After getting bounced around on Monday off Edmonds we were looking forward to a relaxing change of pace and something new to try. Reading shore fishing reports from Stansjoy and others I decided to take JoAnn and our dogs to Possession Point Bait Company and fish from the shore. I’ve never done this before in Puget Sound and it sounded like a lot of fun.

The LT was 1pm so we had a leisurely morning, jumping on the 10am ferry from Mukilteo to Clinton. After a pleasant ferry ride and short drive we arrived at the Possession Point Bait Company. It’s nothing fancy, but they have two essential things – live herring, and a nice stretch of beach that is within easy casting range to a drop off that coho migrate along. So I started with a half dozen herring ( all of $3) and set up our spot, laying out blankets and chairs. JoAnn informed me that she was along to watch and didn’t want to fish, which was fine. Later she did mention if I hooked up she’d reel it in.

There were probably about a dozen anglers lined up, with plenty of room for everyone to spread out. Everyone was fishing the same method – herring about 5-6 feet under a float. Cast out, le the float drift one side to the other, reel in, and repeat. After the initial excitement and anticipation wore off I was able to sit down and relax, watching the water, the birds, jumping fish, and my fellow anglers catch an occasional fish. It was not red hot fishing, but there would be waves of fish where we’d see 3-4 fish caught, and then it would go quiet again. The action was better when the tide was running, both out and in, and quieter on a flat tide.

I got my first fish on the outgoing tide, within an hour of arriving. Float down! In came a chrome bright 3-4 pound coho. No net required, just drag them on the beach.

Regarding the herring, live and fresh would seem best, but anglers were also catching fish with dead herring. I hooked mine with the forward hook coming up from the bottom jaw through the top jaw, and the trailing hook midway through the back. It seemed to work pretty well. I probably ended up buying a dozen and half herring for a day of fishing.

The afternoon was pretty quiet. I missed one, and then around 4pm my float went completely under. Don’t you just love seeing that? Hook set and reeling in my coho, now just ten feet from the beach, nooooo!!! Fish off. Dang it! We fished another half hour and called it a day.

If you’re looking for a fun change of pace, I can highly recommend checking this place out. It’s pretty mellow and fun fishing, just what the doctor ordered. The guy selling herring told me they’d had a record number of fish caught this year, over 1,700 coho. Pretty good for float fishing herring! Check out the facebook page, Possession Point Bait Company.

And thanks again to Stansjoy and other members for sharing their shore fishing adventures with us!

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