Caught some real fish-Halibut!

[Diesel Smoke]

I got off work early on Thursday and met up with my Aunt and Uncle, so we could head over to the coast. We left Oregon City at 4:30 and made it to the coast at 7:45, checked in our room and met up with the people we were fishing with. Once we all got settled in, we headed about 20 miles south to the Rogue Brewery for dinner, had one killer of a Kobe beef and blue cheese bacon burger, drank some great brews, then headed back to the condo for the night.

We were up bright and early at 4:15 Friday morning and after a light breakfast (everyone gets sick but me) we went down to the boat. The boat we were headed out on was the Reel Nauti out of Depoe Bay Oregon. The captain of the boat is the only women captain on the Oregon Coast and the boat was one of the smallest I had ever been Halibut fishing on, only 32 feet long, but with only 5 people and the captain it was a very comfortable fit.

Here’s Depoe Bay in the morning. Depoe bay is unique in Oregon as it has no beach and the Pacific Ocean crashes against the solid rock of the coast with 101 running right on top of that. The bay was dug and blasted out of the rock, then a small channel blasted out to the ocean, with a jog in it to keep the majority of ocean movement out of the bay. All in all it works quite well and it’s a very easy trip into the ocean.

Here’s a quick shot of the 101 bridge over the channel. This is the morning before we left.


Captain Corie told us that Halibut fishing had been poor the day before. The area she likes to fish had a current ripping through it, so on top of the 740-780 foot depth your fishing in you have to compensate for the current and when it’s all said and done you have 1500 feet of line out. Even with the minimum 5 pound sinker, pulling up that much line take about an hour. Fortunately when we hit the fishing grounds all was well and the current they had yesterday had shifted.

Here we are 18 miles out


We fished 3 people at a time, so of course it’s ladies first, so my Aunt and the other lady, Susan, both picked up polls along with Susan’s husband Jerry (co-worker of my Uncle and Dad)

My Aunt and Captain Corie


On the first Susan hooked into a fish and about an hour later we had a nice 43” halibut on board. Once that was done we set up for our second drift, this time I grabbed a poll. Once we dropped the 740 feet down in a few minutes everyone had hooked into something. My Aunt, Jerry and myself were all bringing in what we hoper were Halibut. Jerry landed first, with a really nice Ling Cod and then me, with another Ling Cod. The regulations state that while fishing for Halibut you cannot keep any other bottom fish, so both the cods when back. My aunt finally got her line in to find a nice halibut, 36”.

So, now both the women had their fish (another rule, no size limits but you only get one), so it was the guys turns. Drift after drift after drift we could hook into any fish. They were there, but they’d get away with out bait. Jerry landed a few small Halibut, but nothing from my uncle and me. Finally my Uncle pulled his own fish, only a 35” fish, but a fish none the less. I had been getting completely skunked. On the next troll Jerry went and rested while his wife took over the poll. She stood there about 3 minutes, and she got a good hit. She tried to set the hook, but didn’t get it.!! My uncle then got a hit, he set the hook and handed the poll to me. I started reeling up. There wasn’t much for waves, so I had to do the work myself, dragging the fish up from the bottom. Halibut are fun, as they don’t come up easy, but with fight and dive back to the bottom. In the middle of all this Corie had everyone else bring in their lines and as Susan started to reel, she found the fish that had got away after the stike was still on the line and hooked. So, we had two fish coming into the boat. After a lot of work, probably about an hour and half I had my fish in the boat. A very nice and thick 42” halibut!!!


Susan eventually got her fish in, 39” and with that we had one more to get, for the Captain. We had the gear in so we motored back to the top of our drift. Once there we dropped out lines in again. Sure enough Susan hooked into a fish. Once we made sure she was hooked into the fish we started bringing in our other lines. She reeled and reeled and reeled. I was standing back waiting for her to bring the fish in ready to go home. She finally got the fish up to the boat, after 2 hours of reeling. I was on the opposite side of the boat and I could tell by the tone of the Captains voice things were urgent. When you get a fish up to the boat, you pull the poll out of the holder lift it up, and walk away, so the fish could be netted. Susan had no problem doing this on her first two fish, but the poll came out of the hold and slammed onto the rail, she couldn’t lift it. The Captain is tell us she’s going to need help getting this fish in the boat, so I run over to the rail. There is a MONSTER of a fish looking back at me. Corie is trying to net it, while Susan and her husband lift the poll, my Uncle is also over the rail trying to help. The fish is too big to fit into the net, so she tries it from the back, but it’s a no go. At this time my Uncle realizes the fish isn’t hooked in the mouth but snagged on the side of the mouth from the hook set, and is at risk for coming off if the fish thrashes. So he suggests gaffing it. With in moments the Corie has the gaff. She hand the net to my Uncle and he keeps the fish near the boat. She gaffs it first try and her and I start to lift it in. My Uncle lifts with the tail and we get it into the boat. Once it hits the floor we all start yelling and cheering, because this is a huge fish. Once it’s unhooked we measure it out, 53” biggest fish Corie has had on the boat all season!! After knocking it a few times Corie and Jerry lift it into the hold and we head back in.




It takes about 2.5 hours to head in, so I snapped a few pictures from not too far out.

101 bridge at Depoe Bay


Depoe Bay


Closer view of the bridge


Looking out while under the bridge

[Diesel Smoke]

More!

Here’s three of the fish we caught. From the left to right is the 36”, my 42”, and the monster 53”.


All 6 of the fish, the 53” is the second one in


This is me and my fish it weighted in at 50 pounds!!


Jerry and his wife with her monster it weighed in at 73 pounds.


The Reel Nauti


And lastly Depoe Bay in the afternoon upon our return.

[GRIDWNC]

I love Halibut. Do you deliver???

[The Joker]

Nice looking fish ya got there. When can I swing by for fish and chips? I'll bring the home brew.

[Norm]

Cool, those are some good eats. I can't wait for a little better weather so I can out and get some bottom fish. My 17' sled is a little small for running out for halibut .

[Richard]

Originally Posted by The Joker

Nice looking fish ya got there. When can I swing by for fish and chips? I'll bring the home brew.

pick me up on your way

[Diesel Smoke]

Originally Posted by GRIDWNC

I love Halibut. Do you deliver???

Nope Sorry

[Diesel Smoke]

Originally Posted by The Joker

Nice looking fish ya got there. When can I swing by for fish and chips? I'll bring the home brew.

Hmmmm......interesting...... The Oregon season ended on Saturday, so I'll be hoarding it until the prices go way up.

[The Joker]

Originally Posted by Diesel Smoke

Hmmmm......interesting...... The Oregon season ended on Saturday, so I'll be hoarding it until the prices go way up.

I make beer 5 gallons at a time maybe we can work out some kind of deal.

[Budd]

mmmmmmmmmmm.................Halibut.

[SHERPA]

damn nice fish...........

--Sherpa

[Boheefus]

sometimes I go fishing just fer the halibut.....god I kill me

[psychotoy]

Depoe bay kicks ass......gotta try "Gracies", good grub, cool atmosphere, that is, if you haven't already

[Diesel Smoke]

Originally Posted by psychotoy

Depoe bay kicks ass......gotta try "Gracies", good grub, cool atmosphere, that is, if you haven't already

I can't remember 100% for sure I have been there, but I have eaten at least one meal at every restarunt in the whole damn town, all .25 mile of it! Depoe Bay is one of my favorite spots on the coast, I remember when it was just Tradewinds Charter and a block of little shops. Use to sit in the Chowder Bowl (I think) and watch the fishing boats come in when I was little.

[southernfriedcj8]

Is a halibut just a north western version of a flounder?

[imwiththebann'd]

Originally Posted by Diesel Smoke

we headed about 20 miles south to the Rogue Brewery for dinner, had one killer of a Kobe beef and blue cheese bacon burger

hahaha, thats my uncle making those for you. Or his staff I should say, hes the head chef there... damn good food

[comeonstart]

Originally Posted by southernfriedcj8

Is a halibut just a north western version of a flounder?

Pretty much, the halibut get bigger though.

I love the pics

[santa]

Nice fish. Great write up too. I'm heading up to north coast with the kiddo in a month or two, not to fish, just to get out of the valley and show her the big redwoods.

[Diesel Smoke]

Originally Posted by southernfriedcj8

Is a halibut just a north western version of a flounder?

Flounder as in flat bottom dwelling fish? Then yes, but this is Halibut, not your run of the mill crap bottom fish. What did you expect, have you never seen a Halibut??

[Diesel Smoke]

Originally Posted by santa

Nice fish. Great write up too. I'm heading up to north coast with the kiddo in a month or two, not to fish, just to get out of the valley and show her the big redwoods.

Thanks on both accounts. The Redwoods are really a great thing to see. One of my family earliest vacation when we were kids was down to the redwoods, my Mom took a picture of all of us sitting on Paul Bunyon's foot. Later I went down with the OSU botany club and had someone take a shot of me in the same place. My mom has them both framed!

[Motornoggin]

Originally Posted by Richard

pick me up on your way

LOL...transplants. Joker's place to Diesel Smoke's place does not have Salem on the way.
I am going bottom fishing with my dad and brothers out of Newport on the 23rd. It will be my first time. I am stoked.
Gracie's Sea Hag is the bombizzle

[bad80cj-7]

You cought a Halibut just for the hell of it! hehehehe Sorry that brought back a sweet memory! Nice catch by the way!

[StupidityKills]

Nice catch. The Halibut fishing up here is insane. We bagged 2 100+ pounders a few years ago. Not to mention lingcod.

[Diesel Smoke]

Originally Posted by Motornoggin

LOL...transplants. Joker's place to Diesel Smoke's place does not have Salem on the way.
I am going bottom fishing with my dad and brothers out of Newport on the 23rd. It will be my first time. I am stoked.
Gracie's Sea Hag is the bombizzle

If you get sea sick, take ginger. I packed some ginger Altoids with me incase I got queezy. I never have gotten sick, but I am a bit paranoid. Have a good time on your trip!