The First Depoe Bay Tuna of the Year!

Born to be Wild · 06-20-2003, 04:32 PM

Possibly the first tuna on the north coast?

This is a non-disclaimer. Met Marty for the first time yesterday and this is a pic of a funny looking smiley he was filleting:

Guess you don't need a fin clip on this one.

This is one we caught in the afternoon off the whistler (bouy)

No just kidding on the second photo but the first one was for real. As snoopy as I am, when we were launching the second time aroud 6:30pm, I noticed some fishermen fileting some fish at the port dock filet station. I saw Rick (the deckhand of the Enterprise) and his wife over there.

I yelled what are they fileting? Rick said some smiley's. I need glasses but said they don't look like chinook to me. He replied; "and some tuna".

I yelled back; "ask them if they are some ifisher's". Rick replied that one of them is.

So I talked Tad into motoring over there even though his guest wanted to go fishing. It was 6:30 in the evening.

Couldn't believe it and still can't but Marty's friend offered me a tuna! Their first trip/tuna of the year! Wow!

Well we were on our way out of Depoe Bay at 6:30ish PM and I again talked Tad into turning around and we went back and gave them half of the 22 pound cabezon I caught earlier at GP.

I mean who the heck would give up (away) a 20 pound tuna when they only caught six and it is June!

We left again and I felt bad I just didn't filet the whole cabby and give them the whole fish.

Nice guys and a small world thanks to ifish.net.

Here's some pic's of the cabby's, ling's and bass we caught on a Thursday evening and we spent more time running than we did fishing because I was showing Tad some more places to fish.

Tabitha Lewis from St. Robert, Mo. caught her first ever salmon on her first ever Oregon fishing trip. It was just a little 22 pounder! I asked a little boy if he would hold the fish up for a pic and he started going for it and all the sudden Tabitha said; "he's going to get a pic with my fish".

I asked, oh, it's your fish, you caught it? And she replied along with her proud dad, yes she caught that chinook (The largest of the day, I might add).

So I asked her to hold it up and instantly heard "surround sound" that she was not going to touch that fish.

So I found a gaff and talked her into the pic and had a hard time deciding between the three I shot. She made a few comments, it's heavy!

A real gamer. Thanks Tabitha. I overheard talking ounces later that the whopper was almost one quarter of her weight. Amazing, some kids can still calculate with out a calculator or computer.

Earlier that day at the Tradewinds dock.

So I just got back in town from Longview and Tad (owner of the new Pepper Jelly Store in Depoe Bay) asked me if I wanted to go out fishing in his Whaler (small 14 footer, or is it a whole 15').

We went out and after showing me his slow spot that produced a 22 pound cabby, I talked him into showing him a few spots I used to fish.

It wasn't real hot, but we caught another cabby, two legal lings, threw back four or five, and caught 11 or 12 bass and one large seatrout (female kelp greenling) that we chose to throw back.

Here are the pic's:

22# cabby at GP. Big cabby, 22 pounds. The biggest Cabby I have ever caught!

Tad's first ling of the afternoon. (First short trip).

And his second ling which was actually larger (28') but he held a it little behind him and it was getting dark so you can't see the beautiful blue/green color it actually was. (I had to brighten up the pic big time with photo editing and it still made a dismal pic).

Anyone wanting to come down to Depoe Bay in the morning and learn and/or have fun catching rockfish give me a call or email. I have a couple email's from some ifisher's and one message on my fax machine but it was the wrong number left.

I had to edit the post. Got the times mixed up from the first trip and the second time out. (4:30pm for the first, and approx. 6:00 to 6:30 for the second trip)

Dan

[ 06-20-2003, 09:57 PM: Message edited by: DepoeBayDan ]

ultralight · 06-20-2003, 05:11 PM

Dan, I love your picture posts...great pictures, big smiles, big fish! What more can you ask?

Sea Jypzee · 06-20-2003, 05:49 PM

Nice to hear the successes Dan. So the reports of Tuna are for real.

Look out!!

Uglygreen · 06-20-2003, 05:56 PM

Dan, I would come down and play.... you want I should go hookup the boat? Anyone for a third?

UG

Sea Jypzee · 06-20-2003, 06:00 PM

You talking this evening? Or tomorrow? I'm booked with Aquaholic for tomorrow.

Born to be Wild · 06-20-2003, 06:00 PM

Come on down and enjoy!

If you noticed, we weren't donning PFD's. It was a nice ocean and we were in a 14' whaler. It was around 5 to 9 o'clock in the evening. It was nice.

Everyone I have talked to since returning to Depoe Bay whether it was charter boat fishermen or private fishermen says the thought of mandatory wearing of PFD's is not welcome. Some of these fishermen have been going out all there life and still believe like me, it would be ludicrous.

Dan

[ 06-21-2003, 10:23 PM: Message edited by: DepoeBayDan ]

Uglygreen · 06-20-2003, 06:06 PM

Dan... call me at (503)524-0149 if you please.

I can bring Salmon or Tuna gear if you want to supply the bottom fish stuff.

UG

Born to be Wild · 06-20-2003, 06:08 PM

On the upbeat side of things, let's go fishing tomorrow.

Brad, email me your number, and you too Nancy.

I'll try and get a hold of some other ifisher's and let's play.

Dan

Sea Jypzee · 06-20-2003, 06:09 PM

You've got mail

Born to be Wild · 06-20-2003, 06:11 PM

Oh I guess you are a faster typer than me Brad!

Sounds like fun. Call you in a bit.

Dan

[ 06-20-2003, 07:49 PM: Message edited by: DepoeBayDan ]

Born to be Wild · 06-20-2003, 06:15 PM

Nancy, email me your long distance number :grin:

Let's see, is it 541 area code? Couldn't have a 765 prefix?

[ 06-21-2003, 01:51 AM: Message edited by: DepoeBayDan ]

Born to be Wild · 06-20-2003, 06:57 PM

By the way, Marty said they were approx. 25 miles out when they got the tuna.

Take it easy Rod, this is not an excuse for you to call in sick tomorrow! They will be there in July!

Dan

steelheadslayer · 06-20-2003, 07:02 PM

Dan, nice pics. That is one nice CABBY, I've only seen bigger diving up around Neah Bay or Puget Sound.

[img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

RJ · 06-20-2003, 07:14 PM

congrats to Marty ,I had a feelin he would be the first to start it off.

RJ

[ 06-20-2003, 08:48 PM: Message edited by: RJ ]

Born to Fish · 06-20-2003, 07:16 PM

Dan, I can't believe you want to give up a daily dose of Depoe Bay for living in Longview.

You've got it made there.

Thanks for sharing the good times in your reports and pictures. [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] Good luck to you and the group tomorrow - wish I could be there.

Born to be Wild · 06-20-2003, 07:29 PM

Hi Dean,

Wished we would have connected again. Hope to again.

You said; "Dan, I can't believe you want to give up a daily dose of Depoe Bay for living in Longview. You've got it made there".

Depoe Bay is a nice town and place to live. It is not the ultimate place for a single person however and I have seen many friends come and go over the years.

I am pretty sure I am stricken with cancer now and more importantly is my friends and relatives which are up in the Longview/Vancouver area. That makes the difference not to mention the majority of fishing I do now days is coho fishing in the Longview area.

Thanks Dean and hope to get together with you and Sturgeon Dave this fall.

Dan

Marty · 06-20-2003, 07:33 PM

Pictures are always better than words!!!!...........but lets set the story straight, it was 5 tuna and not 6. BUT they were 'the kind' and they were caught about 24 miles almost straight off of Depoe. Numbers were 44 56.77 & 124 36.98 to another triple hook up at 44 55.98 & 124 39.02. There were NO signs at all except a temp break from 58.1 to 58.4. We had caught tuna in this area last year so we 'released the hounds' (put the jigs out) and didn't get them all out when the fishtrap went off. Got that tuna in the boat, and with the decks still bloody, we put everything back in the water and 5 minutes later a triple......and then the scramble really started with everyone yelling orders at the same time with three people pulling on fish with still two rods in the water. Most of you know what I mean as words can never quite give you the big picture of this kind of enjoyable mayhem. We ended up only landing 1 of the 3. Then we had a double, and then another double (lost one), and 15 minutes later the last one on that same fishtrap. Three on fishtraps (channel island chovie), one a zuchini and one on a mexican flag. This entire process took us about 40 minutes and while I was still just smiling that inner glow of fulfillment, my two partners started talking about halibut, as after all I invited them for halibut fishing and not tuna. So we ran 12 miles to the compass rose area and fished for 4 hours for nothing but a blue shark and small flounder. I couldn't take the 800 foot grind any longer and told the crew we were tuna bound again. Headed back out to the numbers and things had changed and we never got another take-down. Talked to Pilar on the VHF and he was fishing outside of us when I let him know we had fish. He came inside and saw some jumpers and that was the last I talked with him. I hope he stacked the boat with fish because I ran in shortly after our talk and I got out of range. Came back into Depoe and put the downriggers out for a short troll and landed a nice 20 lb. chinook. This all happened on Thursday and today I talked to Terry on the "Serious Fun" and he said they limited on halibut at the chicken ranch and headed out another 10 miles west and got 3 tuna today. So there are a few out there, but not in the numbers they will be shortly.

The true moral of the above story is NEVER LEAVE FISH TO FIND FISH!!!!!

No halibut for me, but I am stoked about these early fish and after the barbecue this evening I will be even more content.

Depoe Dan.......thanks for the pics and the thread.

Marty

Sea Jypzee · 06-20-2003, 07:38 PM

Hey there Marty - Congrats on bringing the first Longfin into Depoe Bay for the year!!!

Sounds like an entirely successful day overall. Glad to hear it.

Born to be Wild · 06-20-2003, 07:56 PM

Your welcome Marty and thanks for the long finned bigeye.

It was good meeting you and you looked very familliar and I think I have seen you in the past. Your buddy was a pretty cool. Don't recall the name if I even took the time out to what it was, but things were hurried.

Anyway thanks again and I'm sure our paths will cross again.

Dan

[ 06-21-2003, 10:29 PM: Message edited by: DepoeBayDan ]

OceanBlue · 06-20-2003, 09:06 PM

Marty - Nope. Pilar ended the day devoid of Tuna, but happy for the hunt and a flat day on the Big Blue Lake.

He's tuna bound tomorrow. See the Live Report.

Threemuch · 06-21-2003, 03:44 PM

Never leave fish to find fish. Truer words never spoken. Can't say how many times I have been burned on this one. Congrats Marty. Give a holler if you are ever searching for crew.
Kurt