Steelhead: no. Chinook: YES!

[Paddlefish]

I tried to introduce my 8-year-old to summer steelhead yesterday, plunking from the Oregon shore below Bonneville. Not too productive. We saw perhaps 4 steelies bonked, and 2 released, over 5 hours, among 30 to 40 rods. A surprisingly high number of takedowns without solid hookups. Too many "sportsmen" using them rubber hooks?

However, :cool: I did manage to land a bright, 25-lb upriver chinook about mid-day. :smile: Even after he got fouled up for five minutes in underwater "shtuff" (old line, etc.?) Thank you, salmon gods. :grin:

Just in case you think it matters: Green tiger-striped #2 Spin-n-glo, plus prawn tail.

I told my youngster, "Every time you go fishing with me, I catch a salmon! You may be good luck!" He replied, "Everytime I go salmon fishing with you, I don't catch anything. You may be bad luck." :rolleyes:

[ampersat]

wow, it looks like that pink tutu is working!! i might have to get one of those.

good fishing, paddle. now you need to get that young'un into a fish. you didn't hand off the rod to him??

[Paddlefish]

Ampersat,

I thought about it, but he struggles enough with the 9-foot spinning rod he uses on the big river.

I don't think he can even get his hands around the grip on the 11-foot big stick I was using yesterday. :depressed:

[CATCH AND EAT]

You would be surprised how well a youngster can handle a big rod. You should have handed it off to him for a least a little while Paddlefish. You know, you may have damage this poor child mentally. :grin: His fish ego is hurt by his mentor. :shocked:

Just wait Paddlefish. When your kid grows up and is (if he is) still fishing with you he will have multiple hook ups and not "hand the rod" to you he might just say "you are his good luck charm" :hoboy: :wink: Then those old memories will come back to haunt you about the times you did not hand fish off to him. graemlins/1zhelp.gif

All kidding aside PF, great job on the nook. Glad you got him loose. Congrats. :cheers:

[choppers]

paddlefish, did you go fish on the lsland? i haven't been out their since the springers where in. good job landing your fish that got tangled. sometimes it's an awefull felling when you know it's only a few feet away stuck on something. soon enough your son will be outfishing you. just wait and kick back.