Humbolt Squid Caught While Rockfishing

Just like Forrest Gump once said, "Life is like a box of chocolates...You never know what you're gonna get". Lake Pacific has provided me, once again, with this fascination. Saturday was no exception. . .

I had the invite from Brad (GreenButtSkunk), to go fish for some rockfish and maybe in-shore halibut. I jumped at the opportunity! My friend Dylan (ZodiakFisherman), and I cruised over to Little Italy early Saturday morning to join Brad and Dan (74 CJ5). It was so cold Saturday morning, that the walk ramp going down to Big Tuna Marine was iced over. Sliding down with rods, bags, food, etc, we clumsily made our way to the boat, like deer on ice. Once it began to get light, we made our way out of the marina.



We found our depth, shut down the boat and dropped the baits. We were in search of in-shore halibut.
Not more than 5 minutes later, a loud PFFFFSSHHHHHHHH sound came up RIGHT where I was staring! A baby humpback whale peeked its head up, took a breath, and I swear it was staring right at us, curious as we were. Brad looks and says, "I wonder where Mama is..." A few seconds later, here comes Big Mama, swimming behind her calf. Such a massive and beautiful creature! Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera at the time...only a rod and reel...
Once we found our halibut spot, we made a few drifts at different depths. Unfortunately, they didn't produce. What we did notice, is TONS of jellyfish floating below us. You could see them at all depths.


We decided to run up to a reef he knew of and tried a few drifts there. A few drifts brought numorous rockfish, quillbacks, and lingcod. Here's Dylan with one of the smaller Lings.


Dan also got into a nice ling on the same drift.


We picked up lines and ran back up for another drift and Dylan hooks into a pretty large fish... or so we thought. He said he couldn't feel any real headshakes...just long pulls. but fought him good. Line would peel off the reel at times. He finally got it up to color and we noticed it was a HUMBOLDT SQUID!




We honestly didn't know what we should do with it. I grabbed the underwater video camera and started filming. It was amazing the way this thing would shoot down 20ft, but get pulled right back up. What looks like its mouth, is really a vent...for the mouth is really the beak in the middle~



I actually got some pretty good video! Had great clarity in the water!
We decided not to keep the squid, and it eventually popped off the line so we didn't have to deal with it!

That reef produced all kinds of 'creatures from the deep'.
Another fish pulled up this weekend was this Ratfish we caught, while fishing for some inshore halibut.






This was another first for me, aside from the Squid and the Humpbacks.

We didn't have a lot of time to fish, and we wanted to be back inside before the bar started standing up. Although we didn't get our halibut, we still had a great time, a few firsts, and a few Lings for the dinner table.

Hope its not the last run of 2008!
Had to end the day with an Ice cold Fat Tire.

Thanks again, Brad!

Crabs vs. the Bloods...Gang Signs!

While crabbing one fine day, we came across this little girl. She looked like she must have wandered up the Willamette, then back out to the ocean, then up this estuary. She definitely was interesting to look at. and still had a way to grab that chicken~! It was throwing up gang signs when I picked it up. I was worried it was gonna have its other crab buddies do a drive-by on my boat or something?!

Chinook Report- Bonneville Fishery

We went up to the Bonneville dam early in the day, to show my brother and a friend, the fish ladder, viewing window, etc. The fish counter lady was there and was SOOOO informative! I'm impressed with what those people can do!


She was there at her keyboard, just counting everything that went by, and I mean there were ALOT of fish that went by!



She, and others there, have been blown away at the Sockeye numbers, and are totally excited to see such numbers. (I figured she WOULDN'T be too happy because of all those numbers she has to count. )
I'm glad to see these counters enjoy what they do and are VERY willing to talk, and tell you anything you'd like to know.

After being held up by a barge running through the locks, we headed down to the Fishery to launch.



Saw quite a few bald eagles and ospreys, and multiple confrontations between the two.


This one, I was fortunate enough to catch on film! Great aerial displays by both.



I noticed the osprey liked staying above the eagle, while continuing to bombard it, mid-air. The eagle would spin upside-down to ward off the threat. Great to watch nature in action!



We tried a few areas with no success. Later we ran up toward the Shad Rack, and hooked a few shad, and had a few oversized gators breach near our boat.


My brother hooked one nice chinook that took off and POP!...was off. After pulling up the gear, we noticed that it straightened out two of the hooks on the treble. Thought it might be a gator, but we could tell by the way it fought it was a salmon.


We decided to call it, after hearing it was fairly slow up there for other boats as well, and headed back to Salem.




Saw some great scenery along the way, and had an amazing time, even without the bonus. Sure wish the season was longer... Oh well, I hope to get up there for URBs!


...Until next time, Chinook!!!....

Astoria Sturgeon and Battleships

I was fortunate enough to get an invite sturgeon fishing out of Astoria with RODACTION (Ken), and his friend Doug, last week. Two Great guys to fish with! My brother went along, and we made our way up the coast to Astoria. One great part of being out there when we were, was that the United States Navy ships were coming in...so it was nice to share the water with such powerful company.


This next shot looks almost like another shot I think I've taken...just not a battleship below that copter...


We had to move around in the morning on the outgoing tides to different depths. We finally moved into some deeper holes and started getting some action. The fish were breaching all over. Was great to see those things come out of the water.


After a couple upper-30"s, let go, My brother gets into one that was 44 1/2"

Close but no Cigar...

Here he his with his fish. Look at that Loomis bend...


It had sores on the top of the head, along with the majority of the others we caught. We weren't sure what they were bumping up against, or rubbing on, or what... Here's one that we released, you can see the spots.


Just imagine if this was what you saw when diving and it was a 15ft'er!!


The bite turned on during the incoming tide, later in the day and we scored the rest of our keepers. I got into my first keeper here. Thanks Ken!~



The bites were few and far between, but the ones that stuck, were of quality fish. All fish were caught on sandshrimp and anchovies. Ken had a great way of putting that boat right on the fish. Its definitely good to go with someone that has it dialed in. We were the only boat back at the dock with limits that early.


All four fish were between 49-53"
We had a blast fishing with these guys! Hope to do it again soon! Btw, he has a Kicka$$ boat!

November Yellowtail!

Here I was, sitting at work, Saturday afternoon, watching golfers beat the ball around out on the range. Checking the computer every few minutes for an update, I'd wait to see how the Tuna guys were doing. I saw Chad's post from Bud, talking of fish in the boat. Didn't sound like a monster day for numbers, but hey, any tuna in October is a great sign!

Later that afternoon, I get the call from Bud. I hear how they did, and the other boats that were out. I got work cleared and made preperations for a Sunday Run...which could quite possibly be the last Tuna Trip of the Year. I called Dylan (Z. Fisherman) to join us.

He and I cruised over to Garibaldi first thing Sunday morning to meet up with Bud and Dave (Beer Wagon). We left dock around 7am. At some point on that dock I heard Bud mumble, "Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning..." This is a preface as to what was to come..


The bay was littered with smaller salmon boats, anxiously awaiting that first-light salmon bite. I mean LITTERED. We had to dodge our way out through the mine field of boats. Finally, we were to the tips and noticed a realitively flat bar. It was an easy crossing. Up to 25 knots we rose, gliding over 5' swells with ease, due to the length and duration between each swell.


Calm seas and little wind accompanied us on the way out.

The water started clearing up pretty quick and before we knew it we were into bright blue water. We threw out trolling gear and made our way West in 58.5 degree water.

A large dragger was up ahead and we made our way that direction. We noticed alot of bird activity, most of which were albatross. We trolled through them a few times when the first rod went off. Up to the boat came Sr. Albacore!


We caught him on a Cedar Plug Chain. First fish in the boat. This brought a little ease off our shoulders for the rest of the trip.

In this same vicinity, we hooked up again. This one ran and fought differently, shooting from side to side. As it came up, we heard "Yellowtail!" We made sure THIS fish wasn't getting away! He attacked one of the spreader bars. Here's a scary fella, brandishing a bloody knife and a glare that could kill. Oh wait, it's just Dave.


We each wanted a picture with this one. This next one is Dylan.


...and finally, yours truly...


Our first exotic of the year, and what a time for it to come....OCTOBER?!

We spotted a few schools of jumpers, but they remained pretty shy of the boat. We hooked up a couple others, but somehow they came unbuttoned. Managed to get another nice-sized albie in the boat.


Around noon, the wind started kickin up from the South. This bumped the forcast up to more of a 3 and 5 forcast. We started seeing some sheep which made spotting jumpers almost impossible. at this point, we started trolling west and eventually pick up and ran.


The ride home definitely was not as comfortable as the ride out. With that southerly, the chop was nearing 4-5 ft.

We slid in across the bar before it really had a chance to stand up.



All in all, it was a successful mission. The yellowtail just brought that extra bit of energy and enthusiasm.


Driving back around the bay, headed for home, made for some good picture opportunities as well.

Wow, what a difference a few hours make. That morning, the Ghost Hole was PACKED! Not to mention pretty rough
... and now, at sunset,...calm and quiet... no boats.


Great year. Thanks Bud, I've had some great trips and memories! What a great way to end the 2007 Oregon Tuna Season!

....Or IS it the last? ...can't tell with Bud