Exiting/Entering Port ... Depoe Bay.

[fish assassin]

Just a reminder to all who fish out of Depoe Bay ... There is a standard acceptable
proceedure used when exiting or entering port. PLEASE go to VHF channel 80 and
announce what your intentions are! "Pacific Mistress OUTBOUND Depoe Bay,
OUTBOUND Depoe Bay" or "Pacific Mistress INBOUND Depoe Bay, INBOUND
Depoe Bay".

It's such a simple thing to do and saves a lot of near disasters in the narrow
channel that Depoe Bay refers to as the "bar". The charter office (Tradewinds)
monitors channel 80 as do all the charter boats. Often times either the office
or one of the other boats will came back to you with the "all clear" and you can
then proceed safely into the channel. It's really ugly to meet a big boat in
that tiny little channel! :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:

Also, it is recommended that you give one long horn blast on your way out and
two long horn blasts on your way in. INBOUND *always* has the right-of-way
at Depoe Bay.

Have fun folks, and remember, be *careful* out there!

-assAssin-

[seasquid]

Thanks FA...

I do the horn thing, but haven't done the radio thing -- now I will.

I just wish I was inbound or outbound, rather than deskbound.

ss

[sherry marie]

Mistress
Thanks for the heads up. We usually launch at Depot. Almost always use the horn but this is the first time that I had heard about using channel 80.. We will be more mindful next time. Thanks. By the way We saw you on Sat morning.. had a great time, put the first chinook blood in the boat. How did you end up?

Ray on the SHerry Marie

[Born to be Wild]

Another option if you do not have a VHF but use or prefer to use a CB is channel 21 on the CB. The Tradewinds charter boats, office and most sport boats monitor chnl 21. I have often times over the years given channel clearance to both charters and sports boats from my van CB while driving around in the port dock parking lot or while parked.

One of the past skippers of the retired Kingfisher would pick up both mikes (CB & V) and would talk into both at the same time.

I had a horn on my dory but rarely used it. I'm not so sure you could have heard it from the other side of the channel anyways. Most charters don't normally use there horns either but rely on the radio. Some of the charters do seem to use there horns a little more on heavy traffic days such as during coho season.

During coho season some of the charters monitor or use another channel other than CB 21 because of all the sport boat chatter. It is still monitored and used by the TW office and there boats inside the bay for business purposes and they will usually give you the "it's clear to come in" or "it appears to be clear", or otherwise if they are not too busy.

I sometimes will hear a small sport boat on channel 21 ask for channel clearance 2 or 3 times as if there is a channel trafic controller up there. Again, sometimes they are tied up at the window or on the phones.

I have never had a problem entering or exiting the hole day or night except for one time when I first got my dory. It was a calm day and I came barreling in the hole only to meet up with the Coast Guard. I hit the breaks and backed out and Wayne (the chief back then) came over and gave me an embarrassing lecture.

Enter and exit the hole slowly. Speed is for on the outside.

Dan

[sherry marie]

assAssin
We were with you at the 50 fathom line straight out about 9:00 We pick up our fish in closer at about 43-44 fa We wanted to pick up a ling on the way in but struck out... The Nookies we picked up were nice. Hope to see you again... Do you monitor 78? Plans for friday mid-day and Sat am...

Ray

[edsr]

FA - Thanks for the info - Appreciate your sharing before I get into trouble.

edsr

[BOTTOM TIME DIVER]

Mark,
I Know where your coming from.
Now if we could just get the surfers and all the other brain dead at P.C. to tune in. One idiot can ruin your day.

[fish assassin]

Ray,

Wasn't that a wild ride through the channel Saturday morning? As I was
leaving port at about 6:15 I could see the breakers on "flat rock" as
I was looking through the slot. Then two waves
broke up into the slot. I looked at my brother and said something to the
effect of "hmmm, this don't look so good". He told me it was *my* choice
(as if there was any doubt) and I waited in the slot for a laydown before I
made the run for the outside. Hit a couple of big ones. Kinda reminded me of
taking the dory out over the surf. Throttle UP the wave and then back off at
the top to keep from slamming down! Kinda fun! :grin: :grin:

We ended the day with only 8 chinook with a 9 lb. average. Only got 6 on Sunday,
but had a 12 lb. average. On Monday I fished alone and got into the BIG fish.
Only got 5 but I had a 16.5 lb. average!! NICE fish! I lost four others trying
to bring them to gaff. :depressed: :depressed:

All the above weights are for dressed fish (gilled and gutted).

BTW, where did you see me at? ... and congrats on the first chinook blood!!

-assAssin-

[fish assassin]

Ray,

I moniter channel 80 ... the Depoe Bay port channel. Not sure why, but
I do. On the mouse (CB) I monitor channel 13 'cause that is the "salmon"
channel for both Depoe Bay and Newport. I'll be out again Saturday and
Sunday, weather permiting!

BTD,
One of the things I *don't* miss about fishing out of PC. I 'specially like
the folks with the cameras that wade out into the surf to about knee deep
water to snap pictures of the dory coming in! Doesn't matter what you do to
try to avoid them, they just move back in front of you so they can get a *great*
picture!! I carried full insurance on my dory just 'cause I was scared to death
that I'd run over one of the tourists doing something stupid down there.

Like I said before, I've gotten real spoiled launching out of a port
rather than from the beach! However, I *DO* hate the drive through
Lincoln City every afternoon to get back to my house in PC!


-assAssin-

[CAPT KUJO]

Thanks for the heads up. I was aware of the VHF ch 80 for Depoe Bay, but not the CB 21. I'll be launching form Depoe Bay alot this summer and will heed the warnings.

CAPT KUJO

[Born to be Wild]

Yea actually Mark was referring to CB channel 13 as the salmon channel. It is the channel the commercials guys use. I used it commercial crabbing and didn't realize the Newport gang used it also.


Channel 21 is the channel tradewinds uses and therefore most of the charter boats, and channel 35 is the one Dockside charters uses.

80 on the "V" or 21 on the CB are the two to use when entering or exiting.

Not sure if there is a requirement on using a horn when entering or exiting. As I said earlier, neither me or most of the charters used a horn the majority of the time. Maybe Mark knows.

[fish assassin]

Don't think the horn thingy is a requirement, just smart to be safe. If you
notice, the CG does the horn thing both coming and going! I just wanted to
make people aware (who are not, already) that the channel can be a dangerous
place ... 'specially with some of the larger boats (read that "charter boats")
going in and out of port so many times a day. Always best to announce your intentions
when approching the "hole".

Last year durng the sport salmon season I had a situation where a kicker boat
came squirting out of the hole right in front of me. He had to make a sharp
turn South and cross over "flat rock" to avoid me. I had announced my intentions
on the radio and used the horn. This had the potential of being ugly!

-assAssin-

[Born to be Wild]

Well Mark, I agree with almost everything you say.

The only problem I have is you make it sound like it can be a dangerous episode entering or exiting Depoe Bay. I think it is wise to use the previous measures you and I talked about, but I have not seen a single tragic accident at or near the hole (entrance) in the 9 years I have lived here.

I just think you make it sound scary when it it is normally a very friendly harbor. I have seen and heard of a few boats hitting the rocks entering Depoe Bay (charter & commercial) but only when the ocean was rough and for the most part, they shouldn't haven't been out there.

I have personally never seen or heard of any kind of accident involving a boat entering and exiting Depoe Bay at the same time. Not saying it has never happened!

The only reason I brought up CB channel 21 is because it is probably used as much if not more for channel clearance as VHF 80 and if you get Jeurgan or Dickey Bird or any other of the charter guys reminiscing of there old model A's or the days catch or Depoe gossip, you can't get through on 80. The charters like anyone else have to try CB 21 or their horn or just go for it.


For the most part, I have seen folks rely on there radio's and if someone says it is clear to come in or out, that's when I feel the most comfortable.

If not, I proceed with caution and am ready to back out.

Dan

[ 05-31-2003, 12:26 PM: Message edited by: DepoeBayDan ]

[swampy]

Thanks for the tips . I love that little harbor !!! I think the "sounding the horn " thing applies there as it is a "blind corner" and thus requires a audio signal. swampy.

[swampy]

ok, now I feel silly 'cuz I nave never bottom fished out of D Bay !!! I saw your pictures the other day and you are , indeed , right in close , ya ? Got to try that soon !!!

[Born to be Wild]

swampy,

Some of us ifisher's are getting together Sat. June 14th for a rockfishing trip out of Depoe in private boats if you are interested.

Have a thread going on the community forum and will start a new one tomorrow for boat fishing on the 14th @ 6:00am and the next day for fishing off the rocks. Weather permitting.

We will be fishing right out front (south reef and north reef), out in front of Whale Cove and possibly off of Morocco and GP (Goverment Point).

Dan

[Born to be Wild]

Yea swampy, it is a pretty cool little harbor. And rockfish paradise. You're in em as soon as you go under the bridge!

I think Mark is going to hang a big screen TV on the bridge that monitors the hole. :grin: Ya know, like the ones they have at the ball games.

See, I can pick on him now cause he is out there chasing chinook and has no time for a PC.

Dan

[swampy]

Cool !! I'm In!!!