Post by: lokidog on August 27, 2013, 09:03:15 AM
So, knowing my boy said he is sick of salmon, and that we were going to have salmon for dinner, I went home and told him if he wanted something other than salmon, he would have to go catch it himself. We went down to the dock with a few bits of crab guts (I only had one left when I saw the fish) and some fresh salmon eggs for bait. Well, the first drop of the bobber, he catches one - pretty cool. It is not huge but edible size so he tries to catch another. After a while of trying to entice them to bite, my boy gives up, so dad gets to try. After all, who doesn't like the challenge of trying to catch a finicky fish? So I try and try, they, including the two really big ones, mouth the bait, even engulf it, but no hook ups. Well, as you may know, crab goo is pretty soft so most of it was disappearing. I tried some eggson a piece of the skein, they ignored it, what the heck? I even tried some bits of a dogfish that someone brought in from their crab trap, not interested said the fish.
After a bit of scrounging, I came up with more crab goo and managed to hook one of the big ones, about 14" long, which promptly wrapped around a ladder pole and broke off as I tried to dive on him. >:( I finally managed to catch one of the medium large ones though.
This fish is, to me, the prettiest fish in Puget Sound, it looks like something that should be in the tropics or an aquarium. Too bad for them they are so tasty. :drool:
As far as not seeing any of these around until recently, one of the neighbors said they used to have a lot of them ten or more years ago but he had not seen any in a long time as well. I think, because we got a new dock last winter, the young successional stage of dock growth is more favorable to them than the crustier established growth on an old dock. Now, I just have to keep it a little secret from more of the island so they don't pull all of those big breeders out from under the dock. ;)
Post by: boneaddict on August 27, 2013, 09:06:32 AM
Post by: Crunchy on August 27, 2013, 09:15:01 AM
Post by: quadrafire on August 27, 2013, 09:15:38 AM
Post by: PolarBear on August 27, 2013, 09:24:29 AM
Post by: lokidog on August 27, 2013, 09:31:20 AM
Taste like crappie??
Yes. :drool:
We use to have hundreds of them around the docks/pilings in Totten inlet but they all of a sudden disappeared. I haven't seen anything bigger than a pogy for at least 15 years. :dunno:
My suggestion would be to go down to the dock with a scraper and scrape off all of the tube worms, barnacles and mussels on a large area of it. My theory is that the new algae growth will encourage the surfperches to return since this provides better food than crusty old stuff. Our new dock has been here about six months.
Post by: WAcoueshunter on August 27, 2013, 09:54:51 AM
Post by: Kola16 on August 27, 2013, 09:57:53 AM
Post by: MLBowhunting on August 27, 2013, 10:20:39 AM
Post by: Alchase on August 27, 2013, 12:14:42 PM
Post by: Becky on August 27, 2013, 12:18:20 PM
Post by: bear hunter on August 27, 2013, 05:43:43 PM
:tup:
Post by: jay.sharkbait on August 27, 2013, 06:10:16 PM
We used to catch them now and then in the south sound...agreed, absolutely beautiful fish. Interesting fact, they give live birth. Once landed a large, very pregnant female and she started dropping babies all over the beach.
We used to catch them off the Weyerhauser trestle in Henderson inlet
Post by: lokidog on August 27, 2013, 08:29:39 PM
We used to catch them now and then in the south sound...agreed, absolutely beautiful fish. Interesting fact, they give live birth. Once landed a large, very pregnant female and she started dropping babies all over the beach.
Yep, all of the surfperches do.
Funny story, my neighbor was mowing his yard a few years ago, comes around by his garage and there in the grass are about fifteen one and a half inch long surfperch flopping around. We figured it was either a heron barfing up a bunch of freshly eaten ones as it flew over, or more likely an eagle or osprey grabbed a female that was about to give birth and they popped out in his yard.
Post by: Heartsblood on August 28, 2013, 03:05:55 PM
Was it good eatin'? :EAT:
Post by: lokidog on August 28, 2013, 09:21:14 PM
Taste like crappie??
Yes. :drool:
:drool:
Post by: Heartsblood on August 29, 2013, 05:28:51 PM
Post by: Alchase on August 29, 2013, 05:50:55 PM
When the tourists would hook a nice one, this abominal little brat would spear the fish and give it a good yank to pull it off the tourist's line.
Most of the time the tourists would think a really huge fish was on thier line.
Then said brat, would take those perch and flounders to a local fish and chips stand in Potlatch, and trade them for a huge batch of fish and chips.
Man they were yummy!
Uhm, so I was told :o
Post by: lokidog on August 29, 2013, 08:34:18 PM
Post by: splitshot on August 29, 2013, 08:39:35 PM
Post by: C-Money on August 29, 2013, 08:40:23 PM
Post by: kenzmad on August 29, 2013, 08:54:14 PM
Post by: wildmanoutdoors on August 29, 2013, 09:02:57 PM
Post by: Kola16 on August 29, 2013, 11:20:22 PM
I think my favorite is the china rockfish. That perch is pretty but my favorite 2 colors together have always been black and yellow.
They made a song about your favorite colors together :chuckle: :sry: WARNING PROFANTIY (I think)
Wiz Khalifa - Black And Yellow [Official Music Video] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UePtoxDhJSw#ws)
Post by: lokidog on August 30, 2013, 09:12:54 PM
You guys live a great life! Your very lucky.
:tup: Somebody's got to do the tough stuff. :chuckle: Of course it has it's drawbacks like having to drop eleven grand into a new boat motor. >:(