16 minute read
GETAWAYS: KICK OFF OCEAN ACTION WITH WESTPORT ROCKFISH, LINGS
Greetings From WESTPORT
Activity in Westport’s harbor, home to a still-sizable charter fleet and base for many private boaters, will start to pick up this month with the second-Saturday-in-March bottomfish opener for black rockfish and lingcod . Also known as sea bass, black rocks inhabit all levels of the water column at times and are much faster breeders than some of their ultra-slow-growing reef-bound cousins like yelloweye rockfish. They’re also wonderful table fare, especially when bled as soon as they come aboard. (WASHINGTON DNR)
Rockfish, Lings Lead Off Salmon Capital’s Season
Mid-March’s bottomfish opener is just the first of a parade of angling hits out of Westport and Washington’s South Coast.
By Jeff Holmes
Westport is the biggest, easiest-to-access fishing port in Washington. On March 11, the day before bottomfish season opens, a stream of dedicated early rockfish and lingcod anglers from around the state will head west to this salty little town on the tip of the southern jaws of Grays Harbor. Private boat owners and charter operators alike will be readying their crafts and watching weather and planning departures. The reward that awaits them up north on the grounds is the prospect of the season’s firmest, snowiest fillets and the largest concentration of unpressured and snappy rockfish and lingcod of the season.
Most of the rockfish will be blacks, but a good mix of canary, yellowtail, quillback and more will show, depending on the trip and location. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has done a good job
Greetings From WESTPORT
managing rockfish, and we enjoy a very productive and sustainable rockfish and lingcod fishery off the Washington Coast.
Sportfishing remains excellent to good from March through midOctober, when bottomfishing closes, but without a doubt, early is best for the best fillets, which are less prone to parasites during early season as compared to the summer months. March and April are great times to load up on fillets for ceviche, tacos, fish sandwiches, fish patties, Cajun fried fish, British battered fish, cornmeal fried fish, beer battered fish, grilled fish…
Big yellowfin tuna like this one and vast numbers of sailfish, wahoo, mahi mahi and more are why Mark and Merry Coleman opened Pelagic Pursuits Costa Rica. Prices for a world-class sportfishing getaway seem awfully affordable right now for Northwesterners with an itch to fight fish that swim at highway speeds and whose jumps are measured in feet leapt out of the water. (ALLRIVERSGUIDESERVICE.COM)
Indeed, if you haven’t tried rockfish and lingcod, they are very good. And it is very easy to book a charter seat for a great time and a couple bags of fillets to take home.
WHILE WESTPORT FIRST comes alive
for rockfish and lingcod, and that time is upon us, the options change throughout the summer into the fall. Mark Coleman of All Rivers and Saltwater Charters (allriversguideservice.com) is one of many awesome captains in the harbor. He owns express-style Defiance pilot-house tuna boats in 29- and 42-foot models, powered by Honda outboards, and they get to the grounds fast and are outfitted with the most advanced Raymarine technology. I really enjoy the sporty ARSC experience – including fishing with Okuma’s best light tackle – and have spent plenty of time on these six-pack boats. I asked Coleman to talk about the seasons to come in Westport over the next six to seven months.
“Starting March 12, the opener, our boats will be running lingcod and rockfish charters and will focus specifically on that until early May,” says Coleman. “The fishing should be excellent, and anglers can enjoy lower rates and shorter runs to the grounds during the early season. As spring progresses, we get more options. May and June are all about going deep and loading up on deepwater halibut and larger-grade lingcod. Between directed halibut dates and expanded bottomfishing opportunities into deeper waters, the action and harvest can be
Several years ago, Mark and Merry Coleman grew the All Rivers and Saltwater Sportfishing footprint by creating a new vacation fishing destination in Costa Rica. Pelagic Pursuits Costa Rica (catchfishcostarica.com) was born and is now a staple vacation destination for many of their Pacific Northwest clients. A pretty cool customer, Mark gets noticeably excited when he talks about the fishing in Costa Rica.
“Among the best in the world, fishing in Costa Rica is like everything you’ve heard,” says Mark Coleman. “We offer the best blue-water fishing and adventure vacations available on the Central Pacific Coast. Departing from our location in the beautiful Los Sueños Resort and Marina near Jaco, Costa Rica, we are right in the middle of some of the hottest marlin and sailfish action in the world. Mahi mahi, yellowfin tuna and wahoo are also common catches on our charters. The inshore fishing is nothing to pass on either, with excellent fishing for roosterfish, cubera snapper, jacks, grouper and more.”
“We have a wide variety of sportfishing options to suit any angling style and budget, combined with a variety of comfortable accommodations, stunning locations, amazing wildlife viewing, outstanding service, and great value for your money,” says Coleman. “The area is well protected from the prevailing northerly winds and enjoys pretty close to ideal weather, although you can expect some warm rain showers any time from May through November, especially in the afternoons. Our guests are seldom disappointed with a short run to blue water on flat seas and an abundance of fish.”
I passed up an opportunity to fish with the Colemans years ago when they first opened up shop in Costa Rica, and this fall after deer season I will be righting that wrong by making the trip. I never thought I could afford expensive tropical fishing destinations, but a Costa Rica trip is less money than a trip to Alaska – and with significantly more monkeys and fewer grizzlies. There are jaguars, but listen to Mark and Merry, who can offer a guaranteed jaguar-free experience. That’s not on the website, but they can make it happen. –JH
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Greetings From WESTPORT
outstanding.”
Halibut trips are almost always a total slam dunk due to the tight management and limited opportunities and also typically include lingcod fishing. Meanwhile deepwater lingcod trips produce larger specimens for sure and also usually mean fishing for yellowtail rockfish, a midwater species that is especially delicious. Coleman and the many other Westport operators have these fisheries dialed in, and participating is as easy as booking a trip for us landlubbers.
WDFW’s tentative halibut dates for Marine Area 2 call for Thursday and Sunday fishing May 5-22, as well as May 26, with mid- and late June backup days available, given available quota.
down by late June or early July, we shift gears into salmon and albacore tuna fishing,” says Coleman. “Some years the tuna beat the salmon to our coast, and in other years we rely on salmon to bridge the gap between bottomfishing and the arrival of tuna in good numbers. No matter what the year, our team is always prospecting early for those first signs of tuna and once they arrive, we dedicate most if not all of our assets to running our express-style one-day charters until mid- to late October.”
Coleman’s outfit specializes in tuna fishing, and they are often the first sport boat to bring an albacore back to the docks. He’s so serious about albacore that he also operates a commercial boat out of Westport, as well as a destination blue-water fishing experience in Costa Rica (see sidebar). But Coleman is not the only ace tuna skipper in the harbor at Westport, and there are tons of options to choose from.
Other great charter boats out of Westport, among many, include Kevin Vasereno’s Gold Rush (booked directly at 360-591-9044), Dave McGowen’s charter boat Ms Magoo (booked directly at 360-648-3017), and Rhett Weber on charter boat Slammer (booked through Deep Sea Charters at 360-268-9300). Another express-style operation, Angler’s Edge Sportfishing (360-536-1344), is a very solid option, and that boat is captained by Coleman’s brother, Mitch.
If you’re new to ocean fishing, check in with your captain in advance about what you’ll need, but generally the short list is full rain gear, sunglasses, camera and a small bag with food and drink, along with a tip for your deckhand (20 percent).
If you’re new to Westport lodging, read reviews, and plan in advance! There are many great options, but I have also checked in late, last-minute, and have had to stay in a room where I put my rain gear on before I went to sleep. That place is now out of business and is an exception to the fine lodging available. I recommend Mariner’s Cove Inn (360-268-6000) and Pacific Motel and RV (360-2689325) for clean and comfortable stays. Also, if they are available to book, I highly recommend staying right on the water in the harbor at Westport Marina Cottages (360-2687680). You’ll pay a little for it, but there is plenty of good food available
Westport is home to an excellent fleet of charter fishing boats, and many work together on the water to ensure clients are getting on fish. Here, several express-style boats work a reef for early-season lingcod. The bait of choice for skipper Mark Coleman’s boats and many others is a live flounder dropped into the dangerous dens of these denizens of the deep. (ALLRIVERSGUIDESERVICE.COM)
Greetings From WESTPORT
To many, including author Jeff Holmes, the tastiest fish off the Northwest Coast is the lingcod. The pictured specimens are perfect eating size, but lings topping 40 pounds are caught every year out of Westport – last year’s charter fleet derby winner went 39.75 pounds. They decline in table fare at about 20 pounds, but reeling in and releasing (or killing if you want) these big females is still very fun. A 30-pound lingcod and its mouthful of terrifying teeth more closely resembles
a monster than a fish. (ALLRIVERSGUIDESERVICE.COM)
ENJOY FLATOUT-GOOD FISHING IN FLORIDA
Captain Ivan Reyes of Flatout Fishing Florida (flatoutfishing.net, 509-3028534) started backing his dad’s truck down the ramp on crowded Drano Lake mornings almost as soon as he could see over the dashboard. Now all grown up and in his second season of guiding in Tampa Bay, Reyes’ Flatout Fishing Florida has it dialed in and represents an awesome value for Northwest anglers looking for exotic fishing for a wide variety of tasty and trophy species in all four seasons.
Ivan is the son of Captain Jerry Reyes of Pasco, and is an extremely accomplished angler who is super fun to fish with. With cheap flights and lodging right now, a trip to Tampa is affordable and lucrative.
“Spring fishing is outstanding in Tampa Bay,” says Reyes. “Species like snook, redfish, speckled trout, black drum, jack crevalle and cobia come out of backwater creeks into open water and grass flats with warming temps. They settle around structure like bridges or mangroves, and the fishing is easy and often nonstop throughout spring. King mackerel, also known as ‘kingfish,’ run the Gulf Coast of Tampa Bay during spring, along with their relative, the Spanish mackerel. They follow bait along the beaches and provide a pretty spectacular spring fishery as well.”
“Summer fishing is the wildest, and with water temperatures above 90 degrees, fish like snook redfish, trout and mackerel snap at everything,” says Reyes. “Meanwhile, tarpon make their migratory run into and around the Tampa Bay area through the months of June through August. They range from 80 to sometimes over 200 pounds! Redfish also have a strong run during the month of July as they flood into mangrove grass flats and under residential docks. There is a big chance during the summer to catch some bucket-list fish.”
“Fall is also a really fun time to fish here. It’s not always as amazing as summer, but it is slightly more enjoyable with lowering temperatures and a really big push of mackerel, bluefish, jack crevalle and cobia. Snook, redfish and speckled trout also bite great during these months. In the wintertime, lots of fish pour into backwater creeks and also into deeper water for warmth. Species like grouper, cobia, triple tail, silver trout, snapper and the amazing tasting sheepshead are all part of this amazing winter fishery. Mainly we use live shrimp as our go-to bait in winter – all while catching amazing fish with flip-flops and sweaters all day!”
Reyes specializes in fishing live bait year-round, including using very large baitfish for very large fish, but he also fishes a range of different lures on the lightest capable tackle he can put in clients’ hands. That’s no different than his dad’s philosophy, and you can soon catch both of these kind, fun captains on the Texas Gulf Coast as they look to expand their operation even further in the next couple years. –JH
in Westport. There is also a Subway.
If you’re looking for an adventure, a break from the long winter, and a mess of primo rockfish and lingcod fillets, an early-season trip out of Westport is inexpensive, fun and easy to accomplish. If you can’t make it this spring, plan ahead and book ahead for halibut, salmon or albacore now. Once the fishing gets good, the seats get hard to find. NS
Wenatchee fishing guide Brad Wagner (fishwenatchee.com) and his daughters, Brooke and Liz, had a great time reeling in tasty fish after fish with guide Ivan Reyes in Tampa Bay. (BRAD WAGNER)
May is the best month of the season for Halibut, and Winter Chinook (Kings), and you can’t beat Zeballos. 2022 SPECIALS NOW BOOKING FOR MAY
Dates Available for May: 1st-4th, 4th-7th, 7th-10th, 10th-13th, 13th-17th, 17th-20th, 20th-23rd, 23rd-26th, 26th-29th, 29th-31st.
SALMON
The most successful Salmon Hatchery on the Pacific Coast is just 30 miles from Zeballos. For the past several years, over 50,000 Chinook Salmon have returned each fall to the Conuma Creek spawning grounds where the hatchery is located. Most of these migrating Salmon start to come through our waters starting in May. We have non-spawning Chinook Salmon in our waters year-round—Winter Chinook (Kings, or Springs). In May you'll be catching on average 12 to 18 pound Salmon—absolutely the best table fare. HALIBUT
We are located very close to an amazing halibut fishery that seems never ending. We can't remember a trip where we didn't hook into many of these amazing eating fish. Come with us, and we'll show you how to bring up white gold. Be prepared with coolers!
Limited trips left, book now before we are sold out!
LEARN MORE zeballostopguides.com/halibut-special
Call 250-337-2158 Email: doug.zeballostopguides2022@gmail.com DAY TRIPPER
Up to 4 people per boat, expect full limits Three Great Locations: Zeballos, Tahsis & Tofino
- 28' offshore boat up to 12 hours of fully guided fishing - Full private enclosed head on board - Breakfast, coffee, sodas, water, lunch, and lots of snacks included - All fishing gear provided - Rain gear provided - Cleaning of your catch - Bring a large cooler packed with ice to transport your catch home
$455.00 USD + 5% tax /per person
Book Your Day Trippers Trip at zeballostopguides.com/day-trips. Complete and submit the form.
TRIP LIMITS for Day Tripper Package: 4 Salmon of which 2 can be Kings and two can be Silvers, 1 Halibut up to 70 pounds, 3 Lingcod and 4 Rockcod. We have purchased Halibut Quota from the Commercial Halibut Fleet and if you wish to take extra Halibut, the cost will be about $5 per pound.
HALIBUT EXPRESS
Drive-In 3 Nights / 4 Days Package
Join us for our 11th annual Halibut Express starting May 1st, 2022!
- 20 hours of guided fishing - 3 nights accommodation at the Cedars Inn - All meals including wine with the dinner meals - Cleaning and filleting of your catch - All fishing tackle provided (You are welcome to bring your favorite rod and reel)
Party of 2 fishing 2 per boat: $1725 + tax USD Per Person Party of 3 fishing 3 per boat: $1395 + tax USD Per Person Party of 4 fishing 4 per boat: $1100 + tax USD Per Person
TRIP LIMITS for 3N/4D Halibut Express Package: 8 Salmon of which 4 can be Chinook (Kings), 2 Halibut, 6 Lingcod, and 8 Rockcod. We have have purchased Halibut Quota from the Commercial Halibut Fleet and if you wish to take extra Halibut, the cost will be about $5 per pound.
