Albacore Charter Recommendations

I would like to fish for albacore this august or September. Astoria is the closest port to my home but willing to drive further. I prefer fishing bait or iron but trolling is OK also.  Any recommendations? Anyone want to join me?

Thanks Scott

Go on any live bait charter out of Ilwaco starting from mid-August until late September. Blood bath!!!

i haven't done the charter thing before, but in my recreational tuna experience i've learned that trolling is a method to locate tuna, not to put numbers in the boat. as in - troll till you get a fish on, then stop the boat, start jigging/tossing live bait/etc.... i'd be surprised if any charter solely trolled.

If you're interested in speed and a small boat experience, then Mark Coleman at All Rivers and Saltwater Charters is pretty awesome. I've only gone once, but we put 54 tuna in the boat for six guys. We left Westport at about 6:30 and were back on the dock by 3. Pretty incredible fishing experience.

This was in September of 2013. We're still eating canned albacore.

There are many options available depending on what you're looking for.  Most boats will start live baiting as soon as the bait dock in Ilwaco can keep the anchovies alive.  This year should not be a problem what with the Columbia running so low this early.  In years past they've had a problem with the high spring flows causing the salinity to be too low to keep the bait alive, and at times haven't had bait until well after the Albies showed up.

Mark Coleman is top-shelf as already mentioned if you want to make the trip to Westport.   There are other quality boats in Ilwaco though if you don't want to make the trip to Westport.   Mike with Shake and Bake Sportsfishing is currently en route to Ilwaco from Cabo after picking up a new 42' Henriques Express in New Jersey, bringing it down the Atlantic, across the Gulf of Mexico, through Panama, then up the Pacific side of Central America on his way home to Washington.   He stopped off at Quepos, Costa Rica to fish this years Offshore World Championship, but is homeward bound now.  He'll have his boat ready to roll when the longfins show up. 

Mike's website is http://www.shakenbakesportfishing.com/.

I'll be in Ilwaco at the end of July/first week of August.   Then probably the end of August, and the end of September.   Wouldn't be opposed to taking out a NWKA member or two if they wanted to go.  I'm not a charter though.  Expenses are split equally amongst the total number of people on my boat.  I don't charge anything else as that would make me a charter, and I'd need my USCG Masters License.  My boat in Ilwaco last year:   





My dad stacking them up:

I'll be in Ilwaco at the end of July/first week of August.   Then probably the end of August, and the end of September.   Wouldn't be opposed to taking out a NWKA member or two if they wanted to go.  I'm not a charter though.  Expenses are split equally amongst the total number of people on my boat.  I don't charge anything else as that would make me a charter, and I'd need my USCG Masters License.  My boat in Ilwaco last year:   





My dad stacking them up:

Awesome. PM me if you have an opening you need to fill. I will be retired so pretty flexible. Grew up in SCAL fishing pelagics so have some experience with albies. Caught a bunch of 50# albies on the Royal Polaris 10 years ago.

If you want to wack and stack th e tuna book a trip with Todd Girtz of Todd's Extreme Fishing.  I went out with him last summer of tuna and 5 guys put 63 tuna on deck.

and it's posts like this that haunt my dreams, keep me from concentrating at work, and force me to spend all my vacation days in late summer.  my therapists said I needed to stay away from tuna pics until at least early june - thanks guys.