Neah Bay report 7/27 - 7/28

[Ed D]

Took my Son on his first NB outing this weekend, here is a quick report.
We launched late Friday afternoon after taking our time getting up there.
After about a 20 minute run in calm seas we found quite a few fish NE of the whistle buoy in a good rip.
Erik brought the first fish to the boat, which was cool, about a 6 lb hatchery coho.
After a few more hookups we brought another one to the boat, turned out to be another small hatchery fish, which we let go. Turned out that was a mistake, the rest of the evening was a bit slow.
We called it a day around 7:00 pm and found Ibn and Charlie at the campground. They found the coho fishing slow as well, although they had good luck with the rockfish.
We were back on the water at about 6:00 AM and began looking for silvers. For the next four hour we basically burned gas and found nothing, so I decided to do a little rockfishing. The rockfishing was really good in the usual spots.
We ended the day bucktailing on the inside nw of Waadah and had a few hookups, but nothing to the boat.

Was anyone else out there this weekend? how'd you do?

[bv]

Thanks for the report. We are headed up this weekend. Did you fish inside the strait or did you go out?

[Ed D]

We fished mostly at the entrance and out probably 5 or 6 miles. I think next time I'll take an extra tank in case we really need to get out there.
Good luck,
-Ed

[Derek Holmes]

FYI: Swiftsure is on FIRE. You didn't go out far enough. The Garbage Dump area and around Waddaha are ok, but not where you wanna be for coho. Some occasional Kings can be hooked here but not worth it. You gotta get out on the banks. Try the Praire (45 mile one way...90 round trip), or Blue Dot. Blue Dot has nice Kings to 40 lbs around 180 feet down. For coho on the fly though, fish Swiftsure. You'll have your limit in no time. You can easily catch 80 coho plus per day. It's really fun in late August. That's when I'm heading up. Plus, you get the bonus of catching Canadian halis if you have the license. The Halibut are going 20-30lbs with many larger. It's ON FIRE at Neah Bay...and we all know what that means...

[Joepa]

I had my new 16'7" crestliner out there all day Friday and Saturday am. First trip in my own boat at Neah and I really had no clue what areas to hit other than the rips and the traditional spots for bass. I was bucktailing an intruder type tube fly while trolling a flasher in the prop wash (a method that was very effective the last time I was out there). I only managed to get one samll Pink Friday (which apparently was really slow for everyone fishing close in) and one silver Saturday. There was one good pulse of fish Sat am east of Tatoosh but it didn't last long.

I was really disappointed with the rockfish. I know they were killing them bottom fishing but I had zero luck fly-fishing the points, kelp beds, and jetty for bass. In the past I had no problem getting into them. :confused: I heard a lot of talk about Swiftsure but that's out of range for me. As it was, I was getting quite a ride in the swells making the run to the 2nd rip.

[Derek Holmes]

I heard a lot of talk about Swiftsure but that's out of range for me. As it was, I was getting quite a ride in the swells making the run to the 2nd rip.

Swiftsure is a long run in a 16.5' boat and something I would advise against, unless, you know for certain the weather is ideal. I've been out there in my father's 27 foot SeaSport and it still is sloppy. Not worth it in a smaller craft like you have. I would have fished the shipping lanes, 8 miles out in the strait or right around Duncan Rock. You can pick up some large kings on the troll in there and fly fish for seabass. That area is ripe with coho and seabass. It's still a 7 mile run from the mouth of Neah Bay, but it's worth it. Be careful with the rips as they can get huge real quick in that area...I remember trying to fish the dump once and it was so rough that our lines for hali's would be out at a 45 degree angle. Lots of current, and very little fish. Good luck though if anyone ventures out to Swiftsure. I'll be there Aug29-Sept5. That's the best time to fish Pt. Renfrew too, assuming your vessel can cross the strait. good luck.

[wolverine]

Swiftsure is a great place to chum in technicolor. It seems like 50% of the fishermen are hanging over the side staring at their own reflections.

[ibn]

I was out there Thursday through Saturday. Thursday we launched at 7pm and fishing until 9:30, pretty slow for coho, but the rockfishing was good at duncan rock, big fish to.

Friday I searched for fish all over the straits, when I had a tanker ship pass to the south of me in the shipping lane I decided I was getting a little too far north. I didn't get a take for 4 hours so I started heading west, once I got out into the pacific we managed to get 3 salmon. Feeling a little burned out looking for fish we made our way into the rocks around tatoosh, rockfishing was awesome, lots of fish, some good size fish mixed in.

Saturday was slow for salmon, but somehow managed to get 3 hatchery fish. Didn't spend nearly as much time searching for salmon and instead focused on the good rockfishing. My girlfriend was with me the whole trip, she managed to stay on the boat for 9 hours both Friday and Saturday, it was a pleasant suprise to see her willing to stay out there so long.

[Clint F]

WOW ibn, looks like you guys had a great time.


Clint

[topwater]

i hate to say it, but recommending swiftsure or blue dot without knowing the ability or boat size of the skipper is irresponsible. swiftsure is the roughest run into the ocean at neah bay with the current, especially an ebb. let's not forget that swiftsure is also usually fogged in, and is smack dab in the middle of busy shipping lanes. not only that, but the us side is small and you will constantly be pushed north during ebbs into canada, so if you do not have an accurate gps map with the canadian border marked you might get in trouble with the canadians (especially since there's a huge closure on the canadian side of swiftsure). it can be a tough and nasty place to fish even with a large boat, radar, and a good mapping gps. also, the weather can come in quick out there, and it can get brutally nasty within 10-20 minutes (not enough to get back to safe water)

it's tough when the best salmon fishing in washington state is one of the roughest runs, but it would be wise to think a bit before posting stuff that doesn't give the downsides, and pumps it up incredibly.

btw, you cannot fish american salmon and canadian halibut on the same trip out to swiftsure... if the canadian side is open for salmon, go for it (catching your coho in canada)... but you would have to land your canadian halibut and then go back to us swiftsure for salmon to remain legal.

i can recall on more than one occasion when being followed on my way to swiftsure i would stop or change direction enough to lose the boat because i didn't want the responsibility of bringing someone unprepared out to swiftsure. never overestimate the ability of the average boater at neah bay.

btw, swiftsure is a great place to fish, but it can be a bear to fish, and is influenced a lot by the tides (especially the us side).

when i hear people rave about running long distances in small boats, i know someone who has never been caught out there when things go bad (btw, a se wind is the worst - never run offshore in a se wind)

[goose575713]

As stated above you definitely need to be careful out there... one of my friends ran his smaller boat (17ft) out to blue dot and ran out of gas and got lucky when he got ahold of the coast guard and they towed him in ...

we were all back at camp by late afternoon...we were wondering where he was and he finally got in at midnight after a long wait and long tow back to neah bay... he was really lucky to be alive.

I recommend if you are going out that far in the ocean for the first time, take along two boats or better yet someone that has been out there before. Take a full tank of gas, and all the other emergency stuff.

[Derek Holmes]

i hate to say it, but recommending swiftsure or blue dot without knowing the ability or boat size of the skipper is irresponsible.
it's tough when the best salmon fishing in washington state is one of the roughest runs, but it would be wise to think a bit before posting stuff that doesn't give the downsides, and pumps it up incredibly.
btw, you cannot fish american salmon and canadian halibut on the same trip out to swiftsure... if the canadian side is open for salmon, go for it (catching your coho in canada)... but you would have to land your canadian halibut and then go back to us swiftsure for salmon to remain legal.


IBN nice job man. Sweet looking coho, congrats on a fun trip for sure. As far as fishing Neah Bay is concerned, yeah you have to have a boat 17' or larger and must be an experienced skipper. Take the USCG boating class, pass it, and you're well on your way. Swiftsure is open ocean and it is in the middle of shipping lanes, but who cares. The fishing is awesome, halibut plentiful, and it's and all around fun time. By the way, if halibut closes in Area 4 (it is now), you can still bring back your TWO halibut from Canada with a hard copy license. I fished this area since I was a toddler and I still go back every three weeks of the summer. In late August you'll hook into huge halibut up to 150 pounds, if not higher, Kings peaking out in the mid 30's and coho that grow huge before they run up Port San Juan by Renfrew, B.C. Blue Dot is sick. That area is some of the best fishing when the Kings are in. I remember two years ago when I was 24, we hooked into a 42, 40, 37, and 35. It was an absolute blast. It was a "swelly" day out there and in our 21' Zodiac RIB, it was sweet. We got out there in under and hour and were back in no later than three hours. It's not that big of a deal. When you leave the harbor, hug the shore and dart between Tatoosh and the Cape, then head due 210-240. 50 miles out is the Long Hole, which is awesome too, but many times you don't have to go that far out. I remember last year though, the guides out of Neah, and even Renfrew in their aluminum boats were running all the way out to the long hole for chicken sized halis up to 25 pounds. I did hook a ling though that was near 33 pounds. It's a great area, great people, and an all around blast. Be careful for sure, wear your PFD's and make sure you come equipped with the proper equipment and a eager spirit. I'll see you out there soon!

[topwater]

Take the USCG boating class, pass it, and you're well on your way. Swiftsure is open ocean and it is in the middle of shipping lanes, but who cares... By the way, if halibut closes in Area 4 (it is now), you can still bring back your TWO halibut from Canada with a hard copy license. 50 miles out is the Long Hole, which is awesome too, but many times you don't have to go that far out. I remember last year though, the guides out of Neah, and even Renfrew in their aluminum boats were running all the way out to the long hole for chicken sized halis up to 25 pounds. I did hook a ling though that was near 33 pounds. It's a great area, great people, and an all around blast. Be careful for sure, wear your PFD's and make sure you come equipped with the proper equipment and a eager spirit. I'll see you out there soon!

who cares?!?!?! i think it matters what we tell people who have little experience with the open ocean, just as it would be irresponsible to tell people to float rough sections of rivers because it's "awesome" or "killer" fishing. we're obviously going to disagree, but i do have a tiny bit of experience out there.... maybe not as much as you though :rolleyes:

btw, for people with smaller boats... look for days with smaller tidal exchanges (the seas will usually be calmer as long as the swell isn't up too bad). the garbage dump out to the entrance can have incredible coho fishing, explore and get comfortable fishing in the current and learning coho fishing in very productive waters. you will eventually get more comfortable and extend your range naturally. i wouldn't feel pressured by the cheerleaders to extend past your comfort range.

just my opinion

[hikepat]

Another thing to add to the list of needed items for that area should include a radar reflector so that you can be seen on others radars when the fog rolls in which can happen very quick out there. If you can not afford one you can make a simple one out of cardboard and aluminum foil in a pinch. The home made one is better then nothing though I have often found the real ones for sale for less then $5 at many used marine swap meets that go on every Spring. A 18' foot boat just does not show up on a ships radar very well and the radar reflector will help to make you show up better on his screen.

[gt]

great suggestion regarding the radar reflector. i run with my radar on in clear weather to get used to just what i can and cannot see on that screen before i have to rely on it. a fiberglass boat, in anything other than a broadside position is pretty much invisable. don't think for a second that the boat with the radar has you painted, sport boat or freighter. get a reflector, run it up something high.

screwing around with the open ocean or areas with huge currents is not to be tinkered with. no matter how the fishing may be, this is still your life and YOU are going to be held accountable for anyone with you in your boat.

running out of gas and being towed in by the USCG is a total fluke as towing (defined by them as a salvage operation) is not one of their missions. THEY ARE NOT IN THE TOWING BUSINESS and if you think for a moment they are going to respond to you, you are going to be in for a really big surprise.

listen to your VHF and you will hear one of the first questions is '...are you in immediate danger...' that means, medical emergency, fire, sinking and not much else. i would suggest you don't make up something as this will also get you into deep dodo.

[max drag]

For what it's worth, I was stationed at the Coast Guard station in Neah Bay for three years. I do not have many fond memories of picking up bloated corpses of boaters who thought they could handle it. Sorry to be a downer but Neah Bay is a tough place and Swiftsure is no place for a small boat. Granted many people do it but it is not worth becoming a statistic.
I fished alot while I was there and found that one rarely had to go too far from Waddha to find great fishing, especially for rockfish. In August we would stay around Razorback reef and fish the rips and kelp lines. Silvers and rockfish were non-stop. Try a 3 weight, pretty damn fun.
Give the Coasties a break, trust me they hate running 50 miles west to do a AAA job for some guy who ran out of gas in a small boat.

[Mingo]

For what it's worth, I was stationed at the Coast Guard station in Neah Bay for three years. I do not have many fond memories of picking up bloated corpses of boaters who thought they could handle it. Sorry to be a downer but Neah Bay is a tough place and Swiftsure is no place for a small boat. Granted many people do it but it is not worth becoming a statistic.
I fished alot while I was there and found that one rarely had to go too far from Waddha to find great fishing, especially for rockfish. In August we would stay around Razorback reef and fish the rips and kelp lines. Silvers and rockfish were non-stop. Try a 3 weight, pretty damn fun.
Give the Coasties a break, trust me they hate running 50 miles west to do a AAA job for some guy who ran out of gas in a small boat.

a 3 wt? around kelp? :confused: seriously?

[max drag]

Notice my nom de plume, max drag, I don't mess around. Fight them down and dirty, tarpon style and a 3 weight is doable, I never lost a fish doing it.:)