A Big Siletz River Fall Chinook

Got to fish the Siletz with Gary and Dan this morning.   I had to work in the afternoon so it was going to be a shortened trip.   We launched at a new launch this time... The Siletz Moorage, just above the 101 bridge.   The owners are the nicest people and everyone should give these people their business.   They are happy to help with anything you need, donate fish bags, etc.

After putting the boat in, we trolled upriver with an incoming tide with no runs, no hits, and no errors.  We turned around and headed back down.   I was running the kicker while holding my rod straight out the back, rather than using the rod holders.  I felt a SMACK on my line, then looked back in time to see it buckle numorous times.  I finally lift up and set the hook.  FISH ON!!  A couple screaming runs, as well as a trip under the boat and back around later, the fish began to tired and swam in to Gary's new net, that had only been used twice now.... Both of MY Siletz fish!~   Sorry, Gary, had to christen the net for ya.....Twice!
This fish was pushing 30lbs!   ...One of my largest salmon in the past few years!

Around noon, they dropped me off to clean my fish while they trolled out front and checked the crab pots.   As Gary was letting out his line, BAM!  I hear the commotion from land and yell out to them.  I grabbed my camera and was able to document the whole fight in just a few pics...

A nice 10lb coho!   Congrats!   These fish, along with limits of large crab are going to make for some great dinner tonight...

Crab Cake-Stuffed Salmon!  MMmmmm!

Bon Apetite!

Chinook Salmon w/ Johnny Bowles

Johnny Bowles, of JB And Water Guide Service,  invited me on board to fish with him last week.   He has some openings, so I bolted over the hill to meet him at the dock at 6:30am.   I got there early to take a few pictures before we headed out.

We had two clients in the boat that we needed to get onto some fish.   The weather was barely nice enough to let us out for the morning.

Winds were scheduled to come up by afternoon, so we tried to fish as much as possible, early.  We got the okay from the coasties that the bar was open and off we went.

We started fishing just out in the bubble.  Herring were deployed and waiting for action.

Not more than a couple mins before my rod hits hard and starts taking line.   I quickly grab the rod, set the hook, and hand it to the gentleman in the back of the boat.   "Take the rod",  I said.   Al was his name.   A father and son combination that had come along.  His father played the fish great, all the way back to the boat.   We saw it was a coho and had to release it.   The regulations for this area were no coho, wild or hatchery, could be taken from the ocean...ONLY from INSIDE the jaws.    Well, we were outside, so off he swam to live another day.  After this it was non-stop.   We couldn't keep the coho salmon off our lines.   These fish were getting large and almost could be mistaken for chinook.  Some were in the upper teens!    Pelicans and gulls were diving everywhere!

Baitballs were being pushed up to the surface by the fish underneath, and the birds would dive and have their way with the bait from the air.

The water was black with anchovies as we drove the boat through these giant black balls of bait.    Each trip through one of these bait balls brought the rods screaming.   Doubles!    Triples!   Coho action everywhere!   We had some definite fire drills on board.   Finally, after weeding through 20 or more coho, we found a couple chinook for the clients!   They were happy and so were we.

What a great day and thanks to JB for the invite!   I love getting out on the salt and just enjoying the world out there!

Siletz River Fall Chinook

Met up with Gary and Guide, Kelly Short for a morning incoming tide.   We trolled downcurrent til it switched and started coming back up the river.   

Once it was on the way back in, we anchored down with wrapped kwikfish.

Nearing the end of the trip weeds were floating by.  and I mean WEEDs!  haha

Found this 4-5ft pot plant just floating down the river. 

We decided to haul it in, and throw it into the next boat up, (another guide friend) and mention how bad the weeds were in the river!~

Was a great day for me!  Hooked one nice 20 lb'er on the troll and one other good kwiky take-down.  That was all for the day...then I had to go to work for the afternoon.

Garibaldi Ocean/Tuna Fun!

My friend Chris saw a weather window and brought his travel trailer, as well as his boat, over for a month or two, from Idaho.   I drove over and  joined him for a couple days.

He brought his family over as well, and we got his son into some nice fish, also!   He caught some tuna and ling cod and had a great time!

The crabbing was phenomenal!

Many limits and fresh-cooked crab each night..   Mmmmm!


We found a new "Honey Hole" for lings and other rockfish that supplied us with some entertainment, as well as meat for the freezer.   We got his son into this nice ling for dinner..

One day, we saw flat ocean and brought his son out with us.    We headed west for tuna...

By noon, we had already caught 10 tuna and were grinning ear-to-ear.  The sun was shining, the dolphins were playing, and we decided to get some video footage.

It was time to go in for some salmon.    Not more than 30 mins. into fishing, we scored two 20lb chinook!

Got to watch the Coasties doing some practice out there in the evening.  Was amazing watching the waves kick up!

The winds came up by evening and I went out to Barview to watch the sun set on an awesome day!

36 Tuna, Risso Dolphins, out of Depoe Bay

We noticed a weather window opening up, so Chris loaded the truck and headed west.  I met him at Depoe Bay, where we launched the boat.   Another friend joined us for what turned out to be an amazing day on the water.  The tuna were close that day.   Only 22 miles!  We headed west, out of the hole, to the tuna grounds!    Another flat ocean day!  While out trolling, we came upon a pod of Risso Dolphins.
The were leisurely breaching, tail-slapping, and swimming in pairs all around.

Would love to learn more about what they were doing.   We took some video as well.

I didn't bring out the camera while we were out there, but was able to get a few shots of our bounty.

36 fish that day!!  Came back and had some chowder at a local pub and grub, watched the Coasties come back in, and saw an amazing sunset on a great day on the pond!

Yellowtail/Tuna Trip- Garibaldi 7.10.11

Went out yesterday in hopes of chasing my first tuna of the year. There WAS no bar, no worries when crossing, and very little wind to speak of..

We left at first light and were blessed with a sliver of a sunrise on the way out...

The ride out just got smoother and smoother...

The water was Split Pea Green for the longest time. Finally it started clearing up.

We continued a little further til it was the clearest, deep blue, almost purple. We were amazed to be fishing on this calm of an ocean in July with such ideal water.

The Captain checking his spread...

First couple fish were scratch one's and two's. Raps or clones, didn't matter.

At one point, we had a fish hooked up and I grabbed the WaxWing from Shimano that John Childs had brought, and dropped it back behind the boat. I was using the new Curado 300DSV... Talk about light action! I felt like I was bass fishing or something?! It instantly gets hit. FISH ON! We pop a few anchovies in the water and the fish come up to inhale them...

...First live bait stop, currently in action!

We bagged 10 fish in that stop.. Bloody decks around! Next troll, Dick rolls the gear right past a giant kelp raft and 'THUNK' the outrigger releases.. FISH ON! I was fortunate to be at the reel for this one. It fought differently, with more erratic head shakes. We get it to the boat and net Dick's first Yellowtail on Tuna Time! Not just a dink, it was about 15#! VERY strange for early July up here.

The day got calmer, the fish boxes filled up, and the wind died.



Was an actual lake out there by the time we loaded the boat and decided to run for the barn.
Ideal conditions for all who ventured out!

Thanks again for the sushi last night, Dick and Nichole! Awesome time!!