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Point No Point / Pilot Point
 Chart courtesy of Captn. Jack's www.capjack.com Click on chart for bigger view
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Point No Point/Pilot Point
When fishing the Point No Point/Pilot Point area, tidal flow is the driver.
Point No Point is always fished on the outgoing tide. Pilot Point produces the vast majority of the salmon catch on the incoming tide.
The tidal flows and currents are very strong in this area. Bait (herring and candlefish) will be pushed to the down side of Point No Point, and the salmon move with them.
Point No Point offers an excellent opportunity for beach anglers fishing buzz bombs or weighted spoons to catch Chinook, Coho and Chums. Shore anglers should fish the west side of the Point on the outgoing tide and move to the east side on the incoming tide.
The salmon fisherman blessed or cursed with a boat should fish the following areas:
AREA 1: Troll with downriggers with the tide in 100 to 150 foot depths. Herring will often suspend in this area, so watch your depth sounder and adjust your lures to just under bait balls. If bait is suspended, 85 to 125 feet deep is usually a good depth for Chinook. If bait is on the bottom, go to the bottom. Sand Lance/Candlefish are usually on the bottom.
Moochers and jiggers should start at the south side of the rips forming at Point No Point and allow the tide to push you south, trying to stay in 60 to 120 foot depths.
Blackmouth (immature Chinook) are here almost year around, with adult Chinook beginning to show in June and peaking in July/August. Whether you can fish here then, depends on Fish & Wildlife wacky regulations. Ocean Coho start arriving in good numbers about September 15th and fishing remains good into October. Keep your downriggers in the top 60 feet for good Coho fishing.
Chum arrives in October and November and often in vast schools. Fishing the top 60 feet of water for Chum with a Green Hot Spot Glo Flasher and Silver Horde Green Squid or flasher and herring (dyed green) at a slow troll can be very productive.
AREA 2: This area is recognized as a drift mooching or jigging area only! Start your drift for Chinook in about 60 feet of water and let the tide push your boat east to west. When you reach about 150 feet of water depth or cant stay on bottom, kick back in. Many anglers are in too deep of water to effectively fish. Its a long productive drift, but the tide can be very strong and swift moving. Try putting your motor in reverse to slow your drift.
AREA 3: This is an area that can be trolled with downriggers as long as you give the moochers some space. Follow the 120-ft. to 150-ft. shelf from east to west. Most of your Chinook will be in the bottom 20 feet of the water column. The drop-off will parallel the beach for several hundred yards and then dip in closer to shore.
AREA 4: At Foulweather Bluff you will start your troll in the same direction the tide is flowing. This area can be fished on either tide. This bottom is very rocky, so dont drag your downrigger weights.
The Foulweather Bluff area can be an excellent spot for shrimping. A good spot to start at is N. 47 degrees 56. By W. 122 degrees 36.
Suggested lures for Point No Point/Pilot Point
Chinook November through April
Coho Killers in Glo colors
#3 Kingfisher Spoons
Needlefish Squid
3 Apex fished by itself
All of the above except the Apex behind a Hot Spot Flasher
Chinook May through September
Silver Horde Sonic Edge Spoons
#35 Silver Horde Squid Green Glow behind a Hot Spot Flasher
Coho September through October
Sonic Edge Spoons
Coho Killer Cop car color
Silver Horde Green #35 Squid
Apex – Police Car or Greens
Tom Nelson