r/Bellingham • u/SatanDarkofFabulous • 23h ago
Discussion Getting back into fishing
Hello hamsters! Last year I got back into fishing doing some bass fishing with my buddy. I'm wondering what the saltwater scene is like around here if you don't have a boat? Is there anything that you can keep to eat? What does a basic setup look like?
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u/elliotcsl Local 22h ago
Hey! Welcome. As far as eating goes it depends on who you ask. Some say it’s fine, some say the bay’s industrial history has left our fish mildly poisonous due to the heavy metals and other chemicals that are part of our waterway’s rich history. Personally, I’m hesitant to eat anything out of Bellingham bay proper but less so from the surrounding bays.
As far a tactics go, depth is your friend, anywhere you can stand on a dock/peer or sandstone cliffs is gonna yield exponentially better results than fishing from shore. I have been fishing in the bay without a boat here pretty much as long as I can remember. You can catch just about any bottom fish ( most commonly sculpin, cabezón, starry flounder, or kelp greenling), as well as dog fish (or sandshark) on just simple bait and weight, usually go with up to an ounce of weight and keeping your hook about a foot off the ground will help keep the crabs away. For bait I’d recommend anything that comes from the ocean, you can buy herring squid and clams at Yeagers. I’ve had mixed luck with all sorts of jigs/lures but never hurts to try! There’s also 2 weekends in August where you can fish for king salmon from shore using buzz bombs or jigs. Good luck! See you out there.
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u/SatanDarkofFabulous 22h ago
Thank you! Sounds like I'll need a beefier rod (oh noooo)
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u/elliotcsl Local 22h ago
I’d say as much length as you can afford! Yeagers always has some good deals
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u/SatanDarkofFabulous 22h ago
Hell yeah. Any thing you'd recommend or avoid?
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u/elliotcsl Local 16h ago
Like 7.5’ minimum for the rod, a spinning reel, I’d buy them separately. Usually I buy the cheapest rod within the length I want and then for salt espescially buy a slightly nicer reel. Really cheap reel’s will corrode the second they touch salt water unless you rinse them meticulously. I think Yeager’s has a decent reel from Okuma in the $60 range. If you want to spend more, the sky is the limit in terms of quality, I typically go the value route as I end up being pretty hard on most of my gear.
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u/SatanDarkofFabulous 16h ago
That's good to know. My buddies tease me because I cast like a madman. I just know I'm going to snap my rod from casting too hard one of these days
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u/andanotherone2 Local 22h ago
Not to be discouraging but there really isn’t good saltwater fishing from the shore around here. Even people with boats don’t really fish Bellingham Bay. I’d suggest going down to Whidbey Island in July - Sept. This year is a pink salmon year (they run every other year) so there will be a lot of them in range. Coho (silver) salmon will be coming through too. Fort Casey is a good spot and there will be other people there. Buzz bombs or herring under a float.
For gear, I’d look at something like an 8 1/2 foot rod with 12 pound test. That will be useful saltwater shore fishing and bank fishing on the Nooksack or Skagit once those fish enter the river.
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u/Zelkin764 Local 22h ago
I see people fishing off the docks in Blaine quite often and they look mildly successful. I would probably suggest trying there for best results. However, I mostly just lake fish with occasional crabbing trips on people's boats so my experience is going to be limited.
I remember seeing some guys down by Teddy Bear cove a few times. I can't remember if they were successful or not but they were the definition of content.
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u/Madkayakmatt 12h ago
Fishing in the bay is great! Catching is only mid though. You’re bound to have fun regardless. Depth and ledges are good. Bait will catch you more than lures.
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u/Crafty-Shape2743 22h ago
It’s your lucky day!
I haven’t seen anyone fishing off the reopened pier at Little Squalicum but I was out there yesterday and it looks like an excellent place to throw a line in. It runs 1,248 feet out into the bay.