As I looked toward the bow of the Kadaho, I could see a huge lingcod following a black rockfish being reeled in. I yelled, "Quit reeling! Quit reeling!" It was very first fishing trip for Linda White, from Hillsboro. Not knowing anything about piggybacking lings, she was franticly reeling to keep the monster from stealing her fish.

Gene, the deckhand, was busy on the other side of the boat. I shouted, "Hitchhiker! Hitchhiker!" trying to get his attention. The ling took a stab at the black, only five feet below the surface at this point, and missed. The ling didn't give up and hit the rockfish again just as it reached the surface. Gene, who was now very aware of the situation, was running toward the bow, net in hand.

"Stop reeling!" he bellowed as the ling came out of the water chasing the black. Seeing the boat, the ling, at least a twenty pounder, crashed back into the water and darted off into the deep. A collective sigh went up from the port side of the Kadaho, "Aw..." It certainly was an exciting start to the day!

The Kadaho operates out of Depoe Bay, twelve miles south of Lincoln City, approximately fifty miles due west of Salem. The area is the Oregon North Coast's tourist mecca. Depoe Bay is a small older town built on a narrow shelf between the beach and mountains. Quaint rustic shops and restaurants line the inland side of the highway with an unobstructed view of the ocean. A narrow opening in the fifty-foot beachside cliffs provides access to the small harbor.

Lincoln City by contrast is much larger and modern. The sandy beaches are spacious. The strip malls, numerous motels, shops and restaurants provide anything a vacationer could possible want. They even have a golf course and a factory outlet mall!

The 7:30 AM check-in allowed plenty of time to leisurely enjoy a good breakfast before hitting the docks. Tradewinds Charters handles the bookings for eight independently owned party boats, including the Kadaho, and three six-packs operating out of Depoe Bay. The ticket office looks like little more than a sports show booth from the street. However, walking down the sixty plus stairs to get to the dock revealed a tackle shop, fish cleaning station and crab cooking facilities built on the side of the cliff.

Owner/Skipper Darrell Hobbs eased the Kadaho out of the harbor and after a short cruise north to Government Point slowed the boat for Gene to set out nine crab pots. Anglers may choose either a fish only trip or, for a small additional fee, a crab/rockfish combo.

Aboard the Kadaho, all bait and tackle is provided. Gene broke out the spinning rods equipped with 1.5 oz. jig heads and grubs and the fishing began. Captain Hobbs had all seventeen anglers fish from the same side of the boat to keep lines drifting away from the Kadaho. Very soon rod tips were bouncing toward the water and fish were being landed.

After a few drifts over a reef, Captain Hobbs would move us off to another spot. We worked in seventy to ninety feet of water between Boiler Bay and Gleneden Beach. We were heading back to the crab pots by early afternoon with most anglers having limited out.

The Oregon rock fish limit is a total of ten fish, no more than two can be ling cod, over 24 inches long, and no more than eight can be rockfish of species legal to take. The days catch was largely black rockfish with a few cabazon and other species. The boat had ten keeper lingcod. I concentrated on the lings and ended up getting eight to the boat. Too bad only one was a keeper. Gene was generous with advice and provided an assortment of jigs and bars for chasing lings. My bag was rounded out with four very large blacks.

Oregon sportfishing regulations require anglers to pull their pots without the assistance of power winches. It took a little time to haul in the pots and get the sorting done. The take for the boat was ninety Dungeness!

I rode back to port in the wheelhouse with Capt. Hobbs. He told me about his favorite place to bottom fish, Pacific City. When the weather gets a little better and dependable, the Kadaho is capable of making the thirty-mile run north. "I like fishing it because there isn't as much pressure on the fishery, the fish are bigger and there are more lings," he told me.

Back at the dock, for those anglers who wanted the service, the Tradewinds shore crew cleaned their fish and cooked crab for a nominal fee.

Crab season runs from January through May and Rockfish season Runs from January until the quota is reached, usually around Labor Day.

For more information, or to book a trip, contact:
Tradewinds Charters
800.445.8730
www.TradewindsCharters.com
charterme@tradewindscharters.com

After getting all my gear stowed, I drove north about sixty miles to Tillamook Bay. I would be fishing out of Garibaldi the following morning. You can read about that trip here.

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