Fireworks!

OceanBlue · 07-07-2003, 10:23 AM

Wow! What a vacation!

I'm sure Pilar will tell the story, I just wanted to thank everyone who helped kick off my "vacation" time right!

1st and foremost, a HUGE thank you to Pilar for making the 7/2 through 7/6 a wonderful time. [img]graemlins/hearton.gif[/img]

Major kudos to the Coast Guard without whom we might not be around to tell a story! [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img] Those guys and gals put their lives on the line for poor souls like us every day and I for one am looking at paying taxes a little differently these days!

Southpaw - what can I say?! What great crew you make. I'll fish with you any day!

Fishplay, Baitboy, Del - Thanks for the help and moral support on Thursday. And for the escort across the bar so we could get the stink off the boat and set up for a great day on Friday.

To everyone who ran with us on Friday & Saturday - what a great team of fishers. Whack! Stack! Fish ON! The radio was buzzing with activity... What fun!

Gregotis - you da MAN! I'm still in awe of your success... and without crew! Talk about big brass ones! :shocked:

Finally, to our gracious hosts for the 5 days we were at the beach... Thank you, thank you, thank you... what wonderful hospitality! I'm so grateful we found you!

After some

maybe I can talk Pilar into doing it again next Saturday.

Pilar · 07-07-2003, 03:18 PM

The guardian at the gates of the Shao-Lin temple of fishing. Abandon all hope ye Salty Pups who enter here. Enter with pure heart, the desire to learn and the complete commitment to the sport of offshore big game fishing.

Jen and John

Southpaw with a buckle.

Dead, bloody fish on deck

Southpaw with a fish

Oh, yeah, he's hooked on TUNA!

Southpaw gets a longfin with a red headed fishtrap. Did I mention that these fish bleed??

Gregotis with a big grin. It helps to have great guys like Greg to run with.

Pilar · 07-07-2003, 03:19 PM

Wall of Whoa, July 5 2003. Team Pilar whacks and stacks the longfins ... again.

El Shaddai's impressive pile of fish. You guys rock. Thanks for upholding our rightful place at the top of the food chain ... Apex Predator.

rainrshine · 07-07-2003, 03:56 PM

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

Pilar · 07-07-2003, 03:57 PM

So ... now for the story.

We (Jen and I ) drove down Tuesday night to a place in Otter Rock that rents out a room. But not just any place. It was like a sanctuary for the weary and those in need of recharging. The hosts were very nice and took good care of us.

Day one ... 7/1/2003 Tuesday.

Drove down to Newport after work in a very loaded down Subaru outback. Picked up the key to the room and then went to storage in S. Beach and got the boat. We loaded 300# of ice in the parking lot of the all night Thriftway in Newport. I think we got the boat backed in the driveway and bedded down by midnight or 1.

Day two ... 7/2/2003 Wednesday.

Solo trip to the tuna grounds. Jen was very excited to be TUNA! fishing. It would prove to be an eventful day. Up at 0400 and at the ramp by 0500. We launch and head NW at a heading of 310 into some short chop and 10 kt winds. The water temp rises and we begin to see the signs of TUNA!. At 24 miles out the boat craps out and will not restart.

Lesson one .. never travel long ocean trips alone, bring a buddy boat.

We try to get the boat going but the newly replaced starter is dead. I call the Coast Guard on VHF 16 about 0900 and they respond immediately. Jen and I wait patiently for a rescue while watching birds dive and wheel all around us. We dumped the 300# pounds of ice to make the boat lighter while we waited. We are on the fishing grounds and can't do a damn thing about the TUNA! Arrrggghhh!

The CG arrive on scene and proceed to give us a shameless display of extraordinary boating skill and professionalism. I have never seen such a squared away boat or crew. The conditions were ugly and the Boatswains Mate Chief in charge of the 47272 repeatedly got very close to my little plastic boat with his great big aluminum boat without ever even coming close to hitting us.

They towed us in about 25 miles at 15 mph. I slept most of the way in. I felt that safe and well cared for. We were back in Depoe by noon.

The rest of the day was spent trying to figure out the failure to run or start problem on 'Pilar'. By days end I had it down to bad starter. We still did not undertand why it shut off.

Day Three .. 7/3/2003 Thursday

I got up after sleeping in and went to look for a starter with Jen. We bought a new one and installed it. The boat started up real quick and we ran out to the bay for a herring or two. It ran great for a mile or two and then began to crap out again. Back to the dock for some more work on the problem. Fishplay and his partner in the Rotsa Ruck came by with some cold ones and helped me figure it out. I disconnected one of the wires to the starter solenoid and Wa La problem gone. The starter was turning over and using ignition coil power to do so while the motor was running. This heated the wires and caused the coil to starve and shut the boat off.

We ran out with Fishplay following us and fished for salmon in a very rough sea. I bagged one small coho and ended up giving it to our hosts.

After more prep work the boat was made ready for TUNA! attempt #2. Gregotis98 called up and said he would meet us at the dopey bay parking lot the next morning at 0500 for a run to TUNA! town.

Day Four 7/4/2003 Friday

We run out from Depoe at 0500 with Gregotis98 and Sailfish in Gregs boat. It is rough and the short chop is a bear. We make about 15 to 20 and get out to the fishing grounds in a couple of hours. We get some 60 degree water and start getting fish right away. Happy birthday America!!! Fireworks at 0900 in the morning for the happy pair.

It was scratch fishing but the trash in the water and the steady fish every 15 - 20 minutes tells me that we are on it. Jen had a ball and just drove the boat because it was to rough for her to enjoy the fishing. I got to pull 15 albacore by myself while my mate laughed and egged me on.

By noon we decided to bail and go home. 15 TUNA! is alot of fish to clean. We had fun at the cleaning station. Greg and his partner got 10 fish. When we got back to camp our hosts had cooked the little salmon fu fu for dinner and fed us right when we got there. We felt pretty spoiled and that my friends is what VACATION is all about.

We got the boat ready for the next day and got to bed late again.

Day Five 7/5/2003 Saturday

News of the TUNA! plunder is out and the Ifish dogs of salt are gathered in force at the Dopey bay boat ramp. I feel a lump in my throat as I watch my brothers and sisters launch in the pre-dawn light and queue up for the run for glory. We run to the previous days GPS numbers and spread out to find the fish. Lil Wak was the first to report a triple and the action on the Radio was non stop after that. We got 5 and then moved to the Sea Jypzees spot to the north. After moving we began to get a good grade of fish and boated 10 more for a total of 15. I totally loved watching my Mate and Southpaw work the lines together as a team and catch the tuna. That girl works smart and hard. Sorry guys, she's already spoken for. :grin:

Fish dispatcher joined us late and hooked up right before we decided to leave about 2:30.

Southpaw joined us on Saturday for his first Oregon Albacore adventure. We returned to the ramp about 1700 and began to clean fish. After much work we grabbed a bite at the Mazatlan and got back to the temple and crashed hard.

Day 6 7/6/2003 Sunday

Canned fish and cleaned the boat. 225# canned, vacuumed sealed and given away in one short day. I have never worked so hard. My mate and I make an awesome team. Our hosts treated us to a TUNA! feast followed by coffee laced with Napoleon brandy. We crashed about midnight after storing the boat and drove home this morning.

Whew!

[ 07-08-2003, 08:51 AM: Message edited by: Pilar ]

blubeast · 07-07-2003, 04:08 PM

Congrats Pilar!... Sounds like another amazing chapter from "As the Propeller Turns"...

stick flicker · 07-07-2003, 04:44 PM

Sounds like a great fishing adventure. I want to give it a go here soon. I will be headed out for two days 21 and 22 if the weather allows. How far is a tuna run from Newport with 4' swell? I like seeing the pictures of the tuna I can't wait to look at one in its bloody big eye. Keep it up Pilar and Mate.

crabbait · 07-07-2003, 06:47 PM

Sounds like a great 4th weekend, Pilar! I hope there are a few left for Skein and crabbait in a couple of weeks.

Have we mentioned that the boats are not ready yet? Heading over to see Ed on Wednesday and make final alterations/modifications.

I got to see the Puffin last week. Do you know if the auxillary fuel cell was installed yet? I don't see a mention of her in your posts so I am wondering if she is still down. I told Ed that he could tell Puffin that Ed would have plenty of time to work on extra fuel cells as soon as Sculpin is floating! :grin:

Gregotis98 · 07-07-2003, 07:16 PM

That was one great weekend and I can't wait to give it another rip soon. This is sport is going to cause me to go bankrupt soon though. I keep seeing lures, rods, reels, lures, and lures that I need to get and can't afford, oh and the gas is tough too. With all that said filing bankruptcy is well worth it.

This is the most fun fishing I've ever had and look forward to it for about nine months every year now. It's great to run out with a good bunch of folks and just fish hard and heavy all day, crash in the parking lot for about 4hrs. then hit it again in the a.m.

I LOVE THIS STUFF, I JUST CAN'T GET OVER IT!

OceanBlue · 07-08-2003, 10:36 AM

Sleep deprivation is an interesting thing. After several days of getting only 3-4 hours of

, I find that my eyes automatically pop open at 4am. Fortunately, the depression sets in when I realize that I'm not going TUNA! fishing today... that's the key to getting back to sleep.

Miss B Haven · 07-08-2003, 10:47 AM

Sounds like a great time folks! We had a pretty darn good one up North too! The highlight (well ok, ONE of the highlights) was fresh Albi Shashimi (just a little Soy and Wassabi)on the boat Sat night. Throw in some pan fried Bottom fish, fixin's and yummmm!
:grin:
Not sure I'm ever going to be able to eat Albi cooked again. Just doesn't do it justice! Anybody ever try it raw after being vacuum packed/frozen??? [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

OceanBlue · 07-08-2003, 10:51 AM

Mel - Sure! I hear it should actually be frozen prior to consuming it raw to ensure any parasites are killed.

I can't decide which way I like it prepared best. Smoked, seared, grilled, tacos, blackened, raw, canned... it's ALL good!

[ 07-08-2003, 11:52 AM: Message edited by: OceanBlue ]

Miss B Haven · 07-08-2003, 10:55 AM

Oh SURE!

Now you tell me about the worms!

Not to fear, I think the medicine we were drinking wtih dinner took care of them! :grin:

I gotta talk to you about the searing, what oil, how hot, how long, I already know HOW GOOD! Yumm! [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

Popeye · 07-08-2003, 10:59 AM

John & Jen....my first two days out weren't much better than yers....see tuna death toll for my post

Miss B Haven · 07-08-2003, 12:04 PM

You're cooking with a propane torch? :shocked: What do you call that particular culinary delight? A tuna candle? :grin: Sounds good, man I'm hungry, Lunch time!

OceanBlue · 07-08-2003, 11:06 PM

Mel - we do it one of two ways... either in olive oil, good and hot. Slice 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick depending on how rare you want the middle and cook on each side 1-2 min.

OR - and THIS is the BEST... make sushi rice pat, trim a nice piece of raw tuna, dab rice with wasabi, plunk the tuna on top, smear with a very thin film on mayo and hit it with a propane torch until bubbly and brown. EAT. YUUUUUMMMMMM!