Near TUNA Time

[GregE]

Finally good numbers out of Westport WA and the weather is getting back to fair this Sunday, Monday.  I'm finishing some projects and need to get the bait tank installed then have go to crew Mike and HemiGTX on tap.

Anybody else got TUNA plans?  Let's talk  ...   
G

[Threeweight]

Was hoping to fish tuna down here either tomorrow or Saturday, but the giant AM ebb tide makes our northern ports dicey, and the south wind is no bueno for Newport.  Gonna focus on knocking out a couple of projects.

I have a new bait tank for Wild Card that is supposed to be delivered by Fed Ex today.  Once I get it installed, twist my arm and I might drag the tin can North and buddy boat with you Westport guys   Or try and meet up on the water (the Ilwaco and Westport guys often end up fishing the same spots.)

[croaker stroker]

More Bluefin and Yellowfin tuna within range right now than I have seen in my lifetime.

Go get 'em boys and girls !

[Keel-er]

More Bluefin and Yellowfin tuna within range right now than I have seen in my lifetime.

Go get 'em boys and girls !

Hey Mark.  Are you going to get after them yourself? 

[headduck]

Yall see the bit about fly fishing for tuna?

Talk about a ride.

Captain Nick Clayton the evangelist.

[croaker stroker]

More Bluefin and Yellowfin tuna within range right now than I have seen in my lifetime.

Go get 'em boys and girls !

Hey Mark.  Are you going to get after them yourself?

I might go out 20 miles, but 50-60 miles are a little beyond the range of my old body. I was planning to go out on Monday, but my Ho had a bad reaction to his second booster.

They are catching them in the Catalina Channel for the past week. Reports of catches as close as 7-10 miles out from Newport Harbor.

Danno was going out to SCI today. I am anxious to see how he did.

[ohmytodd]

Heading out for TUNA! Saturday from Garibaldi for my first time on a friend's Arima SC19. I'm very much looking forward to making a mess and learning the ropes - I've been watching youtube videos for what feels like 2 years to take in what I can.

If all goes well I plan to make a run myself this year as weather permits. The boat is finally ready and so am I.

[croaker stroker]

What I have found to work through the years is to chum. Not necessarily live bait, but pieces of bait. Once an area is found by trolling, start chumming. Watch the line you are drifting, go back and drift the same line chumming again with another layer. As the first layer gets deep enough, hopefully a concentration of fish will follow the chum-line to the surface. Once the fish start to bite...don't stop chumming or the fish will loose interest.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChJV80fAkef23matf1Hc-EuopGWSSsTzkZqpF80/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

[Keel-er]

Heading out for TUNA! Saturday from Garibaldi for my first time on a friend's Arima SC19. I'm very much looking forward to making a mess and learning the ropes - I've been watching youtube videos for what feels like 2 years to take in what I can.
If all goes well I plan to make a run myself this year as weather permits. The boat is finally ready and so am I.

Todd,
I was halibut fishing at 430' last week out of G and water was 62 degrees and beautiful blue.  I'm interested to hear how you do and how you get 'em.

[Kimbrey]

Weather wise out of Westport.  Saturday looks ok, maybe some bounce in the morning.  Sunday looks better.  I think but I'm not 100% sure the 6-pak charters are fishing SW 40-ish miles or so. Chloro looks very interesting as there is a hard color edge around 46 39 / 125 25...temp is a bit over 63.5-ish degrees in that area.  That's 55 miles from buoy 8.

I think the 6-paks are in the area of 46 30 / 125 00---up/down/in/out from there....I'm guessing a bit but it looked like Coleman was running SW this morning from a FB post so that area makes sense.  Water looks somewhat cloudy but the temps 64-ish.

I think Columbia Corners area has been consistently producing.  Water looks somewhat cloudy also.  Temps are pushing 65 degrees right at the corner.  Looks like an almost temp edge in that area....break out the Speedo's

I was going tuna tomorrow but my guys bugged out.  I guess they're working overtime on a FOIA request for the industry I retired out of.  They're supposedly suing NMFS...about time.  So I guess it's back to salmon for me....dang.  Out yesterday.  First thing in the morning silvers were a pain.  Had a tough time clipping the down-rigger release without getting whacked by a sliver on the surface.  They are getting bigger.  For some reason where I was fishing the silvers quit biting.  In short order after the silver quit biting had 4 kings to the boat, released 3, barbless single hook works well, kept a 19 pounder.  260-ish on the down-rigger length but I think they're through the water column.  Lost my Army Truck #6 spoon to a shark...dang.  I have other Army Trucks but not that size.  Switched to a #6 spoon with a blue strip down one edge with a few greenish spots in the body.  It worked so now it's my favorite spoon.

[Kimbrey]

Just took another look at the weather Monday and Tuesday look ok also.  Maybe a somewhat stiff NW for the ride in Tuesday.  The following days after that looks to be NW sporty.  Of course thing change quickly.

[Humboldtfisher]

Me and a buddy snuck a tuna trip in today on my Sea Chaser, before the winds are forecasted to blow. Ran 30 miles southwest out of Trinidad on a flat ocean, it was foggy and overcast. Trolled for 3.5 hours without a scratch and at 11AM, when the midday doldrums usually set in, the fish decided to bite. We had two singles on 26- and 28-pound fish, followed about 20 minutes later by a quad hook-up, in which we landed 3, all high teens. Then a quick double, both fish over 20 pounds. We then had to run back to Trinidad to catch the final water taxi by 2:30PM. A few friends on boats out of Eureka stayed in the same location a bit longer and had scores of 14 to 20 fish. Another big swordfish was spotted cruising the surface in the middle of the action.

Ross

[Kimbrey]

Latest intel has them further South than what I was thinking.  That's what I get for thinking

[Humboldt81]

Nice job Ross. That full moon always tempers my morning expectations. Too bad you couldn't hang a bit more...bite was going to get better. I do a 2 day out of Westport (except this year) on the MS Magoo and if a full moon our morning bite that 2nd day is poor before we start heading in around 10AM. On the full 1st day the bite starts mid afternoon and lasts into dark. We do pick up a couple AM fish both days but that full moon calls the shots.

[Kimbrey]

Nice job Ross. That full moon always tempers my morning expectations. Too bad you couldn't hang a bit more...bite was going to get better. I do a 2 day out of Westport (except this year) on the MS Magoo and if a full moon our morning bite that 2nd day is poor before we start heading in around 10AM. On the full 1st day the bite starts mid afternoon and lasts into dark. We do pick up a couple AM fish both days but that full moon calls the shots.

Ran into Dave at the Westport Englunds this morning.  I already knew this but he couldn't sit still so is going as alternate Captain on the Fury with Mike.  They were in yesterday afternoon from a trip.  Dave said they had a 35 fish bait stop in the morning plugging the boat with over 150 fish.  That boat has had 200 in the past so the fish size must of been decent.  Kind of funny Dave whipped out his phone showing me a picture of a 30' or so boat he just purchased.  Twin diesel, 10.5 wide.  Kind of a project boat as the only steering/engine control is on the fly bridge so he wants to change that a bit or add a second station.  Guy isn't sitting still since selling the MS Magoo.

[Humboldt81]

Had some good days out there with Dave on the Magoo. Heard a couple years ago he put the business on the market...did not realize he had sold though. That guy got right into the mix on all bait stops hooking up with the rest of us. Good people he and Marianne. Had a couple trips where we plugged the boat with 220+ fish on the first day...one time before noon. Alot of fish for 10 guys to split evenly and take home Those deck hands can loin out a tuna in a couple minutes. Great times.

[Humboldt81]

I know Dave is highly regarded around Westport, once hearing someone referring to him in a positive sense as the Godfather of Westport. Kevin on The Goldrush once told me how Dave helped him repower his boat. Quite the marine mechanic (or just mechanic) I understand.

[Rck18]

Greg I'll hide somewhere until it's time to start roping! Westport tomorrow and Wednesday, can't reach the tuna grounds.

[Kimbrey]

Out today...Sunday.  Beautiful day.  We left early, probably the first boat getting bait so it was dark and foggy.  Basically ran very slow until the fog cleared around buoy 4.  We could run cruise since the water was so flat.  A good sunburn type of day.  Fish around but a bit slow for us as we had trouble converting to bait with the three of us.  Some of the 6 pak charters filled fairly quick.  Fish were biting in the late afternoon fairly hard.  For some reason we lost a lot with them coming unbuttoned.  Anyway we ended up with 19 fish for the day.  Probably lost that many.  Good day to be on the water....I'm tired.

I'd say my biggest mistake for the day was only taking one scoop of bait.  Needed more to chum with to try to get a stop going.

[Labrecque44]

Tuna time Down here in Socal! 7 Bluefin in the last three weeks with 5 being over 100.  2018 Sea Chaser 19

[GregE]

I dn't have freezer space for one let alone 5.  But nice picture!!

WAtch out for that gaff.  A little piece of hose provides protection.

[GregE]

Tuna reports out of Westport are STRONG!!   

Getting Kodak set up with Tuna gear, bait tank, large kill bags, lots of clones, cedar plugs, swim baits, jigs, gaffs, 165 qt cooler for ice.

Primary TUNA Crew is on standby for early next week.

I've talked with several AO members about doing a tuna run with me.  Probably more are interested than I'll be able to accomodate but  last minute changes occur....  Getting weather, fish, crew all available on the same day is always a challenge with postponements often when one part doesn't fit.

... think you can handle a 35 mph screamer grabbing your 'chovie ??   

[that_guy_ryry]

Yall see the bit about fly fishing for tuna?

Talk about a ride.

Captain Nick Clayton the evangelist.

I've been fishing with Nick for a couple years now for salmon and cutthroat. I went with Nick fly fishing last year and we had a slow day, but he really knows his stuff. I've got another trip with him scheduled in two weeks weather pending of course!

I'll post a report.

[that_guy_ryry]

Tuna reports out of Westport are STRONG!!   

Getting Kodak set up with Tuna gear, bait tank, large kill bags, lots of clones, cedar plugs, swim baits, jigs, gaffs, 165 qt cooler for ice.

Primary TUNA Crew is on standby for early next week.

I've talked with several AO members about doing a tuna run with me.  Probably more are interested than I'll be able to accomodate but  last minute changes occur....  Getting weather, fish, crew all available on the same day is always a challenge with postponements often when one part doesn't fit.

... think you can handle a 35 mph screamer grabbing your 'chovie ??   

If you do need anybody else to join, I would make something work short notice. ;)

[headduck]

I'd like a trip out as well... havent the skill set for Nick's ride yet, but perhaps next year.  Our maybe a buddy boat option so I can flail on my own...

Interested in your report.