Northwest Fishing Reports

Got a fishing trip coming up in a few weeks with my dad. Heading down to Ilwaco to do some surf fishing and gold panning. Any good websites to visit for some tips for surf fishing? What all can you catch out there? Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you.

It's pretty simple...
You want to get hold of razor clam meat. You can get it from a high end grocery store, such as Central Market in Shoreline/Seattle... or Pike Place Market. or of course there is a legal razor dig coming up this next weekend.

Setup a drop shot rig. 2 oz. sinker at the bottom of your line. Put 1st hook above the sinker, about 14-15", and then a second hook another 6-8" above that, (it's not a science) use your razor clam on those two hooks.
Wear some chest waders.

If you want, it helps if you use some of the products that are sold for tying on bait to your hook. I haven't used them, but you can find them in a good quality fishing store, Outdoor Emporium, Seattle, Cabellas, etc. It just helps because the clam meat is easily thrown of during the cast.

Just get out to a sandy beach, time the rolling waves so that you run in on a reseading wave... run in as far as you are comfortable, and chuck that bait out there. Leave your bail open and haul butt back to safe ground. You will have a couple hundred feet of line out. You may not have thrown it completely past the breaking waves... and you will think that your cast wasn't into mellow water and maybe not a good cast. (don't worry about it)

If the red tail surf perch are there, you will find them. Even with all that line out, it is very obvious when they hit your bait. It's a lot of fun. People say that if you aren't catching fish, to move down the beach. I have never had a problem catching these fish from the first stop on the beach.
Do be very careful on your running out into the surf and standing in the surf. It is not something to take light hearted. People get washed away frequently with riptides. They say if you got pulled out that you should swim parralel to the shoreline until you wash in again. Don't swim straight back in. Anyway... sorry for the ramble, but it can be dangerous.

Thanks Quadfather. I'll definately try that. I do have some clam necks saved from when I went clam digging earlier this year. I've never fished in the surf before so I'm looking forward to it. Thanks again.

I might be headed to ocean shores next week and have a bit of time to fish for surf perch there. Do you think it's good out there. I have plenty of clam bait so I'm set there. How big of hooks would I need. Good luck hoedog80.