why chicken ranch

EVERREADY · 05-06-2003, 08:04 PM

I'am new to halibut fishing I just went out a couple of times last year and was able to get them at the rock pile. Looking at the chart I was wondering why the fish are at the chicken ranch?

wak'm&stak'm · 05-06-2003, 09:02 PM

I like the pile also....but this time of year the ranch is a sure thing. There are a few fish at the pile, pilar proved that a couple of weeks ago.
Come June....I will be on the pile.
cheers.

Mr. Fisherman · 05-07-2003, 02:39 AM

Why not?
If the weather is ruff we could try ther pile but statisticly the Ranch is a more consistant producer.

EVERREADY · 05-07-2003, 06:26 AM

I'am sorry I wasn't clear on my question. I was wondering why the fish are there? What is it about that spot that holds fish? Thanks for the info.

Threemuch · 05-07-2003, 06:35 AM

That's the million dollar question. Or for that matter, why are they on that spot of Garibaldi? At least at the ranch there is some structure. That spot of garibaldi is nothing. No rocks, no snags, no depth change, nothing.

CAPT KUJO · 05-07-2003, 06:46 AM

These fish are attracted to the bottom composition. there are not very many larges areas of sandy bottoms in waters exceeding 500 ft. so where you find these spots (like the ranch) combined with the supporting sealife there (food)it's ideal place. And there are 6 or seven other spots with in 9 miles of the ranch that also produce nice "butt". I like doing the ranch on the first days of the season, then move to the "saddle" the 'hill". The "pile" has big fish but far and few between as compared to the other deeper spots

Albacore Tuna Captain · 05-07-2003, 06:50 AM

Halibut are ambush predators. In order for them to be successful, there needs to be certain conditions.

1. Areas that have a lot of feed will always have a lot of halibut.

2. The bottom conditions must be rocky or gravel. Halibut don't stay long in an area with a lot of sand because of the fleas that will eat them from the inside out.

3. Current keeps the bottoms swept clean and also brings nutrients to the feed.

4. An area on the edge of a drop off will cause the bringing of nutrients up from the deep, will provide an area where the current sweeps over the edge and also areas where feed can get out of the swift current.

All these conditions exist at the Chicken Ranch and that's why that area is so productive. There are many other areas that are similiar but the bottom formation that has caused these conditions in very large at the Ranch.

Fishmstr · 05-07-2003, 07:00 AM

The ranch is at the edge of the continental shelf. The bottom drops off very quickly just outside the ranch. Also, that area is the old Oregon Coastal shoreline (lots of gravel and sand). My buddy (doing on MS on bottoms types off the coast of Oregon) showed me this cool GIS map of the bottom out there. It was very easy to tell where the old shoreline out there. I'm going to use the map to try and find some shallow water spots...I'll keep you posted!

Pitch Pocket · 05-07-2003, 07:02 AM

Here is a 3D representation of the Chicken Ranch looking due north. Coming from the northwest (normal drift) it is a "ramp" that comes from over 1000' to a peak of about 450'. The little fake boat is right over the center of the ranch. I don't know the coordinates of the Garabaldi halibut spot, but I can show the picture of it if I can get them.

skein · 05-07-2003, 07:19 AM

Nice graphic, Pitch. Now tell us about the size of the fish. I've always heard it was called the chicken ranch because they were chicken-sized butts. Why wouldn't the big fish be there as well?

Skein

Beer Waggin · 05-07-2003, 07:23 AM

That's cool software Steve! [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]
Can you rotate that image and look at it from different angles?

Threemuch · 05-07-2003, 07:41 AM

Rough garibaldi numbers I have here at work,
45deg35.15min N
124deg29.5min W

KB

Mello-Yello · 05-07-2003, 07:43 AM

Yeah, that is WAY cool software. What is it and where can I get it? Aw man, just drooled down the front of my shirt...again!

If I gave you some coordinates, could you get me a 3d topo like that? It would be great for comparing w/my other topo maps.

M-Y

Threemuch · 05-07-2003, 07:55 AM

Skein-
I have seen quite a few big fish from the ranch. My boat's best last year was 68 pounds out there, and I saw one over 100.

Not Alaska big, but big for Oregon. Why don't we get any of the big cows here? I have seen a few at or near 100 pounds but nothing much bigger than that.
KB

Pitch Pocket · 05-07-2003, 08:25 AM

It's Nobeltec Visual Mariner with 3d chart. Check it out at Nobeltec. A real eye opener when compared to the paper charts.

I can rotate any angle and zoom out or in. I can change colors of different depth ranges too. It's expensive, but it's cool.

I tried to post a photo of the approach from 135 degrees, but the ifish server is stalling. I'll try again later.

Kurt, the structure is very similar to the ranch by the looks of it. A sharp ramping from over 1000' to your spot of 766'. Gradual shallowing from there inland.

If you have specific spots, I'll try to show the graphic when I get a chance.

Pitch Pocket · 05-07-2003, 08:44 AM

Here it is. Approach from 135 degrees and a little behind it.

Any guess as to which way the BFB is facing?

Miss B Haven · 05-07-2003, 09:45 AM

Hey Steve- What's the Astoria Canyon look like on that Software- bet it's impressive!

Pilar · 05-07-2003, 09:56 AM

The fish are where the food is. For halibut that food is small rockfish, lingcod, herring and sardine. They will rise up the water column to get it too.

Halibut ... not just a bottom fish.

I always wondered why gravel and ATC explained it to me the other day about the parasites.

Many, many of the waypoints I have were found first by organic fish finders. Gulls.

These pinnacles, reefs and gaps in the continental shelf attract baitfish and larger predators. The birds home in on the bait. The Chicken Ranch is a very productive patch of ocean. The ancient shoreline theory is interesting. I wonder how much unexplored ancient shoreline there is. An unfished spot is likely to produce some big butts.

Does anyone else wish we had more all depth days so we could do some exploring? I hate to waste a day on that when we only get 10 or so a year.

Last weekend the bass boil I found was right on top of one of my favorite pinnacles. When I first saw the water boiling there I thought it was the rock sticking out of the water.

Fish Hawk Adventures · 05-07-2003, 09:58 AM

Hey Mel,
I was told that you might have the gps numbers for the Garabaldi Halibut Spot. Would you mind sharing them with me? Thanks.

By the way how did the boat sales go the other day?
Joe

Miss B Haven · 05-07-2003, 10:09 AM

Joe- I don't have those numbers, but they are posted above on this thread. :grin:
I had two good bites on the boat Saturday but I just couldn't get the hook to stick. [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img] Oh well- it's early in the whole process.

DriftR · 05-07-2003, 10:15 AM

Two largest Oregon halibut I was ever involved with were caught off of Pacific City. One three years ago my buddy and I were commercial fishing in his dory in 60'water south of the "ROCK". The downhill outrigger spring was pulled straight. We looked at each other and said "Wow, we must have a hog." We were trolling for chinook. Got that puppy up and it was a halibut in the 80 to 90 pd range. Had to let it go. Then Last year we were making the first drift for(sport) halibut in about 160' water West of the "ROCK". Down goes my buddies rod, then down goes my rod. I am working on the fish and we discover that my fish has fouled his line. He breaks off and I bring up a 73 pd halibut. It is just knowing the spots. But hooking that one halibut while trolling commercial gear in shallow was a real hoot.

TyeeTom · 05-07-2003, 01:31 PM

No, I've never seen Alaska-size halibut off the Oregon coast, but there are some biggies. I used to longline in the 70's out of Newport and we had one trip where we had 10 over 100 pounds. As I recall the biggest was 175. Those were Heceta Banks fish.

DriftR · 05-07-2003, 01:52 PM

Tyee Tom,
I had one of the best days ever fishing the Heceta Banks many(15+) years ago. Those were some awesome fish in every species. I thought I had tied into a mother of all mother halibuts. Pumped and pumped and oh the aching back. Down it would go, up I would pump, down and up. Went on for the longest time. Finally got it up to the surface. Wow, a huge ling cod had taken the bait but my cannon ball somehow got stuck in a huge barnacle encrusted rock. Pulled em both to the surface. Thought for sure I had a "Mogan". That ling was 45pds and tough enough to put the pull on that rod along with the extra weight of the rock and my cannon ball. Long trip out of Newport though.

CrazyFish · 05-07-2003, 02:00 PM

Question:
Why the Chicken Ranch

Answer:
Because it's there.

TyeeTom · 05-07-2003, 02:10 PM

DriftR-It was amazing the variety of fish at Heceta Banks. I'll never forget our first Ratfish. We thought we'd caught some prehistoric creature. But, when the halibut were in there, oh baby. We had some trips to remember. Longlining was a ton of work and, to me, not nearly as fun as commercial trolling. But running in with a bunch of flatties aboard was a great feeling.