RockPile Report 6/10

Fishmstr · 06-09-2006, 01:49 PM

Fished with Scott today aboard his sweet yellow! 26' stiper. Awesome boat with every safety gadget available.
Headed out @ 5:30. Made it to the South end of the pile about 45 minutes later. It was pretty snotty out, with a steady 10-12 knot wind making the waves short and sweet. We did two very long drift around Harrison's Ridge for not even a sniff (well, maybe a few rockfish pecks). Decided to head North for nobody was getting anything around Harrison's.
My buddy Doug (Red Floater) had given me some numbers for Rod's Butt Hole where he caught some 40" fish last weekend. We motored up, I threaded on a new herring and slide the 6" glow-n-the-dark hoochie down and sent it on its way. The drift was pretty good, but Scott had the kicker on and backing in to it made the drift easy with 32 ounces. My weight hits the bottom, I reel up two cranks and bump...bump. "Is that a hit already, couldn't be we just got here." I reeled up a little thinking it was the bottom and I did not want to get snagged on some rocks...well, I guess the fleeing glow-n-dark-hoochie-herring was more than the halibut could handle,for it stormed up off the bottom, grabbed my herring and swam back towards its safe place...nearly dragging me with it. I was totally pinned to the rail as the fish glided along the bottom. Scott was trying to figure out what the hell I was doing, but, after a little coaching, he faith in me was restored and I began working the fish up to the boat.
After about a 5 minute tug of war...with me realizing that my forearms are totally out of shape after a winter of surfing and catching salmon and dinky California halibut...I finally have the fish up to color. It is a nice flattie and, after a pass or two, Scott sinks the gaff into the head and slides it over the rail. A fat 42" barndoor with both circle hooks firmly embedded in the corner of the jaw. Scott and I exchange dhgh fives and I give him a big thanks for taking me out. We bleed the fish, slide it into the hold and wash the blood off.
Scott motors us up to the same spot and we drop down. Not five minutes into the drift Scott is getting bit. He's got a fish on, but it isn't pulling that good. We think it is a chicken as he slowly pumps the fish up to the top. Soon the fish gets heavy and finally it goes on a big run pulling out 20-30 yards of line. Now the fish is really putting up a tussle, with the bobbing of the rod indicatingthe huge head shakes underneath the water. He eventually gets the fish up to the boat and I swing once, twice, and three times with the gaff, with one of them bouncing off of its heads. The point of the gaff is bent over and when Scott bounces another one off the head, we decide that we should try to slide it into the net..but will it fit. We see that the hook is hanging precariously in the corner of the fishes mouth and we figure it can't handle another run. After another few tries we finally manage to get the fish in the net and pull it over the rail...although Scott needed a little help with this monster. It was 51" and very deep...probably 60-65 pounds! We have to squeeze it into the fish hold!!!
We are done fishing for the day and call out to the Salty Dogs our location. We get a few responses and a couple boats come in to our spot. Hopefully that had as easy of pickings as we did.
I did hear that someone (retaliate?) got a 59" fish off the North end of the Pile...but that is about all that we heard when we left at 10:30 a.m.
Anyhow, I'm making heart attack halibut for my friends tonight. Thanks Scott for the ride today and an awesome day of fishing. Thanks BajaDan and Netscape for your offers. Dan I hope your boat is ok. I'll be up in Astoria tomorrow for the rest of the week. We'll be hunting razors and sturgeon for at least a few days.

Hanapa'a Time · 06-09-2006, 01:54 PM

Great report

That prolly was Ken(retaliate)

Fishmstr · 06-09-2006, 01:56 PM

by the way...the ocean was starting to lay down by the time we left at 10:30. No white caps until we got close to shore...tomorrow should be nice.

puffins crew · 06-09-2006, 02:09 PM

WTG!!

Great report. Glad you got out and got back with some "White gold".

Peace, Tom

Threemuch · 06-09-2006, 02:38 PM

Sounds like every gadget you would ever want...

EXCEPT A HARPOON!

Gotta get one of those for the BFB. Very hand for landing fish over about 45"

Mark Mc · 06-09-2006, 02:42 PM

You poon freaks are funny

. Just get the RIGHT gaff.

Triple C · 06-09-2006, 03:12 PM

I have a poon on the boat, but never caught anything big
enough to use it on. Can some one PM me the numbers for Rod's Butt Hole. I think I have them programmed on the GPS
but didn't label them. Just want to make sure. Thanks

lor · 06-09-2006, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Can some one PM me the numbers for Rod's Butt Hole. I think I have them programmed on the GPS
but didn't label them. Just want to make sure. Thanks

If possible, can someone PM me as well.

bighugetrout · 06-09-2006, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Can some one PM me the numbers for Rod's Butt Hole.

Tacklebuster · 06-09-2006, 04:28 PM

That was disturbing

Stoyjun Princess · 06-09-2006, 05:05 PM

0

Beefcake · 06-09-2006, 05:27 PM

6/10? Tomorrow's report today? I need a crystal ball, too!

Threemuch · 06-09-2006, 05:34 PM

The right gaff. Sure. I don't know about other guys, but for me, harpooning a fish is FUN. And a well placed harpoon doesn't come out, and let's you subdue the fish out of the water. I'll take a harpoon over a flying gaff any day.

Popeye · 06-09-2006, 06:40 PM

Kurt....Speaking of poons, do you have anymore of your "patented" points??? I lost mine on Julie's 140 lb'er. :tongue:

Spoonplugger · 06-09-2006, 08:40 PM

No need to tag your fish today, 6/10/06! Great job!

Bigger Boat · 06-09-2006, 08:48 PM

And put a new line on your poon every year!
Don't ask me how I know,just do it. When they get that big you hate to loose the fish and the poon point.

Sublime · 06-09-2006, 09:05 PM

6/10?

:grin:I like the ESP...It's like a "Forcasted Trip"

SeaSparrow · 06-09-2006, 09:29 PM

:grin:

retaliate · 06-10-2006, 06:36 AM

Great story

, almost joined ya down there, were there many boat's at the Corrirod spot? We stuck it out on the north end, got 2 nice one's, We were the only boat up there, & hobbled in with a broken steering cable.

Fishmstr · 06-10-2006, 01:36 PM

No other boats on that spot when we got there, but 2 or 3 showed up by the time we left. I'm curious if they caught fish. Anybody hear how Bluefin did?
I've got some friends fishing it today...we'll see if it produced again.
Nice work on the North End. It sure is cool to find your own fish and not fish withh the fleet. Great Job!
My watch said 6/10 yesterday...I've been on vacation for 3 weeks...I barely even know what day it is

Hope you guys wacked them today.
Hitting the razors in the morning and sturgeon in the afternoon out of Astoria.
best fishes,
steve

Bstnwaler · 06-10-2006, 02:49 PM

For what it's worth from a "southerner"..Kurt's poons are not only deadly they are FUN...last trip nobody would let me "do the honors" but on our trip up there in August they'll have to pry the shaft from my cold dead hands...wonder how they would work on a tuna..Kurt's seen my tuna gaffing technique and ANYTHING would be better than that..but then that's what we have deck hands for...

Super Fluke · 06-10-2006, 06:36 PM

Thanks for the report

flapbreaker · 06-10-2006, 08:12 PM

Where do you get "kurts" harpoons from?

Ride Red · 06-10-2006, 08:21 PM

From Kurt, when he has them.

retaliate · 06-10-2006, 08:46 PM

I really should get my harpoon fixed, I need bigger cable for the tip. Somehow we managed to Gaff all the big Halibut since my Harpoon broke last year.