Northwest Fishing Reports

So the fam and I are headed out for some crabbing fun tomorrow am. The wife would like to get a line wet and dabble in a little flounder fishing. I've never done it before. Any tips on the basic set up? We are launching out of Everett and probably gonna me around the bubble area.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks all.
Pradeep.

Weight, hook, bait....and that's about it. Usually caught them fishing with cut up sculpin, clams, shore crabs, or piling worms. Fish off the bottom and wait. Be prepared to catch dogfish. Have fun!

Well alrighty then. Doesn't get a whole lot easier than that. I assume that light tackle is the way to go and no leader set up?

You can't hardly miss for catching flounder. I like to use the same set up that you would use for fishing power bait and trout. Weight above swivel... 2.5 ft. of leader. bait hook with shrimp. I usually by the grocery store shrimp that you would eat for dinner, but I break them in two pieces. You don't want to have to big of bait. They have small mouths.

There is no way to miss on these fish. Be sure to watch out for tumors on the bottom of the fish. They look like pencil erasers, also a lot of them have worms. If you hold the fish up to the light you will see this.

I use a similar setup to what quad posted. I think light tackle is best for the flounder, but dogfish will chew up the mono, so be prepared to replace your leader if you're catching sharks.

Super! Thank you guys!. The look on the wife's face was priceless when I read the part about the worms. With a look of disgust, she just said to me "I'll just catch them for fun".

the same set up as above but with a 3 or 4 inch curly tail grub, mini hochie, alot of soft plastic will work. Bounce your weight off the bottom every once and a while to bring attention to your bait or lure. good luck

Weight, small hook and uncooked "Bacon", quite effective for flounder. Grew up fishing bacon for flounder. Just a small peice on a small hook.

be sure not to use piling worms or shore crabs for bait. Digging and possessing them is now against the law.

You can still use sandshrimp. Clam parts, regular earthworms, or grocery shrimp are just as good.

Pile Worms are the best.Clams 2nd,Prawns or shrimp. For flounder those are best to me. Basically fish the bottom.A side note is when cleaning check the organs out for white or real dark spots.I was just looking at SEG report on no worms.Wow I didnt know that. I use worms for Surf or pile perch up to last Feb. Thanks for the heads up.If you use herring to catch flounder youll most likely catch alot of Doggies.Try some jigs.

3" saltwater gulp minnow on a jig head. Bounce/drag it across the bottom. This will also catch an occasional rockfish or lingcod.

So when you guys say "small hook". Like Lake trout size hooks? I don't have small hooks so if I need to hit the walmart on the way, I will. On such small hooks, you guys are still saying that we may be able to hook a doggie or 2? Cool stuff.

I use to catch them with tiny pieces of shrimp on size 8 baitholder hooks.

I would recommend a size 4 or size 2 hook to deter the really small fish from biting. They end up swallowing those little 6 and 8 hooks; bring some hemostats if you have them they work best to remove the hook. Starry flounder don't have tiny mouths when they are big and the big ones are what you're after. IF you want dogfish pick up some tough leader and use a whole or half herring on a size 1 or 0 hook. They are very fun to catch, I'm sure your wife would enjoy it. My girlfriend got a kick out of fishing for "sharks".

I think I use around a size 4 or 6. Not quite sure, but bigger than a trout hook, smaller than a bass hook. I typically just use the cheap snelled hooks for this type of application. If you do catch a Dogfish and are not aware of their special talents, be aware of the spike behind the dorsal fin and on the tail. Painful lesson if you get hit by one. They like to roll and try to hit you with their tail spike.

BentRod wrote:I think I use around a size 4 or 6. Not quite sure, but bigger than a trout hook, smaller than a bass hook. I typically just use the cheap snelled hooks for this type of application. If you do catch a Dogfish and are not aware of their special talents, be aware of the spike behind the dorsal fin and on the tail. Painful lesson if you get hit by one. They like to roll and try to hit you with their tail spike.

Good call on the spikes. I would say just play them out in the water, usually by the time they are wiped out they will come in belly up. Use pliers over the side and do not bring them aboard, easier for everyone.

For the flounder I used to use Worm hooks just like Bent said. Id buy a big pack of multi size Danielson hooks for about $1.50 a pack.

pieces of berkley gulp sandworms in camo work well to and u can reuse the bait almost everytime, i like to smear a lil bit of krill smelly jelly on it. i usually fish with a #4 bait holder and as light of egg sinker the current will allow. Try targetin next to a kelp patch, i find them all the time in clearings round kelp.

Don't worry if you see a worm in the flounder meat...They will dissapear when you cook the meat....They won't hurt you. Most bottom fish have them.... Just be careful where you get the fish. The PCB's are in Fish from Tacoma Harbor and Everett along with Duwamish area in Seattle....Have fun! Steve

Sliding egg sinker, kind of light line (i prefer 10-15) bead (to stop the sinker from sliding right over the swivel) snap swivel, 1 1/2 to 2 feet of leader, circle hook, and for bait, nightcrawlers are great. They will die quickley in saltwater so make sure you bring alot. Thats what happens to me. That should work!