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Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service

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Area 7 San Juan Islands Report
Washington

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07/20/2019
66° - 70°
Downriggers
Chinook Salmon
Herring
Sunny
46° - 50°
07/23/2019
2
3890

This is actually for a three day boat camping trip to San Juan's for the 20-22nd, we anchored one night in Garrison Harbor and the next night in Reid Harbor. Fishing was tough and slow all three days with a few hours at various tides, locations bait/lures. I only saw one other boat catch any salmon and it was either too small, wild or something that they did not want to keep as it was quickly released. I only managed to scrape up one dogfish! Had a couple other clip releases and bites but nothing that stuck. Tried all kinds of lures and herring. Monday made the mistake of heading back around the west side of San Juan, there were heavy roller and some wind chop which made fishing very difficult and was soon scrapped, only saw two other boats fishing from lime kiln to Eagle point (should have been my clue that weather was too bad). Still figuring out what the wave height etc. all really means when I am out in the 10' Glasply. Should have went the inside passage and followed Rseas!

Crabbing was a bit better, especially the first night. Dropped a pot with leftover salmon carcass and some trout carcasses for an overnight soak, got 4 that were keeper size, but just kept the biggest two. With limited cooler space and ice I did not want to keep anything that might not make it for two more days and I had one more night to soak. Second night used another salmon carcass, let the pot soak overnight and there was absolutely nothing in there. Do not know if someone "checked" my pot for me or if the crabs all escaped! At least I got one good crab feast on the boat.

There was this crazy creature swimming around our boat when we anchored in Reid harbor, found out later from marine biologist friends that it was a pile worm. Odd looking thing swimming like a snake, but looking like a water centipede.


Comments

WheresDaFish
7/23/2019 10:24:18 PM
That thing looks like two feet long!? Was it that big? Freaky.
4n6fisher
7/24/2019 7:08:44 AM
Yes it was about 18"-24", was careful about putting my ties in the water after that!
ChewbaccatheBrookie
7/24/2019 12:24:24 AM
As your biologist friend probably told you, that’s the reproductive form (called an epitoke) of a nereid polychaete worm...commonly called a pile worm or clam worm. They swarm to the surface to reproduce, usually at night. If you google “clam worm Sequim Bay” there’s a neat Youtube video of one swimming around John Wayne Marina. If a swarm of those doesn’t give you the willies, consider there’s a related predatory Atlantic worm that can grow 10 ft long!
4n6fisher
7/24/2019 7:11:36 AM
I would not want to come across one of those 10' long, that is horror movie stuff! It swam around the boat all evening until it was too dark to see it. I guess looking for love.
I was hoping to see it at night in the phosphorescence, but no luck. The first night there was a school of bait fish swimming around in the phosphorescence, that was pretty cool to watch.
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Available Guide

Available Fishing Guide:
Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service

Phone: (509) 687-0709