Homer Beach Questions

[snowcrab24]

Hi, I found some info last summer when I was going down to Homer and now have a few more questions if anyone can help. I always go to Homer for Mothers Day Weekend with the family (wife, 3 kids under 7) and I know the best place to fish is by the piers at Lands End. What kind of setup do you use to catch fish there? I saw flounder and cod being caught, can you catch anything else there? Also Im staying at the Lands End and was wondering if you could fish/catch anything farther down the beach (about 1/4-1/2 mile down). Any info at all will be appreciated! Thanks. Also, any chance on catching any sea run dollies that time of year? May 6-8

[sodabiscuit12345]

Hi, I found some info last summer when I was going down to Homer and now have a few more questions if anyone can help. I always go to Homer for Mothers Day Weekend with the family (wife, 3 kids under 7) and I know the best place to fish is by the piers at Lands End. What kind of setup do you use to catch fish there? I saw flounder and cod being caught, can you catch anything else there? Also Im staying at the Lands End and was wondering if you could fish/catch anything farther down the beach (about 1/4-1/2 mile down). Any info at all will be appreciated! Thanks. Also, any chance on catching any sea run dollies that time of year? May 6-8

Hi,

Ive fished that area about a dozen times. The earliest I fished there was around May 20th but there were already tons of fish.

There are usually a ton of people there catching flounder, cod, pollock or that ugly fish that I forget the name.
Whatever set up you usually use for bait will work. I think I was using 1oz or 2oz and was holding bottom just fine.
If you have a longer rod to cast out further, you can usually get into more cod/pollock vs founder.

Ive also fished further down the beach for halibut with no success. I met a guy down there 'halibuthunter' from another forum, who says he's caught a few halibut in the 30lb range. the guy was casting at least 100 yrds with a 12 foot ocean master rod. When he would cast he looked like a professional distance caster. Ive also thrown spoons with fly-teasers further down the beach and would always come up with cod. Every 3-4 casts I would get one but they were a lot smaller than where the piers are.

Hope you have a good time!
good luck

[Kardinal_84]

The earliest I have done that was late April but there were always fish. If you want to catch pollock and cod, don't even bother with bait. Just cast anything that looks like a fish. Spoons and jigs work great. Cast out. Let it drop. 80 % of hits come on the drop.

For the flounder, bait works better. Use a small corky by the hook to float the bait a little. Tons of kelp and junk on the bottom. The only problem is when the fish are thick, you can't get it to the bottom. I use herring but anything will work.

Mid may you can catch dollies too. Small baitfish sandlance imitations work great.

[snowcrab24]

Thanks for the info..... Should i work the tide coming in or does it not really matter???

[Kardinal_84]

Thanks for the info..... Should i work the tide coming in or does it not really matter???

No real difference. Incoming tide seems better, but it's easier to cast off to the deeper ledge and the fish waste outfall where all the fish congregate at low tide. In mid May, the difference for us has always been catch 10 fish in 10 cast during the best times, or 8 fish in 10 casts on the slow periods.

In fact, I would recommend that you take a few lures that seem ridiculously larger than what you normal might consider tossing. A lot of times I have gone down there, you just get tired of smaller and mid size fish every cast. Step up in size and the number of hooked fish goes way down (a good thing) and the fish you hook are larger.

[kgpcr]

Last summer we stopped there on our way out for some pollack for bait. I hit a 20lb butt just off the end of the pier. Pollack as fast as you could reel them in

[snowcrab24]

thanks! Am going to bring a lot of different stuff and just try it all. The kids just want to catch something. They dont care how big or what it really is.

[cod]

Dollies start in April there. Early April with nice spring, late april if lousy. Best spot for dollies is right in front of the harbor entrance.Nice steep gravel beach that the dollies schools like to chase the sand lance against, then attack. (fun to watch) Castmasters, Crockadiles, swedish pimples best but anything shiny can work. I've had great days with my flyrod throwing streamers from shore there. One hr b4 high tide thru slack, and my fave....first hr and a half of tide going out from high. Although any time can wk. Watch the water for 15 min from the lot above to see if u see dollies attacking. Although u can often catch when no action is present. By mid May, dollies WILL be there thru about mid-late June, Maybe first part of July. Then they head for the rivers. If u have kids that like to catch fish.... stop at Safeway, grab a small pack of pork chops. (U'll probly only need one) Cut to small nickle size pieces and use plain hook with enough sinker to keep on bottom and cast out near steel pilings by Lands End. U'll see the birds gathered there at the outflow. Lots of flounder (gd eating) some cod, usually a little farther out, Irish lords and maybe a butt. Pork stays on the hook real well and one piece is often good for 6-7 fish. Not uncommon to get 20 flounder in hr and half. Fish here at lowest part of tide so u can get bait out. Kids have a blast! Good luck and have fun!!

[snowcrab24]

thanks for the insider info cod! I would love to catch some early dollies down there. Appreciate the pork chop for bait info also! Thanks alot.