WELCOME TO RIVER DAVES PLACE

big ocean fish question

cpdad93

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2011
Messages
424
Reaction score
434
So the Mrs. loves fishing and wants a big one. I took her back to Pend Oreille last year and she did catch some good size rainbows and bull trout. Enough that she is going back this year. However, she would really like to catch something pretty good size. She has talked of Marlin fishing but it seems like that is a long shot. My quagmire is do we try the Marlin or would perhaps Alaska Halibut be a better chance at something big. Remember if you can't be a master fisherman be a master baiter.
 

Done-it-again

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2016
Messages
8,819
Reaction score
10,839
Head to Cabo in October right before the bisbee black and blue tournament for marlin.

Caught this in 17’ fishing for dorado and tuna.

E25F07CE-5F85-475A-B3B9-E0FB5AA78E25.jpeg
B713421E-A5D2-401F-A9A2-8431BCB5DA4B.jpeg
 

Done-it-again

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2016
Messages
8,819
Reaction score
10,839
Totally agree. Place most likely to catch a marlin is Cabo. October is good and somewhat post hurricane season. BTW - vast majority of Cabo marlin fishing is catch and release.

Over the years Cabo is pushing catch and release. Unless you are going to mount it as they get cut of the mounting fee.
 

was thatguy

living in a cage of fear
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
51,526
Reaction score
95,362
Alaska Halibut fishing is rather boring compared to marlin fishing.
Other than the insane scenery and unparalleled experience.


The “fight” is like reeling up a dumpster lid.
Don’t get me wrong, I went every summer for decades when I lived there.
But the biggest thrill of Halibut fishing is putting 200 plus pounds of filet in the freezer!
 

Thunderhead1

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 18, 2016
Messages
972
Reaction score
1,828
I can appreciate the desire... And unless you going on extended vacation for this experience , you can get smoked right here in our local waters on Yellowtail and football sized Tunas , and the occasional DoDo...My Son was all pumped up after this one hit the deck. 10 miles off the coast of Newport. His First DODO ever.



dorado.jpg
 

buck35

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2015
Messages
5,934
Reaction score
5,579
Travel down and fish for sturgeon on the lower Columbia. Not too far from you either, and very tasty!
 

cpdad93

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2011
Messages
424
Reaction score
434
They do fish sturgeon here in the snake. I remember up north in shallow water farmers pulling 10-12 footers out with tractors. I was thinking halibut as I know a 30 ponder hits like a freight train. She can get a 20-30 pound rainbow. I am looking for at least a 100 ppound fish with a good chance of getting one. we throw everything back but kokanee and squaw fish. Kokanee for the smoker, squaw fish for the eagles and ospree.
 

Gramps

Older Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2007
Messages
8,342
Reaction score
10,532
Call the Royal Polaris in San Diego and talk to Frank LoPreste the owner. Explain what you want to do. They have had some great couples trip on one hell of a long range boat.
 

Hypnautic

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2008
Messages
2,677
Reaction score
3,776
212lb sea monster. 16 miles off west coast of Oahu.
IMG_2577.jpg

And unless you can pull a fire truck with your teeth you will need help from the rail. Took just over 45 minutes to pull in. Could jerk off for weeks after that!

Son caught this Aku, bout 8 miles of the coast. 20lbs and a nice little fight.
IMG_2575.jpg

It lost...
IMG_2582.jpg


Heres the rest of the haul. 2 Mahi and 1Tuna
IMG_2580.jpg
 

500bbc

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
26,381
Reaction score
40,039
They do fish sturgeon here in the snake. I remember up north in shallow water farmers pulling 10-12 footers out with tractors. I was thinking halibut as I know a 30 ponder hits like a freight train. She can get a 20-30 pound rainbow. I am looking for at least a 100 ppound fish with a good chance of getting one. we throw everything back but kokanee and squaw fish. Kokanee for the smoker, squaw fish for the eagles and ospree.
Cabo during Striped Marlin season, they are pests:D, Have brought a dozen to the boat several times.
 

Done-it-again

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2016
Messages
8,819
Reaction score
10,839
Salmon fishing of the coast of British Columbia is one of the most amazing things I've ever done!

Used to fish Vancouver island for salmon with my partents. They would tow the boat from Cali and fish for a few week at a fishing lodge ( forget the name right now) it’s been 15 years or so now. But always a great time. Nothing like bringing in a salmon and having an orca take a bite out of it before landing it in the boat. Good memories up there. (Mom is Canadian)
 

jonnyd

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2009
Messages
673
Reaction score
1,289
The sea of Cortez is still one of the best fisheries in the world for large game fish. The east cape has so many species within a fairly close boat ride as well as from shore. While catching a marlin is nice there are so many other species that put up exciting and tuff fights. Yellow fin tuna, dorado and amberjack are more prolific than marlin and you will remember the fight for many years.

If salmon and large halibut sound interesting I recommend a company in British Columbia called Westcoast resorts. They have floating lodges around the Queen Charlotte Island. The fishing starts late May and lasts until sometime in August. Salmon are fun to catch but the halibut are good fighters. You will get your own boat and can pretty much go anywhere you want. The accommodations are superb but a bit pricy.
 

adam909

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
737
Reaction score
836
I think the best kind of fishing is with your arms and body.. anybody can set in a chair and turn the handle. or fight a fish in a rod holder.. I used to hunt big tuna 200lb+ and the fishing I enjoy the most is albacore fishing.. For some one that wants to learn ocean fishing albacore can be a great experience. They swim in large schools.. so you have to hunt them.. Nothing more exciting then finding them and all hell breaks loose..
 

Flying_Lavey

Dreaming of the lake
Joined
Feb 13, 2008
Messages
20,405
Reaction score
17,196
I really enjoyed the couple times I went yellow fin fishing. They put up a good little fight and are a lot of fun to bring in.

Sent from my LM-G710VM using Tapatalk
 

MohavValley

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2016
Messages
415
Reaction score
373
Big eye tuna (blue fin) way off the coast of Mex or us if water gets warm enought. Usually may/June through August depending on watervtemp. Watch the fish reports and talk to some charters out of San Diego.

You can also do a 4 or 6 pack private charter where they take you on the hunt.
 

El Chingon

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2009
Messages
252
Reaction score
221
212lb sea monster. 16 miles off west coast of Oahu.
View attachment 747877
And unless you can pull a fire truck with your teeth you will need help from the rail. Took just over 45 minutes to pull in. Could jerk off for weeks after that!

Son caught this Aku, bout 8 miles of the coast. 20lbs and a nice little fight.
View attachment 747879
It lost...
View attachment 747880

Heres the rest of the haul. 2 Mahi and 1Tuna
View attachment 747881
Nice catch by you and your boy. We are out here in Oahu too this week. Doing all the tourist stops.Fishing would have been something great to do.
 

500bbc

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
26,381
Reaction score
40,039
Big eye tuna (blue fin) way off the coast of Mex or us if water gets warm enought. Usually may/June through August depending on watervtemp. Watch the fish reports and talk to some charters out of San Diego.

You can also do a 4 or 6 pack private charter where they take you on the hunt.

Big Eye are Big Eye, rare catch off of So Cal, Bluefin migrate annually and are on the chew right now, 20 to 150 # fish, most in the 60# range. A 60# tuna would hurt your wife though.
General info on the BFT, the IATTC reduced Eastern Pacific BFT quotas in 2014, the fishing has been historic ever since. Season has started two months early and the size is quality.
If the last four years are any indication they could be around to November/December again.
 

stephenkatsea

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2008
Messages
8,007
Reaction score
11,575
One of the largest concentrations of marlin in the world, mostly striped, is the Cabo area in the fall. With a tank full of live bait, we’ve had the opportunity to chum them to the corner, and fish them like tuna. 3 going at a time from a stopped boat. That is not the norm, but it did happen. I caught and released 5 and my buddies caught 7-8 each. Royal Polaris is an outstanding operation. But, you’re on the boat 24/7. In Cabo marlin are typically fished via a single hook up. Angler can be seated and the boat ready to maneuver as needed. Would be easier on your wife.
 

stephenkatsea

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2008
Messages
8,007
Reaction score
11,575
I think the best kind of fishing is with your arms and body.. anybody can set in a chair and turn the handle. or fight a fish in a rod holder.. I used to hunt big tuna 200lb+ and the fishing I enjoy the most is albacore fishing.. For some one that wants to learn ocean fishing albacore can be a great experience. They swim in large schools.. so you have to hunt them.. Nothing more exciting then finding them and all hell breaks loose..

You're correct, albacore fishing is outstanding. But, unfortunately it has been many years since they were caught in any numbers in So Cal. They have been available from ports in Oregon and Washington. Average size is typically 20-25 lbs.
 

Done-it-again

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2016
Messages
8,819
Reaction score
10,839
I think the best kind of fishing is with your arms and body.. anybody can set in a chair and turn the handle. or fight a fish in a rod holder.. I used to hunt big tuna 200lb+ and the fishing I enjoy the most is albacore fishing.. For some one that wants to learn ocean fishing albacore can be a great experience. They swim in large schools.. so you have to hunt them.. Nothing more exciting then finding them and all hell breaks loose..

Damn I stood up and fought this bitch...... Couldn't move for a few days after, thank goodness for mexico and their pharmacies.

Tuna are crazy strong for their size and my largest was only 90 lbs. But its a different fight. Marlin, Dorado like to dance out of the water and try to spit the hook. Tuna dive deep and want to run. A lot of the time they come to the boat only to zip line again.

Don't bother going for strip marlin as they are the smallest of the species and don't put up much fight.

IMG_8363.JPG
IMG_8366.JPG
 

stephenkatsea

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2008
Messages
8,007
Reaction score
11,575
Yes, albacore fishing is like no other. In the mid 70s I ran a 100’ sportfishing boat. When fishing 1 day trips out of Moro Bay, with passengers, we had 2 days that were 500+ fish. Good times.
Previous photos were commercial fishing after the passenger carrying season. Big time fun. But a tough way to make a buck.
 

500bbc

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
26,381
Reaction score
40,039
Yes, albacore fishing is like no other. In the mid 70s I ran a 100’ sportfishing boat. When fishing 1 day trips out of Moro Bay, with passengers, we had 2 days that were 500+ fish. Good times.
Previous photos were commercial fishing after the passenger carrying season. Big time fun. But a tough way to make a buck.
What boat?

We used to follow the PQ to Morro as the Albies migrated.
Yeah, fishing is a tough way to make a living, sporties or commercial.
 

stephenkatsea

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2008
Messages
8,007
Reaction score
11,575
The boat was the New Salty Dog. Later purchased by Dick Helgren and renamed the O’side 95. We ran the NSD out of Virg’s Landing when in Morro Bay. The PQ is/was a great boat. Actually, Eddie McEwen Jr. decked on our boat for a short time. His dad Ed Sr, a great guy and original owner of the PQ, had come to me and asked me to show his kid what it meant to work. Lol
 

adam909

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
737
Reaction score
836
The boat was the New Salty Dog. Later purchased by Dick Helgren and renamed the O’side 95. We ran the NSD out of Virg’s Landing when in Morro Bay. The PQ is/was a great boat. Actually, Eddie McEwen Jr. decked on our boat for a short time. His dad Ed Sr, a great guy and original owner of the PQ, had come to me and asked me to show his kid what it meant to work. Lol

lots of good memories on that old 95. Used to work on that boat when I was 19.. Used to love when dick would captain the boat and hear his stories... Man is a legend..
 

Cray Paper

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2012
Messages
3,504
Reaction score
3,379
My dad used to go albacore tuna fishing out of Westport WA every year. He swore it was the best deep sea fishing. He said once on a school they would hit the lines at like 35 MPH and fought like hell. I've never been tuna fishing but have for halibut out of Westport, caught a 68 ponder once, it was uneventful other than it felt like pulling up a trash can. Some of my buddies have caught 200+ pound halibut in Alaska and say the same thing.

I have caught a 13' sturgeon on the Colombia, it fought like hell once hitting the surface, but I had to let it go. You can only keep a certain range of size and those things can get really big. Been a long time, I dont recall the range you can keep.
 

FishSniper

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
1,942
Reaction score
3,464
So the Mrs. loves fishing and wants a big one. I took her back to Pend Oreille last year and she did catch some good size rainbows and bull trout. Enough that she is going back this year. However, she would really like to catch something pretty good size. She has talked of Marlin fishing but it seems like that is a long shot. My quagmire is do we try the Marlin or would perhaps Alaska Halibut be a better chance at something big. Remember if you can't be a master fisherman be a master baiter.
Los Barilles about hour north of Cabo will give you the best opportunity to get multiple types of fish. Rent a condo at villas de Cortez or a room at palmas de cortez and get a boat through the hotel or book through Jen Wren sportfishing if you want a better boat/ service then the hotel boats. Much slower pace then Cabo but has 2 pools with swim up bars and the fishing is usually very good.
 

cpdad93

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2011
Messages
424
Reaction score
434
Did someone say Albacore? View attachment 748415
I went tuna fishing on my boat with my friend Alex off santa cruz one year. Friggen crazy, we find the boiling bait, troll through it and 4 poles hook up at once, plus what I thought was a joke, this cedar plug hooked to the back of the boat on a bungee cord. Two guys and five fish on. I go to grab one of my poles and he stops me. Let her run, she is going to head for the bottom. We finally get all the fish in, and talk about bleeders, looked like someone had gutted a deer in the back of my boat. Good think we had a pump and a hose. It gets even better, at the dock this chinaman says he will fillet those tuna for us if he can have the head and guts.
 

500bbc

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
26,381
Reaction score
40,039
The boat was the New Salty Dog. Later purchased by Dick Helgren and renamed the O’side 95. We ran the NSD out of Virg’s Landing when in Morro Bay. The PQ is/was a great boat. Actually, Eddie McEwen Jr. decked on our boat for a short time. His dad Ed Sr, a great guy and original owner of the PQ, had come to me and asked me to show his kid what it meant to work. Lol
Fished the '95 many times, the PQ can't count how many.
Eddie was a freaking bad ass skipper. On a 1.5 day trip he went South 160 miles chasing big BFT. Acting like BFT they'd come up the chum line and sink out at the boat, keyed on clear bait we couldn't hook one. Got snotty on the way home and people dropped off into the galley until me and my buddy were the only ones left at the rail. Eddie got on the PA and yelled at everyone to get out and fish "I didn't give up on you, don't you give up on me! There's two MEN fishing in the back of my boat, get up and fish with them!" Fifteen foot before the night was over and water running through the galley, Good Times!
We were all bummed when he sold it to Sam and Brian, until we fished with them.:D
 

old man on the lake

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Messages
226
Reaction score
17
Take her to Cabo or east cape of Baja.
Plan to fish three days and go after all the speicies. Marlin, yellow fin tuna, ono, dorado, yellow tail, grouper and if you really want some fun get just out side the surf and hook some rooster fish.
If she really likes it ,then you can take her to the Tropic Star.
 

Hallett_Whacker

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2017
Messages
1,168
Reaction score
1,650
My FIL owns 36 foot Topaz docked in Alamitos Bay and a Parker 2320 docked on the other side of PCH. I could fish anytime I want as I'm very close to him (golf every Sunday with him).

I've done it, and fought a couple of 20-25 pound yellowtails, and it was ok. I enjoy eating the fish much more than fighting it, but more power to you guys.

My youngest son is graduating HS this year., and for his graduation present my FIL is taking him on an 8 day trip in July out of SD--it may be on the Royal Polaris.

Anyway, he takes his grandpa's Parker out 2-3 times a month and probably fishes off the docks another 2-3 times a week after school. :)
 

lbhsbz

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2010
Messages
11,667
Reaction score
28,518
A few years ago a buddy from work talked me into fishing off the beach...so I went and bought some cheapo gear and we did that for a few months. Didn't catch much. Some dude we met down there was putting together a small group to go hunt tuna on a boat out of 22nd street, so we did that...one shorty yellow tail for the whole boat at catalina.

Another buddy has a 30ft aluminum pilothouse deal and invited me out a few times. We overnighted at SCI and I hooked up to my first "big" fish...about a 15 lb yellow tail. What a rush...especially on the gear I was using.

Best fun I've had though...went out with a couple buddies on a 17' monark CC, plan was to head out to the green buoy. Got some decent bait, which was all dead by the time we got where we were headed because my buddy doesn't know how to drive a boat...didn't catch shit out there. But...just as we were exiting the breakwall, I saw a boil about 50 feet behind the boat. I grabbed the only thing I had rigged up, which was a little spinner with like 8 or 10lb line on it and kroc. I brought it because I figured we may hit the beach afterwards. Pitched it out there and as soon as it hit the water I was on. Took about 45 minutes to reel in 18" bonita.

I've gotta get out there again.
 

stephenkatsea

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2008
Messages
8,007
Reaction score
11,575
lots of good memories on that old 95. Used to work on that boat when I was 19.. Used to love when dick would captain the boat and hear his stories... Man is a legend..

I knew Dick for many years. Just a good guy. Back in his San Pedro days he once took a boat out for Albacore, without passengers, he came back with 1,000 albacore (1 day) and a broken arm from bait poling fish. Dick had his 80' Electra at Virg's Morro Bay when we ran the 100' New Salty Dog out of there. Because of our size, we always tied up dock side with the Electra tied outside and alongside of us. He used to complain to me that the customers couldn't even see his boat. He always admired the NSD and I wasn't at all surprised that he ended up buying it. Great fishing boat and one of the best riding in bad weather. I once told Dick when he renamed the NSD the O'side 95 he was giving up 5' of that true 100' boat. He laughed and said he knew, but he wanted it to rhyme. Good times, good guy.
 

was thatguy

living in a cage of fear
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
51,526
Reaction score
95,362
My dad used to go albacore tuna fishing out of Westport WA every year. He swore it was the best deep sea fishing. He said once on a school they would hit the lines at like 35 MPH and fought like hell. I've never been tuna fishing but have for halibut out of Westport, caught a 68 ponder once, it was uneventful other than it felt like pulling up a trash can. Some of my buddies have caught 200+ pound halibut in Alaska and say the same thing.

I have caught a 13' sturgeon on the Colombia, it fought like hell once hitting the surface, but I had to let it go. You can only keep a certain range of size and those things can get really big. Been a long time, I dont recall the range you can keep.


216 pounder out of Homer...back when I had hair!

7854E760-D931-4346-AB80-2864FBB200BA.jpeg
 
Top