Ocean Bottom Fishing Neophyte (Don't know what to do)

new boat · 03-28-2001, 08:47 PM

Help!!! until now, I have never had a boat that I felt was capable of safely going out in the ocean. I now have 23 foot sled and lots of questions. Which are the best bars to cross as a beginner? Where to go for bottom fish. How to catch the bottom fish. What gear is best? Bait and technique? Assume the best time to cross the bars are at slack tide. Is this correct? Have VHF and GPS on the boat, do I need radar? What is the best source for weather, both before I go to the coast and then once there? My boat has a Hamilton 212 pump, is seaweed a worry as far as plugging up the intake? Had an older Hamilton three stage in a smaller sled that was prone to plugging with just about anything. Are the 212's better? As you can probably see by now, I need lots of help. Anything you can offer will be greatly appreciated!!! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

fishchaser · 03-28-2001, 08:53 PM

BE CAREFUL!! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

HOGTIDE · 03-28-2001, 08:54 PM

From what I've read on this board I think "PILAR" is your man with the answers for big saltwater info.

"JETSTUD" might have your pump in salt answers.
I'd e-mail those guys. They appear to know their stuff.

[ 03-28-2001: Message edited by: HOGTIDE ]

new boat · 03-28-2001, 09:00 PM

Thanks Hogtide, maybe they will answer online for all to see. Thanks again [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

RKB · 03-28-2001, 09:32 PM

The man to talk to is pilar.I crossed the bar last year for the first time with Capt pilar in the lead looked like a game of follow the leader with all the ifish boats that were following him.Your 212 will do ok on weeds I find that in the sound a weed rake would be a good idea also don't moor your boat in salt water the 212 does not like it and always give it a fresh water flush when done.

Good luck and good fishing. RON

blast and cast · 03-29-2001, 07:02 AM

In regards to which bar, they all can be dangerous. I have crossed the Tillamook bar hundreds of times, with boats ranging from 16 feet up to 30 foot. For bar conditions in Tillamook you can call the Coast Guard recording at 503.322.3234. It updates as the weather changes. Garabaldi marina may have some info on weather, they also carry maps that may help. 503.322.3312. Numerous areas to fish out of Tillamook. The dinner plate reef is located approx. 1 mile outside of the bar to the north. You can also run south, about 8 miles to 3 arch rock. Lots of options on rigging. Next time I make it to the Garabaldi Marina, I will pull our GPS Lat and Long coordinates regarding bottom fishing holes.

hound · 03-29-2001, 07:07 AM

hey proud..
the wife and i fish out of garabaldi about 30/40 times year..the bar there can get a little trickey some times..we try and plan to go out on a low slack, and make darn sure to be back before or right at high slack..don't get caught out there..if it starts getting rough .get your rear back in side...when your running out of tillamook bay stay in the center or on the right side close to the north jetty..when you get to the bar start heading south south west.now you want do this even if you want go to north.once you get out a little ways you can come back around and start going north. now on your vhf radio you should have a weather station on it.there pretty accurate.don't be afraid to call the coast guard for a bar report..now the fun stuff..i'm assuming you have a fish finder?going out of garabaldi to the first green can..it's about a 1/2 mile.due west.get there got due north for about 300 yards..stay in about 70 to 80' of water there's a killer spot there for bottom fishing..its really small.but you will no it once you find it.your fish finder will fill up with fish..now we use just straight old cheap herring for this. we seem to get bigger fish with just herring..crabbing we get between twin rocks and the north jetty.about 40' of water.hope this helps ya!!we will start fishing down there about mid may for springers.if your going to be around let me know and we can run together..its always nice to have some one to run with out there..
good luck and beeeeeeeeeeeeeeecarful...

Pilar · 03-29-2001, 08:16 AM

Thanks for the all the votes of confidence, my brothers and sisters. Proud TJ Driver, I'd be happy to share what I know. If you like I can E you my GPS library for Tillamook. The dinner plate reef is nice, but I always pass it up for 3 Arch Rocks and vicinity.

I'd have to say that Newport is the beginner's paradise. There is so much reef out of Newport you don't need a GPS. Also it is IMHO one of the easiest bars on the Oregon coast. Just cross the bar, go to the first buoy and head out 100 yds. the reef extends for miles to the south from there. Wak'm and Stak'm has local knowledge if he will share.

The whole deal with the bottom fish is to find biters. We have many waypoints and we run and gun until we find suicidal fish. If one spot is dead, another will be hot. They are pretty dumb and hit almost anything. When you find biters, save the waypoint and take some notes about depth, species and gear. You won't remember later. My favorite two rigs are as follows;

1) Ling or Cabezon, 6oz lead head jig with a white or bright green large worm with twin tails. Use this as the dropper weight for a Tillamook mooching rig. 3 foot for the dropper and a 3 foot leader with a whole herring. Spin does not matter. This is how I get one more time out of my used salmon mooching leaders. I have also nailed Halibut on this rig by accident.

2) Ling or rockfish, buy a Danielson 3 shrimpfly rig at GI Joes. Also get several packs of shrimpflies, white, pink or red and orange. Then you need some 50lb mono. Figure out the tricky knot they use for the shrimpfly dropper and make your own leaders. Make a bunch of them since you will be throwing gear at the water. This rig is used with a lead at the bottom end or a jig. If you use a jig break off the hook or take off one shrimp fly. Your hooks can't total more than 3 per rod. We bait the flies with herring chunks or sandshrimp. This rig gets 2 or more fish at once. When you get bit, set the hook and let the first fish swim around, his brothers will join him soon. If it pulls a little and then really pulls hard all of a sudden, yank and crank hard, you've got a Ling!!! Often times they will bite down on one of your rockfish and not even hooked they hang on all the way to the boat. Be ready to net any ling you see cause he might not even be hooked. They let go at the boat.

Most people don't use bait, I think it turns lurkers into biters. Once you find biters quit using bait, they will keep biting. We find them on the bottom or suspended. If your sonar shows a cloud of fish from the bottom to 1/2 way up, drop all the way down and crank up 10 turns. Work it up and down until you get bit. If not, drop down a few feet and repeat. You have to find the right depth. Working the bottom always works.

You know ....... Bottom fish........ Go Figure.

To find your own spots cruise around and look for structure on the bottom. Even a slight bump will hold some fish. Pinnacles are best and the fish bunch up around the peak. Use your GPS plotter to figure out the drift. Position your boat up drift from the structure and drift over it. The fish will usually bite as you fall off the structure into the deeper water. Halibut lurk on the flat surrounding the structure.

I could go on and on but the best thing is to join us the next time we go on a mission. You are welcome and we always have a blast. If you respect the Ocean you can do this again and again.

The bend is your friend.

[ 03-29-2001: Message edited by: Pilar ]

hound · 03-29-2001, 08:26 AM

hey pilar

we need to get together down there some time.
we have a litle tralier in a rv park at twins rocks....did you see the 90lb halibut that was taking out of my hole last year?

new boat · 03-29-2001, 10:44 AM

Thanks everyone, especially Pilar and Hogtide. Yes, Hogtide, I would love to meet up and run out with you. Let me know when you are going. I am pretty flexible on time off. Again thanks everyone!!! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

new boat · 03-29-2001, 09:30 PM

Oops, guess it was Pilar and Hound that offered to let me run with them. Any way, when ya'all start that bottom fishing stuff and wouldn't mind a beginner tagging along, let me know. Thanks!! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

HOGTIDE · 03-29-2001, 09:46 PM

Ya Dude...I wouldn't hit the big salty with me!!!! If we survived the bar, I wouldn't know where to fish til we hit the Russian Sub Base at Vladostovok!

See, I told ya Pilar 'Knows' !

Have Fun...and DON"T watch 'The Perfect Storm'

hound · 03-30-2001, 06:44 AM

morning proud

i'll be down there the weekend of may 12 & 13
so let me know if you'll be there..

and don't forget the dramamine [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Pilar · 03-30-2001, 07:46 AM

Hey Hogtide, been near that Russian subbase, but not in a fishing boat, it sucked.

Proud TJ Driver, 'Puffin' called me this morning trying to instigate a Saturday morning trip. Yeah, that's tommorrow. I looked at the weather and it looks pretty ugly. I'll post the link for you.
http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtb.../pz/pzz250.txt

More important is the tide. It's high before first light 4AM and running out all morning. This can be extremely hazardous!!!!!!!!!!! especially about 3 hours into the ebb or about 7am and is to be avoided at all costs. You could cross the bar at 5am or so and make it. The thing is you'd be committed to staying out there until 11am when it gets to low slack. Also it seems there is a storm coming in with wind and rain predicted sometime on Saturday. The bar is always at it's worst on the ebb tide anywhere you go.

So, unless the weather improves dramatically I'm going to pass. Maybe I'll work on my boat or do some maintainance on my fishing gear.

The lesson here is not to indulge in wishful thinking. If the weather sucks, stay home and organize your sock drawer or chase Ike.

The bend is your friend!

[ 03-30-2001: Message edited by: Pilar ]

new boat · 03-30-2001, 05:36 PM

Thanks Pilar and Hound!! Will stay around home this weekend!!! Probably will look for springers, even though I spent all day today doing the same. Saw three hooked all day, one was a native that was netted, lifted into the boat, held up by the gills and then released very very dead!!! What a shame. Hound, thanks for the offer in May, but that is a poor weekend for me. Let me know about another however.

Thanks again [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]