Memorial Day Weekend Halibut

Pisco Sicko, so do you still need an extra yak?  I got some logistics to figure out if you do.  I'll be using a different car than normal which I don't think can fit 2 yaks on.  Although I may ride with or caravan with Charles' in which case we can probably fit 3 yaks somehow.  I think we're shooting to leave Shoreline around noon-ish.  Planning on making a stop in Port Angeles for food and other supplies.

Fishin-T ...  HELLO?  Are you joining us?  Anyone else joining us?

-Allen

I'll be leaving from Kent by noon. I'm going to take the scenic route and go over the narrows bridge, so I'm guessing we'll be arriving around the same time.

Polepole,

The jury is back to the courtroom... the verdict:  I can't make it.     The wife says we need to visit her friend on some island (Anderson?) in the south sound and I can take her friend's husband out on the yaks to try for some flatfish.  Better than nothing I guess. 

You guys enjoy.  I'll see all of you guys later this summer.

Fishin-T

polepole- I'd really appreciate it if John could use your extra yak, and I'd bet he would, too. Getting an alternative (SIK) would mean a substantial detour, and a vessel not as conducive to fishing. We will be coming through Seattle, around 7:30-8:30pm. Would it help if we pick up the yak? We will going through the N end, to drop off kids. I've already built racks for my trailer (and it's half loaded). We'll probably drive around the Narrows, cause I think ferry fares, with the trailer, will be steep. Plus, There's a good chance there will be long lines.

Fishin-T- Sorry to hear you won't be making it. As a consolation, I would try mooching a plugcut herring at Lyle Pt., off the S end of Anderson. Check up on me, but if I remember correctly, the S Sound is open for salmon.

It's official. I won't be able to make this one. But I'm pretty sure I've got the trip to Victoria in July so I'll be out there with you guys soon. Tight lines fellas!!

Z

Pisco, we'll see what we're able to carry on Friday morning.  Will you have your cell with you on Friday?  I'll give you a call if we need you to pick up the yak.

-Allen

I'll have my cell on me, same number. Reception, where I've been recently working, is spotty. If I don't hear it, the answering service will pick up. I'll leave work around 2:30, dump my tools out of my rig, and hook up the trailer. As soon as the kids are home, we're out of here!

It looks Charles is getting delayed.  He's going to come in late Saturday.  I no longer need to be back on Sunday, so I'm going to stay until Monday morning.

Our weather is holding fine.  Saturday is going to be really nice.

.SAT...W WIND 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT.
.SAT NIGHT...W WIND 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT.
.SUN...W WIND 10 TO 15 KT RISING TO 15 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES
 1 TO 3 FT.
.MON...W WIND 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT.

-Allen

I just found out that I have the full day Mon., too. I'm not going to have to pick up the girls on Mon. evening, so can return straight home, via Deception Pass. 

If it does blow out on one of the days, how about checking out L. Ozette, as plan B? Among other things, I'm curious about the possibility of floating the Ozette R down to the beach.

Nice! Saturday is my one shot at a halibut this year so I hope that forecast holds.

Can one of you bring a big ass file for the barbs.  Or Pisco, perhaps you barb crunching pliers? Thanks.

-Allen

I'll bring the files and pliers I have, but I'm not promising anything on those friggin' hooks!

A file, slip-joint pliers, and even my cheap diamondstones, for the fillet knives!  Poor trailer is going to be squatting, soon. 

I finally figured out that you can't beat the Dremmel for that job.

Good luck out there.

Fishin-T

Uh oh!  I had a bad weekend of fishing.     I hate it when that happens.  If I can't tell you good news, I can bore you with a bunch of typing.

It all started Thursday when I thought I was starting to come down with something.  By Friday, I had a full on cold.

Left about noon on Friday, hopped on the first ferry without a wait (using up the last of my luck for the weekend), and made it to Hobuck's by 5:30, with a stop in PA for some groceries.  Paid up for 3 cars, then proceeded to see Wayne was already there with camp set up, and he had paid for us already (that was the beginning of more bad luck).

We finished setting up camp, made some dinner, built a fire and talked story.  Fishing stories of course.  Stayed up until about 11 and called it a night.  Woke up 6AM the next morning and found Bill set up a couple sites over.  Bill and John had rolled in about 2:30.  And yes, they paid yet again.  D'oh!  We were all a bit slow on our feet and finally left camp at 8-ish with the mouth of the Sekiu river as our target for butts.  Got there, the weather looked ok, and made the call to hit it.  I got going a bit before the others and paddle out to 180' of water, maybe a mile and a half offshore.  It was a bit bumpy but not so bad, well, at least until I started the first drift.  Half way through it Wayne catches up but by now there are whitecaps everywhere.  Bill and John were about a 1/4 mile in from us and we decided to head their way.  We had to quarter upwind then quarter downwind since if we had headed straight for them we would have been taking the waves broadside.  Bill and John decided to stick it out and Wayne and I went in to move to MA4 (shipwreck point I believe) and some kelp beds up the road.  We ate lunch then launch and seemed to catch the very end of the bite.  Wayne got his first rockfish (a little one released) and said something about starting out good then getting blanked.  Which is exactly what happened to him!  I stuck 3 underlings, 3 greenlings, a small cabbie, and a handful of small rockfish (all released) then the bite died.  I chatted with a PB'er and he said there was a decent bite for blacks earlier in the morning and he showed me a nice stringer of 3-4 pound blanks.  We called it a day at 2:30.  Wayne headed home.  And I headed back to camp.  My face felt hot and I felt like I was runninga fever, so I popped a couple Tylenol and took a nice long nap.  Bill and John stayed at Kydaka and Bill managed a 10# ling and a nice cabbie.  John pulled in a nice octopus with about a 5-6 foot arm span.

Charles showed up late that night.  The next morning we were even slower going as it was a bit windy and we decided to have breakfast to see if the wind would die down.  We hit Snow Creek only to find the wind blowing.  No whitecaps, but the wind was a steady 15 knots or so.  Bill and John hit the deeper water as Bill had a drift chute.  Charles and I stayed shallow.  We were drifting a good 1.5 mphs on the GPS and could only make 1.5 mph paddling upwind.  I caught a couple small rockfish (released), and lost a nice cabbie at the yak.  Charles managed one barely keepable black.  Not a good day fishing for us.  I think Bill and John ended up with a black, a greenling, and a starry flounder.  We did run into 2 other guys fishing in SIK's.

Well folks, that's it.  Not a stellar fishing weekend, but it was good to get out camping with the boys.  I didn't hook a single keepable fish all weekend.  At least I kicked my cold by the end of it.  Not sure how I did that as the nights were cold in the tent.

-Allen