NW Neah Bay Party

[MOOCHIN]

I am sure that most of you have read the thread about Dans Flatties that he is somehow someway able to find with no problems:evil: (jealous). In following with the rest of the fleet we (Ryan [elwern1] Dan [bajadan2000] and myself) have decided to have a little party up in Neah Bay during the 2nd Halibut season which is normally late in June. We have plenty of time to plan and get it right. I figured that the East coast has their "Shing-Ding"and the CALI boys have their "Fish Fest" we need to have a little party. Snow Creek resort is the place I was thinking you can get cabins for a good price that sleep 4 or 5. All are invited before we start we have myself Dan, Ryan and my buddy Chris with his 22wa. I cant wait to see all of you that can make it and I know that this will be a good time.

If anyone has any questions call me (425) 864-6234. Tuesday is my only day off so the phone doesnt work on that day.

John

[elwern1]

John, sounds great, I'm in!

[bajadan2000]

Hey John, sounds good, I am in and will take a Snow Creek cabin for a full week. Sat night- Sun. am departure. Thanks for setting this up. Let me know if they need a deposit...

Just throwing out ideas here, however, I will go along with the majority vote on everything. I plan to bring a propane BBQ. How about one night (at least) we have a group pot luck. I would be happy to cook up some burgers or chicken for my part. My hope is that I can bring elk burgers, if I can find one, if not I will bring something good for the meat.

Also, I would be glad to get you into the big fatties, I have two spots inside of 10 miles that produce and many, many good bottom fishing spots to check. You can run as far as you want for big ones, however, chances are I will be staying in close.

One way to increase our groups chances for big Halibut and full limits around on everything would be if our group works together to find fish and call each other in on any hot bites. I can think of two ways we can do this without bringing in 200 other boats.

1) Everyone with a MMSI number should share them with each other. That way when someone makes a hot bite radio call, we already have there GPS#. To apply for a MMSI # go to this link http://www.boatus.com/mmsi/.

2) We already have many good fishing spots located that we could give code letters, numbers, or names to. That way if we get a good Halibut bite we can radio the others in, example; 70# and 45# halibut pulled in 1/4 mile SE point A, or getting big numbers of true cod 1/4 W of Point C.. The drift is East to West, set up East of my boat... We can put a list of spots and codes together and give them out to Shamrock boats that show up for the event.

[Mistress]

Long ass tow, but I might be interested in flying up and bumming a ride.

Newport is about as far as I'd consider towing until I'm retarded.

[bajadan2000]

Steve, If you want, I will hold a seat for you. Best for you to fly up, It would be a two day tow, one way for you. I live near the Portland airport, just across the Columbia River in Vancouver. It is a 7 hour drive for me to Neah Bay. If you want to fly into a town closer than Portland, like Port Angeles, I will pick you up there. We can work something out...

[Mistress]

Thanks Dan,

Too early to be holding seats. If I fly up, I'd likely rent a car and spend a little time in the area.

I have a couple friends that towed up to Newport for flatties the last two years.

I'd like to check out the Neah Bay area anyways though. Have a soft spot for Sequim.

[bajadan2000]

If the weather turns really $#ity one day, or if we want to take a break from fishing on a non-Halibut day and only fish the morning, here is a nice hot springs resort that is less than an hours drive from Snow Creek/Neah Bay. They provide bathing suits and towels. Cost $11.00 per person. I have gone here to take a break from long fishing days and relax my old muscles.

http://www.visitsolduc.com/hotspringsandpools.cfm

[bajadan2000]

For those of you interested in joining the NW Shamrock fishing party at Neay Bay next spring, here is a little more local information. Neay Bay is actually an Indian reservation. The Makah tribe has a long rich history in this area and much of it can be found in their museum. The museum is very easy to find, it is directly across the street from the Coast Guard station.

The quality of the artifacts in the museum is very high and worth a visit. Several things I found interesting. Metal objects uncovered that were buried in a land slide that happened before Columbus "discovered" America. Original Makah clothing made from woven dog hair and bird feathers. This is the Indian tribe that hunted whales from canoes and the museum has 4 cedar dug out canoes. One of the whale hunters had the job of sewing the whales mouth shut so it would not sink, of course this meant swimming in very cold water..

Below is an old picture of a Makah whaling party.

A link to the museum. http://www.makah.com/mcrchome.htm

[MOOCHIN]

Dan- Those are all great ideas. As far as the evening BBQ, thats what we do every night. On at least one of the nights we take some of the days catch and have a "FISH FRY". Secret codes are always good, especially up there. Staying within 10 miles (perfect). I dont know how comfortable you all are with each other but each cabin can hold up to 4 or 5 people. It will be easier to get something like 3 or 4 cabins and stuff everyone in those. I dont care either way, I can sleep anywhere after a day on the Pacific.

Steve- I can almost guarantee that I will have room on my boat. As for a car I will talk to my uncle and see if I can let you use one of ours from the lot for that week.

As far as booking the cabins they most likely wont let people book until after the first of the year and they go pretty quick. As soon as we know how many people are for sure I will try to get them to do a little favor and hold off a couple right away.

Dan- When does the Dept of fisheries release the dates for that 2nd Halibut season??

John

[bajadan2000]

Dan- When does the Dept of fisheries release the dates for that 2nd Halibut season??

John

If you understand the info below, you have a very high IQ. Welcome to fishing in WA. state. Here is what the WDFW is telling us about next years June Halibut season.



The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) held a recreational halibut meeting to develop and consider proposed changes to the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s catch sharing plan for 2008, in Montesano, on August 14, 2007.

We would support the following changes to the 2008 Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan , section (f) SPORT FISHERIES, be approved for public review, in addition to the status quo alternative.

Washington North Coast Subarea

1. For the June fishery, implement the following changes: a) revise the opening date to the first Tuesday following June 16; b) specify that the Saturday offshore opener is contingent upon available quota; and c) provide flexibility in the date that the late June fishery reopens.

a) With the current opening day scheduled as the first Tuesday following June 17, in 2008, the fishery would open on June 24 (as the 17th is a Tuesday);

b) This is more of a “housekeeping” measure. We do not anticipate that the fishery would be open unless it had been determined that there was sufficient quota remaining beforehand; however, adding this language clarifies that understanding.

c) The current Catch Sharing Plan specifies that, if sufficient quota remains, the fishery will reopen on the first Thursday following June 24. However, given our catch accounting system, we will not have the data for the first June opener available until the following Tuesday or Wednesday, which does not provide much notice to the public. This proposal would retain the June 24 date, but allow the fishery to reopen on any day following that date, rather than specify the “first Thursday.”

[MOOCHIN]

So basically they are saying "WE DONT KNOW YET" when it comes to the 2nd opening.

It looks like we will just have to hope that we have halibut in late June. If you all are ok with it we can just plan for the week of the 24th. If we have halibut to catch then great and if we dont we will just have to get a bunch of bass and Lings.

[elwern1]

Either way, this works for me. I might bring an RV, not sure.

[bajadan2000]

I'm in for the week with cabin no matter what the WDFW does. If the WA. Halibut season is cut short, running over and Halibut fishing Canada is always a good option.

[elwern1]

I'm in for the week too. Sounds like we won't be able to make a reservation until Jan 1, right?

[ku2c]

I'll be watching this thread as well - I'll be closing on a place in Ballard later this month and things may calm down by spring :)

Pete

[bajadan2000]

Here is my best GUESS for the June Halibut season.

The season will open June 24. Tue. and Thu. will be open for halibut only inside of the Bonita-Tatoosh line. Sat. will be open however it may or may not be an all depth day. All of this is just fine with me, my best Halibut spots for big ones are inside of the B-T line.

Last I heard, the Canada Halibut season is open 7 days a week with a 2 Halibut per day limit. The down side is the long run.

[MOOCHIN]

Ryan- The policy at Snow creek is to wait until Jan 1 to take reservations. I am going to try and get a favor to make sure we have enough room. Snow creek also has a camp area that you would be able to put an RV.

Pete- Congrats on the Ballard condo. Hope to see you here for some winter blackmouth fishing. Is your sched. going to allow you to be up at Neah Bay during that time.

Dan- I agree. Most likely it will be the same as last year. I will talk to my brother and have him ask one of the guys in charge of the Westport charter association and see if he has any inside data.

John

[elwern1]

I'll be watching this thread as well - I'll be closing on a place in Ballard later this month and things may calm down by spring :)

Pete

Pete, we'll see you there. Things will be calm by June. . .:mrgreen: You gotta make time for fishing.

[ku2c]

Thanks! Looking forward to meeting you guys - have to start investigating moorage - but my sense is the waiting lists are pretty long.

John - I'll check in with you next week when I'm back. Saw your other posts and hope its just the ignition switch!

// Pete

[elwern1]

Thanks! Looking forward to meeting you guys - have to start investigating moorage - but my sense is the waiting lists are pretty long.

John - I'll check in with you next week when I'm back. Saw your other posts and hope its just the ignition switch!

// Pete

Pete, I'm in the Des Moines Marina. The waiting list for a 28' slip is about 6-8 months and they're covered. I have a buddy that keeps his in fishermans terminal in ballard and he was able to get a slip without waiting but he has to deal with the locks. The elliott bay marina would be my choice if I was living in Ballard. Very secure and a great place to hang out. My boat is out of the water right now for a repower so if you want you can use my slip in the Des Moines Marina for the next 5-6 months.

www.gamefishin.com (http://www.gamefishin.com) will help you get acquainted with the fishing opportunities around here.

[ku2c]

El,

Wow - many thanks for the offer but I probably won't be able to move the boat till the spring anyway, I won't come out of the water here in NJ till mid-December and between maintenance and finding a transporter, etc... etc...

But good tips, I've looked (online) at Shilshole and Edmonds but I'll have to check Des Moines, a bit further but a quick look seems less costly. I guess the locks could be a negative but on the otherhand - freshwater is nice. And thanks for the fishing link as well, I've got lots to learn :) .

Pete

[MOOCHIN]

Ok, I am about to make the call to Snow Creek. I do not want to over book and get stuck with a bill for a cabin that was never occupied. I need to know about how many of you are serious about doing this and how many can say yes right now!!!

Does anyone have an issue with sharing cabins?

If you are going to bring an RV I need to know so I can reserve a spot.

The dates look like it is going to be the last week of June. Sunday June 22nd to Sunday June 29th.

I will most likely only be able to stay for about 4-5 of those days. Let me know either here, PM, e-mail jtmirante@yahoo.com or phone (425) 864-6234. Also if I am missing anything please point out and let me know.

Thanks,

John

[bajadan2000]

Hey John,

Due to the NW weather, the inside second Neay Bay Halibut season is close to a sure thing. All of the rest of my fishing trips next year will be done on short notice to dodge the weather.

I am in for sure and will give you a call later.

Thanks for putting this together.

Dan


If anyone is interested, here is a link to my fishing report from last years second Neay Bay Halibut season with pictures of some of the fish caught. http://www.fishtheclassic.net/forums/showthread.php?t=17358

[elwern1]

John, I'm in for a room. Thanks dude!

[bajadan2000]

I would like to clarify several points on how to catch large Halibut at Neah Bay.

First, there are no secret holes. Sorry if I lead you to believe so. The inside open area is very small and we will be insight of 80% of the other boats fishing for Halibut. There is no way to keep these spots secret. Yes there are drifts that many will be making that are a waste of time and we will stay away from those.

So what is the big secret to catching large Halibut in Neah Bay. Bait and scent.

Most of the fishermen will be using herring because that is what the local shops sell. I seldom use herring, however, I do keep some on the boat as back up. I generally use two types of bait on my hook at the same time. I call my setup the "Halibut cocktail". I always start will shad which I catch locally here in the Columbia River. Shad is a very oily fish that most game fish and crabs love and it will attract them from long distances. If anyone is interested in catching shad I would be glad to go with you and show you where and how. I am low and need to get more. June is the best month with 100,000 shad a day going over Bonneville dam. There is no limit on how many you can keep per day. All of the Halibut I caught last year hit the Shad that I have had in the freezer for several years.

The second part of my Halibut cocktail is either Salmon or Tuna bellies. Again, both are very oily and the Halibut love them. Both work equally well, I used more Tuna bellies last year because that is what I had.

One of the reasons I posted this information so far in advance is to give you guys a heads up to save your winter Salmon bellies and try and get some Shad. Other baits that Halibut like are octopus, squid and Halibut bellies.

Also, I add a store bought liquid scent to an inline scent bottle just above my bait. I have tried many brands and have settled on "Mikes lunker lotion Halibut". The biggest reason is it will last longer because of its thickness. It is available in most tackle shops for around $3.50 per bottle. (see attached picture)

I am adding a picture of my leader. There are thousands of ideas besides mine that work for catching Halibut. There are many other topics we can discuss if you want that will help you get a large Halibut into your boat such as weight size, type and size of hooks, line type and size, swivels, size of bait, motion and noise that attracts fish and much more.

[MOOCHIN]

Dan- Hopefully the winter blackmouth fishing pans out real well and we have plenty of salmon bellies...

[MOOCHIN]

Let me know if I missed anyone and if you are bringing your boat.... June 22nd-28th

MOOCHIN- Yes + boat (20' ph)

Sculpin 1- Yes + boat (22' wa)

bajadan2000- Yes ???boat???

Elwern 1 - Yes ???boat???

Ku2c - maybe ???boat???

?Who Daville? maybe ???boat???

Mistress- maybe --no boat

Cloud 9 - maybe --no boat

Anyone else in the great North West that is interested let me know?????
There are plenty of flatties to be caught.........

Sculpin 1 will have him plus 2-3 others
I might bring my brother

So let me know if friends are going to come as well. I think We will start with three cabins and if we need moore we can go from there.

John

[bajadan2000]

Looking good John, yes I will be towing up my 20' Predator.

How is the slide launch there, have you tried it yet?

Do they use a sling to lift the boat onto the slide? If they do I will need to bring blocks to protect the smart spray rails.

[MOOCHIN]

I dont use their launch. I launched at the big salmon launch and ran down to Snow Creek. It took about 8 minutes..

[elwern1]

John, thanks for putting this together! I'll have my boat + 3 crew members.

[bajadan2000]

Today IPHC posted on their web the staff recommendation for Pacific halibut catch limits in 2008.

The Halibut catch limit recommendation for area 2A (OR. & WA.) is a 23% reduction from 2007.

Now we wait and see how they split up the reduction between the states and then see what WA. does with their reduced quota. This news may mean a change to our Halibut fishing plans.. Stay tuned...

[MOOCHIN]

The Westport charter fleet quota was around 56,000 pounds in 2007 this lasted the fleet 6 days, and in 2008 the predicted quota is only 18,000 pounds. My brother says that will last them 1 maybe 2 days. It does not look good for the 2nd season at Neah Bay.

[bajadan2000]

Ouch!!! Not looking good...

[palmer1]

I would like to come up with you guys as well. I will bring my mackinaw along and would most likely just drive up with an RV or something. If Halibut is not looking good what about a little later trip for Tuna off the coast? The last couple years have been fantastic for tuna, and with a little fleet of Shamrocks it would be a lot of fun. Just an idea if it looks like the Halibut season is going to be tough. Fishing Canada sounds like a good idea, but getting licenses for canadian swiftsure is a little tough.

[bajadan2000]

Tuna fishing is always at the top of my list. Last year was a record year...

Because of the distance (7 hour drive), my trips to the Neah Bay area will be for a week.

I still plan to Halibut fish in WA. this year... even if it is just a 2 day season. I can adjust my schedule and make a second trip for the later Tuna season...

I will be at the Shamrock Party whenever you guys decide. Looking forward to boating with you...

[MOOCHIN]

palmer1- I think it would be great if you were able to make it up here for the party. I think the more people we can gather up the better.

If you guys dont want to chance the Halibut season let me know I am sure that there is something else we can go for. We can do salmon, Lingcod, bottom fish or if you would prefer we can do a tuna trip. (maybe Depot Bay or out of Westport) If we do a tuna trip it might eliminate some of the boats (mine). Im sure we would have plenty of boats to carry the load. If you guys dont want to do a whole week we could also do something like a two day event and fish the sound. I am open to do whatever. Shoot me some ideas and dates to match.

John

[bajadan2000]

Bo, glad to have you involved in our party. I have only fished for Tuna out of Depoe Bay. How far is the run out of Neah Bay to get into the Tuna???


The biggest problem with planning this get together is our unpredictable NW weather. Trying to plan a date to fish for Tuna is most difficult because of the long run offshore. During the Tuna run in July and Aug., I would give us a 50/50 chance of getting within tuna range on any given date.

I like the idea of doing our get together out of the Neah Bay area. If the weather is too bad outside to reach the Tuna, we could pick a time when Salmon is open, plus there is always bottom fishing on the inside. Any other port for Tuna such as Depoe Bay, Westport, La Push, Illwaco, Garibaldi, heck all of them, is a going to be a go or no go situation. Be tough if we planned something and all of us just sat around in the parking lot telling fish stories.

John, why would Tuna fishing eliminate your boat?? The only thing you need for a safe run is enough gas for 100 miles RT min.... I have enough Tuna lures to supply the Shamrock fleet. If you have halibut rods, you have Tuna rods. We can get your boat out Tuna fishing if you have the range.... I sometimes carry up to 7 five gallon gas cans as backup for Tuna fishing..

If the Halibut idea is a bust, then my thought is to pick a date when the Salmon fishing is good. That way if the weather permits we could make a Tuna run...

[MOOCHIN]

Dan- I think if the halibut season doesnt go as hoped the salmon, bottom fish and tuna idea is a good one. I dont know how far a run it is from Neah Bay to the tuna grounds. All I know is that the Westport guys run 40-70 miles SW from the south tip, putting them straight off of the Oregon coast. I would only eliminate my boat because of 1. Range and 2. No live well.

I guess the best thing to do right now is wait to see what the halibut season is and go from there.

John

[bajadan2000]

Dan- I think if the halibut season doesnt go as hoped the salmon, bottom fish and tuna idea is a good one. I dont know how far a run it is from Neah Bay to the tuna grounds. All I know is that the Westport guys run 40-70 miles SW from the south tip, putting them straight off of the Oregon coast. I would only eliminate my boat because of 1. Range and 2. No live well.

I guess the best thing to do right now is wait to see what the halibut season is and go from there.

John

John,

The only port in the NW that I know of that sells live bait for Tuna is Westport. Once in a while Illwaco has some that is brought down from Westport. Yes it is a long run from Westport to Tuna fish off of the Columbia. The one thing Westport does offer is good crabbing inside the bay. Sport boats do make the long run and catch Tuna, however, because of the long run and rough conditions, you need a big boat to fish out of Westport. That is why almost all of the Halibut caught out of Westport is caught by the charters like your brothers and not sport boats.

Live bait fishing for Tuna is a lot of fun, however, bait is not required. Some guys catch there own bait, however, that takes time away from Tuna fishing. Lures work great for Tuna. The only place I have live bait fished for Tuna is in Mexico. All the Tuna I have caught in the NW have been on lures.

I have talked to sport fishermen that Tuna fish out of La Push. They start getting into Tuna around 20 miles straight west. Neah Bay tuna fishing maybe the same distance. However, with the large exchange of water from the sound I am not sure how that affects the water temp/food for the Tuna. It may bring them in closer or it may push them out. I have not heard reports where the Tuna are caught out of Neah Bay.

Dan

[bajadan2000]

I guess the best thing to do right now is wait to see what the halibut season is and go from there.

John


Your right, but this waiting is killing me. Lots of rumors, but all meetings going on now are behind closed doors. Looks like the earlist we may have any idea what is going on is Feb.

Talking to a fellow that runs out of Neah Bay into Canada. They pick up limits of Halibut, Kings and Lings all in the same trip. Same issue here with Halibut, not sure what the Canadian regs will be next year.

Man I need to go fishin...

[MOOCHIN]

Man I need to go fishin...


I think I am going on Sunday. I will let you know how we do.

I hope this helps you a little. :D :D :D

As for the party If there is no second halibut season I am still good to go if all we do is salmon and bottom fish.

[elwern1]

I think I am going on Sunday. I will let you know how we do.

I hope this helps you a little. :D :D :D

As for the party If there is no second halibut season I am still good to go if all we do is salmon and bottom fish.

John, that's fine with me. We can run across to Canada if we need to. I'm in either way.

[bajadan2000]

Below is a picture of a one day catch on the Canadian side, Halibut, Salmon and Lings. He made the run over from Neah Bay. I asked him when the best date would be to get into this combination of fish. Here is his answer.


""""The best time for halibut and salmon in the Renfrew/uclulet/bamfield area is July because, by that time, all of the hali. that were born that spring have been feeding well and have traveled from the continental divide to swiftsure bank to congregate and gorge themselves on the bait there...last summer all of the fish had huge herring in their stomachs. And I mean every fish from the lings to the kings to the silvers to the halis. I can hook you up with the coordinates that worked for us in late July when I go to my boat. We nailed the halis then. This is also the timeframe when all the columbia river kings are hitting up renfrew (straight across from neah, 14 miles or so) and those are the bigger kings of the bunch running from 25 to 50 lbs."""


So if we decided to do the Canadian side, it looks like late July is the best time for the fishing. It would also be a good time for Tuna if we can get out to them and the water is not too rough. Just throwing options out there...

[MOOCHIN]

Ok, its getting close to time for us to make the reservations for Snow Creek. I am thinking about 4 cabins should be enough for who is going. I am not as concerned with who is going as I am with when we are going. These cabins go quickly and to be able to get four is going to require that we do this right away. Luckily the guys up there really like my buddy Chris (Sculpin 1) so we have an in. I just want to know if we are thinking late July with a possible Canada and Tuna run, or do we take the chance for the second halibut season in June. I am down for either one. Let me know so we can make sure that we get the cabins. I would really like to get the cabins to be next to each other. So post up and let me know what works best for you.

MOOCHIN - In
Sculpin 1 - In
Bajadan2000 - In
Elwern 1 - In
Palmer1 -maybe
Mistress -maybe
cloud9 - maybe
?Who Daville? - maybe
Ku2c - maybe
and anyone else that might be interested please let me know (Kolson, Skip Brown, Tony or anyone else form the NW that I might be missing)

Thanks,

John

[elwern1]

John, let's shoot for July, sounds like the best option right now. Let's book this deal.

[bajadan2000]

Just a few more thoughts about fishing Canada. There is talk the Canadian Halibut limit may be reduced from 2 fish per day down to 1 fish. This is part of the 2008 Halibut catch limit reductions.

To halibut fish this area of Canada, the license must be purchased in Canada, a license purchased on line is not valid. I plan to run over to Port Renfrew in my boat to purchase the license. Bring a passport just in case...

From the Canadian regs: "No person who is not a Canadian resident may fish for or retain halibut under an electronic license in management area 121, as described in Schedule II of the Pacific Fishery Management Area Regulations. If you are a non-resident and wish to fish for halibut in management area 121 you must purchase a paper license from a vendor in Canada"

Here are the currant Canadian license fees. (2007)

Tidal Waters Sport Fishing License Fees
(prices include all taxes)

Category Non-resident
Adult annual (16 years of age and up) $107.06
5-day $32.86
3-day $20.14
1-day $7.42

Juvenile annual (Under 16 years of age) FREE FREE

Salmon Conservation Stamp $ 6.36


Salmon stamps: A salmon conservation stamp ($6.36) must be affixed to licenses held by anglers, both adult and juvenile, wishing to retain any species of Pacific salmon. The stamp is annual.



A few thoughts about July Tuna fishing. I have not found anyone fishing for Tuna out of Neah Bay. Even the fellow that sent me the July Canadian info pulls his boat out of NB and runs down to Westport for Tuna fishing. La Push may be a better option for targeting Tuna. It is only about an hour drive south of Snow Creek. Nice spot to fish out of with very good Salmon and bottom fishing close in. It may be worth making the drive one day. Just another option to think about....

[MOOCHIN]

A few thoughts about July Tuna fishing. I have not found anyone fishing for Tuna out of Neah Bay. Even the fellow that sent me the July Canadian info pulls his boat out of NB and runs down to Westport for Tuna fishing. La Push may be a better option for targeting Tuna. It is only about an hour drive south of Snow Creek. Nice spot to fish out of with very good Salmon and bottom fishing close in. It may be worth making the drive one day. Just another option to think about....


Dan,

That sounds good. I am going to have sculpin1 booking 4 cabins and one campground for a trailer. He is going to call on the third of January. If we need more than that let me know ASAP. Is there anyone else who needs a campground spot for a trailer? If so let me know so we can reserve it for you. The cabins are the ones that go the quickest, so I hope four is enough. We are going to go ahead and schedule for the third week in July. Once again if there are any questions please feel free to call me at (425) 864-6234.

John

[bajadan2000]

Dan,

We are going to go ahead and schedule for the third week in July. Once again if there are any questions please feel free to call me at (425) 864-6234.

John


Will this be Sun 13th -19th. or the 20th-26th??? Does not matter to me either way, however, the 20th-26th has better tides for Halibut fishing, and for boat ramp conditions...

[MOOCHIN]

If the tides are better for the 20th-26th then thats when we will set the dates for.

[bajadan2000]

Sounds good to me John. As you know, when it comes to fishing in the NW, there are no guarantees. However, I believe these dates and location will give us our best chance for successful fishing. We have a lot of options we can adjust to on a daily basis as conditions change.. My calendar is marked in ink.. now we just need the weather to cooperate.

Think I will bring my little propane freezer. I have a good feeling we will be cleaning lots of fish.

[bajadan2000]

Just recieved this info from a full time WA. fishing guide.

""At Neah Bay the Tuna fish seem to be further off shore at times. It's a longer ride to the ocean as well so that just adds time to your trip. The other bummer is no live bait. Sometimes ice can be hard to come by too as it all depends on what time u need it if they are open. It was very rare last year at La Push to have the fish inshore at 20 miles, I think 35-40 was more like it. The fish at Neah were another 10-20 miles plus the run to the Ocean from port.""

[MOOCHIN]

Just recieved this info from a full time WA. fishing guide.

""At Neah Bay the Tuna fish seem to be further off shore at times. It's a longer ride to the ocean as well so that just adds time to your trip. The other bummer is no live bait. Sometimes ice can be hard to come by too as it all depends on what time u need it if they are open. It was very rare last year at La Push to have the fish inshore at 20 miles, I think 35-40 was more like it. The fish at Neah were another 10-20 miles plus the run to the Ocean from port.""

Whatever kind of fishing we end up doing I will be just as happy. I am really looking forward to this trip. 1. I love to fish NeaH Bay 2. I think it will be great to get a chance to hang out and fish with a bunch of guys who have good taste in boats.

[bajadan2000]

I'm with you John. Looking forward to fishing with you guys, we will have a blast.

More July Neah Bay reports coming in. Heard another one of the problems Tuna fishing out of NB is the seaweed from the sound makes for tough fishing.

Just received this report with pictures, check out the nice Kings.

""I'll be living every weekend at Neah Bay from (hopefully) May to middle or end of July and then will be headed to Westport from middle July through September. I spent pretty much every weekend from May 20 to August 11th at Neah Bay and we caught kings from the opener to August 11th, when we left. We caught all of our kings at Blue Dot and beyond. I think the best bet is to really watch the chloro lines and guestimate where the bait will be concentrated. Once you get in the area, throw down the lines in the top 85' of water and troll fast with big plugs. We troll fast until we find the fish and then concentrate on that area. it allows you to cover a lot of water to find the fish. Look for birds. If there are a s***-ton of birds, the fish, and hopefully the kings will be with them. never troll the same spot twice. I am going to start running and gunning more to cover a larger area. They can be anywhere out there so you have to find the bait. When you're in the kings, you're done fishing with limits in an hour or two, but you may go the whole day searching for them. Another king option is renfrew. its only 12 to 14 miles from neah and the get pretty consistent action, especially when the columbians are in, in july. those are the bigger kings. Here are some early season kings from the east side of blue dot...""

[MOOCHIN]

Another king option is renfrew. its only 12 to 14 miles from neah and the get pretty consistent action, especially when the columbians are in, in july. those are the bigger kings. Here are some early season kings from the east side of blue dot...""


That makes me excited. Especially the fact that its not that far and they are bigger fish. Cant wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

[bajadan2000]

Yippeee,,, this is starting to look like a Canadian side fishing trip. Big Columbia Kings & Canadian Halibut, then if there is any room in the fish box some misc. bottom dwellers like lings. Works for me.... (if we have Halibut on board, I believe we will need to unload our Canadian fish to same day fish the US side, since Halibut on the USA side will be closed)

[ku2c]

Dan,

Great pix - really stokes the fires :)

Pete

[MOOCHIN]

Just got off the phone with my buddy and we have 4 cabins reserved. #'s 5,6,7 and 8. Also an RV spot is reserved. Cabins sleep 6 so if we need more let me know.

He also checked with customs and we do not need to check in with them if we do not touch Canadian Soil.

Canadian licenses can be purchased online for salmon and other bottom fish. We are currently checking to see if the Halibut rule is for the 121 area only as it states in their regulations. From what I read it feels like if you are going to fish in are 121 (area west of Bonilla point) then you need to purchase the license on Canadian Land, but anythin east of that it is ok to use the internet license. We will check and let all of you know.

MOOCHIN - Yes + 1 (maybe 2) + Boat
Sculpin 1- Yes + 1 + Boat
Hicks brothers- Yes + 4 + Boat (arima)
Elwern1- Yes + 3 + Boat
bajadan2000- Yes + ? + Boat
Ku2c - maybe- + ? +??boat??
Skip Brown- maybe + ? + ??boat??
?whodaville?- maybe + ? + ??boat??
Palmer1- maybe + ? + ??boat??
Mistress- maybe + ? + no boat
Cloud 9- maybe + ? + no boat

For sure #'s

14 - Fisherman
5 - Boats

Maybe's

6 - Fisherman plus crew
3- Boats

Let me know if I am missing anything or anyone.

John

[bajadan2000]

Ok John, one more item that needs checking into. How about Dungeness crabbing?? I know it will be open then, however, is it worth bringing the traps.

Best bet would be to ask the Snow Creek owners. What I would need to know is a general area (as near to SC as possible) that is good for setting the traps and how deep the water is so I know how much line to bring.

Please ask the SC owners about this.

Thanks,

Dan

PS. Some of the those Kings in the pictures are bigger than you think.. That dude is huge, he makes a cord of firewood look small.

[bajadan2000]

PS. Some of the those Kings in the pictures are bigger than you think.. That dude is huge, he makes a cord of firewood look small.

Ok, this picture is just for fun, now go back and look at the Kings. When he tells me something, I believe him, no questions asked.

[bajadan2000]

GOOOOOOD NEWS!!!!!!

The Halibut Commission meeting just ended and the votes are in. OR & WA will have a decrease in allocation, however, nowhere near the 1 million pounds allocation proposed, word has it the vote went at 1.22 million pounds down from last years 1.38 million..

Have not heard what Canada got yet...

[MOOCHIN]

Will we be able to fish Halibut late in July on the Washington side???

[bajadan2000]

Probably no WA. Halibut season in July, good chance for a short June season. Good news for your brothers business. It could also be a good sign for the Canadian allocation we may be running over to fish. "Rumor" is the commission decided to spread the drastic decrease over a 3-5 year period.

[MOOCHIN]

Good news for your brothers business.

That is good news. He will be excited.. Running to Cananda will be fun anyway.

[bajadan2000]

There was a very strong effort from a combined OR. & WA. staff to get this done.. A Mark Cedergreen (Westport Charter Association) was a big part of it. Your brother should know him, have your brother give Mark a big thanks from us sport guys. And a first, even the Indian tribes jumped in to use their influence, they get part of the allocation so they were in for big cuts as well.

[MOOCHIN]

A Mark Cedergreen (Westport Charter Association) was a big part of it. Your brother should know him, have your brother give Mark a big thanks from us sport guys.


Mark Cedergreen has been a long time family friend. I will tell him thanks for sure.

[MOOCHIN]

Good news for your brothers business.

Talked with my brother yesterday, and he told me that their quota was increased by 2000 pounds. So its not as rosey as one would think. He said that might give him and 3 other boats one more day of fishing. He only knew about the Sport Fishery catch out of Westport. I dont know what the catch # was last year for the entire state but I would like to know what the difference is between this year and last year.


Also I never got back to you about the crabbing up in Neah Bay, from what I have found out its not worth bringing pots. I dont know anything about crabbing up there, maybe its too hard of a bottom (who knows) but my buddy told me that the guys at Snow Creek told him that they dont know of any spots around their place. It would be nice if there was a spot, I jsut got 6 Dungies from my other brother who has been crabbing out off the coast this last week (man they are good):D :D

[bajadan2000]

Update on the Canadian fishing regulations for the Shamrock fishing party. GOOOD NEWS. We can keep 2 halibut ever day of the week during that period. (WA. halibut will be closed)

There are lots of changes to the Canadian 2008 fishing regulations, one change will probably eliminate most if not all of the USA charters from WA crossing over and fishing Canadian waters.

One thing is for sure. If you are a not a Canadian citizen, you must purchase your Canadian fishing license in person in Canada. Only Canadian citizens may purchase fishing licenses on line.

We can cross over by private boat, land in a Canadian port, buy our Canadian fishing licenses and fish the same day. Not much of a detour the first day out. Also, it is nice to land on Canadian soil once in a while. Bring a passport...

[elwern1]

Dan, great news! Can't wait! Epic fishing trip on the horizon!

[bajadan2000]

We lucked out on the timing. Much of the Canadian season was reduced down to 1 halibut per day. The other good part of this is, the King Salmon season should be red hot. Then if there is any room on the boat, still plenty of Ling Cod and other bottom fish to get after. OH, and someone mentioned the Tuna are running then..... better bring a big freezer....

Your right Ryan, with our pack of hunting Shamrocks, this will be an epic fishing trip....

[bajadan2000]

One more Canadian reg. change in regards to Halibut fishing. The daily limit is two fish, however, the in-field possession limit has been reduced to two fish. In-field means anything other your main place of residence and includes all processed fish, even if frozen.

Not sure how the Canadians enforce possession limits in WA. state, but will find out. We may only be able to keep two halibut apiece unless we can find someone that lives close by that will keep our catch at their home for us.. Does anyone have friends living in the area, maybe around Port Angeles, that will trade us freezer space for a cut of our take???

[Mistress]

FYI...I'm going on a long range trip (6 day) out of Sandy Eggo at basically the same time. Don't think I'm gonna make it to Neah Bay.

[MOOCHIN]

FYI...I'm going on a long range trip (6 day) out of Sandy Eggo at basically the same time. Don't think I'm gonna make it to Neah Bay.

If you can make it, it will be good to meet and fish with you. If not no problem.

Glad you brought this post back to the top. I hope that everyone is getting ready its not that far off now.

[MOOCHIN]

Dan- What is the area # that we will be fishing in, when on the Canadian side?

[bajadan2000]

Dan- What is the area # that we will be fishing in, when on the Canadian side?


We will start fishing in area 20.1 heading west. Port Renfrew is where we will go to get our Canadian fishing license.

Not much for Halibut fishing in area 20 but very good for King Salmon. Area 121 is where we will spend most of our time fishing. Area 121 has good Halibut and bottom fishing and it may also be good for Salmon. Area 123 has good overall fishing but it is a longer run.

Notice how the Canadian boundary takes a SW direction. That is why it is easy to get into so much Canadian water from Neah Bay.

[MOOCHIN]

Just bringing it up again. We are only 4 months away!!!! :D :D :D

MOOCHIN - Yes + 1 (maybe 2) + Boat (Most Likely)
Sculpin 1- Yes + 1 + Boat
Hicks brothers- Yes + 4 + Boat (arima)
Elwern1- Yes + 3 + Boat
bajadan2000- Yes + ? + Boat
Ku2c - maybe- + ? +??boat??
Skip Brown- maybe + ? + ??boat??
?whodaville?- maybe + ? + ??boat??
Palmer1- maybe + ? + ??boat??
Mistress- maybe + ? + no boat
Cloud 9- maybe + ? + no boat

I hope I am not missing any one.

We now have two RV spots.

Palmer1, you had mentioned that if you were going to be able to make it you would need an RV spot as well. Let me know if you need one.

John

[ku2c]

Hi John,

Still looking forward to it - although no boat this year (hoping to find a ride :) ).

Pete

[bajadan2000]

Pete,

One of my regular crew will not be going so I have an open seat. My dear friend, mentor and father figure whom I have fished and hunted with for many years passed away last month. He was very excited about going on this trip. The seat is open, it is a seat of honor.

Dan

[ku2c]

Dan,

And I would be very honored!

thank you,

Pete

[MOOCHIN]

I have received a couple of calls about the dates that this trip is planned for. So to make sure everyone is on the same page:::

July 20th - July 26th

MOOCHIN - Yes + 1 (maybe 2) + Boat (Most Likely)
Sculpin 1- Yes + 1 + Boat
Hicks brothers- Yes + 4 + Boat (arima)
Elwern1- Yes + 3 + Boat
bajadan2000- Yes + ? + Boat
Ku2c - yes - + ? no boat
Skip Brown- maybe + ? + ??boat??
?whodaville?- maybe + ? + ??boat??
Palmer1- maybe + ? + ??boat??
Cloud 9- maybe + ? + no boat


John

[Cloud-Nine]

Cloud -Nine is now in.
I will need an RV spot. Let me know if I have to make the RV reservation or one person will make all revs.
Thanks

Dick

[MOOCHIN]

I will need an RV spot. Let me know if I have to make the RV reservation or one person will make all revs.

No problem. Your spot is taken care of Dick.

MOOCHIN - Yes + 1 + Boat
Sculpin 1- Yes + 3 + Boat
Hicks brothers- Yes + 4 + Boat (arima)
Elwern1- Yes + 3 + Boat
bajadan2000- Yes + ? + Boat
Ku2c - Yes - + ? no boat
Cloud 9- Yes + 0 + no boat
Skip Brown- maybe + ? + ??boat??
?whodaville?- maybe + ? + ??boat??
Palmer1- maybe + ? + ??boat??

Ku2c - is it just you?
bajadan2000- just you?

This gives us 5 boats and 18 Fisherman. Someone let me know if my math is wrong or if I am missing anyone!!

John

[bajadan2000]

Cloud 9 (Dick), ku2C (Pete) and myself have a crew lunch planned for this Sat. to discuss the details and make plans. We will update then.

If anyone is in the Vancouver/Portland area on Sat, you are welcome to join us.

[elwern1]

Dan, let me know about the lunch. It might work out. Thanks!

[bajadan2000]

Ryan,

Everyone is meeting at my house in Vancouver around 11am or so. Then we are going to a restaurant on the Columbia River just North of I-5. We should have a good view of all the boats Springer fishing while we munch away and yak about Neah Bay.

Tommy is also coming and is driving down with Pete from Seattle. Tommy is the big dude in the pictures I posted earlier in this thread. He is buying my old Furuno radar. Tommy has a lot of time fishing the Neah Bay area and is very helpful with sharing fishing information.

Let me know what works for you. You are welcome to come to my house or we can meet you at the restaurant. There are a couple of restaurants. I am going to check them out tomorrow to decide which one we will eat at.
My house is only a few blocks off of I-5 at exit #2.

Dan

[elwern1]

Dan, thanks. I can meet at your house or the restaurant, just let me know the details. BTW, is Tommy aka Corn Fed? Thanks Dan. Hope it works out.

[bajadan2000]

BTW, is Tommy aka Corn Fed?

Yes, thats Tommy.

[bajadan2000]

Ryan,

Meeting at my house and leaving as a group when everyone is ready will work the best. I will PM info.

After checking the restaurant situation along the river which is very fluid, I think our safest bet for lunch is the Pacific Grill and Chowder House. It is inside the Red Lion Hotel "At The Quay" on the Vancouver side, not the Red Lion across the river on Hayden Island.

The Pacific Grill and Chowder House restaurant has been in the same location for many decades. The address is 100 Columbia, Vancouver, WA. 98660. The food is good but the view of the river is grand. It the first building on the south side of the I-5 bridge.

Dan

[ku2c]

Dan,

Great day Saturday Thanks! Boat looks great - still thinking about those awesome outriggers :)

Good to meet face to face and it was quite an enjoyable ride with Tommy. Meeting Dick and his Bride was a bonus! (Ryan you missed a nice day and some tasty snacks - Dan I finished those yesterday!)

Talk soon... I did visit the Snow Creek web site ....

Cheers, Pete

[bajadan2000]

Pete,

Nice meeting you in person. It was nice we all could get together. Thank you for making the long drive down.

You had a little look and taste at how we roll here in the NW. Hope we did not scare you too much.. However, it looks like you guys from NJ can handle it..

Looking forward to being your fishing partner at the NW Neah Bay Shamrock Party.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Dan





Dan,

Great day Saturday Thanks! Boat looks great - still thinking about those awesome outriggers :)

Good to meet face to face and it was quite an enjoyable ride with Tommy. Meeting Dick and his Bride was a bonus! (Ryan you missed a nice day and some tasty snacks - Dan I finished those yesterday!)

Talk soon... I did visit the Snow Creek web site ....

Cheers, Pete

[elwern1]

Sorry I missed you guys on Saturday! Overcome by life right now.

Not sure if you guys have given any more thought to where we can store fish for the week but my brother and I are thinking about taking an extra freezer to a cabin that my family has in Sequim. Sequim is about a 2 hour drive from Neah Bay. Might be an option. Thoughts?

[bajadan2000]

Ryan,

Sorry you could not make, we all missed you.

We do need to start making plans to take care of all the fish we will catch. 18 fishermen fishing 6 full days is going to be a lot of fish. Consider how much fish we will have if we only catch bottom fish, at 10 fish per person per day. Then add in the Halibut and Salmon with a possible Tuna run and we are talking tonnage. Because of the new possession limits on Halibut and Salmon we should consider an off site storage area such as Sequim.

Anyway you look at it, we will need a lot of freezers. Lets make a list of what everyone can bring in the way of freezers so we can arrange for what we will need.

Here is what I plan to bring so far.

A small 2.2 cubic foot propane/110 chest freezer that I can leave in the back of my truck.. However, it will only hold about 50-60# of frozen fillets.
One Honda 2000 generator that we can use to power freezers at Snow Creek. I will not need this generator for my little freezer. It would be nice if we had a pickup with a cap and a couple of chest type freezers at Snow Creek..

What do you guys have????

[bajadan2000]

Just a thought guys.

If we can not come up with enough freezers for our group, we could all pitch in $20-$40 each and buy one or two. Then at the end of the trip make the freezers a prize in a contest for the biggest fish or?????

Open for suggestions.

[Cloud-Nine]

Snow Creek resort has solved the problem of what to do with the fish caught. They have freezer space for a dollar a day per bag. They say the bags are huge. They also have walk in coolers we can use which keep the fish a 1 deg. above freezing. There should be no problem as they have had larger groups than ours and were able to take proper care of the catch.
Dick

[bajadan2000]

Sweet find Dick, thanks.

We still may have a little fish possession issue to deal with. The new Canadian Halibut possession limit is two fish. WA. has passed new regulations to enforce this Canadian regulation. The daily Canadian Halibut catch limit is two fish. It is possible to be at our Halibut possession limit in one day of fishing. So a freezer off site like in Sequim would take care of this issue.

Also, there are rumors of a greatly reduced WA. Salmon possession limit that we may need to deal with.

[ku2c]

I'm now legal -- in Washington anyway -- picked up my license in the local food market (!!) -- new experience - salt water license :)

Dan - showed my real estate bill - worked fine - thanks for the tip.

Pete

[elwern1]

Pete, congrats!


I'm now legal -- in Washington anyway -- picked up my license in the local food market (!!) -- new experience - salt water license :)

Dan - showed my real estate bill - worked fine - thanks for the tip.

Pete

[ku2c]

Ryan,

Thanks - now I might (just might) be able to make some sense out of the rule book by July :) ! Wow - glad Dan is the Captain :)

Pete

[MOOCHIN]

I might (just might) be able to make some sense out of the rule book by July
Pete

It is great reading material!!!!!!!!! :D

[elwern1]

Ryan,

Thanks - now I might (just might) be able to make some sense out of the rule book by July :) ! Wow - glad Dan is the Captain :)

Pete

It's a tough read and then you have to subscribe to the e-mail updates for up to the minutes changes from the state. I just try to do what everyone else is doing, safety in numbers. LOL!!!

[bajadan2000]

The 2008-9 WA. State fishing regulations just came on line. Only 130 pages before emergency changes..

Here are the special rules and possession limits that will be enforced during our Shamrock Neah Bay party fishing trip, as I now understand them. I tried to sort out only the topics that could get us in trouble. If I missed anything or posted something incorrect, please let me know, This was my first look at the new regs.

Here is the link to the new regs, which as of today are only available on line.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/2008/2008sportregs.pdf


SALMON -
Barbless hooks only, July 1-July 31 Open Tuesdays through Saturdays ONLY. CHINOOK - min. size 24". COHO - min. size. 16". Other SALMON species - no min. size. Daily limit 2 (combined). Only 1 CHINOOK may be retained. Release wild COHO. East of a true north-south line through Sail Rock CLOSED to SALMON fishing. See Kydaka Point Closure.

BOTTOMFISH Year-round season. Daily limit is a total of 15 BOTTOMFISH regardless of species, subject to individual limits and seasons

ROCKFISH No min. size. Daily limit 10. No CANARY or YELLOWEYE may be retained. No retention or possession of rockfish seaward of a line approximating 20 fathoms May 21-Sept. 30

LINGCOD Min. size 24". Daily limit 2.

CABEZON No min. size. Daily limit 2.

HALIBUT
Only one line with up to two hooks may be used.
May not be landed in a port closed to HALIBUT fishing except HALIBUT lawfully caught in Canada




Possession limits
SALMON - Two daily limits of fresh SALMON. An additional 40 pounds of salmon may be possessed in a frozen or processed form.

BOTTOMFISH - Two daily limits in any form.

HALIBUT - Two daily limits in any form, except only one limit while aboard the fishing vessel.

TUNA AND MACKEREL - No possession limit or daily limit.

Anglers aboard a boat may only possess one daily limit of fish in fresh form.

[ku2c]

Dan,

Thanks - now I have the perfect reading material for my flight today :)

Pete

[bajadan2000]

Pete,

Have a safe trip.

Dan



Some thoughts since we know all the regs. (except the Canadian Salmon rules coming out soon).

Yipeee, we can SALMON FISH AND KEEP BOTH CHINOOK AND COHO!!!!!!! We picked good dates for both USA Salmon and Canadian Halibut!!!!!

However, we can not Salmon fish on Sun or Mon. This means even if Canadian Salmon is open, we can not land Canadian Salmon in a USA port on any days that are closed in WA.. Weather permitting, on Monday, a run over to Canada to purchase our Canadian fishing licenses only, not fish Canada, should mean we will not be required to go through any customs or immigration since we will not have any fish on board. I see Monday as a laid back boat ride to Port Renfrew to buy our Canadian license, maybe sight see and/or have a meal, then return to WA. for bottom fishing the rest of the day.

[bajadan2000]

One more option for Sun or Mon., both of which will be bottom fishing days.

Take the ferry to Canada to purchase our Canadian licenses..

The first ferry leaves Port Angeles for Victoria at 8:20 AM. If we can purchase our licenses quickly and get back on the same ferry we will be back in PA at 12:30. If we miss this ferry the return time into PA would be 5:00 pm.

Victoria is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, it has a wonderful European flare and is a great ctiy to explore. However, we "may" miss a day of fishing by taking the ferry.

Ferry cost per person round trip as walk on is $25.00.

Here is the ferry schedule

Leaves PA................................................ .................Leaves Victoria
8:20 AM .................................................. .........................10:30
12:45............................................. ....................................3:00
5:15 PM................................................ ..............................7:30
9:30 PM

[bajadan2000]

Several of you have expressed concern about landing on Canadian soil from a sport fishing boat and the custom/immigration situation. Because of the sparse population in this part of the country, special arrangements have been made.

Here is the official regulation for BC Canada.



Entering Canada by Boat (Customs)
When you arrive in Canada, the operator of your vessel has to report to a customs officer by telephone through a vessel-reporting station. The officer will need details of the voyage, cargo, and passengers. Some stations have customs officers on duty during the boating season, while other stations use a telephone reporting system. You are not required to report to customs when you leave unless you reported articles on Form E29B, Temporary Admission Permit, when you arrived, or you are exporting goods that need to be documented.


On the day we land on Canadian soil, if we do not catch any fish in Canada, we are not required to have a physical inspection, or even make a phone call to leave Canadian waters.

[MOOCHIN]

Dan - Have you ever had to get a "CANPASS" before? Also The Point Renfrew website states that it is not legal to sell a canadian license to anyone from the U.S. that arrives by boat. I hope I am reading this wrong but check it out and let us know.

http://www.portrenfrewmarina.com/usvisitors.html

John

[bajadan2000]

John,

We better find out for sure. There may be some recent changes.

I tried to click on the links in the Port Renfrew site and all I keep getting are error messages. All the Canadian customs links I looked at last week on other Canadian govt. sites are also down, so they may be updating the sites with new information.

Here is the link I pulled the info from that I posted above. Look at the "Entering Canada by boat (Customs)"

http://www.travel-british-columbia.com/travel_resources/Boating_Regulations.aspx

A prior arranged customs boat pass was only required for boats over 30', but the link to that info is also down.

We may need to take a ferry ride if they have changed the rules. There is no way we can run our boats all the way to Oak Bay Marina, it is in Victoria.

Dan

[bajadan2000]

Not sure what to make of this statement on the Port Renfrew site.

""""Fishing Licenses: get your online fishing license before you arrive (you are not legally allowed to set foot on Canadian land to come to the store to buy a license)."""""



An online fishing license is not valid to fish for Halibut in that area and will only get you a ticket. The regulations state you must travel to Canada to purchase your fishing license to fish that area. Looks like a catch 22 in the new regs.. or???

In past years, many WA. fishermen would take their private fishing boats across to purchase their licenses in Port Renfrew. The standing joke was many locals would give the WA. fishermen hot spots to fish for Halibut. All the spots where in closed areas...

[bajadan2000]

Dick, Pete, and myself will be buying our Canadian fishing licenses and Salmon Conservation tags before we leave for the fishing party. We all have trips planned near the border and we will just drive over and make the purchase individually. This will give us another day to fish and also eliminate the confusion with the new Canadian Customs regulations. We no longer plan on landing on Canadian soil from my boat nor take the ferry to Victoria to purchase the license on the way up.

We will purchase a 5 day non-resident license. The cost is $32.55 plus $6.30 for a Salmon Conservation stamp. I do not see any fees for a Halibut or Salmon tag, however, we should ask if any tags are required when purchasing the license.

The 5 days we will have Canadian licenses are July 22-26.

[bajadan2000]

Several boats were lost at Snow Creek last Friday. Several more were damaged.

The dock went vertical several times and several boats went either upside down or on the rocks from some kind of rogue waves. It may have been a tsunami that hit Snow Creek early (1:30am) friday morning, possibly from an earthquake.

The Coast Guard, firemen, Neah Bay police responded.

No one was injured and the docks are being repaired.

[MOOCHIN]

First I have heard of this. Where did you see, read or hear this info. I am glad no one was injured.

[bajadan2000]

Couple of first hand reports.

http://www.piscatorialpursuits.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/434806/all/lost_my_boat_today

http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/washington-state-usa/105310-snow-creek.html

link to Coast Guard picture

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=275669

[ku2c]

Ouch! -- at least no one was hurt // Pete

According to this link there was an earthquake at Neah Bay ---

http://www.pnsn.org/recenteqs/Quakes/uw05171223.htm

[bajadan2000]

Here is the Homeland Security information on returning to the USA after fishing in Canadian waters.



U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
1000 Second Avenue, Ste 2200
Seattle, WA 98104

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

FACT SHEET

2008 Reporting Requirements for all Private Boat Operators

Note: Small pleasure vessels leaving a United States port into international or foreign waters, without a call at a foreign port, are not considered to have made a departure for the purposes of CBP (Customs and Border Protection) reporting requirements. Therefore, certain fishing vessels or any vessel that leaves from a United States port and returns without calling a foreign port or place, have not departed the United States, and are not required to report their arrival to CBP; i.e. a fishing trip into Canadian waters and return to the U.S. without landing in Canada.

[MOOCHIN]

Just an update!!!


MOOCHIN - Yes + 1 + no boat
Sculpin 1- Yes + 3 + Boat
Hicks brothers- Yes + 4 + Boat (arima)
Elwern1- Yes + 3 + Boat
bajadan2000- Yes + 0 + Boat
Ku2c - Yes - + 0 no boat
Cloud 9- Yes + 0 + no boat

I think this is it. Let me know if I am missing anything or anyone

John

[ku2c]

John,

Cloud9 and I will be with Bajadan.

No word from Bo?

Pete

[MOOCHIN]

No word from Bo?

Pete

Have not heard from Bo. I figured with him opening a new factory that if he didnt respond he must be busy. There is still time to add some people if needed.

John

[Cloud-Nine]

I have my BC fishing lic. in hand. Five days, July 22-26.
Dick

[MOOCHIN]

Ok It is getting close, I have not heard from some of you, so I am just making sure that we are a "FOR SURE GO". I talked with Sculpin 1 today and he and the Hicks brothers are qmped. I know cloud 9 is ready, he already has his license. Please e-mail or send me a PM to let me know that we are all solid.

On another note, I just got off the phone with my brother fishing out of Westport and they just opened it for two Kings per person. Most of the boats had their limits. My other brother was limited by 9:00 am and my dad was heading in at 11:00 am. All the fish were in the 15-35lb range. He said its the best King fishing he has seen in years. I hope this is a good sign for whats to come up in Neah Bay.




MOOCHIN - Yes + 1 + NO BOAT
Sculpin 1- Yes + 3 + Boat
Hicks brothers- Yes + 4 + Boat (arima)
Elwern1- Yes + 3 + Boat
bajadan2000- Yes + ? + Boat
Ku2c - Yes - + 0 + no boat
Cloud 9- Yes + 0 + no boat


jtmirante@yahoo.com

John

[bajadan2000]

Hi John,

Not sure what you want. My team of Pete and Dick and myself are all in as stated in prior posts. All three of us have our Canadian fishing licenses and bottles of Scotch at the ready..

Did you find a boat to go on yet? Adding another body onto my boat would be tight. Not sure my fourth crew member, Silly Sally, will give up her seat but if you give her a steak bone to chew on and a tummy rub she can be bought..

Also, is there anyway you can get the skippers of Sculpin and the Hick brothers to come on this site and introduce themselves. It would be nice to know a little about the boats we will be buddy boating with.

Thanks,
Dan

[sculpin 1]

greetings all,
I am the skipper of the sculpin and I guess its about time to post on here considering I read this site all the time. Looking foreword to our trip, the few reports I have seem sounds like the salmon fishing is picking up. Maybe I can get some help. I have a prop question for everyone. I have a 1996 22' wa with a 351 engine with a 14x17 LH three blade prop and a 1.52-1 gear ratio. I cruise at 3800 rpm at 16-18 knots. My top end is 4500 rpm and 24-26 knots. Now I know these boats are slow, and I'm fine with that I just want to cruise at 2800 to 3200 rpm's like most guy's on here. I've talked to Chuck the prop guy and he seems to be at a loss like me. As we speak I am having the tach cheked, if is not that I am thouroughly confused. Anyway now that I have posted I will probably do more in the future. Happy fourth. Chris

[bajadan2000]

Hi Chris, looking forward to meeting you in person. You may get better results to your prop question on the Mechanics Corner forum.


Neah Bay fishing reports.

Good news and bad news on the Salmon. The good news. Lots of nice size King and Coho Salmon hitting the decks on both the WA. and Canadian sides. The bad news, the fish are getting caught so fast the quota "may" be full before we get there...... stay tuned.

Canadian Halibut report. Limits around, fish are running on the small size this year.

Bottom fish,, all you want to legally keep...

[bajadan2000]

Tommy fished two days last week on his dads boat at Neah Bay. Thursday on the WA. side they picked up 5 kings and plenty of bottom fish. Friday they fished on the Canadian side which produced 4 Halibut, 2 lings and a Salmon. Their boat had problems and they quit fishing early and did not stay for the weekend..

[MOOCHIN]

Do you know where Tommy was fishing on the Wa. side??

[bajadan2000]

On the US side the Coho are thick now on the west side of Swiftsure. The Kings are south of Tatosh Island about 15 miles off of Umatilla point, which are the same fish the Westport boats are targeting further south.

This is the early Salmon run. The next batch of kings coming in a couple of weeks will be the big fish, up to 60#. Well, we hope they are big, and we hope we can find them when we are there. Darn things swim around too much...

[bajadan2000]

Just heard, July 26th (Sat) may be open for near shore Halibut on the USA side. The Fri. before or the Mon. after may also be open, but not sure yet.

The extra WA. Halibut fishing days are needed because of the large amount of quota left over due to all the bad weather on Halibut fishing days. Glad we kept the cabin and RV spot through the weekend..

Hope this report is true. The near shore area that will be open is where the big Halibut have been coming out of and a very short run from Snow Creek... Stay tuned...

[ku2c]

So who all are arriving tomorrow?

Dan, Dick and I will be there afternoon early evening.

Pete