David Johnson
09-27-2003, 09:01 PM
Two weeks ago this Monday I started my fall chinook season and so far I'm very happy with the results.
I would call our first day "When it rains it pours" Because we would fish for an hour or two without seeing much going on or getting a hit and then all of a sudden we'd hook up with multiple fish. Two doubles and a triple as a matter of fact. We lost most of those fish, getting only one at a time but then we had a few singles and finished the day with five nice chromers.
When the fish checker checked us she had sampled 40 boats and only saw five fish, we doubled her numbers for the day.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/540519269.jpg
Day one-When it rains it pours
The ups and downs of the trips have been the crowds, "call up the clowns, the circus is in town" and some times the weeds have been so bad you'd wish you had some ranch to go with that salad.
But all and all we've had a great time every day and gotten some beautiful, ocean fresh chromers.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/552719269.jpg
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/235219269.jpg
Some days we fished late and others we were done quite early.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/284519269.jpg
Done by 11
One thing I've learned is not to give up, especially if I know there should be a bite some place at a certain part of the tide. Even if it's later in the afternoon and a lot of the boats have gone in. Keeping a positive attitude pays off.
When I first got down there, multiple days were the norm and we'd see nets fly over and over throughout the day. But last week the ocean water had dropped ten to twelve degrees and the bite took a downturn.
We would only see half a dozen fish hooked per day but by sticking to what I know from past experience and just doing what I know should work we managed to scratch out some nice ones.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/102019269.jpg
On the slow days every fish we get is well earned and those who work hard and keep their bait on the bottom and clean of weeds are the ones who catch the fish.
Another thing is a person has to make every bite count and on the slowest of days when we've only gotten two or three or four bites we've gotten all those fish and come back to the dock as one of the top boats for the day.
By making the bites count I mean not setting the hook too early and making sure we get good solid hook sets with the thumb on the spool.
We've let some fish take the bait for unbeleivable amounts of time and gotten every one of them.
And several of the fish we've lost have been fish that were hooked reeling in. (in fact all of those fish have been lost with the exception of the nice hen Scott Arpan caught in the pic above, left side)
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/123719269.jpg
I don't know what it is, but sometimes it seems like when there's a hot bite going on around me, I find it's hard to buy a bite and start second guessing myself. I'll try hooking my bait on different or cutting it different until I drive myself crazy and then will just throw up my hands and go back to what I normally do and catch fish.
This is the 18th year of chasing these fall hogs and although some things have changed some haven't. There are still some spots that produce like clock work as the tide comes in or goes out and the salmon still like the same herring.
The other day I wasn't getting bit and then I remembered a role me and my dad used to use. I tried it on one rod and bam, fish on. Then I tried it on two rods. Sure enough, a little while later we caught another fish on that second rod. For a few days in a row that was what they wanted.
There's also been a real mix of sizes so far. We've caught small three year old chiook that were 10 to 15 pounds up to our biggest, a 38 pounder. Having all age classes represented in a run is a good, healthy thing and shows we'll have some nice fish coming back next year too.
It's all starting up and from now on there should be fish spread through the bays, out in the ocean and up in the tide waters. I expect to catch nice chinook from now through the end of November and even into December.
I still have several dates open in October and November so don't miss out on the FUN.
503-201-4292
[ 09-28-2003, 08:36 PM: Message edited by: David Johnson ]
I would call our first day "When it rains it pours" Because we would fish for an hour or two without seeing much going on or getting a hit and then all of a sudden we'd hook up with multiple fish. Two doubles and a triple as a matter of fact. We lost most of those fish, getting only one at a time but then we had a few singles and finished the day with five nice chromers.
When the fish checker checked us she had sampled 40 boats and only saw five fish, we doubled her numbers for the day.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/540519269.jpg
Day one-When it rains it pours
The ups and downs of the trips have been the crowds, "call up the clowns, the circus is in town" and some times the weeds have been so bad you'd wish you had some ranch to go with that salad.
But all and all we've had a great time every day and gotten some beautiful, ocean fresh chromers.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/552719269.jpg
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/235219269.jpg
Some days we fished late and others we were done quite early.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/284519269.jpg
Done by 11
One thing I've learned is not to give up, especially if I know there should be a bite some place at a certain part of the tide. Even if it's later in the afternoon and a lot of the boats have gone in. Keeping a positive attitude pays off.
When I first got down there, multiple days were the norm and we'd see nets fly over and over throughout the day. But last week the ocean water had dropped ten to twelve degrees and the bite took a downturn.
We would only see half a dozen fish hooked per day but by sticking to what I know from past experience and just doing what I know should work we managed to scratch out some nice ones.
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/102019269.jpg
On the slow days every fish we get is well earned and those who work hard and keep their bait on the bottom and clean of weeds are the ones who catch the fish.
Another thing is a person has to make every bite count and on the slowest of days when we've only gotten two or three or four bites we've gotten all those fish and come back to the dock as one of the top boats for the day.
By making the bites count I mean not setting the hook too early and making sure we get good solid hook sets with the thumb on the spool.
We've let some fish take the bait for unbeleivable amounts of time and gotten every one of them.
And several of the fish we've lost have been fish that were hooked reeling in. (in fact all of those fish have been lost with the exception of the nice hen Scott Arpan caught in the pic above, left side)
http://www.ifish.net/uploads/123719269.jpg
I don't know what it is, but sometimes it seems like when there's a hot bite going on around me, I find it's hard to buy a bite and start second guessing myself. I'll try hooking my bait on different or cutting it different until I drive myself crazy and then will just throw up my hands and go back to what I normally do and catch fish.
This is the 18th year of chasing these fall hogs and although some things have changed some haven't. There are still some spots that produce like clock work as the tide comes in or goes out and the salmon still like the same herring.
The other day I wasn't getting bit and then I remembered a role me and my dad used to use. I tried it on one rod and bam, fish on. Then I tried it on two rods. Sure enough, a little while later we caught another fish on that second rod. For a few days in a row that was what they wanted.
There's also been a real mix of sizes so far. We've caught small three year old chiook that were 10 to 15 pounds up to our biggest, a 38 pounder. Having all age classes represented in a run is a good, healthy thing and shows we'll have some nice fish coming back next year too.
It's all starting up and from now on there should be fish spread through the bays, out in the ocean and up in the tide waters. I expect to catch nice chinook from now through the end of November and even into December.
I still have several dates open in October and November so don't miss out on the FUN.
503-201-4292
[ 09-28-2003, 08:36 PM: Message edited by: David Johnson ]