NOAA predicts Oregon Coast El Nino 2023 Albacore

A big weather change is coming, and albacore tuna aren’t far behind in Coos Bay, Oregon. La Nina is over according to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, and the chances are strong that an El Nino event in 2023 is likely late summer and fall for the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Change can be rough in life and the weather this winter is no different. Large swells in the 12–15-foot range are common, and fast-moving fronts are the norm. This has led to fewer days at sea for my charter vessel, “Cape Blanco”, and more stories to tell of winter weather and bar crossings. Maybe this rough weather is all for the best? If you believe the weatherman this all points to a El Nino in the summer of 2023. According to Google, the five strongest El Niño events since 1950 were in the winters of 1957-58, 1965-66, 1972-73, 1982-83 and 1997-98. It has been 17 years since the last strong El Niño event, the longest such stretch without a strong El Niño in this 65-year period. The obvious fact is we are overdue for an El Nino! However, this morning we awoke to snow again on the beach! What an odd sight to see here in Charleston. Be patient, I tell myself, enjoy the seasons and the natural order of things. Life goes by so fast. The cold wet weather outside spurs my imagination and promotes my insatiable appetite for research. I start watching You Tube videos filmed in warm blue water places like Cabo and New Zealand. I can almost see myself fishing Albacore, Marlin, Dorado, and Mako. I remember how I felt that one day listening to Post Malone, “White Iverson”, while riding the warm waves fishing tuna. That was a moment, untouchable by the worries of everyday life. What are some of the songs that punctuate rare moments in your life?  I heard a song the other day that’s lyrics explained it all to me and helped me understand my motivations to seek out more rare moments in life. It was an unlikely artist, Miley Cyrus, and her song “The Climb”. Listening to Miley Cyrus is probably not a manly thing to admit, but rare fishing and hunting expeditions are my mountains to climb. Seeking out  rare moments is my passion, and perhaps it’s a wonder that survived my youth feeding bears trout, searching out hidden cabins on remote seashores, and hitchhiking to fishing holes. So back to being patient and fixing my still wet and worn-out raingear. I am awaiting my next adventure to the edge of the Earth with my long lost little bother El Nino. El Nino’s arrival in Charleston will mean albacore tuna are close. Marlin, dorado, and yellowtail following close behind.