our ling cod averaged over 20 lbs. and the sea bass were plentiful.  There were 4 of us on the boat and had easy limits. 

on the web site it says they use electric reels, I know that very nice for deep water, but is there any fight? That’s all the fun in catching lings.

It ruins it for me. I see loads of people shove them in the rod holder and wait for it to beep at you when the fish is near the boat. The main difference is people can catch tons of fish and high grade to keep big ones without getting tired as fast, or at all.

Personally, I would love to see electric reels banned.

[fishngamereaper]

To each their own but I've reeled in allot of hali and ling's from 500-700' in my time ..it gets old reel fast... besides some tugging and pulling your not really playing the fish .so electrics are my go to on my boat. And when your constantly running into " fish you can't keep" these days, it makes no sense to go up and down more than you have to hand cranking.

[RB]

Looking for recommendations for a great charter for bottom fish, don’t care about halibut, boring as heck.  Only looking for ling cod and bass around opening day, I think it’s April 16??  I have cousin who is a great captain and we’ve always done well on his boat, but he may not be able to make it this year so I want a back up plan.

I'm biased, but try Excel Fishing Charters from Neah Bay. I ran a second boat for him last year but took a new job and cannot swing it this year.

Tom specializes in bottomfish, he recently repowered and does 25 ish knots cruising in a 28 ft by 10.5 ft wide Uniflite.

You cannot go wrong with Girtz, Jim Richeson, or Randy Lato. All super fun to fish around.

 

Fished with Randy last year for Kings, he owns Always Fishing, has a great boat and fun to fish with!

[Mark Youngblood]

Todds Extreme Fishing for Neah, also Far Corners Sportfishing , All Rivers and Saltwater charters out of Westport...or I offer ling/sea bass trips out of Ilwaco but only rent by the boat, $1350 plus tax , max 6 persons, May and early June... 5 bass and 2 lings since I fish oregon waters..... its 7 bass and 2 lings in Westport and Neah Bay

[baldopepper]

You might want to rethink that opening weekend trip. With a 4 halibut per season limit the season will likely extend clear into June. Neah is a zoo both on and off the water for the opening weekend, charters are always full, weather is often terrible and fish usually run smaller than later in the season. Last year the guys who know what they're doing had no trouble limiting all through the season. I know the fish we caught later definitely averaged much larger and many I saw coming off charters the opening weekend were just dinner plate size. Just a thought if you can hold off. Electric reels are a real blessing for us old dudes and I think a near must for those fighting off seasickness out there.  Not a big deal if you're still young and not prone to getting sick. Ling's and bass are always an easy.deal

[trophyhunt]

7 bass in wa? It’s 10 on ocean side isn’t it?  Deep water big lings w 10 bass is just a few more dollars. Appreciate the info but there are cheaper deals with more fish.  Just being honest, not trying to bust balls.

[Mark Youngblood]

Yep looks like you guys are right I have not fished Neah in 5 years...I thought it was 7 coast wide.... looks like Westport is different then if you go deep water in Neah its 7 but 10 near shore...either way its your best bet for bottom fish, trips cost more but you can catch more...good luck...I don’t fish out of Neah or lapush any more so I was wrong my bad good luck.....

[Mark Youngblood]

7 bass in wa? It’s 10 on ocean side isn’t it?  Deep water big lings w 10 bass is just a few more dollars. Appreciate the info but there are cheaper deals with more fish.  Just being honest, not trying to bust balls.
[/quot

No worries at all, the cattle boats (Large above 6 person charters) will always be your cheapest bet, great trips if all you are looking at is cost....Westport is a great place and they have allot of great charters there...best of luck, 6 pack express charters is an entirely different experience and I think you will find we are all pretty much equally priced for our areas.... but hands down for cost the big boats are your best bet...go fishing and have fun!

[trophyhunt]

This thread has most boats that don’t carry more than 6 people, I appreciate all the good info. 

[Mark Youngblood]

Your most welcome....whoever you decide on I highly suggest  you get enough people for a private boat.....in the end you will have a much better trip if you know everyone,,,, best of luck and go catch some fish...last you will hear from me...lol.... Mark

[blackpowderhunter]

....whoever you decide on I highly suggest  you get enough people for a private boat.....in the end you will have a much better trip if you know everyone,,,,

this is a spot on statement.....do you do uber carpool or just take your own car for a little bit more money?
same concept in my opinion...you really never know what kind of person you'll get stuck with.
could be a new best friend, or a new worst enemy. 
either way at least you'll be fishing though

[W_Ellison2011]

This thread has most boats that don’t carry more than 6 people, I appreciate all the good info.

Excel is a 4 person boat, captain is amazing as myself and others have said, cash discount, and discount if you stay at their inn (which you also get a cash discount at). We have gone out with them the last 2 years in a row on the inshore ling/rockfish. We limit out 4 people pretty easily. First year we ended up with a HUGE blue cabezon... which was delicious. Last year my brother caught about a 20 lbs ling. Most of the lings will average 5-10 lbs but he ended up hooking a good sized ling for inshore. If you go offshore I was told by the captian that the 20 lbs ling would be closer to your average. I can't say enough good things about that charter.

[Sneaky]

7 bass in wa? It’s 10 on ocean side isn’t it?  Deep water big lings w 10 bass is just a few more dollars. Appreciate the info but there are cheaper deals with more fish.  Just being honest, not trying to bust balls.

Lingcod
Marine Area 3 (La Push) and Marine Area 4 west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line (Neah Bay): Open March 14 – October 17, 2020; no minimum size, the daily bag limit is two per angler.

Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay) east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line: April 16 – October 15, 2020; minimum size is 22 inches; the daily bag limit is two per angler.

Rockfish
West of Bonilla-Tatoosh line: Open March 14 – October 17, 2020. No minimum size. Daily limit 7.  No Yelloweye may be retained.  No retention or possession seaward of 20 fathoms June 1– Labor Day.  See 20 fathom depth restriction above.

East of Bonilla-Tatoosh line: Open year round. No minimum size. Daily limit 6, only Black and Blue rockfish may be retained.


https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/halibut/north-coast

[Mark Youngblood]

I seriously did not know they had raised the limits back up since I had not been to Neah in 5 years.  I can tell you this with the lack of Salmon the bottom fish are getting hammered and in my opinion (no way it can be avoided) reduced limits are coming....I have never seen as many people fishing sea bass in the last couple of years .......even this time of year on nice ocean days out of oregon ports there are several boats going daily..... if we do not get the salmon and steel runs back everything is doomed....pressure is getting pushed into smaller and smaller areas...yesterday at Bluecreek on the Cowlitz was 28 trailers in parking lost at noon on a Wednesday....

[fishngamereaper]

It's ten total now including ling's ..used to be ten plus lings..so it is going down.

[C-Money]

Is Westport still 7 bass 2 Lings?

[fishngamereaper]

In case no one has heard Neah Bay and Lapush have closed to non tirbal members. Probably till the end of April. And most of the big boats in Westport are cancelling trips as well..just passing along info.

[trophyhunt]

In case no one has heard Neah Bay and Lapush have closed to non tirbal members. Probably till the end of April. And most of the big boats in Westport are cancelling trips as well..just passing along info.

Damn, thanks for the heads up.