New Launch & docks @ Camano Island S.P.

[Dave]

Hi all,

I thought I would let everyone know the new launch and docks at Camano Island State Park are coming along nicely. This includes a new restroom close to the launch which will be nice. The actual launch is new cement and very nice, wide enough for two boats to be launched at the same time. It appears that the 2 new docks will be approximately 75 or so feet long (my guess by the look of it) and hopefully they will be somewhat wide so we can all get to our boats with ease. Anyhow, it will be a nice addition to the park. Good fishin.

[littleriver]

Good info Dave. I haven't fished from there for about 20 years but it's one of the spots I want to try and get back up to next year. There used to be an artificial reef just north of the ramp and we did pretty good on the red tail perch. They come in there and kind of hover over the reef in the February kind of time frame. The big lings are spawning on the reefs there about the same time but I think they are off limits now.

[Dave]

Littleriver,

You mentioned the reef north of Camano Island State Park. I did some research a few years ago regarding artificial reefs in the Camano Island area and located information about one in front of Onamac, just feet north of the old cement boat ramp at the Onamac beach which I then fished. There was one other guy alone in his boat so I stayed clear, didn't want to crowd him. He called me over to his boat and told me to join him saying that two jigs above the reef was better that one as far as getting the fish excited goes. We both caught nice black sea bass that day and they tasted amazing. Anyhow, I'm not sure many know about that reef at Onamac but there is some good fishin there. I also see folks fishing just north of the Camano launch in the kelp bed but I am not sure how they do. As you know there is also a kelp bed south of the launch as you round the corner into Elger Bay but I've never fished that either. I usually just go across to a spot I like to fish for crab or I launch there to go after local blackmouth or silvers that are close by. I also run to the race track from the Camano launch and sometimes all the way to humpy hollow but that's a 20 minutes run in my boat and it's usually rough on the way back. Anyway, the launch is going to be great.

[littleriver]

I think you got the right reef. It's north of the ramp and it's marked by bouys. I'm not familiar with the beach names.

Was constructed by WDFW in the early 80's. I was pretty excited about the whole concept at the time and called the guy from WDFW who ran the project for this and other reefs around Puget sound. I went and visited him in his office in olympia about 2 decades agoand he went through the whole program with me.


Very interesting to say the least.


The reef itself is constructed of long tubular hunks of concrete. This provides lots of "holes" and hidden spots for the fish.

The long tubes (or pipe or culvert if you feel more comfortable with those terms) were dumped from barges and the stacks are supposed to be 10 to 15 feet high.


The camano island reef is kind of unique in that it seems to attact the smaller perch species during the winter.

I went up there in my brother's 26 foot cabin cruiser in the late 80s. He's a scuba diver and went down and came back goo goo eyed about all the big lings flopping around the concrete tubes. Feb. is apparently when they spawn. They aren't too easy to catch when they are spawning but they are there. He also thought all the red tail perch hanging around the piles were kind of interesting. I caught a few of the perch by downsizing my rigs and using the right bait but we sort of left the lings alone. Hopefully others have done the same.

Would be fun to get up there again and see what kind of changes have taken place over the last 20 years.

[littleriver]

Oh yeah. These WDFW employees are all a bunch of sport fishers themselves.


I ultimately got this guy to confess that when they made the reefs they dumped a bunch of concrete tubes in between the marker bouys. But they would also dump some piles away from the bouys. Piles that would be harder to find.


So when you see the bouys there will be piles between the bouys but if you do a circular search pattern while watching your depth finder around the buoys you should find another pile or two that wasn't meant to be found by the "crowds". Fishing is usually better on those piles....

[fisherhall]

Does anybody know what is going on with the ramp at Redondo. Last time I was there they had both of the side docks off.

[JimLyons]

Good info guys, that launch looks really functional.

[Dave]

Good morning all,

Just checking back. Thanks for the responses. There are no buoys that I have seen marking anything except the Tulalip Tribes crab pots (go figure) and yes it appears they are out there in front of the State Park as I took these photographs yesterday. One of their Alumaweld boats is parked near the launch unattached complete with large pulley system so it is my guess that they are just leaving it there. How nice. I need to get over that but it's very hard to do. Forever out here (Area 8-1) it's been one hour and literally full pots of huge male keeper Dungeness. Now its 3 hours and hopefully you get a couple that just measure up to keep. It’s depressing and a joke! Sorry. Anyway, if you launch at C.I-S.P and head north about a mile, you arrive at Onamac and the reef I am referring to. It has to be the same one you (Littleriver) are talking about. No buoys though which is probably a good thing. You definitely need to use your depth finder to locate the reef and I found that the tide current was trying to move me off the reef so I was moving back into position every 5 or so minutes. The guy who invited me to join him over the reef that day, who I mentioned in an earlier post, told me he brings lots of jigs as he has lost too many to count there. It would be a fun dive to recover a ton of lures, many of which I am guessing are likely destroyed by the salt. Anyway, I might try the perch thing there. Maybe dig up some sand worms or buy some shrimp at Elger Bay Grocery or is there a jig the perch like? Thanks again all. Good fishin. Dave. Here is a little closer look at the new cement launch.

[littleriver]

Very interesting Dave.


It actually doesn't surprise me that there might not be buoys on the reef anymore. My last trip was two decades ago
and a lot can happen in 20 years.


Just checked the regs and you area 8-1 and 8-2 guys can fish for blackmouth and rockfish in February. The Lings are a no-no though. Might be worth a trip up that way sometime this winter if the weather ever gets better.


Oh yeah. Last time I hit that reef I was in my brother's 28 foot cabin cruiser. While he was down scuba diving I put a pot of water on the alcohol stove. By the time he returned to the surface with a net satchel full of rock crab (he left all the lings alone) the water was boiling and I just popped them in. A real feast.

[Dave]

Hey Robert,

Back on my days off. Actually off the next 12 days thank goodness. Must be nice to have the water boiling onboard when the live crab are brought to the boat. That would be so fun to eat fresh caught crab on the boat. If the weather cooperates in the next 2 weeks I might take a trip to one of the local year round lakes in my area. Kinda gettin the fever. As for February. I might just head to the reef and give it a try. If I go, I will let you know. Good fishin and happy holidays. Dave

[racfish]

Looks like a way better launch then the earlier version.I never forget as a kid launching at the state parks old launch and getting stuck in our 69' Plymouth wagon.I remember being stuck in the rocks as the tide was comming in watching dads back end filling with water before the tow truck got there.This launch looks way better.Now I launch at Utsalady but paking is limited.The crabbing is fantastic on the north side of Camano.

[Dave]

Update: I stopped by Camano Island State Park today. The docks are in place except the last section. There were several truck/boat trailer rigs parked there. My guess is they are our fishing for black mouth but I'm not positive. The launch looks a bit narrow but two at a time can be launched at the same time if both are able to back their boats to the water line correctly keeping to either side of the new docks. I am not sure how this will work when it is busy at the launch but for now it all looks great. The new restrooms are done and are close to the launch so no more long walks to the restroom from the launch. I will post a pic when the last section of dock is installed.

[mics]

thanks for up-date dave, mic

[Dave]

You bet. I'll post a pic when it's all done.