Flounder.....

[lokidog]

Years back, we caught a bunch of yummy Rock Sole off Double Bluff on the westside of Whidbey.  We just used jigs with curly tails and drifted around.  That area had a lot of Sea Pens so you do snag them once in a while as well.  A bit of bait wouldn't hurt.

Wish there was some place here in the SJs to catch flounder, but have never really heard of much.

[Rob]

Heh

Honestly, the last greenling I shot had more worms than flesh!  I stopped shooting them after that!  Poor thing looked like Swiss cheese after I cut all the worms out of the fillets!

I thought it would be better out at Neah Bay, but the little guy was loaded with them.  Even the bigger lings can have worms in the meat but they were never as bad as those greelings!

I just look the otherway and eat dungies from Mukilteo north though.  They are probably basically cancer pills, but they are so dang tasty!

Too bad you can't shoot rock fish anymore.  The ones I shot were pretty much worm and tumor free!  I'll say this though, the limits they are putting on rock fish are really allowing the blue and black rockfish to come back in the PS.  They grow fast enough that you see them first.  Places you never use to see them before, there are now large schools of them.  Yellow tail rockfish too.  It's nice to see schools of fish on a dive in the Sound. 

[pjb3]

Heh

Honestly, the last greenling I shot had more worms than flesh!  I stopped shooting them after that!  Poor thing looked like Swiss cheese after I cut all the worms out of the fillets!

I thought it would be better out at Neah Bay, but the little guy was loaded with them.  Even the bigger lings can have worms in the meat but they were never as bad as those greelings!

I just look the otherway and eat dungies from Mukilteo north though.  They are probably basically cancer pills, but they are so dang tasty!

Too bad you can't shoot rock fish anymore.  The ones I shot were pretty much worm and tumor free!  I'll say this though, the limits they are putting on rock fish are really allowing the blue and black rockfish to come back in the PS.  They grow fast enough that you see them first.  Places you never use to see them before, there are now large schools of them.  Yellow tail rockfish too.  It's nice to see schools of fish on a dive in the Sound.

What do you mean you "shot" them?

Where do you see the schools of rockfish?

[lokidog]

Probably spear fishing.

The only thing I see is more seals in the rockfish areas....   

I once discovered, accidentally, how to get worms out of fish....  I had caught some coastal rainbows down in OR.  After scaling, heading and gutting them, I put them in a bowl in the fridge.  The next night I pulled them out to cook for dinner and there in the bottom of the bowl was a writhing mass of roundworms up to an inch or so long.     Looking back, i should have eaten them instead of tossing as the worms were probably mostly out by that time.  I pretty much only filet all fish I catch now so I can do the see through test to look for them first.  I know they die when cooked or frozen, but it still grosses me out.

[Rob]

Yeah, "shot them" means with a spear gun.  Great fun.

I have seen lots of schools of blue and black rockfish coming back at nearly every rocky place I dive.

The "look through" test works well. 

Worms are not unique to the fish of the sound.  Some species seem to collect them more than others.  Seems like bottom fish are more susceptible.

The Red Grouper I shot in the FL Middlegrounds were loaded with worms.  Many of the grouper were actually.  I wonder if they use your waterbowl technique to get worms out of the commercial meat?  It would not be good for someone to pull out a worm from their 25 dollar grouper fillet at Anthony's Home Port!

[Rob]

I should clarify, I have seen lots of schools of blue OR black rockfish at nearly every rocky dive site.  I never bothered to learn the difference.  Not hard to tell, just not important enough for me to dedicate brain cells to.

[h20hunter]

I could't tell the difference either. I know that while fishing for Ling and cabbies I've caught more rockfish of larger size since the restrictions were put in place. I'm not a big rockfish fan regarless. Fun to catch but the return on meat is not that great for the size and growth rate of the fish. I'll catch 'em all day long from shallower waters and just release them.

Regarding the worms....with a little beer batter and hot oil I'll never know the difference!

[Rob]

I started free shafting for black rockfish up in Neah.  What a hoot.  I could load up with a limit of 10 in about 20 min. 

you bring down three spears, none are attached to the gun with a line. (hence "free shaft").  You line up a shot on one black RF and load one band.  Pull the trigger and shoot him (shoot him with a backstop or the spear will pas through).  While you move towards that one, you load a second shaft, and pop another one.  Then sting up fish #1 and load up and shoot another one...  continue till you get a limit.

I have only lost one spear doing that and that was because it passed clean through and went into a slit in the rocks further than I could reach.

Man I miss doing that...  Gotta get out and shoot some fish again soon. 

But this is off topic from teh original post now! 

When I use to fish off Gedney, I'd go to Pike Place Mkt and buy an octopus.  make great bait for bottom fish and they really stay on the hook.

[h20hunter]

Octo.....excellent choice. My son and I were talking about our day to come. I'm not roped into ice cream as well. I told him I think we can handle that.

[Rob]

My son and I were talking about our day to come. I'm not roped into ice cream as well. I told him I think we can handle that.

I have no idea what that sentence means!  It's only 9 am, drinking and typing already???

[h20hunter]

No no no.....I mean....not while at work at least. The whole point of my flounder question was because my boy and I are having a mens day. Well, as much as a 6 year old going on 35 and a 35 year old going on 6 can have. We are starting out the day with some time on the salt fishing for flounder ( or whatever bites). Then home to drop off and quick wash/rinse the boat. Then out to the range with our bows and his little .22. Sling some sticks, shoot some .22 longs. Then we hit our local sports bar for a pint and a shirley temple ( I do love me a shirley temple!!!), then pick up ice cream for dessert....get home...fry up some fish/worm filets...early to bed.

[Rob]

(just flinging crap at you)

Sounds like a quality day!

[Rob]

How did it go?

[h20hunter]

It went well. I'll tell you though....keeping up with a high energy almost 6 year old is exhausting. We got up and going and were on the water and fishing (south of hat) by 9 am. We had very little wind so I set up to do some drifts in about 30 feet of water....between the rock piles/reef and shore. I figured the flat sandy bottom would be flatfish territory. Nope. Nothing. Nada. After about 30 minutes the boy was getting bored so we caught and released a couple rockfish for some excitement. That got him pepped up. We finished our time on the water with one rock sole....about 12 inches. He was pleased to have something on ice. Last time we fished was for humpies so he remembers bonking fish as a big part of it. So, we did keep single little sole and I carved it up and fried it for him. Tasted just fine and no worms that I could see.

The rest of the afternoon went well. Lunch at Razzles......shooting his bow.....plinking with the rifle. All good times.

The little guy was so worn out he was asleep at 4:30 on the ride home from the range. `10 minutes later we were home and he was ready to keep on going. Not me....plopped down in a lawn chair, popped a beer, and grilled up steaks for dinner.

[lokidog]