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I rented a VRBO in Westport, Washington for the weekend, hoping to catch some new saltwater species — surfperch, greenling, rockfish, and lingcod. There are three main places to target these fish from shore: the beach, the jetty, and the fishing pier.

I was joined by my son‑in‑law Luke, my daughter Meredith, and my grandchild for the weekend. Luke enjoys fishing, but as a Midwesterner I have zero saltwater experience, and he has only a little. On the drive to Westport we stopped at Bass Pro Shops to pick up rods, reels, and tackle suitable for saltwater. We learned about hi‑lo (drop) rigs, pyramid sinkers, and the basic gear we’d need to get started.

The weather was fairly nice — around 55–65°F, partly sunny, with a mild to moderate breeze. The fishing itself, though, was frustrating. Walking the riprap on the jetty was tiring and a bit risky for me at 67, especially since my balance isn’t what it used to be. Both Luke and I had zero bites and lost plenty of tackle to the rocks.

Later in the day I bought waders so I could walk into the surf and try for surfperch, but that didn’t produce anything either. Still, despite the lack of success, we enjoyed being outdoors, soaking up the sunshine, and learning the basics of shore‑based saltwater fishing. Hopefully the knowledge we picked up will pay off next time.

We still have tomorrow to fish, and we’re planning to try the Westport fishing pier in hopes of better luck.