Big blue was gracious ... and we are grateful

Pilar · 02-28-2002, 07:58 AM

Well now...

The last days of February are upon us and lo and behold the Ocean is going to lay down this weekend.

Anybody wanting to catch Rockfish should saddle up and head for the beach. I'm torn between Newport and Garibaldi. The Ocean looks bigger down south of Cape Foulweather so it'll most likely be 3 arch rock. That's only 6 miles south of the Tillamook S. Jetty. If you've never caught bottom fish in the early spring, give it a try. Multiple fish on the shrimp fly rig and the reefs have recovered over the low pressure winter. The best bottom fishing of the year in other words. Oh and the rockfish are spawning and schooled up, lings too.

It's a big ocean right now but the wind is moving around to an easterly calming pattern for the weekend.

[URL=http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtbltn.pl?file=forecasts/marine/coastal/pz/pzz250.txt]http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtbltn.pl?file=forecasts/marine/coastal/pz/pzz250.txt[/ URL]

It's the trend that matters, 3ft sea and 5ft swell by Sunday.

[ 03-04-2002, 09:02 AM: Message edited by: Pilar ]

Predator Dawg · 02-28-2002, 08:23 AM

Hey Pilar,

Not trying to be a smart a$$ or a 'better than thee' type, but if they are spawning, should we be fishing for them? It would seem we would want them to be as successful at that as possible before targeting them.

Thoughts?

Pilar · 02-28-2002, 08:37 AM

Good point but lost on Bass Fishermen everywhere. That whole industry is based on targeting bass in shallow water in the spring. These bottom fish are available in large numbers now because of thier tendency to head in shore in schools during early spring. They are broadcast spawners and just let fly into the current. So there are no nests to disturb.

Also the sealions, sharks and other predators will all be there too. I am proud of my role in natural selection as the apex predator. The big fish eat the smaller fish ... the top predator eats the big fish and so on ...

chuck 'n' duck · 02-28-2002, 08:56 AM

Predator Dawg:

That same arguement could be made against sportfishing for salmon or steelhead in freshwater. I don't think any of us would stand by that one.

CnD

will_e_fish · 02-28-2002, 08:58 AM

I hear the Mother Ocean calling....
Pulling in a ling is always fun. A big bass challenging. The view always awsome.
I am going down to Newport to see if I can get some Rock fish action. A Herring and what ever else tides permit.

Lets see Rods ,jigs ,crab nets, shovels and clam guns did I forget something.

will_e_fish · 02-28-2002, 09:20 AM

One of the last lings I got had a ton of eggs. Being the experimentor- try anything once -risk taker I ...didnt eat them. I cured them in procure got to stinking and thought these might make good crab bait.

What do you with rock fish eggs? The next time I am going to try my dads smelt roe recipe. Thats right batterdipped fried smelt roe or ling roe?

Threemuch · 02-28-2002, 09:45 AM

Will_e-
Don't eat cabezone roe, it's a potent neurotoxin.

will_e_fish · 02-28-2002, 10:30 AM

Threemuch- Will Cabezone Roe impair me like drinking to much Capt Morgans? Just joking thanks for the warning! Does this come from personal experience with roe recipes?

Predator Dawg · 02-28-2002, 02:18 PM

Chuck,

I figured someone would attempt that arguement. Pretty bad one when you consider hatcheries. Haven't seen a 'ling cod hatchery' myself. Plus, we all make noise about fishing for nates on their spawning beds. No real difference. But, since I have no data or hard facts to show that it may not be a good idea, and since all the bass fisherman do it (everyone who has watched those shows on Saturday morning knows they are a very intelligent, well educated group), then fish away.

Pilar · 02-28-2002, 02:42 PM

Forecast update, Saturday 15 kt wind N to NE. 2 ft sea, 6 ft swell

Sunday 1 ft sea, 4 ft swell 10 kt wind variable

You could do it in a johnboat on Sunday! It is almost never this calm.

Threemuch · 02-28-2002, 03:58 PM

Will_e

No experience about eatin cabbie eggs, I got it from book lernin. The best book there is about bottom fish is "Probably more than you wanted to know about the fishes of the pacific coast" by Dr. Milton Love.

It's a good read.

KB

will_e_fish · 02-28-2002, 04:22 PM

Threemuch-I am gonna look through my library and if I dont have I am certainly going to make sure I find it.
Thanks again!

blast and cast · 02-28-2002, 05:02 PM

Hope that the bar is calmer than today. Garabaldi was closed to 30 and under all day.

will_e_fish · 02-28-2002, 06:18 PM

Threemuch-I am gonna look through my library and if I dont have I am certainly going to make sure I find it.
Thanks again!

scrod · 02-28-2002, 06:50 PM

OK Pilar
If its that flat or close I'll be there. So what? Ya I know!

live to fish · 03-01-2002, 01:29 PM

I am thinking about going down to Garibaldi tomorrow and try for some lings do you think it will be good enough to go out?

Pilar · 03-01-2002, 02:29 PM

The weather has changed. It now looks like a Sunday show. Saturday has a bit more than the previously forecasted amount of wind. Sunday is still looking like the day before the storm on Monday. Still 4 to 5 ft swell and 2 ft sea with light winds.

So change my float plan to Sunday at Garibaldi.

blast and cast · 03-01-2002, 11:03 PM

Tillamook, as of 11:30 this morning was still closed to all vessels under 30 feet. It will need to lay down before the weekend.

Salmonator · 03-01-2002, 11:19 PM

I'm crossing the bar over at newport Sunday Johnboy. Crab, seabass and lingcod on the menu for Monday night. Looks like that ocean forcast is still holding.... Joe

Pilar · 03-03-2002, 04:54 AM

Well we're off. The forecast is 2 ft sea, 4 ft swell and a diminishing E wind. Report form the scene yesterday indicates large black rockfish, some lings and nice conditions.

Update when we return.

Giddy up ............

Pilar · 03-04-2002, 08:19 AM

Wow, what a day! This was the calmest day so far this year. We saw no whales but there were black porpoise spotted several times. The birds have not come in yet in any numbers. These rocks become covered in puffins pretty soon now.

The 3 arch rocks never looked so good. We drove around and took some nice pictures. As soon as I pry the data out of the camera I'll post some pictures.

Many black rockfish had by all. We worked the reefs right by the pyramid arch and just hammered the black rocks, 2 or 3 at a time. Pink shrimp flies, whole herring, 6 oz jigs and oil colored curly tails, squid all of these things worked well.

'Puffin' figured out the ling cod and caught and released many undersized and kept 3 and a limit of rockfish and huge Barnacle encrusted crab.

'Threemuch II' was just about done when we came out to play at low slack. They bagged 20 crab and 3 limits of bottom fish.

'Pilar' got 20 rockfish and 24 huge barnacle bill crab. Man, I forgot what ocean crab is all about. You can get 12 bay crabs in the cooker. Only 8 ocean crabs fit. We had to high grade as the boat was limited by the 4th trap. .... Let's see this one is missing a leg and this one has no barnacles ... which limits to keep, what a dilemma.

'Mintbrite' contacted us by VHF to report that they were maxed and relaxed. I saw the boat and did not know they were Ifishers until they were leaving.

'Son of an Okie' was out there with his apprentice fisher. They looked pretty businesslike as they went right to work on the rockfish after stopping by to say hi. How'd you do?

Shad was the bait for crab. The Garibaldi gas station/tackle store has something good for cheap. They have a roll of orange plastic mesh formed into a tube about 6" around when stretched. Slide a shad cut in 1/2 into the foot long mesh bag and tie it on your crab trap. All of my pots soaked for 3+ hours and most still had most of the bait.

They get $0.50 for these bait holders and they rock.

Sorry to hear about your boat woes Joe. Lucky it was so nice and your tow uneventful. We could only find blacks up here. It's really cool to hear about the variety you get around Newport.

Fishing freak · 03-04-2002, 08:54 AM

Pilar,

I was out with mint brite on sunday. WOW, what a day. The bad part is we limited to fast :grin:
We landed 2 undersize ling and had 1 get off that I am sure was a nice ling. Thanks for giving
us directions to the honey hole. All in all, 30 rock bass, 2 ling, 20 crabs ( 19 on the first pull, 3 pots). Hope to see you out there in the future!

Salmonator · 03-04-2002, 09:03 AM

Yes the variety is kinda neat. Two years ago we landed 4 tiger rockfish and three vermillions in one trip along with the other more common weird stuff. I would like to learn a few tips on catching cabezon rather than the incidentally. My favorite eats, next to yelloweye... Joe

Pilar · 03-04-2002, 09:20 AM

Joe, lots of Cabezon right next to the low hogsback that is just west of the Pyramid arch.

You have until May 15 and then they close the area because of nesting birds. Until then its fishon with a 4 oz jig head and white or oil colored twin tails. I catch lings there too but there are days when I get Cab after Cab and no lings.

Where is the tasty part on this ugly beast anyway? I always get two itty bitty filets as these things are all bone and gutbag. I release them.

Good to see you Mintbrite, nice looking boat.

Tuna town for you this year?

Son of an Okie · 03-04-2002, 02:16 PM

Good to meet you out there Pilar! Got one nice ling myself, the boy had two good ones on that came off. He did manage a nice cabazone though. We only kept 4 fish for the day, if they hit my freezer, iit ends up freezer burning. So I keep enough to keep me buzy over the frying pan for awhile and let the rest go. That's the nice thing about catching 'em in shallow water. Probably got a total of 10 ling cod (that's what we were targeting), most a little undersized, two barely legals we let go, and a nice 12-15 pounder. Four oz. jighead and a white 8" curly tail was the lure of choice. My son fished with herring most of the day and did well. I'll have to try the squid next trip, never thought of it before. WHAT A NICE OCEAN!!! 30-35 mph down and a solid 30 back without getting beat up! Those cabazone are mostly head and gut, but the best eating of anything you'll catch out there. Keep a couple for the fry pan next time. Pain in the neck to clean, but well worth the trouble when you're done.

03-04-2002, 02:22 PM

You told me so, huh Keith. :grin:

BUGLEMAN · 03-04-2002, 02:33 PM

Yes it was a great day Pilar. Thanks to Puffin for the ride, I really enjoyed the day, fish and company. I hope we get more July weather soon.

MintBrite · 03-04-2002, 04:14 PM

Thanks for the comlpiment on the boat Piliar. It's nice to put boats with all those names now. I hope to have mine ready for Halibut in May. It was originally my Dad's. I discovered my love of the ocean in it. Dad moth balled it about 5 yrs. ago and now I'm slowly getting it ready for the sea again. Plus it's giving me a chance to give back to him what he gave to me. I can actually understand what boat means now( Break Out Another Thousand)! I still don't have alot of confidence in the rebuilt power plant but with time on the water-longer trips, I'll be ready for the tuna!

Pilar · 03-05-2002, 12:32 PM

Here's some pics of the scenery.

That's why I go there ....

Captain and Marie · 03-05-2002, 12:59 PM

I was there on sunday fishing in my Maxweld sled.

It was the most perfect fishing day of the year

and we did well.

I didn't have a camera, and thank you so much for

these pictures! Marie tried to get me to buy

a disposalable camera but ran out the door too

quick. I'm putting these pictures on my

webshot.com screensaver. They are super!

Thanks,

Captain Dennis @ Tillamook Bait Company
www.tillamookbait.com

hustlerrjim · 03-05-2002, 01:36 PM

if you go to the home page youll find the bouy reports all along the west coast
this is the most important peice of imformation you can find be fore you head out to the big blue.now that summer is coming, check this out.eg if the swells at the columbia river are 5 ft. or higher i know i ain't getting out at nehahlem.i can't stress how valuable this is and how much it means to your safety.i wouldn't think of going out on the ocean without checking the bouys.