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Winter Blackmouth and Flounder Bite in Seattle's Puget Sound - Quiet Please Fishing Report
Published 4 months ago
Description
This is Artificial Lure with your Puget Sound fishing report out of Seattle.
We’re on small winter tides right now. Tides4Fishing shows a morning low around 3–4 feet followed by a late‑morning high just under 12 feet and an evening drop, with overall low solunar activity but a modest bump around first light and again near dusk. That gives you soft current in the mid‑morning and early evening, perfect for running gear close to structure.
Sunrise is right around 7:30 a.m., sunset about 4:20 p.m., so it’s a short window. Local forecasts call for classic winter Sound weather: mid‑40s, light south wind in the 5–10 knot range, scattered showers and decent ceiling. That’s fishable as long as you dress for a wet ride and watch the afternoon wind bumps.
According to Cut Plug Charters out of Seattle, winter blackmouth have been the main game, with keeper Chinook coming off mid‑Sound humps and ledges on light tackle mooching and trolling. They report steady action on resident Chinook with a mix of shakers, a few legal fish per trip, plus the odd flounder and incidental ling on the deeper edges.
Best producers have been **3–3.5 inch herring or anchovy‑pattern spoons** behind an 11‑inch flasher, and **cut‑plug herring** run on a slow, wandering mooch. Greens and glows are the ticket: Irish Cream, Herring Aid, Green Spatterback, and UV white have all been putting fish in the box. If you’re bait‑forward, a brined green or natural herring on a 6‑foot leader with 4–6 ounces of lead is still money. Keep your gear 5–15 feet off bottom in 80–140 feet and hit the turns to trigger followers.
In the salt, outside of blackmouth, it’s mostly winter flounder and the occasional cod‑type bycatch. Expect a handful of flatfish per angler on shrimp, squid strips, or small Gulp grubs fished right on the deck.
Couple of local hot spots:
- **Jeff Head:** Classic winter blackmouth hump. Work the 100–140 foot contour on the east and south sides, trolling north–south with the tide. Stay tight to the breaks; most legals this week have come right on the lip.
- **Possession Bar:** Longer run, but it’s been one of the more consistent bars for winter Chinook. Focus on the west side and the “Tin Shed” area, dragging spoons and hootchies with green or UV flashers close to bottom.
For pier and small‑boat folks, **Elliott Bay and Seacrest/Water Taxi pier** still offer a shot at blackmouth and flounder. Cast 1–1.5 ounce metal jigs or 3‑inch soft plastics on 3/8–1/2 ounce heads, count them down to near bottom, and hop them back with pauses.
Freshwater pressure has been light but steady on urban trout. According to GoneFishingNW, lakes like Beaver Lake in Sammamish get jumbo broodstock plants in late fall, and those big rainbows bite all winter on small spoons, dough baits, and 1/16‑ounce marabou jigs under a float.
Overall, fish activity is modest but worth the effort: a few legal blackmouth per serious crew, good numbers of shakers, and plenty of flounder to keep the rods moving. Pick your tides, fish tight to bottom, and don’t be afraid to grind through slow patches—these winter Chinook are homebodies, and when they do go, they go fast.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more local fishing intel.
This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
We’re on small winter tides right now. Tides4Fishing shows a morning low around 3–4 feet followed by a late‑morning high just under 12 feet and an evening drop, with overall low solunar activity but a modest bump around first light and again near dusk. That gives you soft current in the mid‑morning and early evening, perfect for running gear close to structure.
Sunrise is right around 7:30 a.m., sunset about 4:20 p.m., so it’s a short window. Local forecasts call for classic winter Sound weather: mid‑40s, light south wind in the 5–10 knot range, scattered showers and decent ceiling. That’s fishable as long as you dress for a wet ride and watch the afternoon wind bumps.
According to Cut Plug Charters out of Seattle, winter blackmouth have been the main game, with keeper Chinook coming off mid‑Sound humps and ledges on light tackle mooching and trolling. They report steady action on resident Chinook with a mix of shakers, a few legal fish per trip, plus the odd flounder and incidental ling on the deeper edges.
Best producers have been **3–3.5 inch herring or anchovy‑pattern spoons** behind an 11‑inch flasher, and **cut‑plug herring** run on a slow, wandering mooch. Greens and glows are the ticket: Irish Cream, Herring Aid, Green Spatterback, and UV white have all been putting fish in the box. If you’re bait‑forward, a brined green or natural herring on a 6‑foot leader with 4–6 ounces of lead is still money. Keep your gear 5–15 feet off bottom in 80–140 feet and hit the turns to trigger followers.
In the salt, outside of blackmouth, it’s mostly winter flounder and the occasional cod‑type bycatch. Expect a handful of flatfish per angler on shrimp, squid strips, or small Gulp grubs fished right on the deck.
Couple of local hot spots:
- **Jeff Head:** Classic winter blackmouth hump. Work the 100–140 foot contour on the east and south sides, trolling north–south with the tide. Stay tight to the breaks; most legals this week have come right on the lip.
- **Possession Bar:** Longer run, but it’s been one of the more consistent bars for winter Chinook. Focus on the west side and the “Tin Shed” area, dragging spoons and hootchies with green or UV flashers close to bottom.
For pier and small‑boat folks, **Elliott Bay and Seacrest/Water Taxi pier** still offer a shot at blackmouth and flounder. Cast 1–1.5 ounce metal jigs or 3‑inch soft plastics on 3/8–1/2 ounce heads, count them down to near bottom, and hop them back with pauses.
Freshwater pressure has been light but steady on urban trout. According to GoneFishingNW, lakes like Beaver Lake in Sammamish get jumbo broodstock plants in late fall, and those big rainbows bite all winter on small spoons, dough baits, and 1/16‑ounce marabou jigs under a float.
Overall, fish activity is modest but worth the effort: a few legal blackmouth per serious crew, good numbers of shakers, and plenty of flounder to keep the rods moving. Pick your tides, fish tight to bottom, and don’t be afraid to grind through slow patches—these winter Chinook are homebodies, and when they do go, they go fast.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more local fishing intel.
This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI