Favorite Fishing Trip in 2002

[Flatfish]

What was your favorite trip for the year.

Mine was the ocean in July. Never been there before, but I will be back. I doubt it will ever get crowded out there. I need a bigger boat than a drifter though.

So what was it? Flies for summers on the D?
Bobbers in tidewater in October?
Springers on the big river?

Mark and the dog.

[Nanook]

With my dad, Columbia Up River Bright.

http://www.ifish.net/uploads/1023130.jpg

[Keta]

#1 Tuna with Corirod
#2 Hering fishing with Pilar and Pilar's Mate :smile:
#3 Canoe retreving with David Johnson
Honorable mention to Fishinmission for the sun bathing trip with him and C&E and ****** next to us.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/4937130.jpg

[ 01-01-2003, 01:48 PM: Message edited by: Keta ]

[Flatfish]

I was there that day( at the secret salmon spot) ******. You looked happy. It's neat to teach the old man a few tricks every once in a while. I am glad he didn't take the dog home though. I would miss the mutt ( don't tell him that, he is getting pretty big in the head right now as it is).

The funny thing is, I don't really remember the fish as much as the stuff that folks were doing. I guess it's the people that matter to me.
And dogs too.

Mark and the dog.

[hawgcatcher]

My favorite trip this year was with Fishin Mission on the Columbia, near Gov. Island. Bev and Dot were with us and we had a lot of good friendly talk. We all had fish on and the day was great. The girls brought a fantastic lunch.

Then the highlight of my day was watching Bev hook a beautiful fish. Soon to be grabbed by a big sea lion. Mark, like the expert he is, followed the fish down. Every time the sea lion came up with the fish in his mouth, we all yelled in unison at him (no I won't say what we yelled). In fact Bev used some words that were Russian, that we couldn't understand, but they worked and she got her fish.

Memorable day, great people, wonderful river and will always be in my mind. :tongue:

[rags]

I had a lot of great trips this year but my favorite had to be bobber and jig fishing for native Steelhead on the coast. http://www.ifish.net/uploads/4248130.jpg

[Bobby Ray]

I enjoyed every trip out on the water with the exception of my last trip on three rivers 12/31/02 that's when my head gasket blew
some of you might have seen me blowing smoke along the highway (sorry).

I appreciated every other trip. It was by far my best year, I fished it hard. I managed to get into the upper twenties and got friends who never fished into Nooks.

Thank you Fishnxtc for hooking up that Sturgeon trip
Thank you Smiley for that adventurous trip on the Clack.
Thank you M. Peterson for that beautiful float down the Nestucca.
Thank you Ifisher's for all the great info.
and Thanks to my friends and family for putting up with my addiction

Now it's time to get started on 2003

The Steelhead Challenge is nearing!! :grin:

BnB

[SteelieSteve]

November Chinook trip with Shane S. on the Wilson. Caught the biggest nook of my life. a 40# buck that fought the good fight. Second would be the Columbia trip with Madwizard who got me into my first Columbia Chinook though that one was a unclipped. It was a great year for Nooks. :dance:

[HOGTIDE]

September evenings on the Columbia. The water was warm, the air was warm and the bite was hot for chubby fall pigs. Running home in the dark, lights on, warm air and spray in my face made me feel like I was fishing the tropics. Best evening was 5 for 7 in only 2 hours of fishin.

[fishingfirst]

August 1st. Kodiak Alaska. My wife, daughter, and brother-in-law fished the Buskin River. It was our last day of a seven day fishing trip. Between the four of us we caught 70 pink salmon, all in the 6 pound range. I caught a fish on every spinner I had in my box (about 20 different lures)! The best part was watching my 12 year old daughter battle fish after fish, she is now as addicted as I am!

Happy New Year to all!
May you catch more fish than last year!

Scott

[Timber]

With out a doubt it would be my daughters first trip springer fishing on the south santiam in may.She caught her first and second ever on first time out now she figures it must be easy. Tim

[reelman]

Mid October fished the Harrison and Vedder Rivers in B.C. We would fish till our arms got tired playing fish. Standing in one spot on the Harrison, my buddy landed 6 diff. species(Cutthroat, Dolly, Coho, Chum, Sockeye, and Chinook) all in 2 hours. All were fair hooked drifting eggs. The Vedder had a large run of bright chinook, largest I hooked about 50lb. Will be annual trip.

[pearl]

Wow - What a year it was.

Big native steelhead at the coast in February.

Put Willamette springers in the boat during 5 different months.

URB's in August and September.

A friends first 40lb hog on Tillamook Bay

But the winner is ......My 11year old son ( aka Guppy Boy ) landed a 20lb Mackinaw on Odell lake in July. Thats a smile that will stay with me a life time.

Heres to 03 !!!!!! :grin:

[Spoiled Daddy]

Favorite of the year was a multi family vacation in July to Campbell River, BC. It has to rate up there in the top 5 trips of my life. We got to "fish" with Orca's and beautiful Bald Eagles on several days and the folks up there were great. Great daily boating and fishing experiences in the Discovery Passage area. :cheers: Our accomodations were very adequate and we got a full 8 days of 70 degree plus weather.

I would recommend Campbell River to anyone who asked.

Have a great New Year! SD

[Plum Crazy]

Getting my 7 year old and 3 yr old into their 1st Salmon. What a joy and experience that was Hot fishing day this fall down at PC on the Nestuc. 4 fish on 3 to the boat trouble was didn't bring a big enough net. After telling the story of lossing two hugh fish of my boys around the coffee table at work. The guys chipped in a bought me a Salmon net for B-day.

Fishing gear $1,000's
Time spend on water 1,00's
Watching your son's face when He hooks his first Hog - Priceless

Have a happy new year.
Fire :cheers:

[KingFisher85]

Well, I would have to say that the time I went out to the big pond and fished with mel for the fall salmon.

[Grantspastor]

Any one of several evening trips on the Rogue in October, fishing flies from the driftboat with my sons-in-law...mostly for me it was watching them hook up and battle quite a number of big fish. More were lost than landed, but still a LOT of fun. I'm getting old enough, and have caught enough myself that it truly is just as much fun for me to get them or others hooked up and watch their addiction develop.

[Born to Fish]

By far the best trip was our annual sturgeon bashing trip to Astoria in June. Son Adam and his friend Chris fly up from Arizona to join other son Travis and I for two great days on the water. Fished with guide "Bud's Fishing Adventures", limiting out easily both days and releasing many other keepers and shakers.

Highlight was on the 10th [my birthday] when Ol' Dad managed to catch the biggest [a 54-incher] which is my biggest in 5 years.
:cheers: :dance: :dance: :cheers:
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/4024200.jpg

[Jeffhead]

Without a doubt the best trip of the year was the four days I spent at F6 in mid September in Sekiu with my Son's. First time I have had the pleasure to fish with both of My oldest Son's at the same time!!! Fishing was "spotty" for the first 3 days (Spotty for Sekiu, 12, 15 , and 20 fish days), but the last morning was what Sekiu is all about. We hooked at least 30 fish in 4 hours including a double and a triple, didn't go more than 10 minutes between fish, unconcious is all you could call it!!! We ended up with 15 hatchery fish for the 4 days as most were wild fish and were C & R'd, but the weather cooperated and the straits were like a mill pond most of the trip. We will be back next year to do it again!!
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff :grin: :grin:
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff

[UmpquaSpecial]

Well it's hard to pick a favorite fishing trip of 02' but I'd have to say it was a late September excursion to the Steens. My wife, who has for years wavered on whether to join me in my fishing obsession, couldn't resist picking up my rod after seeing a number of fish rising at the lower end of a nice pool on the Blitzen River. She promptly tricked several nice redbands to rise to her offering, landing both like a true natural. Obviously pleased with herself, she set down the rod, promptly stripped and dove in, content to sun herself on a nearby rock for the rest of the hatch. Despite the obvious and temporary conflict of interest, I quickly saw the light and joined her in the Crick. :rolleyes: .

At this point it would be a stretch to say she's "hooked" on the sport but I'm hopeful anyway that the Steens trip will be the first of many that find us side by side casting along a beautiful river.

[Tackle Time Bait and Charters]

The Lady Dee had good trips in 2002. The best was in Aug. right after they closed the Chinook in the ocean.
I was fishing South of the C/R with 18 or so clients from a big supply co. from the valley.
I took 20lbs. of fresh anchovie and 6 doz. herring for the day. We left the dock at 6am and buy noon we were almost out of bait.
The clients had landed 32 legal Coho and a ton of feeder Chinook. And the largest Chinook I have ever seen come out of the Ocean or Lower River in all my years of fishing.
I have seen a million big fish come through Tackle Time in the 18 years we've been there, but nothing that big. 60 plus lbs that was released unharmed. A few tears were shed when that one went back.

Any how, the head client comes up to the wheelhouse and says to me. We ran out of beer you've ran out of bait, it must be time to go back to the dock, everyone has had a great time.
Running as many trips to the ocean as I do each year, this one I will remember for along time Thanks Gene

[Fishplay]

It's tuff to single out a trip when you fish so often you can't even remember them all. Hmmm.....
I guess 4th of July weekend stands out the most. We camped at South Beach and fished the Rockpile and other less known spots for all they had to offer. It's hard to beat ocean caught Kings, lings and crab. All topped off with friends and Newport Betty's!

[Gun Rod Bow]

2002,

It was a great year. Many of the runs we looked forward to were really different. Found some new ones. Record setting year for my boat on springers (although the Columbia was a brand new ball game in higher water), got introduced to springer fishing the Rogue, Wind River was good, but way different from previous year, summer salmon in ocean started out great, but cancelled alot of trips due to wind, got into some good summer steelhead days on the Cowlitz, URB's in the fall, coastal fall fishery was real strange with the low water so late. I really enjoyed getting my favorite uncle from Texas into 2 springers in April, and a bunch of Chinook to 44# in September. :grin:

My favorite trip: Friends have a place in Garibaldi, fished with Pete and Nancy (the friends) and my 10 yr old daughter Cora in July. I had never fished that stretch of the coast, but you know, it all works about the same...EPIC day on the ocean, flat calm, no swell, so warm we were in T shirts and still almost too hot, lots of Chinook, ended up keeping 6 Chinook and 2 Coho.

The priceless part was when little Cora's rod went off, she couldn't fight it out of the rod holder, I finally help her get it out and in her hands, make sure she's got a grip and the fish is still on his first run and making the clicker scream!!!

With a death grip on the rod and teeth clenched she yells out the now classic line...."CUT THE LINE DADDY, ITS TOO BIG, CUT THE LINE!!" :laugh:

Pete, Nancy and I were in tears...she landed it.. 22lb Chinooky. Great Day

May you all have a fishy 2003

GRB :cheers:

[Stew]

Easy choices here are my top five.
1.My son's first steelhead on the Deschutes with a fly.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/2955220.jpg

2.First limit of springers while in Fishinmission's boat.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/3805230.jpg

3.Fall chinook while fishing steelhead on Wilson
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/413119321.jpg
4.My son's first jig caught steelhead
Film still in camera
5.Fall chinook with ****** and FWF1.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/155717352.jpg

A great year with good friends
Happy New Year

[ 01-01-2003, 11:38 PM: Message edited by: Shane S ]

[norms gone fishing too]

of all places bouy 10 in august my freind had been there a week 1 fish dad showed up they went 7 -10 on chinook and a 10# hacthery coho to limit. i was not ther but hereing them talk about the old man and his fishing luck was price less.
Thisis a man who riged his herring up like a smelt for springers and limted allmost be for i could get mine to spin
got to love the man :wink:

[trout chaser]

My favorite trip was fly-fishing Coldwater Lake by Mt. St. Helens. I had one day in late June when I CnR around 20 bows and cutts all in the 16" to 20" range. These fish will tear you up! The lakes amazing surroundings adds to this great fishery.

[Salmonator]

No doubt about it, my first albacore was the highlight :cool:

http://www.ifish.net/uploads/0717120.jpg

[justdave]

I was able to take an 11 day roady to BC with my son the first week of Sept. Based at Escot Bay Lodge on Anahim Lake for a week. Non-stop c+r action for bows (16-22") on the Upper Dean. A couple afternoons on the Atnarko River c+r for pinks. 30+ fish a day, all nice size (5-8 lbs) w/4wt fly rods. Lakes were slow due to wind, but still had success on Raven, Anahim, Kappan, and Tatlayoko. The little trailer took a beating getting to the latter, but the trip was awsome. The goal was to keep the cost under $1k. With the exchange rates, it was not a problem.