Rosario Pumping Out Blackmouth 8
Captain Jay Field with a 14 Pound Rosario Blackmouth
When it shook it's head the rod stroked three to four feet. My 10'6" mooching rod was loaded deep into the cork and the blackmouth precariously hooked to the end of my line had a king salmon-esque feel to it. This wasn't a cookie cutter blackmouth.
I got about two minutes out of that fish before it spit the hook in that classic move that I hate so much. It came to the surface, pointed straight towards me, and started shaking it head back and forth, back and forth, back and ka-puuut…out came the barbless Mustad hook. Pretty sure Captain Jay Field, who had invited me blackmouth fishing for the day, had heard those words uttered before.
Jay Field owns Dash One Charters in Anacortes, Washington and also happens to be the reverand that hitched Nicole and I back in September. Even though I've only known Jay for a few years he's one of those guys I'm certain I've known for much longer.
The blackmouth fishing has been nothing short of amazing in the San Juan Islands since it opened, so when Jay asked me what I was doing on Saturday it was a no-brainer. We could crash at the in-laws in Anacortes on Friday night who live just up the street from Jay and alleviate my usual blurry-eyed early morning commute to far away fishing grounds. How convenient is that?
Our first stop on Saturday morning was in Guemes channel right across from Dakota Creek Ship Yard. There had been a good bite in the channel a few days earlier and there were already several boats trolling when we arrived.
We made a few passes there and outside of a 16 pounder that was caught on another boat there really wasn't a whole lot going on.
Next stop…James Island near Thatcher Pass. Mike Lindquist, a.k.a. "The Salmonator" had let us know that he popped a fat mid-teener blackmouth on his first pass in the morning.
On our second pass at James what I could've sworn was my downrigger ball dragging on the bottom turned out to be a huge winter blackmouth, the one I mentioned earlier, that eventually spat the hook on the surface and left me desheveled. Ya gotta love barbless hooks!
Two passes later we lost a second fish and then within ten minutes the bait and birds all disappeared. Time to move on.
Jay pointed the "Dash One" towards Tide Point on Cypress Island and when we rolled in the bite was in full swing. One boat was hooked up and a nice fellow in a Trophy hollered over that they'd just landed a fish in the 18 to 20 pound range.
We quickly deployed the cut plug herring and it wasn't long before my rod got bit. I quickly dispatched a 23" keeper blackmouth that would eat just fine on the bbq.
Tide Point fishes best in the middle of the ebb and we missed two more fish before the tide started to slack and it was time to jump up to Eagle Bluff, just north of Tide Point, for the beginning of the flood.
The View From the "Dash One" At Tide Point
On our first pass we marked several fish along with some large schools of bait. Jay didn't waste any time and quickly spun the boat to run back over the fish. The move payed off and Jay was hard into a 14 pound blackmouth shortly after marking even more fish on our second pass. We fished another half hour and then called it a great day after going 2 for 6 on tastey blackmouth on cut plug herring in the flat calm and beautiful Rosario Strait.
Back at the dock we were surprised to find both blackmouth absolutely stuffed with these baitfish. They weren't herring, they weren't anchovies or candlefish. What the heck are they?
I'm a huge fan of trolling cut plug herring for blackmouth in the San Juan's and as luck would have it…so is Jay. He took some time on Saturday to explain how he rigs his cut plug herring with a hang back hook in this short video. Enjoy!
The Rosario Strait has provided some outstanding blackmouth fishing so far this winter and as long as the bait continues to hold in the islands I would expect great fishing for the Roche Harbor Derby in early February. Could we see another Anacortes Derby in late March like last years with nine of the top ten places filled with blackmouth over 20 pounds. I sure hope so!
Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com
Those are some nice blackmouth for this time of year...solid work buddy.
It was a great day out there. My wife and I went 2 for 2 on big - 14 and 16 lb-keepers and they were also stuffed with those same fish.
Nice job Boys way to hit some fish Robbo, I guess we should of hit it up on Saturday last week congrats RT
I didn't even think about hooligans Andy. The Nooksack gets a good run of them, or at least it used to. Good to see them coming back. Both of our fish couldn't have fit one more hooligan in their bellies...absolutely stuffed with them.
Nice job guys. Those be hooligans (smelt) when I was a kid we would dip them in the springtime on the Nooksack. That means good things!
Nice stuff guys. I havent seen a hooligan in years but pretty sure thats what your fish had in their bellies.
Those Cannon stainless swivel bases look classy on Jay's boat!!! He sure keeps that thing dialed in and clean...except for all the fish blood! I can't believe the weather and the fishing up there! The Roche Harbor Derby can't come fast enough!
Congrats on the great day with Jay. Those are some great new videos with Jay as well.