Halibut Run - 5/10

Phil Layer · 05-10-2002, 07:14 AM

Got an early call from Stoyjun Princess this morning. Newport was flat seas and they were preparing to make the run. Apparently, all boats there were on the way out.

I'm expecting a call when they get into them and will post accordingly.

FB - You can swim but you cannot hide!

Phil Layer · 05-10-2002, 12:36 PM

Still no word from the big blue. I did get a statically charged call early and could hear the words "Rockpile" but quickly lost the connection.

Cell phones don't reach too far into the ocean.

Phil Layer · 05-10-2002, 03:11 PM

Stoyjun Princess reports dead halibut all over South Beach Marina!

Those who made the run to the Chicken Ranch apparently scored well. Unfortunately, Stoyjun Princess did not make that run. They tried to sneak one out of the Rockpile. She reports two hookups with "large fish" that were lost and two nice lings but no halibut in the boat.

Her Barhopper is refueled and ready for the Ranch at first light. I will be on that boat tomorrow.

Hahahahahahahaha.

Mr. Fisherman · 05-11-2002, 02:26 PM

It was a rough ride and a tough drift with many unfortunate fishers reporting no bag. As it was we had to use 4Lbs of lead and back up against the drift with the kicker, taking several waves over the stern to bag Mr. Flattie [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img] .

Pilar scored limits as did Threesmuch who, took the derby day 1. Puffin scored 3 flatties and a nice harvest of crab, fishing deeper water

.

The sea was not exactly friendly and I am still paying the price for the bag I boast. Hello kidneys

It was a great trip though. Only took 10 crab for 8 traps and a ring thrown while we checked traps. Lots of females still prevail [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img] . Lots of repports of grey cod being caught at the ranch. This is a real bummer as the 750 foot bait check for a bait fish is not exactly fun. Some folks like that grey cod but my buddy Drifty threatened to kick my @$$ if I ever bring hime more to smoke. Puffin reports that the belly of the grey cod is KILLER bait for Halibut. Just cut out the belly, tie it on and send it down fresh. Hang on, great things are gonna happen (hope it ain't another cod).

It was a tough day at sea and I will not, at this time, speak to the troubles that nearly took our allies in the trip to Davy Jones Locker. Thank GOD for the Coast Guard

. At least two boats were towed back to porrt. I know of at least one boat that failed to bag a fish and returned with at least one fisher that will still be recovering a couple of days from now

.

I'm still recovering and need to pack my catch. More on the adventure later...

Mr. F. out and monitoring....

sturgn · 05-11-2002, 07:07 PM

We made it out to the Chicken Ranch on friday and got 3 nice flatties for 4 and left early, had some engine problems on the way in, but made it back safely. Sat was a different story , we crossed the bar in the dark and decided that the swell on the bar and the 17knot winds at the rock pile would make for not very fun conditions, so we bagged it. I did here a mayday about 5am or so, I was wondering if anyone new the outcome of it? It didnt sound to good, the boat was taking on water faster than they could pump it out.
I talked to a guy this morning that said 6 Halibut came out of the Lighthouse hole on friday, we need to get a small flotilla together and hit that spot hard for a few days and try to get it figured out!

Hope everyone made it back ok.

Capt. Rich · 05-11-2002, 07:43 PM

New ground was broken in Winchester Bay. Capts. Rich of PACIFIC PIONEER CHARTERS and Patrick Roelle of FISHPATRICK'S GUIDE SERVICE in Eugene teamed up to go halibut fishing from Winchester Bay at the Heceta Banks. On Friday we took a full charter of six people out and scored on halibut from 32" to 49" along with several nice ling cod to twenty lbs. On Saturday we had a lighter load as many people were scared away by the weather predictions. It was not pretty. The wind blew 15-20 out of the NW. The ride out was sloppy as was the fishing. But we scored bigger fish than Friday when the wind was better. Go figure. After we got back to port, we calculated the distance from Winchester Bay and Florence to the same spot. The difference is only four miles. Yet for all these years, boats would not make the run to Heceta Banks from Winchester Bay. We also calculated the distance to the Ranch from Newport and it is approximately the same distance from port. We feel that there is a new port for Southern Oregon halibut anglers to consider when they are thinking of going for butts.

RJ · 05-12-2002, 06:38 AM

MR. Fisherman ya ought to see the ocean this mornin its like glass mahahahaha nothin like the other day

actually,it still has a pretty good lump I just couldnt help myself

[ 05-12-2002, 07:48 AM: Message edited by: RJ ]

Phil Layer · 05-12-2002, 07:05 AM

5/11 - 6:00 am, we headed for the ranch. No complaints about the seas until 2 miles from the ranch. Then, it started getting a little sloppy.

We put the first rod out in 500 feet of water, according to the fish finder. Stoyjun Princess put the second one down and felt the weight hit the bottom followed by that wonderful feeling of a biting flattie. She brought the 39" fish into the boat a few minutes later.

We struggled with putting out lines as the ocean was now getting really choppy. After an hour and not another bite, we reluctantly headed back to Newport. It took us 5 1/2 hours to get back.

The Alumaweld Intruder did great in the nasty stuff although the top leaked where it snapped to the walk through windshield.

Bummer having to come in so early as the fish were there for the taking. But, that's ocean fishin.

Next weekend....we'll see.

MintBrite · 05-12-2002, 08:04 AM

Well the first run to the chicken ranch for us was a wild one to say the least. The ocean wasn't bad Fri. but was far from flat 32 miles out. We picked up a prop vibration again at 30 miles and dropped to impulse for the last 2. :shocked: The big blue was good to us and after hearing what Threemuch was doing we followed suit and changed techniques.

This brought a 53 incher & 47 incher up from the depths,( Kurt, missed you at the dock to get into the derby-Bummer!) nothing else but a black cod after that.

I figured the limp back to harbor would take time and it did 4 hrs. Sat. we slept in due to the prevailing forcast and at 9:30 a.m. with repairs done we set out for the Rockpile test run. At 4.5 mile out and a strong running boat we saw it was to rough and made a run back home to do some crab bait fishing. The shad fishing in the channel was slow in the afternoon but I did land a 10lb. springer on a Dick nite with 6# line. Time to treat the mother of my kids to great seafood dinner tonight!
Next week more FB Die :grin: