Pt. Defiance

[toe-jam]

  fished it several times with only a couple hits, then hit the rivers and hooked 80 fish. Makes me wonder why I have a boat. 

got a boat three years ago but i do more bank fishing then out of my boat.

[Dustin07]

I think it's important not to get burned out too early in the season. Go a bunch in early july and august, get skunked, then you don't want to go back when the fish are actually there in late August-Sept... IMO.

[Dmanmastertracker]

 I think one thing that has hurt MA 11 is more liberal season's to the north the last couple years. The king fishery in the Strait was extended longer than in years past, as well as more liberal season's in MA's 9-10.

[wildmanoutdoors]

Dman is absolutely correct. MA9 fishery has really hurt us down south. Couple that with poor projected runs and its gonna be slow. I have fished Southworth numerous times already as well Pt D once. Fishing is very sporadic at best. Got a 15 to 16 pound native on June 8th from Pt D and 2 smaller keepers from southworth since.
The Puyallup river run used to be bonkers 5 to 6 years ago. Trolling infront always yeilded good numbers. But even that has died over the last 3 to 5 years.
This years King run is down also so dont expect much. Ill be out again this weekend though. Its so close to home and I only fish high slacks. Morning or evening, never in mid day. That I cant stand not trying for an hour or so.

Last year I must have fished Southworth area 7 or 8 days and only got 1 18 pound hatchery fish.

Doubt it will get any better this year..

[Alchase]

They cut way back on the hatchery's on the Puyallup watershed. The fish source is no longer there. Add that to all the netting on the river and you have a decimated fish population.

[MuleySniper]

Remember guys it's not Westport. Learn techniques, tides and put your time in knowing the area and you'll do fine. If you go out there anticipating filling your freezers I suggest finding a different fishery.
MS

[1morebuck]

Remember guys it's not Westport. Learn techniques, tides and put your time in knowing the area and you'll do fine. If you go out there anticipating filling your freezers I suggest finding a different fishery.
MS

Perfectly said. I more enjoy it because I usually catch one and don't have to worry about the bar (not the tavern). There is definitely a technique to it and mine is fairly consistent. Down rigger+uv flasher+spoon+smelly jelly+specific depth=fish, oh and secret spot

[Dmanmastertracker]

 These are from my first trip for king's ever, from Pt. D. 1984.

[BigGoonTuna]

i've never really done that well down there either.  i caught a 22lber when i was 7 and that's about it.

a lot of those fish are nisqually fish, and they don't bite worth a damn once they get anywhere near their home river.

[1morebuck]

Heading out there in the AM. Gonna dump some crab pots and then hammer a king or two (hopefully).
 

[JackOfAllTrades]

Remember guys it's not Westport. Learn techniques, tides and put your time in knowing the area and you'll do fine. If you go out there anticipating filling your freezers I suggest finding a different fishery.
MS

Well said!

I fished Pt. Defiance, the Narrows kelp beds, Pt. Fosdick, Fox island, and the concrete dock off of Anderson island since I was able to crawl until I was 21 and moved away. Dad would call home from work and tell me to get the boat ready, 'we're hitting the evening tide'. In the early years we lived on the west side of Tacoma, in the later years, out in the north end. I can't tell you how many times we launched at Narrows marina or Pt Defiance launch, or dropped the smaller boat from the hoist at Willets docks at titlow beach near the old ferry landing. Anyone that fished the southern sound needed to know where to fish depending on what run was coming through. Early fall silvers were always targeted off the clay banks of Pt. D. The two year old blackmouths were trolled off Anderson/Fox and mooched in the kelp of the Narrows. The late summer Chinook run was targeted on the edges of the jetty and the 200ft hole between the jetty and the lighthouse and mooched on the incoming tide from the west end of the clay banks swinging out past the point toward Gig Harbor, then you'd pull your gear and run up for another drift. In the slack of the early morning, just about dawn, the old timers would meat line troll with 9.9hp on the 12 and 14' boats from the boathouse to the point. Some would follow the 100' line and others would go to 170' or so. I always used to keep some light gear in the boat for Cutthroats under the bridge.  Heavy gear for Lings around the mess of galloping gerty.

Those were the days.

Who doesn't know what a meatline is?

-Steve

[Dustin07]

I don't know what a meat line is. But these days I'm starting to wonder what a salmon is (LOL).

[JackOfAllTrades]

Before the days of down riggers...

[Dustin07]

cool. I have a couple setups like that from my Grandpa. We don't use them but more or less keep them on display because they look pretty cool.

[MuleySniper]

Yeah still lots of old schoolers use meat lines out there. We rarely even use the electric scottys anymore. I prefer a much deadlier simple set up these days!
MS