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.

2019 Summer Albacore Tuna Trip 6

Ship's Log September 18-22 2019

Off to Jail

Lots of questions about what happened in Ilwaco at the end of trip 5. I will protect all involved and simply say there was a somewhat aggressive parole violation.

We fished for 5 days and gottem pretty good. I was really hoping for those end of season days up north of the Columbia with lots of surface action. Normally this time of year the albacore are hot on the surface, boiling on baitfish with jumpers all around, heavy bird action, and a generally easy to find bunch of tuna schools as far as the eye can see. We all hope for that... But this year it just has not materialized that way.

2019 Summer Albacore Tuna Trip 7

Ship's Log September 24-26 2019

One Ton For The Cow

I had to figure out what to do. My deckhand Walker just got hauled off by the local Sheriff with assistance by the Ilwaco Coast Guard crew. After the inspection the authorities had left with me alone to consider my options. There is a bunch of fish in the hold, and that is the first thing on my mind. Maybe second. I'm outa here to walk up to the Salt. They have what I need at the moment.

While sipping on vodka and rubbing my forehead trying to plan my next move, a skipper from a very nice vessel with lots of history and respect sat next to me. I tossed him my situation. We cracked up about it pretty good, then I shared my plan to just bust out the rest of the season alone. He did not bat an eye. He told me how many trips and even years he had spent out there alone. We discussed all the guys we knew who were out there taking on the battle single handedly. There are a surprisingly lot of guys that do it. Commercial tuna fish alone. Simple concept in a smaller vessel, but I’m thinking the James Lee is 53 feet long by 18 feet wide. Holds 18 tons of brine frozen tuna. It’s a long distance from the steering wheel to the fish gettin spot. I had done a lot of alone salmon trolling trips on my first commercial vessel the Manatee II, and I had already spent a 3 day trip out there alone on the James Lee earlier this year. (See whatever previous trip that happened on)... Just before picking up Mark. On that part of the trip, I had exhausted myself. Seriously hit the wall. But now I am smarter and will pace myself. And I am in way way better shape after working this past bunch of weeks eating perfect awesome food and exercising REGULARLY, I might just go for it again! And I am inspired by one guy I know who is 68 years old and runs a similar size and shape vessel by himself. I'm only 51. Prime time baby!!