Whoo hooo! Pics to come!

[Jennie@ifish]

I just got off the Kilchis. WHATARUSH!

:smile:

:smile:

:smile:

I caught the biggest fish! I don't know how big, cuz I let it go. I really don't need more fish and Bill was too lazy to butcher it. I still have fish from the last fish!!!

But, WHATARUSH!

I caught it in my backyard and we had to chase it with the drift boat clear down to Pullam Lane. (If you don't know where that is... it's about a mile down the road!!!

It was so awesome! I have NEVER seen such an angry fish in my life! I could not stop it!!! Here I am, just last week giving these guys heck for not being able to control their fish. :smile: I couldn't control this at all! It headed downstream like it was jet propelled!!!

My reel just screamed! I knew it was a nice fish. I saw it come out of the water! I have never chased a fish in a drift boat like that. Not that far! Whooo hoooo!!!

Through the rapids, down the riffles, under the boat, around the boat, upside down! I can't stop giggling, still, and it's been a coupla hours!

Anyhow, I was determined to do it myself. I thought, hey... if I'm going to die, WHAT BETTER WAY???????????????

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

What a screamer that was!

Then, at the very end, I got this searing pain in my chest, and I thought, "No... no no no no no... I'm not going yet!" So, I handed it to Bill to release. BUT... I did get it almost all the way in! I had it on for a long time, and the fish was STILL wild when Bill let it go.

I'll go do the pics, and yes, I'm still alive, and probably more alive then I was before this fish!

Did I say, "WHOOOO HOOO?"

If not,

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Jennie@ifish]

I'll be right back with pics, but I gotta tell you...

WHOOO HOOOOO!

I gotta tell you I caught it on Amerman's Eggs and Marie's Shrimp Scent, as always. Bill was using a Kwikfish but this time I was the lucky girl.

It hit really hard, and then let go. My eggs were mush, so I rebaited with a beautiful clump of eggs and a fresh squirt of the secret sauce, and WHAM~! Same bite. I'm sure it was the same fish. It was just in the mood and feeling cranky enough to take it again.

You know how you can tell the same fish? You know what I'm talking about? I do! :smile:

Anyhow, I'll go do those pics.

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I'm not sick of salmon season, after all!!!

Didn't get my chum on a fly yet, though.

Jen

[FlyingAce]

Sweet. Cant wait to see the pics. Glad you are okay.

[Ryan Pultz]

wow thats great cant wait to see the pics. rp

[Hooked on Fish]

After a story like this the pictures will only be a let down. Great story! Thanks.

[Jennie@ifish]

WHOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! It was 30 pounds or better and brighter than a brand new coin! But, mostly he was just a wilders!



Bill hopped out of the boat and grabbed my rod to do the honors.



Here he comes!



Held it up real quick for a pic



Back in the water to take the hook out--

and he was gone like a flash of lightning!

[Jennie@ifish]

What a gorgeous day on the river!!!!

Sigh. It's all downhill from here. :smile:

I have to stay in and be calm the rest of this week!

Oh well, what fun!

You guys, it was SO beautiful on the river today, like spring!

Jen

[Riverkeeper]

Sweet

[parker]

Noice Feesh, Jennie!

[Chinookjinxd]

Really nice fish Jenn !!!! To bad Bill wouldnt do the Honors for you !

[Pescadote]

Holy Smokes - nice fish!!!

[Jennie@ifish]

My favorite is the pic of the fish in the water. Isn't that pretty?

I didn't mean to say it was the biggest. There are far bigger fish in the Tillamook System, but it was "the biggest" for me at the moment! :smile:

[3riversBob]

Good job! AND you let it go to do its thing or give someone else a thrill like you experienced.

Bob

[Jennie@ifish]

That's really what it's all about!

By the way, did I tell you I caught a neato fish, today?

:giggle:

I love to fish. Did you know that? I absolutely ADORE fishing!!!

[rowmanholiday]

Thank you for the pictures and the enthusiasm. You remind me why I love to fish. Such a basic action that just makes life good. Whooray for you!!!

[Moldy45]

Way kool jennie

[Hogmaster]

Nice to do what I asked you to do today!

Way to go!

[Jennie@ifish]

I tried to stand up to play the fish, but no cigar. Couldn't keep my knees in the knee holds! I kept almost falling overboard cuz we were crashing through waves!

So, I sat down. (more like forced down!) Now, I'm not suppose to have that rod butt anywhere near the good doctor's work, so usually, I stand up and put the rod butt in my upper thigh, now. Used to be my lower right hand gut, but no can do that, anymore.

So, where to put the rod butt sitting down?? Oh Lord!

I finally decided just to try to cram it under one leg but it kept slipping and... Um... You know what?

I'd better not finish this story after all!

Anyway, the moral is, it's painful to play a fish sitting down!

OH Never mind!

[Knot in leader]

nice fish and pictures

[FlyingAce]

Wow that is a fat, bright fish. I gotta find a way to get out of work. I am not feeling so good .

[Wild Chrome]

Nice!!

[Jennie@ifish]

You know, I was feeling like I was getting a cold, but I feel like Super Woman, now! :smile:

[3riversBob]

Now get down there with your fly rod and get a chum on a fly. You can do it!

Bob

[SteelheadBum2]

wow!! very nice fish Good work

[slabhunter]

Right on!

[BCF]

0

[catchnrelease]

TULE!!!! o wait.... beautiful fish!!! Congrats!

[AnchorManagement]

all I can say is WOW! That is sooooo cool! I am especially glad it was you that caught it Jen, you are very deserving of a fish like that!

[KeepFishingFun]

Everything about that fish is picture perfect. What a fantasic looking fish. I can't stop going back and looking at it, it's so healthy and bright, that's one for the album.

GREAT JOB

[Jennie@ifish]

It's going to be the Papa to many, many little salmon babies!

You know, I think this year has been a great year! For the time we've put in, we've done very well, indeed.

I can't complain one bit!

[Captain and Marie]

"You know, I was feeling like I was getting a cold, but I feel like <font color="red"> Super Woman </font> , now!"

<font color="red"> You are HOT! </font>


Just for Jennie! Congratulations on your BIG FISH today!


Marie

[Sourdough]

Jennie, you made my day. What a grin. Ear to ear. The world is OK today, thanks to you.

[5-Cents]

Hey Jen you have to feel great releasing a fish like that to live another day!

[Fshklr]

Way to go Jennie! That is a sweet fish..good for you on the release too!!!

[Pete]

What a pretty fish! Makes my pulse rise just to see it!

[Tight Lines]

Great fish, Great day on the water and your not tired of Salmon Season. Christmas has come early!!!

FYI do you remember where you left me an Ifish sticker last year! Well we fished there today alittle high, okay alot high but good water color and five nice Chinooks. Will be a good week here with the weather forecast. Hope to see ya there!!

[Buck]

Way to go Jennie! Releasing a bright salmon in a beautiful coastal stream like that is so fun, isn't it? I like knocking my share on the head for our salmon fillet fix at my household as much as anyone, but I released a 25lb bright as a silver dollar buck last week on the upper Wilson and the image of that fish seems to be more pervasive in my mind than others I bonked.

[Jennie@ifish]

Val... oh, REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY????

:smile: :smile: :smile:

[Fishrite]

You go girl!!!! That was a beautiful fish... It could happen to a better girl....right Bill?

[Fishrite]

Oops!!! I meant couldn't happen to a better girl...Sorry

[Mr. Fisherman]

Outstanding Jen! Well done and congratulations

[fishtat]

Way to go Buddy!

[Siwash]

Awesome!

[garyk]

Wonderful pics...glad you had enough composure to remember the camera.

I think we saw that fish breaching the Bay's whitecaps on Sunday, headed your way. Glad it found you - and you BOTH survived

[SalmonJeff]

very cool

that must have been some great rowing to be able to come down and chase it!!! was he in the house when you hooked it or with you? good thing he wasn't in the shower or anything you would have been spooled!!

great job

[First Bite]

That's about as good as it gets. Way to go Jen.

Mark

[driftin buy]

what a great fish! It is great to have this place, IFISH, to share those adventures.

[Kevin Newell]

Nice job! Nice fish! Nice pictures! Well done! Good to see it live to hopefully make more little feeshes!!!

[Dr Strangelove]

Phat Phish!

[Jennie@ifish]

Wow! Learn something every day! This is what we got from eyefish. It seems odd that Bill, after attending OSU's marine biology program and running a STEP hatchery and all, didn't realize this. Just goes to show you, you learn something every day!

For future use:

From: eyeFISH

Hi Jennie

No disrespect for that fabulous fish story and pics that you shared with us today, BUT.....

That pic with Bill holding that king vertically by the tail "wrist" with its full unsupported weight pulling the length of the salmon's spine made me cringe just a little.

I know you love the resource and would never do ANYTHING to intentionally harm these fish. So I'm hoping a little education will go a long way toward better C&amp;R practices in the future. Read on:

A fish's internal structures naturally evolved under the premise that its body would be supported by water from all sides, negating much of the direct effect of gravity. One should refrain from holding fish in a vertical position when inspecting or photographing them. Internal organs are displaced and stress is increased in this unnatural position.

Never hold a live fish vertically from the tail, as gravity will "pop" the vertebrae and disks, potentially causing spinal cord damage and serious internal bleeding along the spine, particularly so with large heavy fish.

Additionally, large fish should never be held by the bottom jaw only, with a boca grip or otherwise (any tool designed to grip the lower jaw of caught fish to facilitate handling). Hold the fish horizontally by the lower jaw with one hand, and support the belly with the other hand. If unsupported, many large fish, especially snook, will rupture the isthmus–a cartilaginous bundle of ligaments that connects the head and body--and the fish will die a slow death from starvation. This connection is necessary for the tremendous gulping action during feeding.


Thought it would be best to just pass this info along as a PM rather than rain on your otherwise spectacular post. Have a great day!

Respectfully yours

And a PS from Jen: This fish had been through the ringer, and was only held for 5 seconds for a quick pic. Still, it's better to hold it the way eyefish says to, rather than the way Bill held it. We'll be certain to do that in the future. It was a spur of the excitement thing. :smile:

I felt that this information should be posted, to share it with all, since it's a matter of good C and R practice. Why keep it to myself?

Oh! I found the source from which he is quoting. It is Florida Fish and Wildlife C and R.

We still maintain that THE MOST IMPORTANT thing is quoted here, also:

Whatever you do, do it quickly. Keeping an exhausted fish out of water is like holding a bag over a runner who has just completed a marathon. They both need oxygen to recuperate.

Another thing that can be damaging, if not fatal to fish: WOOD SHAMPOO... Be careful of that one!

Jen

[SEAWEED PETE]

Right on Jen. You landed that fish in my favorite hole. I missed it by one day. Fished On Sunday and did catch three. Two dark fish and one foul hooked little chromer. Nothing like that beauty. Whooooo Hooooo is right Now watch those chest pains .

[Catcherman]

Nice Hen!

[northfork 9]

<font color="red"> </font> WOW!

[Wreckless]

I still say WWWWOOOOOWHOOOOOOOO!!!! Nice fish....Heck, it made MY day!!!!

Plus thanks for sharing the C &amp; R info

Class all the way!

Congrats on a sweet chooky!!!

[Joe Schmo]

Sweet fist Jen. Congrats and more to come.

[Fred N]

You did good!

[Kosba1]

What a great story and a wish worthy of it!!!!! Nice Work

[salmon whisperer]

0

[PapaHog]

That is great and it is funny how one fish can turn a cold day on the water to woooooooooohooooooooo.

Thanks Jen for sharing.
papa

[Super Fluke]

nice fish