Weekend tuna

[Nordic Sun]

Saturday I learned how much weight my boat could not plane with. There were four of us, and five coolers, 4 full with ice, 2 15 gallon barrels of spare gasoline. I could not get on plane. As a result we could not make it all the way to the best fishing area before I had to stop and fish where I was.

We did see all the stuff all the rest of you saw but not as much. We lost four and landed one tuna, (Me thinks 30 lb line might be a little light).

Whaler Addict waited for us at the mouth of the CR at the end of the day to make sure we had enough fuel to get home, THANKS JOHN! (Leave no dog behind). We made it home with a few gallons to spare, but well outside my safety margin.

Sunday, (with one and a half coolers of ice and one less fisherman), we arrived at KEY WEST'S numbers late because of tides and bar concerns(thanks Dean, He is one Alpha Dog) . Key West is going home with a boat full of tuna just when we start fishing.

We ended up with only 6 Tuna, but all were 30+lb, and the three of us had smiles so big our faces still hurt.
:grin:
If it was the last dance, it was a BALL! (pun intended)
Bob

[KeyWest]

Bob - glad you got into em - trolling or live bait?

[Nordic Sun]

WE used live bait. After your post last week about 40# test line working and 80# test line not working I found a spool of 30 # and tied up the size one hooks.

I think I will tie up some 50# and see if works.

The live bait show is so much fun! Holding the guy back so he dosen't touch the rod for a 6 count was a hoooooot!

I can't wait for the next dance..... I feel like John Travolta "stayin alive....stayin alive... oo oo oo oo stayin alive"

[KeyWest]

Laugh - the new guy we had on Saturday "how will I know when I get a bite?" - Answer - well, when it takes out about 100 yards - it's a good bite. I also had a bass fisherman on board saturday - lots of problems with him wanting to "set the hook" as soon as he felt a nibble. He also broke two live bait poles. I've had bass fisherman set the hook so hard on a salmon that the diver goes sailing over the top of the boat.

[tracker]

We had 20lb test on two rods and 25lb on two rods. We just had to loosen the drags and wear them out. Now about all the ice you were carrying. If you came from the washington side why carry that much? We carked it all out there and had just barley enough ice. Just a bit more and that would have been perfect. But had we been out there for just one day then it was more than enough. If you are going to get live bait and the boat is on a trailer why not go to Illlwaco and cark them at sea? When we passed each other on sunday it looked as though you were a bit low then? And the bar on the way back in on sunday was perfectly flat. I kept wondering where the bad water was going to be? It just never materialized. Guess that was to make up for saturday morning when we crossed.

[Nordic Sun]

Well......
1st it is my understanding that to bring back to the dock anything but the whole fish except fot guts, is illegal!

2nd if it was legal to cark at sea we all would be doing just that and not buying totes of ice.

3rd if it was legal we wouldn't have worked so hard to try and get the fish cleaning station built in Ilwaco, ( I said tried)

4th It's against the law, and after paying the gas bill, I can't afford the fine.

[tracker]

In oregon it is against the law! Not washington. There is no limit either for them in washington. And no license is needed either. Not unless something has really changed? Someone else help me out here? I am right I believe?

[KeyWest]

I know it the past the Oregon regs said you have to bring in the fish whole - but I've just searched there regs and can't find that now. Where is this? I don't cark as sea due to what I recall from the past.

Can someone help me out here - is it legal to filet tuna at sea or not? A reference to the section in the regs would help.

Some folks are concerned about using live bait for salmon. It's fine in the regs - look at page 7 of the regs - http://www.dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/...nglingregs.pdf

Use of Fish for Bait
1. It is unlawful to transport live fish between bodies of water.
2. Live fish may not be used or held for use as bait, except live nongame fish may be used in the ocean, bays and tidewaters
when taken from the waterbody in which they will be used.
3. Dead fish, preserved fish, or parts of fish, shellfish and fish eggs may be used as bait.

[tracker]

Yes in oregon that is true! It can not be carked at sea but it is ok in washington. You have a trailer and you go to Illwaco anyway so why not just trailer over. It can not be too much more in gas in fact maybe less. Then think about all the tuna you could keep and the lower amount of ice needed. And again in washington I believe the regs state that tuna are a non game fish and thus do not need a license. resident or not!

[KeyWest]

Well again - a reference to the place in the regs where this says it would be great - I can't find it!!!

[whaleraddict]

What a great weekend :smile:. Even though my bait tank malfunctioned and most my bait was dead by the time we got out there :depressed:. I learned a lot watching Keywest, Minaki, and Proline sneak in on the fish and slaughter them. Sorry Proline, I almost ran through the middle of a schiool you were working. I was fooling with my GPS and not paying close attention :blush:. I had three 5 gallon tanks of gas ready for you Bob. Glad you made it ok. My new power sure worked great and gave me a lot more range. Hope we get another shot at them.

[Woody]

Tracker's right;

Here's a link to the WDFW page

Look in the "Harvest and Possession rules" section under "You May;"

[whaleraddict]

WOW, that is good news. I am an oregon resident but purchase both Oregon and Washington Licenses. I moor in Ilwaco so I should be ok. Thanks Tracker and Woody for clarifying the subject.

[tracker]

:grin:

[8knots]

Carking at sea is the only way to go. I think it was Tracker who pointed out the WA regs on this earlier in the year. Thanks for calling it to our attention.

[wdlfbio]

Yep. I remember Tracker taking a bashing months back too. I never could understand why. No sense in carrying all the extra mass/volume of useless TUNA! parts to have to dump in the home garbage. Plus, micro-organisms and gulls gotta eat too when out at sea :smile: Might as well cark at sea if it's safe enough to whittle a fillet knife around (for WA). Live bait is OK. Carking is OK. No license is OK.

[fish Addict80]

He asked about Oregon not washington. Where in the regs for OREGON does it say no carking at sea?

[Smoked Salmon]

I would have gladly carked at sea rather than lift those coolers off the back of ODIN. We had plenty of time while Bob was reeling in that last fish. I bet I could have carked ten fish before he was done with that one.

Thanks to Bob for the fantastic trip. Also to Dean, Bernie, and all the rest of the Dogs that ran to the tuna grounds. I feel much safer when I can see other boats, and we even had the fly over courtesy of the USCG. It was a beautiful weekend on the blue.

Bill

[Nordic Sun]

Boy I sure hope I am wrong and your are right!!!!!!
As you said, we all have thought about it, wouldn't it be nice if............

I am sure WDFW will get a few phone calls today.

[WaterDog]

From the Washington Regs as posted in the link by Woody, it says............

You May:
Clean or portion fish or shellfish while in the field with the following exceptions: It is unlawful for
an angler to fail to retain proof of compliance
with species, size, number, weight, sex or wild
or hatchery origin restriction, if such restrictions
apply, until the angler is ashore and has fi nished
fi shing for the day. For all ROCKFISH species
and for fi sh with a length restriction, anglers
must retain the fi sh carcass until coming ashore
to comply with the above rule. This does not
apply if the catch is in the process of being
prepared for immediate consumption.

EDIT:

From the Oregon Regs, page 8 "General Restictions"......

Unlawful to mutilate any marine fish so that size or species cannot determined prior to landing or to transport mutilated fish across state water.

Just takes a little time to read through the regs is all. :smile:

[Goodidea]

Does that mean that if we land in Washington first. Then we can go on to Oregon?

[CATCH AND EAT]

no. If you land in Washington your fish must be offloaded before heading to an Oregon Port if you do not want a ticket for fish mutilation. Seems like a pretty dumb rule by ODFW but....

Saturday and Sunday were ideal days to cark at sea but there are days when holding on is the best idea. Thanks tracker for the information and I believe Cindy Lou's Tuna trips will be much lighter in nature next year. Heck, might be able to put that 55 gallon live well on like Kamloops was chatting about.

[greatone28]

Myself and kraken33 ended up with 16 tuna for fishing 1.5 days. 1.5 days you might ask? I am only counting Sunday as half a day since we didnt start fishing until about Noon. But Sunday for us was the best day. We set the boat record of 10 fish by 6pm. 10 fish for 2 guys fishing was a blast.

We didnt have any live bait but we kinda figured out how to get on those shy tuna a little better on Sunday after we put so many jumpers back down on Saturday.

Nice to talk to Tracker, and I believe I breifly chatted with Odin at the ramp on Sunday. We were commenting on how many coolers you had in that boat.

Hope to meet somemore of you guys at some upcomming TA meetings.

[Zodiac-Fisherman]

Greatone.

Hey what happened with you stayin overnight?

Seas were excellent my freind...

You would've saved some petrol too..

[Lip Rip'r]

Well again - a reference to the place in the regs where this says it would be great - I can't find it!!!

Page 16 –
Fishing Licenses are not required for:
• Albacore tuna, common carp, crawfish, bullfrogs, smelt or unclassified marine invertebrates (see seasons and limits).
• Juveniles 14 years of age and younger (Catch


Page 23 – You May:
Clean or portion fish or shellfish while in the field
with the following exceptions: It is unlawful for
an angler to fail to retain proof of compliance
with species, size, number, weight, sex or wild
or hatchery origin restriction, if such restrictions
apply, until the angler is ashore and has finished
fishing for the day. For all ROCKFISH species
and for fish with a length restriction, anglers
must retain the fish carcass until coming ashore
to comply with the above rule. This does not
apply if the catch is in the process of being
prepared for immediate consumption.

Not sure how "compliance with species" applies if the cark has been tossed overboard.




Page 96 – Tuna – No Limit

[greatone28]

Zodiac,
I am sure that it was a great night out there. We forgot all of out bait that we were going to use for night fishing as well as most of our food.

Crew morale after saturday was pretty low. After hearing about the success of the live bait we were going to go back in and get some for sunday.

Next time I am totally down for an overnighter. I even had the portable dvd player on board.

Glad you guys had such a good trip. It was funny to pass you guys coming in on our way out on sunday. :smile:

[tracker]

That is the beauty of the overnight trip. You can come on in early on the second day and get home at a decent time. Fuel was greatly saved also. 70 less miles traveled!

[greatone28]

Yeah I hear ya on the fuel savings. Anytime spent at the gas station these days are not fun. What kind of mileage you get with your yamaha?

It was nice to find the fish so close the 2nd day.

[CATCH AND EAT]

Tracker please do not take what I am about to say personally because that is not necessarily the intent. This last weekend was a very rare weekend and I would venture to say a safer time to try this but....

Those of you that stay out overnight on smaller boats really need to think carefully about what you are doing and about the lives you have in your care. I would never be comfortable staying outside like that in my 23' Trophy because the unexpected can and does happen from time to time. (check whaleraddict post for yesterdays bar experiece and sudden swell increase as an example).

I have seen a lot of folks talk of spending the night out there that have little or no experience in doing so yet they are excited about trying this. IMHO this area of the pacific is not the place to do this in little kicker boats with inexperienced captains at the helm. I am not about to put myself or crewmates at risk doing this. It is bad enough running in the dark and fog like I did saturday and polishing my prop twice. Big blue is not so forgiving as the Ilwaco channel.

I guess what I am saying is please don't throw caution at the wind and do something like this because others are. Have respect for the ocean and really know what you are doing and have all the appropriate safety devices aboard. I just don't want to see and ifish brother in trouble. And please don't take this post as a scolding to any particular person or group because that is certainly not the intent. I posted this because I care about all of you.

End of sermon to the choir.

[skein]

C&E,



Skein

[tracker]

about two miles to the gallon. That was running around fast also! The seas were so good it was hard not to speed along.

[Zodiac-Fisherman]

C&E,The crew of the "Just Keep Fishing" had brought up this idea to capt dave, and with careful planning, and preparation, we pulled it off without a hitch. We all as a crew knew what we were getting into. I agree that there are plenty of folks out there who have pondered upon the idea of venturing out to the big blue and crashing for the night. This should not even be an idea unless the conditions are excellent, and a wing man or more would be smart. Also it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a capt's license, or navigational aid training. Also having the necessary safety equip is a must.Be smart out there.Fish on!D

[tracker]

Advice well taken and no offense taken. While out there we watched the weather, listened to the weather reports. Up until the moment of sunset there was no decision set in stone. The decision was mine and conditions were such that it was a go. Ithink that what happened at the bar on monday was something entirely different. The bar area is always something to be concerned with. As recent events show! When I run in the dark I will not run fast. 10 miles an hour is about my max. What scares me is hearing people out there calling around seeing if anyone has extra gas! I have always gone by one thing when I am out there on big blue. I guess you would say it is a sixth sense of sorts. "When the hair on the back of my neck stands up, I call the trip." I have called trips just after arrival offshore because of an uneasy feeling. Nothing I could put my finger on but we went back. That is all any of us can do is go with our experience and make the best decisions we can. That is why I made sure that I had all the gear I could get to make the boat as safe as possible. There is no one that is worrying more about all that can go wrong than I when I am out there. I have a family waiting at home like most of us that would miss me. My four year old daughter and I always say a prayer together, just before I leave on one of my trips. I do not want to leave her without a father. But I am who I am! I believe though that I am in more danger driving to and from the ports than I am when I am out there. Now if my time comes and I am lost out there I hope that the decussion here will be about how I lived my life and not about how I died. Oh and yes if someone will make some comments about my videos!

[CATCH AND EAT]

Keep in mind Dylan I was not trying to implicate Trackers crew at all since I knew he had done this before. Just saying I have seen some talk here and was concerned.

[FASTWATER]

I have spent many nights out on the big blue through the years!! I also have spent my life on the water because it was my job,family was commercial fisherman. Spending the night on the water in any boat under lets say 40 foot to me is plain dangerous!! If your 30 or 40 miles off the beach and something does happen getting help or to the help in the dark when your tired and things turn to crap would not be something I personnelly would want to be responsible for at any cost I agree as a unlimited tonnage coast guard licensed captain I refuse to do it heck I don't care how hot the bite is or what fuel cost at dark I want to be on the beach thanking god for another beautiful day!!!PEACE

[greatone28]

I have not only talked about doing it but did do it a few weeks ago out of Garibaldi. It is just like Tracker said. It is not a definate until the sun has set, and you have carefully planned to stay out well before you left the dock.

You put yourself in the best situation you can. Be prepared! I would not do it without radar,chartplotter, radar reflector, etc..... That is just me personally though. Do what you feel you are comfortable with. But I hear you C&E that it is definately not something for just anyone.

PS if anyone would have really needed fuel on Sat, I had 20 gallons in cans that could have been available. It didnt sound like the need was imminent but I was listening just in case.

[kamloops]

Fastwater

It ain't the going out part, it's the coming back part at 3:00am from a blow that came up and your buddy lost a windshield and his electronics. And hope you time it right and the Bars open. Don't even ask how I know that.

[whaleraddict]

Very Well Said Bernie .