Fished the opener and the day after at Ilwaco. Fishing was slower than usual, but we expected it since we normally make this trip later in the year. We used to do this fishery and many others in my dads 26 Striper and we would just cross the bar and limit out shortly, but now we're stuck fishing in a little Sea Ray which can be very hectic with four lines in the water... one day we'll have the right set up again! We did some research and tried some methods that seem to be pretty popular out there, but after just a few hours we went back to what we have always caught fish on. An EZ Diver and cut plug herring. From what we saw it looked like we pulled in more fish than the boats around us, but who knows. Managed 13 keepers between four of us in two days with a few natives released. Also lost several fish to tangles. Four lines in the water, only two people who have ever salmon fished on the boat, lack of space... it was bound to happen! But our two guests had a great time and so did I! The fish were smaller than usual but I'm assuming it's because of how early it is. Their eggs were also very immature.
Also, my dad has been desperately searching for EZ Divers so he can restock. We were able to find to find a few at a shop in Ilwaco, but not in the colors he likes. We'd greatly appreciate it if anybody could point us to where they are sold at!
Heres a short video of from the trip!
https://youtu.be/S3Ozn2kQifw
