Gig Harbor Gathering
- Thread starter DaveS
- Start date
Hi All,
To start with, Ray there is always a chance to catch salmon by Tacoma. Only thing is :roll: "You have to be out there to do it". :wink: I have been hearing of some fish being caught around the ferry dock and across by Vashon Island. One of my fishing sources told me he was trolling 5 oz lead with fish flash and cut plug herring out 50 pulls in about 90 feet of water just north of the ferry dock and connected with a nice blackmouth in between the storms last week. He has a :crook 21 foot Aluma craft and said it was a little rough in the morning but calmed down around 10 and then was when he caught it. He saw three other boats with downriggers catch fish out in about 130 to 140 feet but they did not tell him how deep they were letting out the weight. Last thing he told me was :thup " Guess I need to buy a new toy for the boat".
8 High 6:15 AM 12.9 7:44 AM Set 7:49 AM 99
8 Low 11:11 AM 7.7 4:20 PM Rise 4:05 PM
8 High 3:50 PM 11.4
8 Low 11:06 PM -1.1
Tide at Narrows bridge for monday. About 40 minutes later for Tuesday.
To start with, Ray there is always a chance to catch salmon by Tacoma. Only thing is :roll: "You have to be out there to do it". :wink: I have been hearing of some fish being caught around the ferry dock and across by Vashon Island. One of my fishing sources told me he was trolling 5 oz lead with fish flash and cut plug herring out 50 pulls in about 90 feet of water just north of the ferry dock and connected with a nice blackmouth in between the storms last week. He has a :crook 21 foot Aluma craft and said it was a little rough in the morning but calmed down around 10 and then was when he caught it. He saw three other boats with downriggers catch fish out in about 130 to 140 feet but they did not tell him how deep they were letting out the weight. Last thing he told me was :thup " Guess I need to buy a new toy for the boat".
8 High 6:15 AM 12.9 7:44 AM Set 7:49 AM 99
8 Low 11:11 AM 7.7 4:20 PM Rise 4:05 PM
8 High 3:50 PM 11.4
8 Low 11:06 PM -1.1
Tide at Narrows bridge for monday. About 40 minutes later for Tuesday.
True Story
New member
I'm just kind of waiting to see when you all are going to go fishing. Weather this time of year is definitly a hit and miss affair so I understand why the date(s) have not been established. However, if the starting place is Gig Harbor and we're going to fish the Point Defiance area, moderate winds shouldn't slow us down.
Without the benefit of NOAA, my vote is for the 7th. I'm probably just a one-day kind of guy at this point in time, and I definitely have room for Colvosview-David-S. should he be brave enough to experience the "True Story". Now, I can't say for sure if I know any more about fishing than David, but I'd like to think I got a pretty good grasp of the whole blackmouth fishing concept thingy. I just need directions to the Gig Harbor launch and which end of the herring to stick the hooks in.
Standing by. Tim
Without the benefit of NOAA, my vote is for the 7th. I'm probably just a one-day kind of guy at this point in time, and I definitely have room for Colvosview-David-S. should he be brave enough to experience the "True Story". Now, I can't say for sure if I know any more about fishing than David, but I'd like to think I got a pretty good grasp of the whole blackmouth fishing concept thingy. I just need directions to the Gig Harbor launch and which end of the herring to stick the hooks in.
Standing by. Tim
colvosview
New member
Thanks for the offer. I'm not generally available on Sunday mornings - I play a little sax in the worship band at Harbor Covenant Church - but I'm set to take some time off on Monday or Tuesday, whatever weather allows, whoever has the most room. Or Sunday afternoon. Is the winter blackmouth bite generally best at dawn, or does it matter so much?
Anyway, you guys let me know when you plan to arrive, and I'll drop by the marina and say hello, and we can come up with a plan.
To get to the boat launch:
After you cross the Narrows bridge on Hwy 16, the Gig Harbor exits come up pretty quick. Take the 2nd Gig Harbor exit. It will say "city center", among other things. At the light, go straight. At the bottom of the hill, turn left onto Harborview. Light House Marine is at that intersection, on your right. (If you turn right at the light after you exit, you'll also wind up on Harborview, about two blocks from Arabella's Landing, but these directions are the most direct to the launch.)
Once you're on Harborview, it winds around following the curve of the harbor. Within a mile you come to an intersection where you can either stop at a stop sign and go straight, or turn right through a yield sign. (There's a little restaurant called Le Bistro on the left.) Take the right turn. This is the continuation of Harborview, becoming N Harborview. You'll see that you're at the end of the harbor, and you want to just keep following the shoreline.
In less than a mile, N Harborview tees into Vernhardsen. (The long low white building on the right is my office.) Turn right, going downhill. At the bottom of the hill you cross a creek which empties into the harbor. Take the first right after the creek. (Sorry I don't remember the street name.) That street turns into the boat launch. Should be pretty quiet this time of year.
Then to get back to the marina:
It's not that easy to spot from the land side, but retrace your way along N Harborview to Harborview, then instead of heading back up the hill at Light House Marine, continue on left, following the Harbor. Start watching for Suzanne's deli on the left, (if you get to the city park with the big flagpole, you're too far) and turn left on the street just beyond it - Dorotich. The gated entry immediately on the right is Arabella's lot, but you might need to park on Harborview until you negotiate the parking rights at the marina office, which is one of the buildings just to the left of the gate. Here's an idea: Leave your tow rig at the launch, and go situate the boat at the marina. (Head straight across the harbor from the launch, and then turn left when you reach the other side. Watch for the little hut office at the end of one of the docks.) Get yourself situated, find out the parking scene, and get Larry of Helen O to ferry you back over to the launch area to bring your rig around. They have signs at the launch area that you can't park overnight, but I don't know how strictly its enforced. Probably best not to gamble.
Anyway, you guys let me know when you plan to arrive, and I'll drop by the marina and say hello, and we can come up with a plan.
To get to the boat launch:
After you cross the Narrows bridge on Hwy 16, the Gig Harbor exits come up pretty quick. Take the 2nd Gig Harbor exit. It will say "city center", among other things. At the light, go straight. At the bottom of the hill, turn left onto Harborview. Light House Marine is at that intersection, on your right. (If you turn right at the light after you exit, you'll also wind up on Harborview, about two blocks from Arabella's Landing, but these directions are the most direct to the launch.)
Once you're on Harborview, it winds around following the curve of the harbor. Within a mile you come to an intersection where you can either stop at a stop sign and go straight, or turn right through a yield sign. (There's a little restaurant called Le Bistro on the left.) Take the right turn. This is the continuation of Harborview, becoming N Harborview. You'll see that you're at the end of the harbor, and you want to just keep following the shoreline.
In less than a mile, N Harborview tees into Vernhardsen. (The long low white building on the right is my office.) Turn right, going downhill. At the bottom of the hill you cross a creek which empties into the harbor. Take the first right after the creek. (Sorry I don't remember the street name.) That street turns into the boat launch. Should be pretty quiet this time of year.
Then to get back to the marina:
It's not that easy to spot from the land side, but retrace your way along N Harborview to Harborview, then instead of heading back up the hill at Light House Marine, continue on left, following the Harbor. Start watching for Suzanne's deli on the left, (if you get to the city park with the big flagpole, you're too far) and turn left on the street just beyond it - Dorotich. The gated entry immediately on the right is Arabella's lot, but you might need to park on Harborview until you negotiate the parking rights at the marina office, which is one of the buildings just to the left of the gate. Here's an idea: Leave your tow rig at the launch, and go situate the boat at the marina. (Head straight across the harbor from the launch, and then turn left when you reach the other side. Watch for the little hut office at the end of one of the docks.) Get yourself situated, find out the parking scene, and get Larry of Helen O to ferry you back over to the launch area to bring your rig around. They have signs at the launch area that you can't park overnight, but I don't know how strictly its enforced. Probably best not to gamble.
I dunno, Ken. I got the impression from talking to Lyle that he thought the rigs might be safer being parked at Gig Harbor than in the Tacoma area. Maybe David S or one of the other locals would know more about it. The closer my truck is to where I'm mooring the better I'll feel. (without being submerged).
I imagine the rigs would be a lot safer in Gig but I don't like the idea of the extra hassel of shuffling rigs. Me thinks there must be other options. Do you have that boat filled up with the cheap gas? The weather man shows some clearing on M & T...looking good 
.
I'd like to make it up there Sunday and catch some fish with T.S. Tim but I gots a few chores to get done
. I'd like to make it up there Sunday and catch some fish with T.S. Tim but I gots a few chores to get done
I'm thinkin about running up there on Saturday... laying around a bit and getting to know the lay of the land..... and maybe hooking up with True Story Tim on Sunday. I'm guessing he might have figured out which end of the herring to put the hook in by then. That's put him way ahead of me.
Got the boat gassed and ready to go. Built me a thick wooden box to put that 12 lb downrigger ball in. Don't want that thing bouncin and rolling around. I wonder if I dropped it on the floor of the boat if it would go all the way through like they do in the Yosemite Sam cartoons?
Got the boat gassed and ready to go. Built me a thick wooden box to put that 12 lb downrigger ball in. Don't want that thing bouncin and rolling around. I wonder if I dropped it on the floor of the boat if it would go all the way through like they do in the Yosemite Sam cartoons?
colvosview
New member
There is a launch at Pt. Defiance, next to the ferry landing, and there is a lot of parking. I have no clue about fees, or about the security issue. You might check with Pt Defiance boat house. There's a phone number in the link above that has the fishing reports.
David S
David S
Last time we put in at Point Defiance it was $7.00 for launch fee and we had to park about 1/2 mile away up on the hill. :evil: The people are nuts trying to get into the morage pushing ahead of everyoneand then parking so no one can get around them or even close ro the dock. :thdown It is NOT anyplace I would leave a rig overnight. Dark and off the beaten path in an area we hear about on TV almost every night. B~C you said something about launching at a marina near Johnson pt. It is not more than an hour away from Gig Harbour by boat with some of the nicest scenery around south sound. Going under the Narrows bridge is AWSOME. I take Scorpio through there a lot. Stay away from the marker off the end of Fox island. Looks out of place in the middle of the sound but it is there for a reason= SHALLOW ROCKY. Very good blackmouth fishing east side of Johnson pt. by the red house in 120 foot water outgoing tide flasher and green fly or spoon. Looking forward to seeing you Monday.
Hi C-Brats,
You might want to consider launching and parking at the DesMoines Marina, my home port. They have a sling launch, and a huge, well-lit parking lot striped for tow rigs and trailers. DesMoines to Gig Harbor is 50 to 70 minutes depending upon how windy it is and how fast you want to travel. I have never had any reservations about parking overnight. Dozens of condos overlook the marina and parking lot, and the light level is bright enough that you can read a newspaper at midnight!
Best Regards, Leo.
You might want to consider launching and parking at the DesMoines Marina, my home port. They have a sling launch, and a huge, well-lit parking lot striped for tow rigs and trailers. DesMoines to Gig Harbor is 50 to 70 minutes depending upon how windy it is and how fast you want to travel. I have never had any reservations about parking overnight. Dozens of condos overlook the marina and parking lot, and the light level is bright enough that you can read a newspaper at midnight!
Best Regards, Leo.
If I were going to the "Gig", I'd do the Des Moines sling launch as well. "Bambina" and "Sea Shift" both launched there for the Gig Gathering and had a delightful cruise together to Gig Harbor. (No vehicle problems either).
The only downside I can see of leaving a vehicle there would be that with so many C-Dory clients in the area, you might return to find numerous "love notes" stuck under your wiper blades from fellow C-Dory owners. (Much better than the alternative in the "Hill Top Neighborhood"). :smile
The only downside I can see of leaving a vehicle there would be that with so many C-Dory clients in the area, you might return to find numerous "love notes" stuck under your wiper blades from fellow C-Dory owners. (Much better than the alternative in the "Hill Top Neighborhood"). :smile