This Ship's log is a group of articles written by Patrick Roelle and covers a variety of topics related to fishing for albacore tuna, Chinook Salmon, and Dungeness Crab on the Pacific Ocean.
2019 Tuna Trip 3 Part 3
Ship's Log August 7-19 2019
Mark's Eyeopener
Mark Kimball and I have a lot of history. When I was operating as a fishing guide between 1999 and 2005 I was working with Mark at his Steelblue Chameleon Lodge on the Elk River. The fall salmon and winter steelhead driftboat trips. He was my boss then, but we became quick friends and have remained so ever since. My family and I have done numerous stays in the lodge since then, and last year while we were staying at the lodge fishing fall chinook salmon, Mark mentioned at the dinner table that he wanted to go on a tuna trip with me. While racking my brain for an appropriate deckhand, I made a call out to him. He had just returned from his summer guiding trip in Alaska, but had a fish poison infection in his finger that needed antibiotics and some time to heal. I know his passion for fishing. We do not always get "fishermen" as deckhands. I really like it when I have a fisherman on my deck. Always watching the gear and trying to figure out how to get more fish to bite...
We set our gear at the last green can buoy off the bar into Charleston. It was about 2pm, August 8th, and I wanted to have Mark see how everything worked, and run thru the gear a bunch of times to get familiar with this operation. The first fish should start coming in a few hours. I like to drag my jigs thru the cool green water in case some sort of "camp meat" might arrive. It did. That's all I'm saying about that!! Mark could not believe it but hey. Gottim! This is looking like it might be a great start! We did not get to the tuna til late, and ended up with 27 tuna for this first day run out to the grounds.
2019 Tuna Trip 4
Ship's Log August 21st-30th 2019
The Edge
August 21st Mark and I woke up early to begin a very busy day. We had to remove the hot water heater that had blown and leaked thru the floor in the house to the engine room area above the batteries during our last trip. We cleaned that mess up and removed the water heater. The previous owner of the vessel, Dave, who lives in Ilwaco gave me a ride to get a new water heater and supply for that, then to the Fred Meyer for groceries and the remaining supply needed for another 22 days at sea.
After stocking those supplies, and installing the water heater we went to work getting the 4 bait tanks on deck operational. I had an appointment for live anchovies at the bait dock. That is one very important appointment that has to be met or no bait, or delayed bait, costing a day or a trip without live bait. Guys are seriously after it! There is a shortage with no bait available in Westport and very little here. You do not get it if you do not deliver your fish into Ilwaco, and make a timely appointment. This is going to be my first live bait appointment since buying the James Lee 2 years ago. I am a bait addict. I must have bait, and since 2012 with the Manatee II I always throw out at least one box of frozen salted tuna chum (anchovies the smaller the better)...And they work. So I’m pretty excited thinking about throwing my usual box per day and also assisting that with the live anchovies to really excite the fish and add significantly to the daily catch. We did the deed and all systems worked perfectly. We were filling the last tank with water when we got the call for our turn at the bait dock. We took on 80 scoops total of live anchovies, then motored over to the fuel dock for 1000 gallons of fuel to top off the tanks.
2019 Tuna Trip 5 Part 1
Ship's Log September 1-7 2019
Mark Kimball’s Bluefin
September first we had fresh supplies and fuel. We motored over to the live bait dock and took enough anchovies to fill up the 4 tanks, then immediately set out to sea, crossing the Columbia River bar at 4pm. Mark and I were discussing his need to be done with this season. Remember, his participation was a very spontaneous unplanned thing. Originally, we had discussed only one trip together. But he was having a blast, so we pushed it as far as we possibly could. Now he has to get back to his Lodge on the Elk River, get with his wife Mary and do some guide trips for clients he had on his books. He was a bit bummed anticipating the end of this adventure with me on the James Lee. We only had a few days left to meet his ultimate goal of catching a Bluefin. Just about every day on the fishing grounds he has mentioned that desire. I always reassure him that we usually get at least ONE per year, and none yet so the odds are ever improving...
The days at sea were very long and the nights very short. The days at the dock were very busy and the nights out were very long, and so he was pretty toast. He went down for a nap while I motored us out to the blue water. We hit the blue water at 7pm, only about 18 miles from the mouth of the Columbia. I pulled in 24 great grade fish by nightfall, and had dinner on the table when Mark came up refreshed. During dinner we discussed the task of trying to find another deckhand this late in the season. I had someone in mind and hoped that he was available.
2019 Tuna Trip 5 Part 2
Ship's Log September 9-16 2019
The Baby Seal
Previously while running the Manatee II, Walker and I got a chance to fish together for one trip at the end of the season. I really enjoyed this young man, bright and inquisitive, super hard worker and willing to do whatever it took for success in getting um. He had plenty of experience and knew what to do. Soon after fishing with me he made a mistake in judgement and ended up with a prison sentence. Once his prison term was served and he was back at home, I saw him working on another vessel while I was in Winchester Bay during a breakdown with my genset. Later in the season while ducking into Winchester Bay I saw him again but without a job at that point. I was working with Mark. But I knew Mark’s time was limited so I asked Walker to consider working with me on the James Lee once Mark was finished out in early September. I felt confident that Walker had served his time and deserved another opportunity.
I really like to work with people that I already know. It’s just a one guy deal. One good deckhand is all I need. I cook the breakfast and the dinner, I stock the vessel with lots of input from them on the foodstuffs, and seriously consider their needs when doing anything whatsoever on the vessel. I keep an eye on them at all times every day I know exactly where they are and what’s up unless they are covering me for a nap or sleep time and then I must rely on them and entirely trust them or I will not sleep. Or not very well anyways. So, I REALLY want to know them. I really want to LIKE them. Or they will very soon be outa there and I must go searching again. It is not a thing a guy can just “do”. I don’t know what some random dude will do once we are 200 miles out, 13 days into a 22 day trip, and it gets rough and something breaks. Plus, I don’t want to cook breakfast and dinner for some random dude. I have to cook it for me anyways, but often bend my ideal his way to accommodate and still have good harmony. So, I really want a person who will ultimately become a friend.
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