I went out on the Miss Nickel for a bottomfishing trip. Ultimate Charters (who charters the Miss Nickel) is having a $75 Tuesdays bottomfishing special during the month of June. It was the best $75, plus tax and tip, that I have spent in a long time. We did most of our fishing about a mile or so out from Copalis Beach. The ocean was as smooth as I've ever seen it out of Westport (see photos) and the weather was very cooperative.

The boat (15 people) easily caught its limit of black rockfish within an hour or two. A couple of coho were accidentally caught and released as well. It should be a great year for salmon! The rockfish were mostly very large, and holding at 50-60 feet. I decided to bottom bounce and was rewarded with the biggest lingcod of the trip (see photo). After limiting on rockfish we moved about five minutes away and started fishing for lings. Many small ones were caught, but only four were keepers, all just over the limit. I caught one of the barely legals, so I was lucky enough to come away with my limit of lings and rockfish. While fishing for lingcod my friend Jordan got a 25-pound (estimate) halibut up to the boat. It was a very exciting fight. One of the scrappier halibuts I'd ever seen (it was hooked in about 80 feet of water).

We headed back in a little early after two hours of lingcod fishing (the bite totally dropped off the second hour). All in all it was an outstanding trip. The skipper and deckhand did a great job, the ocean was glass, and the fish were biting most of the time!

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