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Website: Darrell & Dads Family Guide Service

Phone: (509) 687-0709

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Area 7 San Juan Islands Report
Washington

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09/05/2022
71° - 75°
Trolling
Chinook Salmon
None
Green
Sunny
Flasher/Lure
All Day
51° - 55°
09/06/2022
2
4923

Planned to hit Samish bay to try and jig for some Kings, so me and a buddy plan a 5:30 departure. Just pulling the boat out and I hear crash bang, downrigger swivel mount just broke in half and downrigger hit the ground, Oh well I think going to jig anyway, will deal with that later, at least it happened in the driveway not down the highway!
Launched at Twin Bridges for the first time, a little sketchy at low tide but no current or wind so uneventful. Motored out and dropped the crab pots around saddle bag, wow there were a lot of pots stretching all the way up to Samish.
Large net seiner working the point, so not good news there, pulled into the bay and there was just one guy trolling around dodging crab pots. Found a bunch of marks and tried jigging but the current and wind would not cooperate (even though both were relatively mild). Now I am really missing the second downrigger... We got one DR setup and used a dispy diver on the other rod. Went all over through over and under marks but could not find anyone that wanted to play, another boat or two joined in but I did not see any action except for the net seiner (and they only got about 10 fish on their last pull).
About 11 we decided we had had enough here and booked up to Lummi, there were about 10-15 boats spread along the shore, trolled up past the rocks and just as we were circling back I notice a small underwater hump, think to myself "I should go over that to see if there are any fish on the back side". Just as I cross over the rod starts bouncing, I quickly grab it while my buddy clears the other line, fish comes in quickly as it was a smaller king, maybe just a keeper (or slightly under) but we will never know as it spit the the hook right at the side of the boat (we weren't quite prepared with the net! At least some action after hours of nothing.
Trolled around a bit more, and once again noticed some underwater structure, just as we pass by another "fish on" but it does not act like a salmon. Turns out it was a Kelp Greenling so at least we got a fish in the boat. Both were caught on a green and white hootchie with herring oil.

Decide we have had enough and motor in to see if the crab pots had any luck, and boy did they. First pot had 8 keepers, most over 7.25" with a couple pushing 7-5/8". Interestingly second pot had nothing and all the bait was gone? Three more keepers in the third pot, but nothing in the fourth again with all the bait gone. Not sure what happened on the two empty pots, did they eat everything and just leave, pot door error, or crab bandits? they were all right in a line close to each other.


Comments

buc
9/6/2022 7:14:39 PM
nice crabs , made me hungry ill have to go to reds inlander hahaaa...
Guitarfish
9/7/2022 6:05:04 AM
Dang, sucks about the DR and the blanked out pots, but on the bright side, those are some fatty dungees bud!
4n6fisher
9/7/2022 7:46:45 AM
We weighed a couple of the large guys and they were just over a Kilo (1034 grams), small one was only 600 grams. Weird about the blank pots, but at least there were limits and one went back get bigger. A bonus when you get limits in a spot you have never tried before. the only downside of that spot was the fine green stringy slime that covered the pots, pain to clean.
nvan
9/7/2022 10:28:24 AM
Nice crab. really stinks the commercial boats can fish the inland waters.
4n6fisher
9/7/2022 10:39:26 AM
Worse than this guy (since they would mostly pick up terminal fish heading to Samish) were the nets that were out in front of deception pass a couple weeks ago netting where it is closed for all recreational fishing to help the Orcas. Makes no sense that they can net there but we cannot fish!
nvan
9/7/2022 10:29:34 AM
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Available Guide

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

Phone: (509) 687-0709