Ocean Fishing from a Small Boat

Ocean fishing in the Pacific Ocean off Washington & Oregon can be a rewarding experience. It can also be rather exciting under the wrong conditions. Listed below will be information for you to help understand what you may be getting into. This is not to scare you off, but to expose you to some of the things to look for that may help bring you back to port safely.

The picture below is spectacular enough ocean conditions to warrant sharing with fishing persons who may have been in situations like this in a small boat & made it safely back to shore. Some have been known to even kiss the ground afterwards. The skipper in cases like this has to be GOOD & having an angel sitting on his shoulder sure doesn't hurt either.

An 18' Boston Whaler heading for Swiftsure Bank out of Neah Bay in 1991, but they soon turned back, just how could they keep any gear down in this weather fishing for halibut in 500' of water?

The photographer here being Tim Dahl, running from a companion boat

At the start of the normal bottom-fish seasons in May, there are days when even the charter boats cancel out due to weather conditions. When the normal salmon seasons begin, (middle of June or the first of July) the weather may still be somewhat unpredictable. If the Dept of Fish & Wildlife give us a early Chinook season, you can expect to stay on the beach a few days because of bad weather, even up to the end of July. As the season progresses, the weather tends to stabilize up to the end of October or so, but the ocean salmon seasons are usually ended by then.

If there has been a storm, the ocean may take from 2 to 4 days to lay down afterwards. So even if the flags are not flying right after a storm, you can still encounter rough seas no matter what the tides are.

It is advisable to listen to VHF Weather channel 3 or 4 depending on your location, for an updated marine weather report.

In the areas that the Coast Guard is stationed, they usually have a tower that flies the NOAA marine weather warning flags. It is advisable to look at this tower to see if small-craft warnings are flying before launching if the weather is, or has been questionable.

Weather:  Few people are affected more by weather than the mariner.   An unexpected change in winds, seas, or visibility can reduce the efficiency of marine operations and threaten the safety of a vessel and its crew.   The National Weather Service (NWS), a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provides marine weather warnings and forecasts to serve all mariners who use the waters for livelihood or recreation.

Warning and Forecast Services: The warning and forecast program is the core of the NWS’s responsibility to mariners.   Warnings and forecasts help the mariner plan and make decisions protecting life and property.    NWS also provides information through weather statements or outlooks that supplement basic warnings and forecasts.   The following are the basic marine warning products the NWS offers.

Small Craft Advisory: Forecast winds of 18 to 33 knots.   NWS may also issue Small Craft Advisories for hazardous sea conditions or lower wind speeds that may affect small craft operations.   Small Craft Advisories may be issued up to 12 hours before the onset of adverse conditions and warnings up to 24 hours in advance.
Gale Warning: Forecast winds of 34 to 47 knots.
Storm Warning: Forecast winds of 48 knots or greater.
Tropical Storm Warning: Forecast winds of 34 to 63 knots associated with a tropical storm.
Hurricane Warning: Forecast winds of 64 knots or higher associated with a hurricane.
Special Marine Warning: Potentially hazardous over-water events of short duration (up to 2 hours).

Weather Warnings: You can have small craft advisories and not have a rough bar restriction in place as you could also have a rough bar restriction and not have small craft warnings in effect. Therefore the NOAA warning flags are not a reliable means of predicting if the bar is restricted. The primary cause of rough bar conditions is a combination of swell and tidal conditions. It behooves the fisherman to be as informed a possible (matter of fact the US Coast Guard says it IS your responsibility as a boater) & in this computer age, listed below are some of the links that may be useful.

There are numerous online weather connections, & it would behoove you not only look at one, but as many as possible. Listed here are a few to look at NOAA/NCEP WAVEWATCH III Plots This one will give you current & projected wave height and wave periods. You have to use the color of the chart & relate it to a color bar to understand these projected readings.

Another NOAA National Data Buoy Center This give maps of the buoys which report wave height, swell time, temperatures, etc.

Another iWindsurf.com Here is just a wind predictor. You click onto the icon in your area & it gives a chart of wind speed & direction.

Another SeaSurface Temperature This is a charge site but gives sea surface temperatures. Very useful for the Tuna chasers.

Rough Bar Closure: The NOAA weather warnings and the USCG Rough Bar warning system are two different things altogether. Although NOAA will on occasion forecast for rough bar conditions this is strictly due to a offshore weather pattern that has developed abnormal swells. The Rough Bar signs have been in place at the marina areas since 1980 when the regulation was established. The US Coast Guard is authorized to impose fines up to $1100 to pleasure boaters & uninspected commercial passenger vessels for failure to obey imposed bar restrictions, pursuant to 33CFR177.05. At the entrance to most river bars from the harbors where there are USCG stations, there is a large diamond shaped sign as shown below. When the amber lights are flashing alternately as shown, will be visible when exiting a boat basin or before you get to the closed area from upstream if the bar is closed. In the past they would place a Lifeboat on the bar to turn boaters back, but now that the home Land Security missions have exploded, they are having to find more innovative ways to get the message out to the public.

These flashing lights would not be visible from the ocean outside the bar, but a Coast Guard boat would usually be stationed just outside the bar patrolling back & forth. If the bar is closed, this Coast Guard vessel will be displaying a blue flashing light.

To determine whether the bar will be closed, usually a 47' CG vessel goes out at the appropriate time & is stationed inside the bar watching the water conditions. It is their call & they do have some latitude in making this decision as the minimal criteria set forth by the Coast Guard would probably close bars the majority of the time.

Unsafe bar conditions are defined as:

· Wave height four feet or greater, or,
. Wave height is greater than the length of the boat divided by 10 plus the freeboard, or,
· The surface current is four knots or greater.

But regardless of the means and technology they can not update the restrictions in the dark, so updated conditions will not be posted until first light in the morning. This does not help those who are traveling to the area from inland but it is the best they can do with the technology available. The best way to help boaters in my opinion is to teach them how to look a the weather forecast and make informed decisions.

The USCG are directed by legal stature & do have to direct their closures to the inexperienced boater. This will no doubt restrict the experienced boater however. But the experienced inland lake operator's idea of whitewater is not the same here & he may well be overconfident, creating potential problems.

The Coast Guard places different degrees of restrictions, as for 20', 26' or 30' boats. If you are bigger than the restriction, you may usually legally cross. They also apparently place different degrees of bar closures, but I have not been able to have the commander at the Grays Harbor station really define this in explainable terms.

If the bar is closed, some Coast Guard stations may place personnel at the launches & on some of the docks to inform boaters. There is in the process at many bars to have an Low power AM Radio Transmitters that broadcasts repeating weather forecasts & bar warnings to provide readably accessible information to the boater as they enter the local area. Also at Westport there in the works for the 2005 season, to install a large white board at the launch area with the weather/bar conditions.

When the bar is restricted, there is a safety broadcast on channel VHF channel 16, likewise when the restriction is lifted. There is a recorded phone message that the public can call to get the restrictions; it also is updated when the conditions change. The stations also notifies the local radio stations who in turn broadcast the conditions and restrictions. It is also there to relieve the communications watch stander at the local Coast Guard Station from having to answer numerous calls on the radio for condition updates. This will also be handy to inform the boater of a restriction prior to launching or paying ramp fees, just to be turned around on the bar.

When the lights are flashing & there is no Coast Guard boat in sight, hail them on VHF radio Channel 16 and ask for a bar report, and if there are any restrictions. They will probably have you switch over to Channel 22 to give you the report. Knowing how to use a VHF radio is also very important. VHF radios come equipped with three different transmission modes: US, International and Canadian. In International mode Channel 22 is a duplex frequency which means you will not hear the Coast Guard calling you back. Make sure that you read your owners manual and know how to set your VHF radio to US frequencies.

However according to the documents & prescribed boundaries below, if you even launch & motor in the boat basin you are in violation. More well meaning Governmental regulations that have unintended consequences to the public.

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
US Coast Guard
33 CFR Part 165 [Docket No. USCG–2008–1017] RIN 1625–AA11

Regulated Navigation Areas; Bars Along the Coasts of Oregon and Washington

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes to establish Regulated Navigation Areas (RNA) covering specific bars along the coasts of Oregon and Washington that will include procedures for restricting and/or closing those bars as well as additional safety requirements for recreational and small
commercial vessels operating in the RNAs. The RNAs are necessary to help ensure the safety of the persons and vessels operating in those hazardous bar areas. The RNAs will do so by establishing clear procedures for restricting and/or closing the bars and mandating additional safety
requirements for recreational and small commercial vessels operating in the RNAs when certain conditions exist.

DATES: Comments and related material must either be submitted to our online docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or before March 16, 2009 or reach the Docket Management Facility by that date.

The following documentation was taken from the following website. I recommend that you plot out these coordinates of the location you intend to frequent. As they are VERY ENCOMPASSING & YOU WILL BE SURPRISED at where you can not be.

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=e923862ed50e04db17a6411780c51c3b&rgn=div5&view=text&node=33:2.0.1.8.42&idno=33

§ 177.08 Regulated boating areas.

For the purpose of this part, the following are regulated boating areas.

Note: Geographic coordinates expressed in terms of latitude or longitude, or both, are not intended for plotting on maps or charts whose referenced horizontal datum is the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83), unless such geographic coordinates are expressly labeled NAD 83. Geographic
coordinates without the NAD 83 reference may be plotted on maps or charts referenced to NAD 83 only after application of the appropriate corrections that are published on the particular map or chart being used.

(a) Quillayute River Entrance, Wash. From the west end of James Island 47°54'23" N., 124°39'05" W. southward to buoy No. 2 at 47°53'42" N., 124°38'42" W. eastward to the shoreline at 47°53'42" N., 124°37'51" W., thence northward along the shoreline to 47°54'29" N., 124°38'20" W. thence northward to 47°54'36" N., 124°38'22" W. thence westward to the beginning.

(b) Grays Harbor Entrance, Wash. From a point on the shoreline at 46°59'00" N., 124°10'10" W. westward to 46°59'00" N., 124°15'30" W. thence southward to 46°51'00" N., 124°15'30" W. thence eastward to a point on the shoreline at 46°51'00" N., 124°06'40" W. thence northward along the
shoreline to a point at the south jetty 46°54'20" N., 124°08'07" W. thence eastward to 46°54'10" N., 124°05'00" W. thence northward to 46°55'00" N., 124°03'30" W. thence northwestward to Damon Point at 46°56'50" N., 124°06'30" W. thence westward along the north shoreline of the harbor to the north jetty at 46°55'40" N., 124°10'27" W. thence northward along the shoreline to the beginning.

The Rough Bar RNA closure for Grays Harbor is inside the red boundary lines, pretty encompassing

(c) Willapa Bay, Wash. From a point on the shoreline at 46°46'00" N., 124°05'40" W. westward to 46°44'00" N., 124°10'45" W. thence eastward to a point on the shoreline at 46°35'00" N., 124°03'45" W. thence northward along the shoreline around the north end of Leadbetter Point thence southward alone the east shoreline of Leadbetter Point to 46°36'00" N., 124°02'15" W. thence eastward to 46°36'00" N., 124°00'00" W. thence northward to Toke point at 46°42'15" N., 123°58'00" W. thence westward along the north shoreline of the harbor and northward along the seaward shoreline to the beginning.

(d) Columbia River Bar, Wash.-Oreg. From a point on the shoreline at 46°18'00" N., 124°04'39" W. thence westward to 46°18'00" N., 124°09'30" W. thence southward to 46°12'00" N., 124°09'30" W. thence eastward to a point on the shoreline at 46°12'00" N., 123°59'33" W. thence eastward to Tansy Point Range Front Light at 46°11'16" N., 123°55'05" W.; thence northward to Chinook Point at 46°15'08" N., 123°55'25" W. thence northwestward to the north end of Sand Island at 46°17'29" N., 124°01'25" W. thence southwestward to a point on the north shoreline of the harbor at 46°16'25" N., 124°02'28" W. thence northwestward and southwestward along the north shoreline of the harbor and northward along the seaward shoreline to the beginning.

§ 177.09 Penalties.

An operator of a vessel who does not follow the directions of a Coast Guard Boarding Officer prescribed in §177.05 is, in addition to any other penalty prescribed by law, subject to—

(a) The criminal penalties of 46 U.S.C. 4311, which provides that a person willfully operating a recreational vessel in violation of 46 U.S.C., Chapter 43 or regulations issued thereunder, shall be fined not more than $5,000, imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.

(b)(1) The civil penalties for violating 46 U.S.C. 4307(a)(1).

(2) The civil penalties of 46 U.S.C. 4311, which provides that a person violating any other provision of 43 U.S.C., Chapter 43 or regulation issued thereunder is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty, and, if the violation involves the operation of a vessel, the vessel is liable in rem for the penalty.

The common thought was that if the bar was closed say at Westport, WA. the upstream side will usually be from the Westport marina entrance buoy #2, north to buoy #13. The ocean side closure would usually be from buoy #8 to the tip of the north jetty. NOT SO ACCORDING TO THE ABOVE.

This sign is just outside the Westport boat basin on the river side of "The Point" with the lights flashing on a not so bad day.

The formula below is used to calculate the amount of river flow at a bar. It is called the "rule of 12". This flow will be best described as:
1st hour after a tide change will have 1/12th of the flow	2nd hour will be 2/12ths	3rd hour will be 3/12ths
4th hour will be 3/12ths	5th hour will be 2/12ths	6th hour will be 1/12th

From this table you can see that the maximum flow will be the middle 2 hours of an exchange. This usually equates to the bar being roughest at that time.

How to Somewhat Understand Offshore Weather Forecasts: It is advisable to go to at least one of the internet marine weather sites, http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/Portland/marine.html , and also the buoy site http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Northwest.shtml to get information that at least will give you some idea as to what to expect. On the buoy site, look at it often enough so you can tell the wave height and time between the waves as a comparison. It is recommended that you look at this site before you go there and then when you are there make some notes as to the sea conditions so you have something to actually compare or visualize what they are saying.

Many knowledgeable boaters use this general rule, if looking at, or listening to a marine weather forecast, if the sum of the Wind Waves + the Height of the Swell exceed the Time, in seconds, STAY HOME. This is called by some as the waves/time being squared.

Example:

Wind Wave, 2-3 ft + Swell, 7 ft. = 10 total
Time, in seconds = 7 STAY ON THE BEACH
(Wave + Swell exceeds Time)

I have been at Neah Bay under these exact forecast conditions. You may sneak out there & look at the ocean for an assessment, but I will guarantee you will not be able to fish it. Everyone in the fishing group came back inside & hid behind islands fishing for rockfish instead of going for halibut. The one boat that did venture out for a short time said his depth-finder was showing a 23' variance.

Usually the wave heights are not the only thing to look at, as the time between the swells can be a contributing factor. When it gets down to WW 1', S 5' & Time at 6 seconds, no matter a lesser height, there is also a closer time, it will be about the same criteria to stay home, as it WILL be choppy for a small boat. An more ideal day on the water would be a 1 ft WW, 4 ft Swell, & 10 seconds Time. But if you look ONLY for this condition, you had better take up golfing to fill in. Now if you are watching the buoy reports, the actual height measured on these buoys is usually less than the Wind Wave + Swell (height in the forecasts).

Here is an actual marine forecast that should shake the boots off any knowledgeable boater. 30 knot winds & combined seas of 30' at 12 seconds. This would probably be close to ocean conditions of the opening photo at the beginning of this article.

COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE SHOALWATER, WA. TO CASCADE HEAD, OR. OUT 20 TO 60 NM-
9:09 PM PDT SAT MAY 21 2005

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON...

--TONIGHT...SW WIND 20 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 6 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 10 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 16 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

--SUN...S WIND 25 TO 30 KT...BECOMING SW 20 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 7 FT. W SWELL 23 FT AT 12 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 20 FT AT 12 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
--SUN NIGHT...W WIND 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SW 10 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 17 FT AT 13 SECONDS... SUBSIDING TO 14 FT AT 13 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT.

--MON...W WIND 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT. W SWELL 12 FT...SUBSIDING TO 10 FT IN THE AFTERNOON.
--MON NIGHT...N WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT. W SWELL 8 FT.

--TUE...N WIND 10 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FOOT...BUILDING TO 4 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL 6 FT.
--TUE NIGHT...N WIND 15 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 5 FT.

Most NOAA marine forecasts are for a 24 hour period, this means the forecast is to cover the overall long range period, & even with a somewhat bad looking forecast, you can possibly get out early in the AM & be off the water by the time a wind picks up in the early afternoon. Look at the forecast as close to the day you intend to go out, as 2-3 days in advance is a long range estimate & they can change. I have been there on a 4 day forecast of 10 to 20 kt winds, Wind Waves of 1-3' & a Swell of 6' & a Time of 7 sec. Later it was changed the day before to 10-15kt, WW of 1-2 & Swell 4' & a Time of 9 sec. This is a considerable change that may have persuaded some to not make a long drive & just stay home if only looking at the long range forecast.

Sometimes I think the forecasters, (for liability reasons) stretch the forecasts. Some of my calmest days on the water called for 25 knot winds and small craft advisory in the forecast. At times I have heard a NOAA weather report with 4' seas, 1-2' wind waves at 5 seconds for the next day. Actuality the water was slightly choppy in the morning, but rather flat most of the day with the timing closer to 10 seconds. I guess you just have to listen to the report, be there, & decide for yourself if the CG doesn't do it for you. The above is not to downgrade the forecasters, but don't think you & your boat are invincible, as if you go out on your terms, you may then HAVE to get back on mother natures terms & she does not bluff.

In most coastal areas, it can be foggy all day offshore, but it will usually be clear during the regular salmon season on shore. Later however during the bay fisheries, or Buoy 10, it can be foggy at least up to noon inshore.

The wind if there is any, will be coming from offshore & usually from the southwest or northwest. If you are trolling, after the wind picks up in the afternoon, it can get hard to control the boat unless you put the wind on your stern or at least to the side of the boat. It seems that a 10 MPH wind is going to be normal in about any normal fishing day here. It would be considered normal for the wind on most days pick up & be up to15 -20 MPH about 1 to 2PM, then later in the evening will slow down again

The recommendation is that anyone using these waters, acquire a marine chart of the area, look at it enough before you head out so you have an idea of the water depths, starting GPS locations, and keep the chart, or photo copies of it on the boat.

If the ocean is rough enough for the Coast Guard to close the bar, you MAY still be able to fish for bottom fish along the jettys & or drop off crab pots inside. (AFTER READING THE ROUGH BAR CLOSURE BOUNDARIES THIS WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE). If they do close the bar, it is for your protection. Most closures however will be only for a period of time until the tide has changed & the bar has settled down, unless there is a storm. These same closures WILL also NOT allow you to re-cross to come back in if the weather is bad.

PFD's: It is highly recommended that while under way, especially while crossing ANY bar, that Personal Floatation Devices be worn by ALL on board ANY small craft. The reason for this is, that if you get in trouble especially ON THE BAR, & something happens, it will happen so fast that you will not be able to get to, (possibly less than 5 seconds) way less time to even find your PFD, much less put it on. The new inflatable suspender type PDF's are comfortable to wear & should accomplish the desired effect.

I recommend that you purchase the best one you can afford, & preferably a self-inflatable one. Then check & or replace the "pill" yearly & the CO2 cartridge at least every two years. At least blow it up by your mouth to check if it holds air. The better units may have small pockets that small survival gear like a knife, flashing strobe light, whistle etc. can be stowed. They also have "D" rings in front where you can snap a lanyard to that is in turn attached to the boat. This could be a plus or a detriment depending on the circumstance, but that is where the readily available knife comes into play.

General Rules: Rough weather is one time when bigger is definitely better as far as boats are concerned. Generally, I consider a 18' deep sided boat with plenty of power (50hp) about minimal for ocean fishing. Bigger is better. This is not a lake or even the Puget Sound. Be observant.

The one thing that will get you in more trouble than any other thing is SPEED. This is not a boat race, find a speed where you can maintain headway & yet get where you want to go. Keep your hand on the throttle lever at all times. Hold your speed down if it is rough, and then cut the throttle as you ride over the a crest, almost doing a balancing act so that you do not slam the bow of the boat into a trough on the backside of a crest (that you never saw). NEVER take a wave head on if at all possible, but ride over it on a quartering direction. You may not be able to go the exact direction you want to in quartering, but if you seem to be getting way off your intended course, change 90 degrees & quarter the other side of the waves.

Most rivers on the coast, you will need to be observant of the tides if operating a small boat. Tidal exchange is the main key to crossing any bar. Probably the ideal time to cross is on either high slack, or low slack, or an hour before to two hours after it. However the time of this tide many times does not allow you as a fisherman, to cross on one high tide & come back on the next high tide 6 hrs later during daylight hours.

Under normal condition the roughest bar will occur on the middle of an outgoing tide when the river is rushing out & being resisted by the ocean. Usually if nothing else is encountered, (as wind conditions) on the outgoing tide, the bar will be roughest from about 3 to 4 hours before a low tide. All else taken into consideration, the bar usually tends to not be as rough on the incoming tide. Again the flattest of any tide will possibly be the 1 hour before to 1 or 2 hours after the tide low or high listed on a tide book.

It is also my opinion that the main flow of the river & the fastest, either in or out will be in the center of the channel. Therefore it is recommended that if you must cross at a higher runoff, to stay away from the center of the river on anything other than a slack tide. You don't want to hug the jetty either, as there could be a slightly slower "rip" somewhere away from the center. Look for it, but you will have take into account that it may change with each tide. The center flow may not be there depending on shoaling & or dredging also.

Also in more recent years with the advent of the aluminum jet boats designed more for use on the Columbia River, they will also be used in ocean fishing simply because that is what you have. They will work, but are not the most desirable because of the normal shallow Vee or more of a flat bottom needed for the jet to function properly. They then are not one of the most desirable hull types for rough water.

One recommendation if you do try it with a jet, is that since about all of them have an open walk-thru bow, is to have your marine upholsterer make you a vinyl snap on bow cover & with the twist locks at least at the corners instead of just the snaps. Also you need something under the center of this cover to support it as you do not want the cover to come unsnapped if covered with a wave of water. The one thing you do not want to if you happen to get into bad conditions is to have your open bow full of seawater if a wave comes over & into/in it. When this happens, can you imagine how much weight may be up there & those small scupper drain holes surely can not allow all that water out soon enough. Your bow will go down & the stern will then have to raise slightly. Now just how much steerage do you believe you will have with a jet or even an outboard for that matter. You are basically at the mercy of the ocean & you had better have had a heart to heart talk with a higher power until most of this water drains out as you will be in DEEP DO DO.

Heading out From Illwaco: From Illwaco you will go out the channel to the southwest, past the fish buyers buildings on the right, follow the west shore past the State Park launch, & as you come to the Coast Guard station, you need to slow down as there is a sign "NO WAKE". Past the CG station, the channel makes a bend to the left & then heads more to the south & into the river. As you go past the pilings on the left & out, you will then be in the Columbia River. At this location, depending on the tide & river flow, you could encounter water turbulence.

From here you turn to the west & head toward buoy 11. Now you will need to observe what you see in front of you to make a decision as to IF you are going to continue & go out, or to decide which side of the river to exit from.

Wind and Big Swells can make the crossing interesting anytime. If there are 2-4 feet waves and favorable wind and ocean conditions, you can usually cross at about anytime, but this is rare. If the wind is from the south be careful as it can pick up real fast and make for a miserable crossing and an awful ocean. This bar is wide and conditions can be very different on the North, South, or mid channel.

Crossing the Columbia River Bar: What exactly are you looking for here?

(1) Large swell - don't cross on an an outgoing tide, especially on a large tidal range. Check your tide book.

(2) Swell from the SW - best to hug the south side but don't run much south of the red buoy line until you get past buoy 12. After 12 you can pretty much cut to the tip of the south jetty - but early in the year there are lots of crab pots to get caught on - so be on the lookout. The jetty extends underwater from the tip of the visible jetty out to buoy 2SJ - gets to about 10' depth at low tide near the visible tip. I would stay at least 100 yards west of the tip if running out. There can be a pretty good rip that develops right on top of the sunken jetty that you have to slow down to get across, but once across - smooth sailing. This can many times cut several miles off a lumpy bar crossing (watch for out for crab pots).

(3) Swell from the NW - hug the green buoy line, but don't go north of the green line until past buoy 7

(4) Swell from the W - stay off the south side until past buoy 8 or so. By the time you get to buoy 10 you can make a decision where to get across to the S. Jetty by looking toward the tip of the Jetty. If you see them rolling in and breaking, don't go there. Continue down the red buoy line until past the breakers. Ultimately, south of the S. Jetty is the smoothest, but getting there can be tough at times.

(5) Small swell, small tidal range, your pretty much good to go any time (small swell is something in the 3' or less, small tidal range is something in the 6' or less).

(6) If your running the red buoy line, don't go much south of buoy 12 or 14 (stay in 30 ft of water). A good line to take if coming from Hammond, is buoy 20 to 14 to 12. After that, you can cut south to the jetty (see 2 and above)

(7) If your running the green buoy line, don't go much north of the line until past 7

(8) Hard ebbs - stay away from the buoys & breakwater pilings, especially the north side around Jetty A (Ilwaco entrance).

(9) One of the worse spots can be around buoy 14. Many folks turn around (if coming from the Oregon side) when they get to 14 as they think the bar is too rough. Just slide across the river to the north side (run north) until your past the rip and keep heading out.

The north side can be very dangerous and unpredictable & very rough while just several miles south at the CR buoy it will be flat. One of the reasons for this is that the current flows north (into the swells and often into the NW wind) on the north side and flows south on the south side. Peacock Spit (North) can be a very dangerous and claims a lot of boats each year. The winter of 2003 during a storm the waves where breaking over the top of buoy 10. On peacock spit the breakers were 45' high.

Others? Probably appropriate but not enough space to cover it here, it is advisable to take a basic seamanship course regarding following seas, trim tabs, broaching, etc. here. There are lots of more learned discussions in other places like even boating/fishing message boards.

Heading back in over the Columbia River Bar: If any roughness is to be encountered, you will be able to see it better from inside looking out, as you can see the white water off the tops of the waves. Coming back in, you are looking at the backs of these waves & can not see if there is any white water coming off the tops. Therefore the water looks calmer when you are outside looking in. If the Bar is humped up and you are coming back in listen to your radio (many monitor VHF 68 or 69 and 13 CB) and don't be afraid to ask for a Bar report. Also, the coast guard will respond to your request for a Bar condition report if you fail to get a report from other boats . If they don't then as for it from them on VHF channel 16.

Heading out from the Willapa: The normal launch for this area would probably be Tokeland. The Port of Willapa has installed a double lane launch & docks. They recently dredged the boat basin. There is a small tackle shop at this ramp

Leaving the boat basin, you will be heading south, once you get out past the markers, you will head west. Then stay along the RH shore. You will have to pass a short rock jetty that protrudes into the river that was installed about 2000 to protect the shoreline at "Washaway Beach". You may encounter turbulence near the buoy & this breakwater during a mid tide . The channel follows the RH shore to the ocean & then heads west & then SW.

Looking outward at the Bar, from the Washaway jetty, with Cape Shoalwater on the right, notice breakers on the left	A crab-boat heading out at the bar on a pretty flat water minus tide, overcast day. Photo taken from Washaway beach

Crossing the Willapa River Bar: Crossing the bar here can be dangerous for a small boater if you are not VERY observant. As just outside the point of land, the channel angles off to the Southwest & somewhat parallels the breakers. Recent reports are that the bar's channel has changed to where at a low tide the depth is less than 20'.

If the tide is a high slack & no wind, then it should be no problem, except when you want to come back in. If you insist on using this bar, then it may be best that on your first time out for each year, to explore it somewhat & make GPS readings on just where the channel really is for that year. If you have a wind & tide running, it is best that the small boater remain inside.

"South Channel", which is a 50-60' deep large area just south of Deadmans Island & north of Leadbetter Point. This is more protected than the main Willapa channel which can have a severe current at the outgoing tide. There are no buoys or markers on this "south side". This channel shallows up considerably as it nears the ocean & breakers can be on the outside. It is not recommended crossing here to the open ocean, unless you do it at a high tide & then take a GPS reading from the inside so you know where to come back across at, as the breakers all look alike from the outside & you will not know where this channel should be. Not really recommended however.

Heading out from Westport / Grays Harbor: Leaving the boat basin from the launch, head straight out through the slot in the breakwater piling, then hang a left & head north for the end of the short rock breakwaters at the point. DO NOT GO EAST OF PILING MARKER #7, as it designates the edge of Whitcomb Flats.

As you enter the main river off the point, there are a couple of rock breakwaters. Just outside of these, there is a shallow bar of about 15-20’ depth, you may encounter a turbulence here for a couple of hundred yards depending on the tide. Once you get beyond this little bar, the main river deepens and the water flattens out. There is a small red can buoy "4 T" in the middle of the exit channel. Head toward the "4 T" buoy, then turn to the west and head out the main river.

The location you may want to cross the bar will depend on whether you are going to be fishing either North or South of the harbor. For crossing on the south side it is suggested that after you enter the main river & can see west with the south jetty on your left in the distance, head straight out the southern middle of the river to #11, the next one will then be #9. This #9 buoy is beyond the end of the south jetty by about half a mile. If you are going to encounter any roughness it will be about this #9 buoy to beyond #8, which is about 500 yards. From #9 you want to head toward #8, but depending on the currents & roughness off the old submerged jetty, you may have to hold slightly north of it. When you get beyond the old jetty turbulence, you then can head close to either side of #8. At #8 you can immediately swing to the left & head southwest toward #6. Buoy #8 & buoy #6 are fairly close together. After you head toward #6 you will usually be beyond any bar wave conditions.

Distance from the launch to buoy #8 is about 5.5 miles. From the end of the existing South Jetty to buoy #8 is about 1.5 miles. Buoy #8 is about equal in a westerly direction as the end of the North Jetty. The original South Jetty extended to very close to buoy #8.

For crossing on the north side, as you enter the river from the boat basin, I would head for #11 as before, but then head for the north jetty. You can be near it (100 yards or so). If the wind & current is coming from the NW as it usually does during the summer months, it is easy to go west out from the end of the jetty & then swing north once you are clear of any turbulence. This will put you into 30 'to 40' of water behind the breakers off Ocean Shores. Head up the beach for a ways & then you can head NW to your intended fishing grounds.

If you head straight out from the north side of the bar you will hit turbulence for for a couple of miles as this area has sanded in over the last 30 years & with the river's force & the tidal influence plus the wind, you will be bucking choppy water for some distance. So either go north of this shallow shoaling or south of it.

Crossing the Grays Harbor Bar: As mentioned before, the actual bar will be from about buoy #9 to just beyond buoy #8 under most conditions. Timing of the tide can make a great difference as to whether you may encounter a flat bar or a rough one. If there is no wind, or about a 10 mph one, when you try to cross and the tide is slack or within an hour after, you MAY be able to cross at 25 mph. However if you try to cross in the middle of a tidal exchange, things WILL be different.

The tide exchange will govern how rough the bar is going to be. The low tides will have one real low tide each day & the other low tide will be somewhat higher. Look at the tide book & compare the difference between two tides closest to the time you intend to cross. From a fisherman’s standpoint, if we look at the Pacific Beaches tides for July 13, 2002, the high tide was 8.4’ at 3:33AM & the following low tide is –1.0’ at 10:26AM, you therefore have a 9.4’ run off. The next high tide is at 4:59PM at 7.7’ with a difference of 8.7. For the inexperienced, this is not a really good week-end to try to cross on your time-frame.

Using the above figures, if you want to fish & cross at about 6:00AM, this means you will be bucking the roughest section of the bar at that time. However you may consider waiting a couple of hours. This bar was crossable at 7:30AM on this day with no real problem, it was however a little snotty. You then can come back across about anytime from up till 8PM with little problems because you will be coming in on the incoming tide, into high slack & beyond. If you cross during the mid tide you may encounter incoming swells pushing you in. These swells will probably never be right on your stern, but quartering, & usually from the NW. You will be going slower than they are, so his means as these swells will catch up with you, & pass under you. You will be rocked to the right as it rides up to you, & then to the left as it passes under you.

This can get dangerous if you are going too fast as you may get into a surfboarding effect & not realize it. AND IF YOU ARE NOT CAREFUL when you get pushed downhill fast & at the bottom when you hit the bottom of the trough, you had DAMNED WELL BE STRAIGHT & have everything tied down & your passengers hanging on, as you can become broached & be rolled over sideways very fast. I have been there ONCE with an inexperienced skipper who was lucky, we were straight, but those of us aboard, I for one had a bad back afterwards & the other guy came sliding on his butt forward on the deck the full length of the boat when we hit. This skipper had an angel sitting on both shoulders & never had a clue as to what was happening. NEVER again with him.

Another situation can be looked at for August 4, 2002. The high tide is at 10:31 AM & is 5.6’, with the next low tide at 3:27 PM at 3.1’. This gives a runoff of only 2.5’. With this low runoff, it means you can cross the bar about anytime you wish during normal fishing hours.

Heading out from LaPush: The Coast Guard has a yellow "Rough Bar"sign on the upper end of their boat coverage to the east of the launch, IF the wave height is over 4' the there will be 2 yellow flashing lights on the upper sides of this sign. This indicates a rough bar & they have closed it for any crossing.

Coming out the Quileute River from the boat basin, you will head west. The channel is not wide, follow the south jetty out to it's end, James Island is a short distance to the north, (RH). You pass between the island & the jetty. The slot is minimal (about 150') in comparison to other river bars. Once you are past the jetty you are basically in the ocean. You will however notice the rock on the north side of the channel near the island. Most boaters head south out of here until they get out beyond James Island & then make their heading change. The above pictures were taken at near a high tide.

Conditions are usually not severe as the island & the jetty protects most of the entrance except possibly with a southerly wind & at low tide.

It is suggested you take a GPS reading of this entrance for a safe return if happens to turn foggy because there is little room for miscalculations.

Neah Bay: Big Salmon Fishing Resort, PO box 140, 98357 1-866-787-1900, www.bigsalmonresort.com is run by the Makah Indian tribe, & has a installed good marina & tackle store about the year 2000. Good ramp & moorage, with sleeping rooms & with RV parking / cabins nearby.

One thing to look out for here, is that if there is a East wind blowing down the straits, don't go west out into the straits, unless you tuck in south behind Cape Flattery out of the wind & fish near the shore. You however may be best to head east & bottom-fish around Wadda, Sail or Seal rocks. This easterly wind can get rough unless you are in a protected area.

There is no real bar here as the entrance to the harbor is protected by a breakwater & Wadda Island. But if you intend to fish the ocean, you will need to go out past Wadda, turn around it & head west following the mainland. You will be heading toward the south end of Tattosh Island. Here there is a slot, (about 300 yards wide) that you will have to run thru between the mainland & the island. There are a couple of submerged rocks in about the middle of this slot. So it is best to hold close (48-23-32 124-44-02) to the south side of the island as you pass it.

Once you pass the island you are in the ocean, the conditions will usually settle down unless there is a strong westerly wind blowing.

Coast Guard Boarding: You can be stopped by the US Coast Guard & boarded for about any reason. Number one is SAFETY, & are you compliant with the required equipment aboard your boat? You have to allow them to board you, EXCEPT if you feel that the location is too rough & it will put your or your boat in jeopardy. Under these circumstances you may request that they move the boarding location to calmer water. They should not be trying to board you in rough water anyway. However it is possible that they have young trainees or skippers who are greenhorns who have little knowledge of rough water situations.

If you DO NOT have either Life Jackets, a Fire Extinguisher or Flares, you WILL be escorted back to the launch/dock. If your flares are expired, you just may be asked to return to shore & purchase current ones. It is recommended that you get a USCG Auxiliary boating safety inspection & the sticker attached to your port side window. These volunteer inspections give you a heads up as to what is required. To look at the requirements of this inspection, CLICK HERE. These volunteer inspections can also be of benefit in that if the CG were inspect boats & time may be a requirement on their part, if there were 2 boats together, & you had the current inspection sticker & the boat next to you did not, you could possibly get passed by this time.

Once they do inspect you, you will receive a yellow copy of their boarding. If you happen to be boarded again that season, show the new captain your yellow copy & they will verify that it is indeed from your recent boarding & let you go on your way.

The local Coast Guard does not write any tickets specifying specific fines for violations. They forward their report to a central hearings officer that looks over the papers & will then send you an actual citation & fine in the mail. This is good & bad as it lets the officer off the hook as being a bad guy, but the hearings officer has no real contact with you & is just reading what was written. There could have been mitigating circumstances that he may not be aware of.

Problems on the Water & the Coast Guard is Called: If you contact the Coast Guard for a mechanical breakdown, depending on where you are located, they may or may not tow you in. The reason is that legally they can not compete with commercial towing companies. So if your breakdown was in the San Juans, Elliot Bay or out of the Columbia river, where a towing company was close, the Coast guard would have to pass you off to a commercial boat towing company, unless you were in an emergency situation where the boat was sinking or there was a medical emergency involved. These towing companies are known to charge excessive amounts of money for their services. Probably because they have you in a situation where you have no control, so it is advisable to purchase towing insurance.

If you have contacted the Coast Guard & are waiting for the tow boat or if the Coast Guard is busy with a life threatening situation, they will call you on VHF on their designated channel every 1/2 hour to verify your situation. If your situation starts to deteriorate, by either weather conditions, or your boat is taking on water etc., they will then contact you every 10 minutes, which could speed up their response from stand by to go get you.

Once they have a line on you & render assistance, be prepared for a formal boarding where your flares, fire extinguisher, bilge pump, etc. will be looked at when they get you to a dock. Also stay in radio contact with the towing vessel so that if you develop any problems during the tow they can be aware of it.

If you are being towed in by another fisherman & the Coast Guard approaches & offers assistance, if the towing boat turns you over to the Coast Guard, then once they have a line on you, again look for an inspection at the dock.

When being towed, be sure to attach the tow line to the lowest eye on your bow. Not the mooring cleat on the bow's deck, but your bow eye where the trailer winch line is attached. The reason is if you attach it to the top of your deck, your bow is being pulled down. If you attach to the bow eye the bow will be pulled UP.

They usually will let out enough tow line so you will be riding on the back of a wave behind in their wake. If attached to your bow mooring cleat, when they get you to the bar the waves are now different & if there is any turbulence, your bow will be pulled down into the wave, & since you have no means of power or steerage, your boat will be at mother natures mercy like a salmon shaking it's head on your line. BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.

Neah Bay                                             360-645-2237
Quillayute River      360-374-6993      360-374-6469
Grays Harbor          360-268-0622      360-268-0121
Columbia River       360-642-3565      360-642-2382
Nehalem River        503-322-3234      503-322-3531
Tillamook Bay         503-322-3234      503-322-3531
Depoe Bay              541-765-2122      541-765-2122
Yaquina Bay            541-265-5511      541-265-5381
Siuslaw River          541-902-7792      541-997-2486
Umpqua River         541-271-4244      541-271-2183
Coos Bay                 541-888-3102      541-888-3267
Coquille River (Memorial Day to Labor day, WX and Business) 541-347-2038
Rogue River    (Memorial Day to Labor day, WX and Business) 541-247-7219
Chetco River          541-469-4571      541-469-2242

Indian fisherman netting in the channel	Looking back at the channel