Bait O' Eggs
07-05-2001, 08:46 AM
Monday when out of Tillamook silver fishing we experienced the most amazing bait fish experience. We were coming back in with only Moms tag after we got a really late start getting her out there, since the boat had already limited earlier in the day and we were on a 2nd run out.
I see a flock of sea birds near the green can about 1/2 mile out from the bar. I head over to see what they were doing and the water was black with bait fish and the birds were feeding. There was at least 5 spots in the water as big as my boat that was just black with fish. The sea birds were diving and taking the fish from the bottom side, the Seagulls were eating from the surface. There had to have been 500 + birds in total. My first thought was we would have some salmon close by. We made several passes thru the area and picked up nothing. Looking back I should have put a herring on and looked for a Chinook. We were trolling hoochies for silvers. I heard the commercial guys were picking up chinook in close to shore.
The bait fish were so thick I dipped about 40 of them with a 5 gallon bucket as we went thru the school. I am not sure what they were. Their body was transparent and about 3 inches long. They were not herring, or anchovies. They might have been candlefish, but I dont know for sure.
It was cool to watch the feeding frenzy. When ever the bait fish would go down a few feet below water surface they would get pushed back up by the sea birds. I was amazed at how fast those sea birds can swim under the water. We would see them 3 or 4 feet below the water darting by the boat.
I am sure I missed a fishing opportunity of some sort, but it was cool to just watch.
I see a flock of sea birds near the green can about 1/2 mile out from the bar. I head over to see what they were doing and the water was black with bait fish and the birds were feeding. There was at least 5 spots in the water as big as my boat that was just black with fish. The sea birds were diving and taking the fish from the bottom side, the Seagulls were eating from the surface. There had to have been 500 + birds in total. My first thought was we would have some salmon close by. We made several passes thru the area and picked up nothing. Looking back I should have put a herring on and looked for a Chinook. We were trolling hoochies for silvers. I heard the commercial guys were picking up chinook in close to shore.
The bait fish were so thick I dipped about 40 of them with a 5 gallon bucket as we went thru the school. I am not sure what they were. Their body was transparent and about 3 inches long. They were not herring, or anchovies. They might have been candlefish, but I dont know for sure.
It was cool to watch the feeding frenzy. When ever the bait fish would go down a few feet below water surface they would get pushed back up by the sea birds. I was amazed at how fast those sea birds can swim under the water. We would see them 3 or 4 feet below the water darting by the boat.
I am sure I missed a fishing opportunity of some sort, but it was cool to just watch.