Westport Ocean Charter Bottomfishing
Season: March 15th to October 15th
Limits: 10 Rockfish, 2 Ling Cod
Checking In: Be on the boat for check in 15-40 minutes prior to departure.
Prices: Prices include bait gear, and tax.

Description: The charter bottom fishing trip is all about the catching. The trip departs the boat basin in Westport, Washington, leaves Grays Harbor, and heads up the coast for seven to twenty miles. During the boat ride you might see all sorts of marine life. In the fishing area there are several rocky areas on the ocean floor that are the home for many Rockfish and Ling Cod. As the boat approaches the fishing area, the captain will slow down and drive around to look for fish on his fish finder. Sometimes there is a pile of fish on the first stop, and sometimes you just have to keep on looking. We typically try to catch the Rockfish first, then spend the rest of the trip trying to catch Ling Cod.

Once the captain finds a place to fish, he will decide based on the conditions whether to anchor over the school or drift through the school. Sometimes he might make a test drift to check the current before fishing. Be patient. The anchoring process can take some time, but it is worth the wait. When targeting rockfish, you will be using live anchovies for bait (when available). Calling this trip "Bottomfishing" isn't the most accurate term. You could call it a Rockfish (or Rock Cod) and Ling Cod fishing trip. Some people (not us) refer to it as deep sea fishing. The captain will tell you how deep to go. Sometimes it is as shallow as 20 feet, and sometimes it is as deep as 150 feet. If you are on a school of Rockfish that are hungry, the action can get fast and furious. With a limit of 10 fish, and an extremely high success rate for limiting on Rockfish, this trip has become the most popular trip among those who have tried it.

Most of the time, you will get your limit of Rockfish and have time to try to catch Ling Cod. All of our charter boats will fish for Ling Cod in addition to catching the Rockfish. Some of the other charter operations just catch the Rockfish and go home, but we want to give you the chance if conditions and time permit to catch Ling Cod. Rockfish look like a Bass (we call them Sea Bass) and range from two to five pounds. The Ling Cod we catch range from four to forty pounds. The crew will help you with the appropriate technique for each kind of fishing. The crew will fillet the fish for a small fee of $6 per Rockfish limit and $2 per Ling Cod. Tips are also greatly appreciated.

Difficulty Rating: Rockfish - Very Easy
Difficulty Rating: Ling Cod - Low/Medium Difficulty (depends on conditions)