Neah Bay Lingcod opener 2013
~ Area 4 Neah Bay opened for lingcod retention last Tuesday so the crew from F/V Siwash aka “Team Ling Hammer” headed West to get a crack at the first lings of the year. Camping in Sekiu courtesy of Van Riper’s resort we awoke to sunshine and calm seas Tuesday morning. Heading West into area 4 we started getting fish just after the river, while fishing the kelpline up to Sail rock. Tuesdays total was 6 quality lings averaging 26-37 inches for the boat. Didn’t get any of the “crocodiles” landed but had more than our share of followers in the 4 + foot range. Highlight of the morning was Kasey laying into a 70-80lb halibut hooked w/ his custom Seeker/ Avet rod on a Big Hammer swimtail. Kasey fought that fish for over 20 minutes while we chased it around on the kicker. Retention isn’t allowed for halibut until certain days June so we took some go-pro footage and gently released the beast back to its reef. Wednesday’s fishing brought more of the same with another 6 legal sized fish kept before the weather shifted and blew swell and chop out of the west. Heading back into Clallam Bay just before noon we spotted a young Gray Whale cruising the kelpline just offshore, a trio of Bull Sea lions and flocks of summer plumed oldsquaw, harlequin and scoters staging for their migration back up north. The West-end of the Olympic Peninsula is such a magical place.
David and Tiffany Drewry | P.O. Box 763, Port Townsend, WA 98368-0763 | (360) 379-0906