Oregon Tuna Classic 2006- Garibaldi, Oregon

Team Eat Me Lures (i.e. MYRTLE BEE), was made up of myself, John, Paul, and Milt.



We ended up with 27 fish.

Sadly, we left a smokin' hot bite and were putting fish in the boat every couple mins. Jumpers and birds crashing the surface, but time became a factor and we had to pick up and bolt in.

Ran 25 knots both ways. the way out was pretty lumpy. We caught air a few times. You could hear the props spinning freely......then BAMMM! but we kept on running hard, and left most of the boats behind.



The one boat that kept up, another Cabo, ran slightly north, as well as us. We seemed to be the only two that initially headed that direction (that we could see). That other boat loaded up the 48 fish. and we came in second with 27.

We jigged up live bait the night before.



(and tried the throw nets...I got like 30 in one cast!) but that was a fluke..next cast?....5.

Milt got some great exercise rippin lips (and eyeballs) of some of those longfinners.



Anyway, caught a few on traps and kept the school at the boat with the live bait being thrown out. Rest came on jigs.



Bloody Decks found our boat with each fish. Here's Paul with a nice hawg!



I even had time to slip into one of the pictures.



The OTC committee, chairmen, and all sponsers that made this tournament possible, and of course the Coast Guard, did a FANTASTIC job putting this event together. Thank you to all; Bud, Mike, John, etc. You've created a wonderful memory in my head that will never escape! Thanks guys, you're a true class act!

Shark Attack on the Seelicious!

While pounding some TUNA! this summer with Seelicious, one fish fought a little differently than the rest.

As it got near the boat, it took a deathdive. On the electronics, you could see the fish dive to almost 75 feet. I finally turned the fish and started bringing it back up.. As it rose to 30 ft or so, it became heavier and the fight was more like a large salmon.
I knew what happened at this point, since there had been a couple sharks in the area recently. We already had a double on, so once one fish was in the boat, we focused on mine. We could see Color at that point, as the fished came up from under the boat. However, this tuna had about 5-6 ft of black shadow attached to it. ...Longer tuna than we were used to!
We grabbed the leader, gaffed the fish, and at that point, the shark thrashed its head side-to-side, and ripped off the back half of that Tuna. We brought the tuna up, looked at it quivering. That shark was determined to take its piece. After it was over, I got half, and it got half. ..BUT I GOT THE GOOD HALF!
...It really got a butt-chewin! ,,,,okay bad joke. hahah!

Anyway, I only had my camera phone, so the detail isn't that great. here's a picture once we got the fish and put it on ice.



Here's a closer look. Check out the teeth marks shredding the skin just up from the main wound. I can't even imagine if that were an arm!

Blue Water Vs. Green Water

People ask me "does the water really turn Blue out there?!"

I tell them yes, its quite distinct, however, nothing is better than seeing it for yourself as you run right through the rip. Kelp, birds, green water everywhere on one side...

..and albatross, clean clear blue water on the other


You can definitely see the transition


...Oh, and a few Tuna!