go fisch
11-29-2002, 12:30 AM
My fishing buddy Terry and I were out behind the south jetty at Tillamook a few years ago pulling herring. The weather was great, sunny and warm, mid morning and no wind. We were in kind a close to the beach about 15 to 18 feet of water. The ocean was real placid and one of those days you will always remember.
We already had two fish in the boat and were making a turn towards the ocean. Terry's rod on the inside of the turn started to pounce and all of a sudden, we had a hook up. No bid deal!!! After a few minutes the fish started to take off and I mean take off. Terry said he was loosing a lot of line faster than normal and the drags were set tight. I put the 8 horse on full blast to no avail. I kicked up the 200 motor and stared to go after the fish with Terry standing at the front of the boat. All Terry said was go faster, so we did. I looked at the line as it entered the water and started to go for that point. The fish was taking us into deeper water and heading south. All of a sudden Terry said the fish was not pulling as hard and he was getting some line back , so I stopped the big motor. The fish was not doing what a normal fish would do and I said to Terry, WE GOT A BIG PROBLEM. All of a sudden the fish took off again and I had to start the big motor. This happened three times and on the fourth time what we saw was a SEAL LION come to the surface, out about 20 yards with the fish in its mouth. As the seal lion surfaced he dropped the fish and Terry started to reel FAST. You must understand this fish still had a lot of energy because he was not expending any, JUST SCARED!!! Before the seal lion went under the water again he turned his head and looked right at us, with a BIG GRIN and went out of sight. I got the net and Terry got the fish closure to the boat and guess what? The seal lion came right next to the boat within about 10 feet and picked up the fish again. You know the drill by know, off we went with the big motor.
The other boats behind the south jetty must have thought we were crazy. I told Terry, we only had one more chance at this point if the seal lion let the fish go again. He did and Terry was reeling faster that he ever had before. We got the fish next to the boat and I put the net in the water just as we saw a black shadow go right under the net. The net closed and we got the fish into the boat. It weighted about 30 lbs. The only mark on the fish was a puncture wound the size of a pencil on each side of the belly. By know we were about a mile and a half south of the south jetty. We shook hands, took a couple of pictures and went back to fishing the south jetty. We never did get our fourth fish that day.
TRUE STORY.
Thom
We already had two fish in the boat and were making a turn towards the ocean. Terry's rod on the inside of the turn started to pounce and all of a sudden, we had a hook up. No bid deal!!! After a few minutes the fish started to take off and I mean take off. Terry said he was loosing a lot of line faster than normal and the drags were set tight. I put the 8 horse on full blast to no avail. I kicked up the 200 motor and stared to go after the fish with Terry standing at the front of the boat. All Terry said was go faster, so we did. I looked at the line as it entered the water and started to go for that point. The fish was taking us into deeper water and heading south. All of a sudden Terry said the fish was not pulling as hard and he was getting some line back , so I stopped the big motor. The fish was not doing what a normal fish would do and I said to Terry, WE GOT A BIG PROBLEM. All of a sudden the fish took off again and I had to start the big motor. This happened three times and on the fourth time what we saw was a SEAL LION come to the surface, out about 20 yards with the fish in its mouth. As the seal lion surfaced he dropped the fish and Terry started to reel FAST. You must understand this fish still had a lot of energy because he was not expending any, JUST SCARED!!! Before the seal lion went under the water again he turned his head and looked right at us, with a BIG GRIN and went out of sight. I got the net and Terry got the fish closure to the boat and guess what? The seal lion came right next to the boat within about 10 feet and picked up the fish again. You know the drill by know, off we went with the big motor.
The other boats behind the south jetty must have thought we were crazy. I told Terry, we only had one more chance at this point if the seal lion let the fish go again. He did and Terry was reeling faster that he ever had before. We got the fish next to the boat and I put the net in the water just as we saw a black shadow go right under the net. The net closed and we got the fish into the boat. It weighted about 30 lbs. The only mark on the fish was a puncture wound the size of a pencil on each side of the belly. By know we were about a mile and a half south of the south jetty. We shook hands, took a couple of pictures and went back to fishing the south jetty. We never did get our fourth fish that day.
TRUE STORY.
Thom