[Coho]

Here's an offbeat question for you saltwater hounds...

My family and I are going to spend a few days on an island in N. Puget Sound. The water in front of our cabin is a passage between two islands, very shallow and very extensive flats of sand and eelgrass.

There are some huge skates out there which you can sometimes see at low tide. I may pitch a few McCrabs or shrimp patterns at them and hope for a take. The article about the fellow from Renton who landed a 120lb halibut on his flyrod inspired me.

Rockfish or anyone else - any ideas or suggestions?

 

[Madison]

No suggestions, but it sounds like fun. Give us a report when you get back.

 

[Greg]

Flashback time. I used to flyfish for Bluefish and Sea Trout on the North Carolina Outer Banks and Striped Bass around Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. Seems that anytime a Clouser baitfish imitation would get too close to the bottom, a hookup with a skate or a Hardhead was inevitable. Be sure you use rod with backbone; they use their "wings" to back peddle against resistance. If you're targeting them, a straight piece of 15-20# mono as a leader is in order; they are not shy. Preferred hooking the Stripers, Blues and Sea Trout back then and never really targeted them regardless how bad the fishing got.

Greg

 

[rockfish]

I fish for them at night all the time. but they pick up bait off the bottom. it sounds weird but a piece of cut bait off your fly rod on the bottom at night or when you said you see them. there related to sharks and go by sense of smell to what they eat not sight especially deep water fish like them. good luck

about the bait on your fly rod canadians run cut plug herring off a down rigger on there fly rod, seen it on that fishin canada show on OLN.