Friday and Saturday out of Newport and new 'poon pics

[Threemuch]

Made it out both days with Mr. Fisherman and Bait boy on Sea Lion on Friday and Bluebeast on Saturday.

Friday, we mooched on the pile for salmon, halibut, and lings, but had no takers except for a 20 pound ling. So we went to plan B, trolling for salmon, and put a nice limit of silvers in. Not a bad plan B. Stopped at the light house for some shallow bottom fishing, nothing doing except some pokey, stinky, buffalo sculpin (Ray and Rick, I looked em up, that's what they were)and some short lings.

Saturday we headed to Harrisons Ridge due to some hot recon from the Stoyjun Princess. We dropped em in and had fish on in moments. Double! Bluebeast brought a big BIG flattie to the boat. Easy 80 pounder, maybe more. First time I have been scared with a gaff in my hand. I was wishing we had a harpoon, but we were not prepared for this fish. I take my shot, the fish sees it coming, and sounds, and the line parted right there. Harpoon would have had him for sure. Oh well, the other side of the double is a 35" fish. In the box. We call in the fleet, and Ray and his rookie crew boats a MONSTER right next to us, and puffin is bagging big ones too. We manage another 40" fish and a bunch of shakers, and then the bite dies for us. So we go salmon fishing on the NOrth pile with the fleet. Three more fish in the box, a few nates released and we head in. Great day on the water with a final tally of 2 BFB and 3 Coho.

Thanks Dale and Ray for taking a broken boat owner (the boat, not the owner) fishing. I had a great time both days.

[ 08-11-2003, 10:03 PM: Message edited by: Threemuch ]

[finclipped]

Threemuch, Nice catch. [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

[ 08-11-2003, 11:55 AM: Message edited by: finclipped ]

[blubeast]

Threemuch, truely an honor to fish with you... great teaching and catching. Great day all the way around. Soo much to learn... but with teachers like you, there is hope.

Thanks for joining us, and thanks for all of your help.

[puffins crew]

Thanks for the report, Kurt.

Glad you got into some fish.
Peace, Tom

[Threemuch]

Well, we won't lose that big flatty again. I just finished my new harpoon. Aluminum handle, titanium shaft, titanium tip.

KB

[Phil Layer]

Kurt,

Don't forget to use lots of rope with that harpoon and hang a big float off the line to slow the halibut down when they sound. Those big ones can pull the head of your harpoon right through their body when they get up a head of steam.

[Mr. Fisherman]

Kurt, you are welcome on my boat anytime.
I want to thank you for calling us in on the bite. We were headed to the ranch thinking that the bite would be off with the odd North drift like it was the Friday. The fish must have been hungry from not eating the day before... I mean we didn't get bit so they couldn't have been feeding... right ?

Anyway Friday was fun with a few doubles and one temporary triple. Those Salmon were a kick in the pants, cart wheeling and jumping all over the place.

Saturday, what can I say. We were just plain lucky. Two newbies and one of them a first time Halibut fisher.
First Chris's rod goes off and he politely hands it off to Duff. He boats a nice 31 7/8 flattie. Had to send him back but we all heard the "POP" when the fish hit the deck, if you know what I mean.
Next my rod went off and I handed it off to Chris to slime the new guy. He boats a nice 38 inch Chicken, perfect eating size fish.
Then my rod goes off again. This time it's my turn to fight a fish. Swing and a miss then I boat a nice 48 inch flattie.
Not long later my rod goes off again. Duff is all over it and fights the fish for quite a while as we raz him about taking so long and how hooks work loose then we see color. I reach for the harpoon and make ready. I am waiting for a shot when the big but shakes her head and touches the point. Back to the bottom for the car keys... Did I mention that I was fishing with a Salmon rod? Oh yea baby, it got bent! Duff gets the fish back to the surface and this time I get a shot. I just missed the spine but the point is through and the fish sounds again taking my float with it! It is the first time a fish has taken my float under for this long. Duff fights the fish back and then it sounds again. We watch as the float bobs to the surface then dissapears again into the abyss. Finally he gets it back to the boat and I am deciding wether to harpoon it again or gaff it. I decide to gaff it and have Chris ready with a second gaff in case 1 isn't enough. I hit the fish and it shakes off the gaff. Back down she goes. Now Duff has an idea how big the fish is and I think he was a bit nervous. Soon there was color and I take my shot and bring the fish into the boat. WHAT A FISH! 86# measuring 58 inches, A NEW SEA LION RECORD for the virgin! He is ruined for life. Catching an Oregon trophy Halibut in shallow water with a Salmon rod with only 10 oz of weight, he should just quit now. It just dosen't get any better than this.

We headed for a ling spot and boat a nice keeper and a few shorts but the big flattie is in the sun and we decide to head in. I really need a bigger fish box....

I had a great weekend and enjoyed fishing with all of you. You are welcome back anytime.


I always check to see that the drag is set light enough to allow a fish to take line before I harpoon or gaff it so it can take line and not break off. I like it a little light depending on what rig I am using. If I am using mono I like a lighter drag because chances are the halibut teeth are working on sawing through the leader. Let the equipment do the work and boat the fish.

I don't tie my gaff line off at the boat. I have seen cleats go away and lines break and even heard about the tip tearing free and comming right back at the boat :shocked: I tie to a float with maybe 30 feet of rope. When the fish sounds it is fighting the drag fron the rope and the float as well as the drag from the reel.
Also, I have to remind myself to let go of the rope on the float. Some times I hold the rope in one hand and the harpoon in the other. Maybe this will help some first time harpooners.
I tried to upload pics but they don't show up and when I try to upload them again I get an error saying that I need to change the name and try again. I did that with the same results. I'll get them posted sooner or later...

I always had my harpoon heads attached to a float with 5'-10' of 3/8 line and the handle to a cleat with line simalar to tuna cord but 500 lb test. It was a rush seeing the ball shoot just under the surface when the big boy felt the steel! Sometimes I'd rather hit 'em with the harpoon than work to get them to the surface :smile:

Mr. F,
No tuna?

Three,
I hate to gaff any halibut over 40". It's too easy to get hurt when they're flopping around on the deck. I have used two gaffs to get them into the boat but the harpoon is the only way to go. I like to hit them slightly below and just behind the eyes with a heavy harpoon, mine wasn't as nice as Popeyes and weighed about 3/4 as much. When you punch a harpoon head through bone it
doesn't pull out. Your harpoon has to be heavy and strong, I broke Taylor's View Point's harpoon on the nice halibut he got this summer when Woody and his wife were with us in George's boat. We had to use the gaff and both George and me jumped on it for a ride before I was able to subdue it with a solid "Halibut Wak".

[ 08-11-2003, 04:56 PM: Message edited by: Keta ]

[Threemuch]

Here is a pic of the new poon. Not as fancy as popeye's but along the same theme, heavy and strong.

[Mr. Fisherman]

Yes there were Tuna! But that story deserves it's own thread.

Read about it here:

Popeye gets two cherries on his Sunday

[Mr. Fisherman]

It is a darn shame not to be able to share the pictures of this newbies monster fish with you guys and gals.
Can someone help get the pics posted?
I tried to upload them. The names are all 8 charachters or less and they are all 100kb or less with no spaces or special characters in the names. The yare JPEG images and when I try to re-upload them I get an error that says that that picture has already been upluaded, change the name but the pics do not show up in the list.
[img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

[Threemuch]

Moderators, delete this if you must, but I use moment of fame picture posting, www.momentoffame.com and then post the image here. I also sometimes use our old yahoo group, pacnwsalt to post pics and then post the image here. If you email it to me at kbergner@feico.com, I will get it up here.
KB

[blubeast]

Kurt, yup, that 'poon would have helped Sat. Looks nice. Now all you need is another big 'butt to stick it in...

[Fishmstr]

Thanks Threemuch for calling out the numbers. I fished sat with Edsr. We were fishing the N end of the pile and had landed 1 keeper ling and a few shorts (plus busted something off) when Threemuch comes over the radio with tales of a big fish. We head S, drop in the lines and Edsr has a fish on in seconds. Boated a nice 35" but. Keep drifting and Edsr hooks up again...fish takes off and busts his 40 pound leader (we were mooching for kings too on the N end of the pile). He rigs up again with 200# leader and we move the boat back up to the top of the drift. Very near were he busted off the big fish...you guessed it, Edsr hooks up again. While he is fighting his fish, I hook up! It takes Ed a while fight his fish, so I land my short and then get ready for Eds fish. It is a fatty and we get the 50+ inch flatty into the boat. 50+ pounds...biggest barn door for Ed. Nice fish. We figure we have enough halibut and head back up N for salmon. Trolled for 6 coho (4 wild fish) and 1 chinook. Gorgeous day on the water. Ed's got a sweet boat, can't believe he made it from scratch!!! Thanks Edsr for taking me out and thanks Threemuch for calling us in. That is what the Ifish community is all about
best fishes,
steve

[Mr. Fisherman]

I finally got the pic loaded, whew...

Take a gander at this!

[Mr. Fisherman]

And this bloody pic...

[Mr. Fisherman]

Those 2 are not small guys either...

[BUGLEMAN]

Nice story Kurt! Katchy headline too. Gotta have a 'poon for those beasties!