Hi People....I guess it's finally time I get out and say Howdy to ya'll.
I've been here a bit, snoopin' around and too many times I've had to wipe the drool off my face while I hear all the awesome tuna and halibut stories. You guys seem like a great group.
Fishing came to me at a young age growing up in So. Cal learning the art of yellowtail and tuna fishing out of San Diego. I've been a freak ever since.
Luckily, I married an awesome lady that loves to fish too so we spend any chance we get on the Columbia for sturgeon or salmon. We've taken our 13 week Coast Guard Class a couple years back and are s l o w l y getting our feet wet with crossing the bar and playing in Big Blue. We'd really love to accomplish our goal of getting out tuna fishing next summer in our boat.
OK...so a fish story huh??? I kinda feel like I need to be sittin' by the fireplace or something! Probably the best this summer was a great day we had down at Astoria in June for Sturgeon. I wet down on a Friday with some buddies and we were literally EATEN ALIVE by the sculpins. The four of us went home empty handed.
Well, that night my wife (lady luck) came down and we went out the next morning out of Hammond. I headed for the flats preparing to painfully feed three pounds of anchovies to the little buggers. We spotted fish rolling at the first green buoy upriver of Hammond and anchored outside of the channel. We put in a half hour of sculpin slaying and decided to move to deeper water up by Astoria.
As we pulled in front of Charmichel's Oil, the finder went totally crazy and lit up like a christmas tree!!! We set anchor, cast out and hoped for the best. Ten minutes later one rod went off and I handed to Lady Luck and like a pro, she brought a nice fat 45"er right to the net. The next three hours was one fish after another....we couldn't keep ther sturgeon off the hooks....it was the best sturgeon fishing I've ever been in. Right when we were really getting wore out...somewhere around noon....my rod doubled over and I hung on as line peeled off. We were about to break from our anchor when we got the brute turned around and started gaining ground. He finally surfaced and R (my wife) slipped the net under him and then accidentally put the net handle right under the gunnel on the opposite side of the boat. It was stuck! The fish was half in the water, hosing us down, thrashing in the water, the dog was barking going crazy and I could see my largest keeper sturgeon almost slipping away! R finally got the net squared away and we both lugged the monster in the boat....WOW!!! He wasn't any 60incher but he was a thick 52 that really burned us out!
Anyways, we bagged it after that and headed home with our two keepers...we really had a great day.
I look forward to more of your stories and great info...maybe we can "hook up" sometime.
Liquid Asset
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Preparing for the day when we'll have a one carp limit and wakeboard boats are listed as a weapon of mass destruction....
No doubt if you hang around this group you're going to get tuna!
Actually, all you have to do is follow me....I'll point them out and drive over the top of them and then you can come behind me and catch them! Well.....I guess you'll have to fight Gregotis and Seasquid for that spot though! :tongue: (inside joke)
Oregon Coalition for Educating Anglers Board Member (www.oceaned.org) "A ship in harbor is safe--but that is not what ships were built for."- Admiral Grace Hopper
Location: Halfway between the Boondocks & Timbucktoo
Posts: 7,861
Re: OK...another lurker out of the closet...
Liquid Asset - WELCOME!
And when Corrirod says he'll lead you to the fish, he's not kidding! He'll lead you right to 'em and you can go in right behind him and whack 'em. You'll be giggling all the way because Rod will be singing out over the radio, "why won't these dang fish bite?!" Well, he wouldn't exactly be using the word dang, but you get my drift! :grin:
Sorry Rod - I just couldn't resist. You have to admit now that the stink is off, it was funny. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry for you that day. :shocked:
Welcome aboard, liquid, and your better half too!! :grin:
Great story, and I will second what Jen said about following Rod out to tuna town. He is a good skipper, and like the rest of us, just cant wait til the warm water comes in close again, so we can all abuse our favorite gear, and hear the ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz.
Peace, Tom
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I'm wishin' we were fishin'
Ifish member #1417
OK...another lurker out of the closet...
OceanBlue
He is a good skipper, and like the rest of us, just cant wait til the warm water comes in close again, so we can all abuse our favorite gear, and hear the ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz.
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