What to bring on your Express Style Tuna Trip

Pack Light and Tight! Please pack all of your belongings into one small backpack or duffle bag per person.

What to Wear

Rain or shine you have to wear full rain gear and knee high rubber boots. This will keep the blood, scales, and spray off of you. When we start putting tuna on the deck it becomes a blood bath. All the while we are hosing the deck and boat, and YOU off with raw saltwater. Having a spare change of clothes stashed in your vehicle is not a bad idea either. I know its “your” clothes but we care about the boats too and being able to rinse you down before entering the cabin is important. Please pack all of your belongings into one small backpack or duffle bag per person.

Food and Drink:

You should pack enough food and drink for up to 10 hours. When you arrive at the boat we will transfer your cooler items into our boat cooler so bringing those down in a plastic grocery sack is advised. Your dry food items can stay with you. NO GLASS. Bring drinks with caps/lids.

Alcohol:

Beer is fine but in moderation, hard alchohol is not allowed (tasters are fine). The folks who “do the worst” start drinking when the boat is on the way out or shortly after arriving on the Tuna grounds. They tend to fish poorly, have a hard time walking and fishing on deck, can’t keep up with the fast paced fishing, and get sea sick more often. The folks who “do the best and have the best time” don’t drink any alchohol until later in the day or on the way in.

What else:

You are welcome to bring your own fishing gear. It should be a non-level wind reel filled with 50lb Tufline braided line (spectra). We will add our own P-Line CFX flourocarbon top shot. This should be paired with a rod rated accordingly and between 6′ and 7’. Our top choice is an Okuma 6’6″, 50-100lb Cedros or Andros rod paired with an Andros or Metaloid 5s (sinlge speed lever drag, size 5).

Cooler for your cleaned catch (approx. 50qts per person, LEAVE IN VEHICLE!!!).

Cash, Credit Card, Check to settle your balance and pay for fish cleaning. Cash please for fish cleaning, and gratuity.

Please pack all of your belongings into one small backpack or duffle bag per person.

Lodging

Please consider our Westport Lodging Partners AND Please fully understand your lodging cancellation policy due to weather!

Westport Inn
(360) 268-0111
2501 Nyhus St N. Westport, WA 98595

Our boats are docked on Float 14, which is one block from your room or cabin at Westport Inn. Mention that you’re fishing with ARSC and you will receive a $10 discount on your stay. You may be asked to show proof of your reservation.

Westport Marina Cottages
(360) 268-7680
481 E. Neddie Rose Dr
Westport, WA 98595 (NEXT TO ISLANDER)

About Your Catch

As soon as your catch hits the deck it’s bled and iced within minutes. It will remain that way throughout the day as we catch and load in more fish. We don’t mark the Tuna as to who caught it because they are so similar in size and we like to keep the team mentality strong! At the end of the trip the loined tuna gets divided equally amongst of all anglers on board. Our average take-home is 5-8 Albacore, or 25-45lbs of loins per angler.

Your catch will be expertly filleted for $5 per fish by your deck hand and captain, or fish cutters back at port. Depending on ocean conditions, some days we can get all or most of the fish cleaned on the way back to port, some days our fish cutters will come aboard at port and clean your fish upon our return. This could take 1-2 hours additional time.

Shaved ice is available at Merinos and dry ice is available at Swansons grocery in Aberdeen, WA.

Don’t forget a cooler for your catch (approx 70qts cooler per angler, leave in vehicle).

*DISCLAIMER…FOR YOUR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS…These are physically demanding, fast paced trips that require coordinated movements on a busy, moving deck amongst other anglers, while battling a powerful fish. These trips are not appropriate for people with balance, spine, neck, limb, or severe health issues, recent surgery, require canes, crutches, or disabled in any manner that would inhibit keeping up during the trip. Each angler should be capable of lifting over 50lbs repeatedly. Depending on the ocean conditions the ride to and from the tuna grounds can be bumpy with occasional harder bumps as you’d expect. Please make sure everyone in your party is suited for this trip.