First Bite
08-09-2005, 12:24 AM
June 2005
The steady rain continued as I drove over the coast range en route to my favorite coast river. By the time I reached the lower river the unrelenting rain was starting to color up the water. I grabbed my gear and headed down the trail. My game plan was to focus on Springers using cured eggs & shrimp under a float. If that didn't produce then I had my steelhead float rod for back-up. After tossing bait for a good hour and not even getting a bite, I decided to bring out the jig rod. I had my all time favorite steelhead bead shrimp tail jig tied on and after double checking the leader and knots to make sure they looked okay, I pinched on a sand shrimp tail, added a couple drops of shrimp scent and let her fly. I worked the jig through the main section of the hole varying the depth I was fishing and still didn't get a take. By now the steady rain had lightened up a little and it looked like it just might eventually stop for a brief period. I remember years past fishing in a situation like this and hooking fish immediately after a rainstorm. I think I was being overly optimistic since the deluge had brought the river up and most salmon tend to take advantage of a rising river and keep on the move. I reeled in my jig, put on a fresh sand shrimp tail and adjusted my bobber stop a couple feet deeper. I was now running about ten feet deep and knew this would put my jig close to the bottom. I cast into the riffle water at the top of the drift and reeled in my slack line. The float was positioned on the weak side of the current allowing my offering to slowly move through the deep water. Then it happened. The float twitched once and slowly slipped under the water. Not sure what I would find on the other end, I reeled down, felt the weight of a fish and hit it. For a brief second I didn't feel anything. I knew it wasn't a rock because there was a slight give to my pull. I reeled down further, lowered my rod to the side while at the same time I pulled hard on whatever was connected to my line. At that moment a HUGE bright fish rolled and took off downstream. All I saw was a familiar big, bright flash that meant one thing...Springer. The fish continued to pull off line like a freight train and it was at least ten minutes before I would even see the fish again. I was using my 10'6" rod with 10-pound mono leader and I might as well be fishing with a snoopy rod since this fish was as tough as any fish I've hooked in my life. I would gain some line and he would take it all back and then some. I've hooked and landed several 20+ pound Springers on steelhead gear before but this fish was the ultimate battle. Talk about bringing a knife to a gun fight. I felt like I had a butter knife compared to the strength of this powerful fish. Finally after what seemed like an eternity I started to actually gain some line on the fish. I was easing him into the shallower water when he turned sideways and I saw his massive thumb size adipose fin...a native that would have to be released. After that brief encounter he took charge and peeled off line on a second run that paralleled his first. At this time I knew that if I landed him he would have to be released so I made the decision to crank down my drag and put the screws to him knowing he could easily break off the lighter line. Either that or I would eventually land the behemoth. It took several more minutes of a bull dog battle but now I sensed he was getting tired so I applied consistent hard pressure while keeping my rod tip low to the ground. I was fishing solo and nobody was around to assist in landing the fish so I attempted to pull him into shallow water where I could then unhook the jig. I had landed a nice 25-pound Springer the week before and this fish dwarfed the other one. I'm guessing it was probably close to 30-pounds. I now had the fish in less then a foot of water and was just about to ease up the pressure and cradle the monster when he rolled on my frayed line and popped the 10-pound leader. If it was a hatchery fish I would've jumped in and tailed it but since it was a native I hesitated and instead I watched it very slowly swim away from the shore and disappear into the deep water.
July 2005
My Biggest Springer on a Jig (Part 2)
Back in June when that huge Springer rolled on my line and popped my leader I realize some people would have doubts as to the actual size of the Salmon. A 30-pound Springer is a big fish by anyone's standard. All I know is it was one of the biggest Springers I've ever landed and estimated it to be around 30-pounds. As I watched it slowly swim away with my Shrimp Tail Jig in it's mouth I took it all in knowing I might never land a Springer that big again in my lifetime.
Fast forward to July, approximately one month after hooking that monster of a fish. I remember the message on my phone from a buddy of mine who has landed more salmon then I've ever seen. His message was brief and to the point, "Hey Mark, I landed a toad of a Springer today and found one of your jigs in it’s' mouth. Give me a call". I could hardly believe it. When I called him back, he relayed the story like this. He was drifting eggs through a deep hole when a salmon took his bait. Upon setting the hook he knew it was a big fish...a really big fish. The big buck was starting to show some color but still fought like a Mack truck. When he finally landed the monster it was then that he noticed my Shrimp Tail Jig securely hooked on the inside of the jaw with the 10-pound leader broke off. Since it was a native, he promptly released the fish but with little hesitation he guessed the fish to be right around 35-pounds. He said it was an absolute toad. One of the biggest he's seen in a long time. The following week I met up with him on the river and he handed me the jig that he had removed from the fish. Considering the jig had been in the Salmon's mouth practically a whole month and also had traveled approximately twenty river miles, it was in great shape with the feathers firmly intact and the hook still needle-sharp. This is a true testimonial of the quality of our jigs.
http://www.firstbitejigs.com/store/pictures/Springer35jig1.jpg
The steady rain continued as I drove over the coast range en route to my favorite coast river. By the time I reached the lower river the unrelenting rain was starting to color up the water. I grabbed my gear and headed down the trail. My game plan was to focus on Springers using cured eggs & shrimp under a float. If that didn't produce then I had my steelhead float rod for back-up. After tossing bait for a good hour and not even getting a bite, I decided to bring out the jig rod. I had my all time favorite steelhead bead shrimp tail jig tied on and after double checking the leader and knots to make sure they looked okay, I pinched on a sand shrimp tail, added a couple drops of shrimp scent and let her fly. I worked the jig through the main section of the hole varying the depth I was fishing and still didn't get a take. By now the steady rain had lightened up a little and it looked like it just might eventually stop for a brief period. I remember years past fishing in a situation like this and hooking fish immediately after a rainstorm. I think I was being overly optimistic since the deluge had brought the river up and most salmon tend to take advantage of a rising river and keep on the move. I reeled in my jig, put on a fresh sand shrimp tail and adjusted my bobber stop a couple feet deeper. I was now running about ten feet deep and knew this would put my jig close to the bottom. I cast into the riffle water at the top of the drift and reeled in my slack line. The float was positioned on the weak side of the current allowing my offering to slowly move through the deep water. Then it happened. The float twitched once and slowly slipped under the water. Not sure what I would find on the other end, I reeled down, felt the weight of a fish and hit it. For a brief second I didn't feel anything. I knew it wasn't a rock because there was a slight give to my pull. I reeled down further, lowered my rod to the side while at the same time I pulled hard on whatever was connected to my line. At that moment a HUGE bright fish rolled and took off downstream. All I saw was a familiar big, bright flash that meant one thing...Springer. The fish continued to pull off line like a freight train and it was at least ten minutes before I would even see the fish again. I was using my 10'6" rod with 10-pound mono leader and I might as well be fishing with a snoopy rod since this fish was as tough as any fish I've hooked in my life. I would gain some line and he would take it all back and then some. I've hooked and landed several 20+ pound Springers on steelhead gear before but this fish was the ultimate battle. Talk about bringing a knife to a gun fight. I felt like I had a butter knife compared to the strength of this powerful fish. Finally after what seemed like an eternity I started to actually gain some line on the fish. I was easing him into the shallower water when he turned sideways and I saw his massive thumb size adipose fin...a native that would have to be released. After that brief encounter he took charge and peeled off line on a second run that paralleled his first. At this time I knew that if I landed him he would have to be released so I made the decision to crank down my drag and put the screws to him knowing he could easily break off the lighter line. Either that or I would eventually land the behemoth. It took several more minutes of a bull dog battle but now I sensed he was getting tired so I applied consistent hard pressure while keeping my rod tip low to the ground. I was fishing solo and nobody was around to assist in landing the fish so I attempted to pull him into shallow water where I could then unhook the jig. I had landed a nice 25-pound Springer the week before and this fish dwarfed the other one. I'm guessing it was probably close to 30-pounds. I now had the fish in less then a foot of water and was just about to ease up the pressure and cradle the monster when he rolled on my frayed line and popped the 10-pound leader. If it was a hatchery fish I would've jumped in and tailed it but since it was a native I hesitated and instead I watched it very slowly swim away from the shore and disappear into the deep water.
July 2005
My Biggest Springer on a Jig (Part 2)
Back in June when that huge Springer rolled on my line and popped my leader I realize some people would have doubts as to the actual size of the Salmon. A 30-pound Springer is a big fish by anyone's standard. All I know is it was one of the biggest Springers I've ever landed and estimated it to be around 30-pounds. As I watched it slowly swim away with my Shrimp Tail Jig in it's mouth I took it all in knowing I might never land a Springer that big again in my lifetime.
Fast forward to July, approximately one month after hooking that monster of a fish. I remember the message on my phone from a buddy of mine who has landed more salmon then I've ever seen. His message was brief and to the point, "Hey Mark, I landed a toad of a Springer today and found one of your jigs in it’s' mouth. Give me a call". I could hardly believe it. When I called him back, he relayed the story like this. He was drifting eggs through a deep hole when a salmon took his bait. Upon setting the hook he knew it was a big fish...a really big fish. The big buck was starting to show some color but still fought like a Mack truck. When he finally landed the monster it was then that he noticed my Shrimp Tail Jig securely hooked on the inside of the jaw with the 10-pound leader broke off. Since it was a native, he promptly released the fish but with little hesitation he guessed the fish to be right around 35-pounds. He said it was an absolute toad. One of the biggest he's seen in a long time. The following week I met up with him on the river and he handed me the jig that he had removed from the fish. Considering the jig had been in the Salmon's mouth practically a whole month and also had traveled approximately twenty river miles, it was in great shape with the feathers firmly intact and the hook still needle-sharp. This is a true testimonial of the quality of our jigs.
http://www.firstbitejigs.com/store/pictures/Springer35jig1.jpg