Ilwaco Washington Charter Fishing - FISHING REPORTS - SHAKE N' BAKE SPORTFISHING (2024)

A sport boat out of Garibaldi got six tuna today.

The warm water and tuna are here.

It is only a matter of a week or so before the big numbers show up.

We can't wait.

​Mike C

Darrel, me, and the gang went right back to the rip off the beach.

It started out strong and never slowed up.

5 limits for 5 guys in less than two hours.

There are tons of hatchery (we only caught one native) salmon in the ocean right now.

The offshore water is warming up fast and it is a matter of weeks before the tuna show up.

​Mike C

Darrell, John, Nick, me, and some friends did a crew trip today.

Boat call was 8:30 due to the 9 ft exchange.

We ran north off of Long Beach and found the fleet working a rip.

1.5 hours or so we had 10 coho and 2 chinook.

The grade was much better than expected.

Let's hope the rest of the salmon season is as good.

The offshore water is heating up fast and I predict tuna within sport boat range in 2-3 weeks.

​Mike C

1/23/24 my phone started to blow up around noon and it was not good, the Ilwaco Landing was on fire and it was getting worse.

Pretty soon it was clear that it was going to be a total loss.

A lot of crabbers had their gear on the docks as they were about to load up their boats for next weeks crab season.

I have heard estimates of 6,000-9,000 crab pots, at around $300 a pot, were burned up during the fire.

Most crabbers make a big part of their income in the first few weeks of crabbing, so this is a disaster and is likely going to put some of them out of business.

If you want to help out, there is a Gofundme fund where 100% of the $$ is going to help the crabbers who lost gear.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-fisherman-who-lost-pots-in-the-ilwaco-fire

Please give if you can.

Mike C

Cpt John Cooney has the pending IGFA all tackle length world record albacore.

Way to go big John.

https://igfa.org/member-services/world-record/common-name/Albacore

The all tackle length records for juniors (under 16) and fly are still wide open, so if you want a shot a world record in 2024, we will do our best to try and get you one.

2023 was a solid season and with the El Nino we are experiencing right now, we expect 2024 to be an above average season and lots of exotics (marlin, yellowtail, bft, etc...).

Deckhand Craiger is now Captain Craiger, so expect to see him on Shake N Bake a bit more during the 2024 tuna season.

Happy holidays to all of our angling friends.

See you next summer.

​Mike C

I have been busy fishing, working, and being a dad, so I have been terrible about putting up fishing reports (I do put them on Ifish most days).

It slowed up for a few days and then got real good again this week.

Today Darrell and Craig plugged the boat with 38 pigs and were done by noon.

Too bad the wind is blowing, so we are shut down for a few days, but back at it this weekend.

​Mike C

Craig and Darrell ran around 30 miles NW.

It took a few more hours than yesterday, but they plugged the boat with a BIG grade of tuna.

​Mike C

After a couple of slow days and a salmon day, it picked up again yesterday.

Darrell and Craig ran 27 miles out and plugged the boat by 10:30.

This has been one hell of a year and should only get better as the season goes on.

​Mike C

Darrel and Craig picked right back up where they left them yesterday.

They saw foamers and it went wide open and never stopped.

They were back at the dock with 50 plus pigs by 1:30.

Amazing.

​Mike C

Darrel and Craig went back to the honey hole and their crew put 52 tuna on the deck before the headed home around 1:30.

Amazing fishing right now.

​Mike C