We managed to have a great time fishing this summer despite WDFW shiting on our Puget sound Coho season...
Right out of the gates on the opener, we boated a limit of Chinook along with 10 coho up to 6 lbs, we knew then it would be an epic season filled with the frustration of turning loose hatchery fish we paid for... Kings limits were had most every day along with multiple limits of large hatchery coho that died in a net, not necessarily my net. Kings were running small this year, 6-10# but all hatchery and all dime bright...
With Salmon season over in August, I found myself with plenty of time on my hands and the fantastic opportunity to join my friend Joel on his new (old) 26' shamrock for an ocean adventure we will never forget.
We set out of Illwalco early on a Sunday with a full bait well and a 40 mile trip out to the temperature break where the tuna were hanging out. it was a long run out but the bar crossing was cake and the ocean got better the farther we went out.
Things started off pretty slow, trolling teasers and plugs for two hours before we had the first fish on... But after that it was game on for the rest of the day... we boated 3 tuna in the first bait stop and had a deck bloody enough to make Dracula drool...
Once the sharks moved in, we set off on the troll and less than an hour later, we hit another and started chucking anchovies over the side... After multiple single hookups, a quad hookup, including one that we had to hand line, we now had nine in the boat.
After trolling another hour or so, and within 15 minutes of calling it a successful day, we hit one more fish on the troll but with the bait well nearly empty we still enough for one last bait stop. We fished the live bait right to the bitter end... In fact, the tuna were still biting right down to the last live bait we put over the side, which turned out to be our 18th for the day... It was a fantastic bluewater day and one that I will never forget!
Here is a Video my friend Joel put together of the day... I had never fished for tuna before and never held a gaff in my hand, as you can tell, but I will definately do it again!
Those Shamrock boats are really sweet boats. How many feet is that one? Does he want to sell it?
Never mind I saw you posted 26'.
Edited by Sol Duc (09/15/1606:44 PM)
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He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice.
Great video. Way to put the wood to them and the hand line fish was incredible.....
thanks! glad you enjoyed it...
The only thing I have to say about tuna fishing is that when the bite is on, it is straight up chaos!! and fun as HELL! this was my first trip, and the second trip for the Shamrock...
We learned a lot, like:
1. Test out the baitwell on dry land in the boat, instead of on a picnic table in the campground the night before. That way, you don't have to figure out why it is overflowing into the bilge while crossing Columbia bar.
2. If you cut off the corrugated end of a manual bilge pump and shove it into the firehose drain from the baitwell it will drain the baitwell just fine.
3. Carry a second gaff so that when the idiot in shorts and flip flops breaks the end off of it, he can keep fishing instead of taking screws out of the dashboard to fix the broken gaff...
Nice work Piper, didja throw away the shorts and flip flops and take a bleach bath afterwards? Ain't never seen too many tooona pics like yours before lol!
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Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours......Gordon Lightfoot
Damn Stam! Remember, Ask yourself "What would Stam do?"
#964594 - 09/19/1605:57 PMRe: Suck it WDFW
[Re: NOFISH]
Piper
Unregistered
Originally Posted By: NOFISH
Work shorts You're killing me
I've been know to push the limits of casual Friday - engineers don't know what to make of me
BTW... flip flops survived, but since they're a bright shade of red, I dont have anything to wear them with, I think I'm gonna save them for my secret Santa outfit