2025 Tuna and Exotics

I got a little carried away, even though I already have a box of flies

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A brief synopsis of yesterday with Captain Nick and deckhand Cal.

The short version being @Cabezon, @jasmillo, myself, and Kenny (family visiting from Tennessee), had a successful day. We ran WSW out of WP, not sure how far exactly but well off the edge of the continental shelf. Very nice run out and started seeing birds and jumpers almost immediately.

For me, this was a mission to get Kenny into albacore. I tried several years ago, but that ended up being rockfish and lings as a (not horrible) consolation prize. Thankfully this time, Kenny got a text book intro to PNW albacore on the fly.

Besides having a great attitude, he is one of the fishiest guys I've known. Fly fishing for trout and placing well in SE regional bass tournaments, he also owns a saltwater boat. Usually trailers it to Florida gulf coast but the Keys are becoming an increasingly common destination. I knew he would pick up albacore quickly, but Nick described him as a "ringer". So, huge relief on my part to have him get a taste of what makes this such a great fishery, and safe to say he will be coming back.

As for the fishing, jumpers galore, multiple troll and slide hookups, and I'm guessing roughly half or more of the 17 boated were cast/retrieve fish. Unfortunately, tuna disappeared after 11AM with no more strikes, and only a smattering of catches for others.

I took very few pics, so will be leaning on @Cabezon for better visual and written documentation
 
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I was 50mi off Garibaldi yesterday and saw a Marlin jump. First I'd seen out here before.

Also saw a school of big bluefin busting bait on the way in at the 124.36. Then find out a guy landed a 200lb bluefin at that same west line but south of where I was yesterday.

Also, I (well, not me specifically, but someone I invited) broke my 12wt for the third trip in a row 😂

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Ended up with 10. All but 3 on iron. Only troll fish we got ate flies. All of our other trolling gear got ignored entirely. Got a few nice coho on the way back to port as a bonus.
 
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Evan B said:
Also saw a school of big bluefin busting bait on the way in at the 124.36. Then find out a guy landed a 200lb bluefin at that same west line but south of where I was yesterday.
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Already had to hear about bluefin being caught from Nick, and now this ^. Ya'll can just stop this sorta talk! ;)

BTW, the day we saw a marlin the day I got spooled out of Garibaldi in 2015. Seems that marlin might be an indicator for PNW BFT.

Dammit, now I have to tie some bigger flies.
 
G_Smolt said:
Not my pics, but a friend's kid with a charter biz in Sitka. He's been deckloading lately and decided to share the bounty with others.
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Gonna be Baja Alaska soon...
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The word on the street when I was in Sitka last week was that a dude spearfished an albacore in the harbor. It had been milling about with folks casting to it, but it wasn’t eating. Probably on deaths door given the location and behavior, but still pretty wild.
 
Skipjack? lololol
 
I actually wouldn't mind catching a skippy out here. They're supposedly in our waters but never heard of one being caught.
 
SilverFly said:
Somebody finally beat me to it!!! Let's hope PNW BFT is becoming a thing!
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It's always been a thing. Internet and more people out there is just making it something we hear more about.
 
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