The Full Meal Deal

[Travis Moncrief Fins Feathers Furs]

This years fall fishing to say the least was a little off, despite less fish we managed to pull off a succesful season with multiple fish boated each day. As usual we pulled crab pots everyday and even that was not what we are used to. But most went home with fish and enough crab for a couple of meals.

This year we did somthing different, I built a fish and crab cleaning station at my home. I live just minutes from the bay so at the end of the day we headed to my house where my wife had the water already boiling for the crab and while they cooked I filleted fish. It worked very well and everyone was sent home with a final product ready for the table. And we didn't have to wait in line at the marina.

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_Salmon_22_.JPG


Here are some shots of the process at work

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_Salmon_23_.JPG

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_Salmon_24_.JPG

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_Salmon_26_.JPG

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_Salmon_29_.JPG

Early in the season fishing was pretty good and there were lots of big ones. In the month of Oct we landed 10 fish that tipped the 40 lb mark on the scale. Here is a shot of one of those dandies.

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_Salmon_37_.JPG

Here are some more pictures at the house taking care the catch of both fish and crab.

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_Salmon_42_.JPG

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_Salmon_44_.JPG

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_Salmon_47_.JPG

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_Salmon_66_.JPG

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_Salmon_45_.JPG

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_Salmon_53_.JPG


Not everyone always wanted to come to house and take care of business and that was fine. A quick gut job and they were on there way.

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_Salmon_57_.JPG


Just two more shots that I thought were cool.

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_Salmon_33_.JPG

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_Salmon_39_.JPG

I would like to take a minute to address this years runs shortcomings. For the last six years our coastal rivers have experienced record numbers of wild fall chinook smolt. For example the L. N. Frok of the Wilson as jumped from 200,000 out migrating fish to last spring 2.2 million. So when we have a season like we did this year it can only mean somthing happened to those fish. Most likely causes are bird predation and over harvest in the ocean.

Birds are claimed to eat nearly 8 out of 10 migrating smolt and another 8 out of 10 adults are harvested in the ocean by commercial fisheries. So its plain to see that it does not matter how many smolt can be produced both wild and hatchery if we can not get them back to us.

I would encourage you to get involved with CCA, myself and many leading people in the industry are behind this push. This is probably the sportsmens last chance to get organized and make a difference. With CCA's help we will fight issues like mentioned abvove on the poltical level with money and voters. If you do nothing else, be a number, member numbers will pull a lot of weight when issues are being faught.

I still have a little room for this years Alaska trips and available dates for Winter steelhead trips are becoming thin.