The numbers for 2003 ...

[fish assassin]

Just finished getting all my tax stuff together last evening. In the process
I added up my fish tickets for poundage, number of fish caught and bucks made.
I thought I'd share how I did on the numbers and poundage front in 2003 ...

Salmon: 22 trips for 374 fish. 1919.75 pounds.
(this is not counting the numerous sport trips for coho).

Ling Cod: 8 trips over 6 months for 1351.75 pounds.
(we don't keep track of numbers of cod, but it is usually a 6.5 lb. average ...
so about 203 fish, give or take a little).

TUNA! 6 commercial trips for 215 fish. 3856 pounds.
(We also made a couple of shorter sport trips and boated another 30-40 fish on
those trips).

Best salmon days were 3/30 (18 chinook), 8/4 (22 chinook) and 8/15 (25 chinook).
Bigger fish this year, but not as many as 2002.

Best Tuna! days this season were 7/11 (56 fish for 1087.5 pounds) and 7/18
(46 fish for 805.5 pounds). Kind of blows my previous belief that the best
TUNA! fishing is *always* in August!!

I also caught 124.5 lbs. of sea bass incidentally to my cod fishery.

Don't know if this kind of info is useful or interesting to anybody but
me, but there it is ...

Hope to do better in 2004. I'll be at the coast from the middle of June until
the middle of September fishing *real* hard ... :grin:

-assAssin- (an old tech guy in a high tech world)

[WildHawg]

Interesting numbers.
What was your biggest fish of each species last year?
Thanks.

[Sadie-Lynne]

Thanks-- I find all info helpful.
Hope you have a great year..

[fish assassin]

WildHawg,

Wow, I'm not sure. Lets see, I had a couple of cod in the 20# range, but
the type of fishing I do for them actually targets the smaller males rather
than the big females. I also have a better market for the smaller fish (live
fish market) and I try to *NEVER* keep a ling cod over about 20 lbs. The big
ones are the brood stock and we really want to keep them in the water making
baby ling cod (IMHO).

The boat caught several Chinook in the 32-36 pound range. I think the biggest
we got this year dressed at 38 lbs., but I'm not real sure. Of course, these
are *dressed* weights on the salmon ... gilled and gutted. You tend to lose a
few pounds to gills, guts and eggs. I caught one big hen this year that had just
over 4 lbs. of eggs in her!! It was awsome!!

Out on the TUNA! grounds we had several good days with 18-20 lb. averages. A few
of those fish were in the 34-36 lb. range, but most looked like they were cut from
the same pattern with a cookie cutter. In reviewing my books I see that one
day we actually had a 22 lb. average! That is really quite a bunch of large fish!!

Like I said, we don't really keep track of single fish poundage for our record
keeping ... it's just kinda what I remember last season being like.

-assAssin-

[ 02-10-2004, 08:41 AM: Message edited by: fish assassin ]

[northriver1]

I hope you made a dime or two for all your hard work.

[id. painter]

It is interesting .Where do you winter? id. p.

[Gus Orviston]

FA, where in newberg is home? I grew up there and still visit quite often.

gus

[fish assassin]

Northriver1,

I've only been commercial fishing since '89 (this time around) and still
haven't figured out how to make any *real* money at the job. However, I
always seem to have a few bucks in my jeans when I'm fishing. Must be that
I spend so much time on the water that I don't have time to -spend- any money??
:smile:

id. painter,

I'm not sure what you mean by "where do you winter". I spend my winters
in the same place as I spend my summers, springs and falls ... weekdays in
Newberg and/or Aloha (working) and weekends at Pacific City doing all the
"honey-dos" that I didn't get done 'cause I was fishing during the season!
Oregon is home to me!!

With any amount of luck at all, I will be calling the Oregon Coast "home" starting
in June of 2005. Anyway, that's the plan ...

-assAssin-

[fish assassin]

Gus,

Crestview Drive just off hywy 219 ... just up the street from the college.

-assAssin-

[Mello-Yello]

FA, I'd like to personally commend you for throwing back the brood stock. A big ling can bring in some good $$, but the real investment is return stock.

[id. painter]

o.K. I thought maybe you only spent the summers along the coast. id. p.

[Slow Roll]

FA,
You don't live to far from my wife's grandmother, Clara Schultz. Heck, you probably know who she is, used to work down at the ACE hardware in town.

Paul B.

[WildHawg]

FA,
Thanks for the reply. I knew they'd be gutted weights, but some just stick out in your mind better than others--like that big hen :grin: . I was blessed with a 45 pound buck in mid July 2 miles off Gov't Point this last year Wonder how big he'da been in October??
The ocean was good to many of us last year...here's hoping for another just like it!!!

[Maverick Maxcat]

FA,
I was wondering if you ever took extra help along. Our Maxcat has jets, I'd like to spend a day with outdrives to check the difference. I've only fished commercially a couple times--had a blast since it wasn't for money, but I landed my share. Would also welcome a return visit, if you sportfish for kings or halibut.