Color matters

[Threemuch]

The long boat ride out of the CR we had on Saturday reminded me once again how important water color is. We had all the other ingredients. Temp was 59-61 deg, life was everywhere, birds, whales, but the water was green at best, grey at worst.

All this just reaffirms something I already believed. If you can't find the blue/green water transition you are not going to find fish. The fish may be in green water, but the blue won't be far.

First time I have been blanked on the tuna in about 5 years. I know puffin is laughing, he gave me a bunch of trouble about it being too early still. How was the salmon fishing? :grin: Man, I sure hope those fish show up soon!!

At least we picked up some fresh bottomfish for the table, and had a good time with great crew. Thanks again, Tom.

[kamloops]

I'm starting to feel like Mel, 0-2 on last 2 trips.

Final chase last Oct 10, 2004, lots of sign but no fish.
I remember an overnight charter out of Warrenton spanked them pretty good out at 90miles +. The jig boats this weekend were getting pretty good scores out past the 125.40 line. Looks like we stopped short, it tough to plan your day without a good SST photo.

I'm starting to think you run till you see the stinkin fish or you run out of fuel.

[Pilar]

Or one of your buddies hands you a radio fish. Thanks Retaliate for the tip Saturday. We switched from crow choked down cold to albacore served cold with wasabi in a 20 minute boat ride to the hot bite.

[Uglygreen]

Kurt - have you tried looked at the Chlorophyll charts on Terrafin yet? I know they are avalible and have seen them, but havnt had much expirence using them. In theory, they should show where the blue water is sitting.

Brad

[Uglygreen]

From the terrafin site:

Understanding the charts - Simply put, the charts indicate the concentration of chlorophyll in the water, measured in milligrams per cubic meter. High levels of chlorophyll will be represented by the red / yellow colors, low levels will be shown as blue shades on the chart. We've used a different color palette just to keep the charts differentiated from the SST's.

Interpreting the information - Chlorophyll in the water is generally produced by plankton, so what we are in effect measuring is the amount of plankton (food!) in the water. High levels of chlorophyll should indicate off color, nutrient rich water. Lower levels of chlorophyll should indicate cleaner water, and hopefully the very low levels will indicate clean blue water. Remember that the clean blue water is also most likely very low in nutrients. So the best combination for Tuna fishing would be to find where the clean blue water (assuming the temp is good) meets an area with a higher level of plankton. That area will be more likely to hold baitfish and to concentrate the fish. Sounds like we're fishing temp breaks, doesn't it? Essentially, we've probably been fishing plankton breaks all along. For Salmon fishing, you typically look for the nutrient rich, off-color water. In that case, then you want the areas on the chart with the higher levels, shown in red / yellow. Again I would assume that some kind of edge would be best.

Brad

[Onokai]

I just looked up the Chlorophyll chart on Terrafin from the 20th. The water out past the 125 line back then is not clear blue but looks dirty. There is no current shot due to cloud cover. This new service may make for a few less rund into murky warm water. I have made 1 tuna run this year and the Chlorophyll chart showed what I saw outsde. Water was clean wher the map said it would be. Mark

[Miss B Haven]

I'm starting to feel like Mel, 0-2 on last 2 trips.

No way Tom, your getting out at least. I'm about to call it till next year. :depressed:

[kamloops]

Mel


You can always fish with me, you may be the only crew that will after last weekend's bust.

[CATCH AND EAT]

Nawh Tom, I'd fish with ya anytime especially if you had two positions open for persons that are willing to contribute as crew. Those fish are out there and we will get on them when they move in a bit more.

[HOGGEMIN]

Thanks for a great time fishing on saturday Tom the catching was the only thing slow but we were fishing and we had a lot better chance than if we sat on the couch and watched fishing on TV.

Don't count this crew member out buddy we will get into TUNA soon and we will take revenge for your last Two trips...........Here fishy fishy

[KeyWest]

Water color - Kurt, I generally agree with you, but the best trip I had last year was in the green water around the commercial bait boats. I was running to the blue water but decided to cut it short as the tuna started jumping in front of the boat (always a good sign).

In general, however, to think your going to catch tuna prior to the blue water is wishfull thinking.

Sounds like a good bite over the weekend at 46-02 X 125-45. A measly 70 miles outside of 2SJ. I guess we were 1/2 the distance required.

Thanks for the good company!

[Sensei-san]

Like Kurt my nephew, Capt. Rich of the SYDNEY MAE is a firm believer in the color of the water. He says that if the water is not that turquoise blue then you are wasting your time. I guess it is genetic as my uncle believed the same thing when he was a tuna fisherman in San Pedro. Chlorophyll has some impact but the most important factor is that water. It is the tuna express currents that bring the fish and the water color.

That is why I look for the 16 degree edge that works its way up from the south. It usually is a good indicator of the warm currents working their way north. The disconnected pockets of 16 degree water off Oregon and Washington right now are not the same as the currents that come north.

Sure a few cold water scouts can make it up to swim around in the warm pockets but that does not make for a continuous or steady bite. I still say that a really hot tuna bite is still a week away. If you look at terrafin, the currents seem to have made it to Brookings but not reliably north of there near shore.