Fishing on Puget Sound has been an entirely new experience for us. We’re used to being out on lakes in small watercraft, but the Sound is huge! We wanted to catch some Lingcod before the season was out (June 15th) on our kayaks. (wouldn’t THAT be a hoot!) We spent a few days gathering up some gear and fishing tackle, and we also changed over the rack we had on the Ram to a set of Yakima crossbars and foam pads for ease of transport and the ability to throw both kayaks on the roof.
Based on some word of mouth from the locals and some online research we decided to go to Possession Bar, which is at the south end of Whidbey Island. We went on two separate weekends. In both cases we raced to catch the first ferry from Mukilteo in the morning, and launched from Possession Beach Waterfront Park.
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No Ling were caught, and the first time we went, we skunked out and had to head back early because of the waves and the wind from an incoming rainstorm. The second time we went, we were ready this time with a fish finder (and anchors!), and we caught some nice rockfish and some sole. We had to let the rockfish go, because they don’t allow you to keep them here for conservation reasons. They are a fun fight though.
We have been having a great time, with the only downside having to make sure to rinse everything down and air everything out after being in the saltwater. It’s amazing how fast the tide rises and falls, and also, corals are hard on rotomolded polyethylene hulls.
Our next journey out on the Sound will probably include crabbing (Dungeness opens on the 30th of June) as well as trolling for Salmon (Coho and Pinks opens on July 1 with Chinook following on July 16).
Here’s a couple of short videos:
And, here’s some pictures:
