Puget Sound

Wetswinger · Sep 26, 2023

Was out gear fishing for coho today. Got a nice hen and then a couple strikes. Things looked up. Got a strike into something heavy. First the big pause and then a

screaming reel. Thought I was into a big king. It wasn't turning even as I palmed the spool to slow it down. All most out of line, so I pointed my rod straight out and jammed the spool hoping to break of my jig and save the line. Just then a seal goes crazy on the surface as if it's hooked. My line released and I reeled in a straightened hook. Snagged or hooked, who knows.? Must say, that 10# maxima ultragreen is tough stuff...

Salmo_g · Sep 27, 2023

If you land a seal that has no adipose fin, can you keep it?

Bambooflyguy · Sep 27, 2023

Salmo_g said:
If you land a seal that has no adipose fin, can you keep it?

I guess if you did’t snag it on porpoise!

Wadin' Boot · Sep 27, 2023

Was fishing with a friend's daughter one summer on cape cod out of a kayak, we saw some bluefish finning slow, just the tips of their fins. She lobbed the cast right into them and man there was an explosion of energy, you'd think we threw a brick of lithium in the water. The blues went straight from sleep to kill mode. We were fishing surface poppers psycho blues were slashing at it en-masse, she was reeling that popper fast and the fish were like greyhounds chasing a rabbit. That in itself was super fun. She hooked one, others were slashing in from the side, trying to steal the popper.

At first we didn't see the seal, then we did, locked in, a torpedo wake. Gray seal, the big-uns, 500 lb sort of puppies. Well, you can't really tell a kid to reel faster because there's a seal coming, plus big bluefish on light spin gear are hard to horse anyway....I warned her in about ten seconds the rod is going to feel very different than it does with just the fish on it. That seal took her fish, the reel was running fast, the rod bowed big. I walked her through how to tighten the drag up and point the rod at the seal and held on as tight as she could. Before it broke off we had a Nantucket sleigh ride for about 10 yards. Allie (and I) still talk about it a decade later....

Now I won't cast if the seals are close. Kayaks and seals and other people's kids aren't exactly combos that always have great outcomes, Still, head on a swivel, you can't dismiss them.... Interesting the sealions at Spokane Street earlier this month had no problem getting their feeds without stealing fish, lord knows there were a bajillion chances to steal hooked fish from everyone there!

What surprises me about the harbor seals out here, the fish often don't seem that spooked...

Stonedfish · Sep 27, 2023

@DimeBrite and I had a seal swim behind us
recently while fishing. I’ve had it happen a few times over the years, but I have never found it highly enjoyable when it happens.

SF

DimeBrite · Sep 27, 2023

The seals that come straight at you fast like a torpedo are a little scary. Not nearly as frightening as an otter though.

Divad · Sep 27, 2023

Hoodsport seals are relentless. Fun stories of guys tying their fish to their belt and being ripped off. Luckily nobody injured. Never tie your catch to your body, and if you do you better use some weak line and/or suck at knots.

Bagman · Sep 27, 2023

DimeBrite said:
The seals that come straight at you fast like a torpedo are a little scary. Not nearly as frightening as an otter though.

I was fishing in a M-9 with my son he was new at fishing in the sound so he was very close to shore. A big and I mean big brown bull came up out of casting range, so I was not really worried. One more cast and he was about half as far out as when I first saw him. One more cast and he was close enough that I was a little worried, and started backing out of the water towards the beach. I looked over at my son to see if he had seen what was going on. He was up on dry land and said “ I was wondering when you were going to get out of the water” I gave him all the water that he wanted.

jasmillo · Sep 27, 2023

At a popular MA 9 beach many of us fish, the seals are ever present and for the most part fairly well behaved most days. However, one day this year something got them fired up and every hooked fish was a race to get it beached or stolen. I lost three horsing them towards shore with a big v-wake right on their asses.

This past weekend, I was fishing close to @Tallguy on a local beach and we had a Sea Lion pop up a little too close acting a little to curious which made both of us take a step back. It was a really big bastard. Stellar maybe? Much larger than the typical sea lions you see often. He popped up and was just looking at us bobbing not too far away. He went down for a few seconds, then popped up and did the same thing. I’ve seen seals act curious like that but not one of those before. No thank you interacting in waste deep water with even a playful animal that size.

FerrousTortoise · Sep 27, 2023

A few years ago I watched a really big sea lion porpoise straight towards a fly fisherman at full speed. The dude stood his ground and kept stripping his fly in. He didn’t even flinch. The sea lion turned away at the last second. If it was me, I probably would have fallen in trying to run out of the water backwards.

SteelHeadDave · Sep 27, 2023

I’ve hooked a few seals. They fight weird.

I remember maybe 5-6 years ago there was a very young seal that I saw every time I was at that beach. It would swim right up to your feet and just check you out from underwater. Like you could reach down and touch it. One evening I watched it jump on and off a floating log a bunch of times. It would hop on, hang out for a minute, and then roll off into the water. It probably repeated this a dozen times or so before the tide carried the log too far away. It was pretty cute to watch.

Sea lions are always cool to see. Those things can swim and cover water like nobody’s business and it’s always clear that they mean business.

jasmillo · Sep 28, 2023

I’ve had a couple of short outings this week targeting coho. This morning I fished for about 1.5 hours before work and went 2-2. Missed another bump with no hookup. Both fish were in the 3-4 lb range.

Monday after work I went out and lasted about an hour before lack of action convinced me it was not worth standing in this any longer…

MA 9 coho is almost done. Crossing my fingers some nicer fish show off the beaches in the next couple of days….

SteelHeadDave · Sep 28, 2023

3 for 7 this morning. Hookups improved after switching out my well used stinger hook. A few that were lost felt decent but the three landed were all in the 3-4 pound range. Ended up keeping one of the smallest ocean going hens I’ve ever caught. Good looking roe though. Only saw 3 bigger fish hit the beach today, all on rotators/ buzz bombs.

Oh, and on cue a young seal came to say hello within arms reach. It looked like it wanted some pets

speedbird · Sep 28, 2023

Are skunks the norm with beach fishing or a sign I am doing something wrong?

Got a late start because my fishing partner overslept their alarm, fished three well known beaches from 9 to now. Saw two caught at the first beach, one 3lber on a fly and one 7-8lber on a buzz bomb, tried to move down to the fishier side and ended up finding no room, than no room at the side I started at. Checked out another beach that turned out more crowded, then headed down to one more that was even more dead but fortunately no crowds. Good current movement and bird action at all three. Taking a break till high tide, will report back

FerrousTortoise · Sep 28, 2023

Getting skunked has been pretty common for me this year

. I have had maybe one solid take on the fly this season. Some days with nothing and others where I saw fish follow, or had very soft bumps of the fly.

Wetswinger · Sep 28, 2023

Skunking is not uncommon, especially when learning where and when to go. Persistence pays off. You can only catch a fish if your line is in the water...

Greggor · Sep 28, 2023

I caught a fish that was late for a date! More on that later.

2 for 7 today with multiple grabs. Switched to stingers, but it didn’t help that much. Except to land my second fish... a chrome bright pink! "Hey guys, wait for me!"

Everyone had to work hard for their fish today.

Wanative · Sep 28, 2023

Greggor said:
I caught a fish that was late for a date! More on that later.

2 for 7 today with multiple grabs. Switched to stingers, but it didn’t help that much. Except to land my second fish... a chrome bright pink! "Hey guys, wait for me!"

Everyone had to work hard for their fish today.

That's a gorgeous coho.
Nice work!

Matt B · Sep 28, 2023

Greggor said:
I caught a fish that was late for a date! More on that later.

2 for 7 today with multiple grabs. Switched to stingers, but it didn’t help that much. Except to land my second fish... a chrome bright pink! "Hey guys, wait for me!"

Everyone had to work hard for their fish today.

If there’s redds on redds on redds on redds, it makes sense to be the last redd.

Or maybe it’s like going to the bar sober at 1:45…

speedbird · Sep 29, 2023

Update: 4ft Waves and fly fishing didn't mix. That wraps my saltwater coho season, wish I got out and fly fished more but I'm not complaining. One season got me all the confidence with downriggers I need, (And when it comes to Coho boredom, those things are only coming out when I have guests or for Kings, downrigger rods are too stiff for any kind of fun fight from a 4-6lb fish) first mooched fish, first three fly rod salmon, and my first experience seeing a Humpback out on Puget Sound. Damn good season.