San Juans...potential Can O' Worms

[snagglepants]

I am sure that this is a repeat topic, but I wanted to head over to the west side and go fishing on my Dad's boat in the San Juans...and needless to say, I just looked at the regs and wow...is there anything to fish???      I see that I can keep 1 ling and no rockfish.  What else do you guys fish for up there?  I am not just venting, but really want to know what I can fish for and keep.  Thanks guys.

[Dustin07]

there's a ton of flounder/sole/flatfish. They taste really good, white meat, but are a bit small and i think there are mercury warnings on them if you go towards seattle. probably safe in the san juans though.  also, i thought people had some success with Sturgeon and/or halibut up there?

[Sneaky]

butt fishing can be good when it is open. You should have seen the boats crowded inshore at neah bay, these regs with the depth restriction are going to rape the inshore fishery. Crowding all the pressure into one area, compounded with the tribal fishing, is going to create massive dead zones.

[7mmfan]

Don't quote me on this but I don't think that Kelp Greenling count as a rockfish and you should be able to find plenty of them and they are about as tasty as a fish gets.

[jackelope]

you could wait a month or 2 and go salmon fishing.
 
I don't know the exact dates but that should be close.

[Rob]

Don't quote me on this but I don't think that Kelp Greenling count as a rockfish and you should be able to find plenty of them and they are about as tasty as a fish gets.

Just watch out for the worms!  The flesh gets pretty wormy...

[sisu]

Don't quote me on this but I don't think that Kelp Greenling count as a rockfish and you should be able to find plenty of them and they are about as tasty as a fish gets.

Just watch out for the worms!  The flesh gets pretty wormy...

Arrrrrrrr more protein for the soul. 

[Special T]

Why dont you just go a little farther West into Canadian waters? go up the Vancouver island a ways fishing is much better there! I don't even waste my time in this state anymore! Or get a Can liscence and fish the canadian san juans a little north?

[Dustin07]

Why dont you just go a little farther West into canadian waters? go up the Vancouver isaland a ways fifhing is much better there! I don't even waste my time in this state anymore! Or get a Can liscence and fish the canadian san juans a little north?

how do you get a can license?

[Special T]

Adult annual (16-64 years of age) $101.00
5-day   $ 31.00
3-day  $ 19.00
1-day  $ 7.00
 
Senior Annual (65 years of age and over)  $101.00
Salmon Conservation Stamp  $ 6.00
 
Juvenile annual (Under 16 years of age)  FREE FREE

Online permits     
https://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/nrls-sndpp/index-eng.cfm
I Boycott the WDFW fishing scam!

[Dustin07]

thanks! 

[Dansk]

Adult annual (16-64 years of age) $101.00
5-day   $ 31.00
3-day  $ 19.00
1-day  $ 7.00
 
Senior Annual (65 years of age and over)  $101.00
Salmon Conservation Stamp  $ 6.00
 
Juvenile annual (Under 16 years of age)  FREE FREE

Online permits     
https://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/nrls-sndpp/index-eng.cfm
I Boycott the WDFW fishing scam!

You can't buy hali licenses online - you need to drive to canada to buy them.  Canucks don't want wash guides fishing south vancouver island anymore.  BUT, it is worth it.  I fish vancouver island 7-10 days each year and we do much better than washington.  More salmon, and halibut are open pretty much all year.

[lokidog]

This closure really sucks, especially living here since we would eat a meal (1 or 2 fish) of fresh copper rockfish at least once a week during the season.  Cabezon are still open (hard to find), lings are open through June 15th, though they decreased the slot again this year.  Someone said flounder but in all the years we have only caught one, though never reallly targeted them.  You can still catch rockfish, just have to throw them back.  Lings seem to bite best when the current is not slack, though harder to fish the rocks.  Canada is looking better all the time.....     I don't think there is much for halibut here around the islands, though I hooked something big once drifting across the flats near Iceberg Island off the south end of Lopez using an 8 ounce jig with a big tail.

June 1 you can drop some shrimp pots for the pinks and coonstripes.