Fish Assassin
Crew Member
No bait needed they are very easy to catch. They love herring jigs. Put a 1oz weight at the end and cast it out there. You will catch 2 or 3 at a time.
Fishing for flatfish off the dock
- Thread starter Oregon
- Start date
Cuba Libre
Well-Known Member
if you want to C&R with starrys, no problem. But unless you really like iodine, you wont be eating them! LOL
Cuba Libre
Well-Known Member
Fish Assassin
Crew Member
Sorry wasn't thinking I just know that when jigging herring in shallow water I seem to hook a lot of this little guys at a time. I don't ever keep them.
falcon1
Member
Are the flatfish around here semi-toxic then?
And Seafever, I like fishing near the end, or around the middle of the inside of the breakwater. Youdo have to really shoot the line out, unless you like losing your gear. On the outside of the second corner, it is all sand, but I was not able to pick up even a nibble. I don't think the breakwater is good for much other than lingcod, rock cod, salmon and greenling. So there is a wide variety but right now, what with lings illegal, rock cod illegal, salmon not in around there, all you can pick up are the greenlings. Tasty fish but not much for fighting. So right now I am looking for alternatives. I would like to try hooking a big pile perch on my lightweight rod, or get some flatfish as I have never caught one before. So really, if you guys know of a spot where I can catch either fish, with the chance of also hooking into a greenling, thats the kind of thing I want to try right now. Probably not a common fishing idea.
And Seafever, I like fishing near the end, or around the middle of the inside of the breakwater. Youdo have to really shoot the line out, unless you like losing your gear. On the outside of the second corner, it is all sand, but I was not able to pick up even a nibble. I don't think the breakwater is good for much other than lingcod, rock cod, salmon and greenling. So there is a wide variety but right now, what with lings illegal, rock cod illegal, salmon not in around there, all you can pick up are the greenlings. Tasty fish but not much for fighting. So right now I am looking for alternatives. I would like to try hooking a big pile perch on my lightweight rod, or get some flatfish as I have never caught one before. So really, if you guys know of a spot where I can catch either fish, with the chance of also hooking into a greenling, thats the kind of thing I want to try right now. Probably not a common fishing idea.
It's a little late for pile perch, they never seemed to show in numbers untill May/June at the docks, if I remember.
Seafever
Well-Known Member
Falcon1:- Flounders aren't any more toxic than anything else in the water.
But the "Iodine" content seems to be quite a bit higher than pelagic fish.
or the perception of Iodine is there anyway......I always notice how strong the "iodine" odor is when cleaning a catch of Flounders.
Flounders and Sole are another fish that doesn't receive all that much attention when it comes to eating them around here so much........but in Europe they are very popular.
But the "Iodine" content seems to be quite a bit higher than pelagic fish.
or the perception of Iodine is there anyway......I always notice how strong the "iodine" odor is when cleaning a catch of Flounders.
Flounders and Sole are another fish that doesn't receive all that much attention when it comes to eating them around here so much........but in Europe they are very popular.
Kildonan
Well-Known Member
I was unaware of that. I have caught lots of them, and some big ones too, but I always chuck them back.
I googled it though and there are people who eat them. LOL
I work with a fella who came from Macedonia. Sometimes I give him some fish to eat and show him pictures of my catch. He says us guys here on the West Coast are spoiled with the abundance of good seafood compared to where he comes from. Over there they eat things that would make your hair stand on end. LOL
As for perch I remember seeing thousands of them last summer (August?) off the esquimalt anglers docks. They looked decent size but hard to tell for sure in the water.
Should be around any dock really but if you find a fish cleaning station in somewhat deep water AND the seals are not eating all the scraps then the perch school up over the carcass' on the bottom. Should be easy to catch use muscles as bait.
Should be around any dock really but if you find a fish cleaning station in somewhat deep water AND the seals are not eating all the scraps then the perch school up over the carcass' on the bottom. Should be easy to catch use muscles as bait.
IF you don't want to use or have real bait plus its messy try Berkley baby grubs or I think its called ring worms or meal worms I can check later . They both come in little jars, no mess and the perch and sole love it one jar lasts forever and the grubs are so durable you can limit out on one and put it back in the jar, there plastic or rubber whatever they are its killer or for those fish. I use the ring worm in sunshine coast when the kids wana fish from the dock for bait. I don't bother I use 6 inch mullets and fish from the dock for lings but the kids get a kick pulling up perch after perch after perch. The key is to hang it off the hook like a tail and make em chase it hungry little guys.
falcon1
Member
Should I just hook the whole thing, or should I take off the claws? I was thinking during the summer if I end up getting dragged down to a beach with the rest of the family I will just bring a small rod, some weights and hooks in a small pocket sized takle box. Maybe bring some small jigs as well. I could grab some of the little crabs while I'm out there, and just chuck them out and just see what happens.
Seafever
Well-Known Member
Perch have pretty small mouths.....you might have to break up the crab into bits for use....to make it stay on the hook you might want to go with a really tiny treble hook. They seem to be finicky about "presentation" sometimes.
The less conspicuous your line,hook and weight it is, most likely the better results you will get.
The less conspicuous your line,hook and weight it is, most likely the better results you will get.
Kildonan
Well-Known Member
Re the crabs for bait, I used to use little guys, about the size of one of my fingernails. I never broke them up, I would put them on whole on a single hook, like a trout hook, size 6 or so. I would skewer them from the middle of the belly area up through the back. I would dangle them from the wharf of our cabin in Barkley Sound. It was deadly.
These pile perch were about 12 or 14 inches long I would say. They did have smallish mouths but they were able to take that crab in and were not hook shy at all.
These pile perch were about 12 or 14 inches long I would say. They did have smallish mouths but they were able to take that crab in and were not hook shy at all.
Similar threads
