BEST FISHING WEEKEND EVER!!

[AngleThis]

…but before we could get to the heavenly fishing, we had to go through a little hell. We're cruising down I5 about half way between Salem & Portland, destination Newport, traveling at about 65 MPH. Hey.. what's that vibration? Holy sh**!… flat tire on the trailer…or is it? When I crossed over the perforations to the emergency lane, the right side trailer wheel comes OFF, the trailer hits the pavement at about 45 MPH, and I hit the brakes HARD. The boat started getting sideways, so I recovered, and finally brought us to a safe stop. My wheel rolled across the freeway and almost got to play pinball with all the cars zooming by. Three of the wheel studs are pulled clean out, and two are sheared off. Les Schwab just rethreaded the spindle and replaced the studs a few months ago, and obviously cut the threads too wide. The axel is secured to the leaf springs by two U-bolts, a backing plate, and four heavy nuts. By the time I got it to a stop, the U-bolts, and nuts were completely ground off. The 1/4 " backing plate is ground to about 1/8". I'd say 50 more yards and the trailer would have folded and dumped the boat onto the freeway, and probably the truck with us in it and the dogs in the bed as well.

We call the autoclub, and two hours later, with my help, two not so sharp guys get the boat and crippled trailer onto a big flatbed…now what? Based on where we were and what was available, we were looking at a long expensive tow any way we cut it…roughly $250, plus possible overnight accommodations unless we went back to Portland. For $100 more, we could tow all the way to Newport and not miss the likely last day of hali season, so that is what we did….Launched right off the back of the flatbed, then took the trailer over to the local Les Shwaab. Finally got bedded down in the boat at 3am.

9am and I'm up and on the phone with Les Schwaab threatening. They assure me everything will be taken care of so I turn my attention back to fishing. Nancy is dead to the world and so gets a shore pass, Titan and I head out solo. We toss three pots in the bay and cross the bar to find a CALM ocean…so calm I could have water skied out there. Any and I mean ANY boat could have operated safely in this water, and the further out I got, the more it laid down. GPS says 14.6 miles to the Rock Pile and we head west with the bow up at high plane speed.

First drop and I am hali nailed within 10 minutes but loose the fish. Five minutes later, fish on! When he gets to the boat I do the hold pole in one hand and gaff with the other, fly fishing style. It's a sweet one…42lbs…that was too easy! So I switch to ling gear and over the next two and a half hours, get bit 7 more times, and boat and release 4 more halis, all slightly to much smaller. Then, unfortunately, one nice canary, and headed home around 3:30pm.

On the way back, I happened to come across my Adrianna's sister ship, the Pilar. John has three halis and two kings, and gets nailed twice more in the short time I was along side. I rigged for salmon, trolled for about 20 minutes, but sleep deprivation got the better of me and so I called it quits before really making much of an effort for salmon. Pilar tells me, just as another fisherman had earlier, he even picked up a hali accidentally while trolling for salmon, if you can believe that…that is how voracious the bite was. Picked up 5 nice crab in the bay and docked.

Sunday morning I am joined by a friend Mike, one of the fish catchin'est guys I know at 6a at the ramp. We head back to the pile for bottom fish and Chinook, after throwing two heavy pots into the ocean at about 45 feet. The ocean is much rougher, but not undoable, and it gets better all day long until Saturday's conditions are almost matched. Mike takes a 15lb ling, I get another canary, Mike brings up and then releases a big hali, and then we go for salmon. I am beat and so entrust Adrianna to Mike, fold down the starboard seats, and lay down for a badly needed nap. Just as I am nodding off, fish on!! It is my pole and it spinning line like crazy. Boated the fish a few mintutes later… a fat shiny buck. one flicked booger short of 30 lbs. This is my biggest salmon to date, so after putting the line back out I grab the cell phone to call Nancy. Fish on my pole again!! Nailed this one too and it was a hen, 27 lbs. NOW, I'm a happy camper. We trolled around another two hours, Mike got bit only once more but missed, and we headed in. The pots were loaded but with mostly females. Did pull six good sized males out before crossing the bar. With the full moon the water is ripping through the bar, which was a bit scary. I took one wave over the bow for the first time this year. The boat ran flawlessly all weekend with a new carb and valve adjustment, burned only 35 gals of fuel. GOOD ocean…GOOD boat…GOOOOOOD FISHING!!!

[ 06-24-2002, 02:19 PM: Message edited by: ********* ]

[tailchaser]

Man, sounds like you should've drove down here and jumped into my boat with that experience. As it turned out I had a guy cancel on me friday night about 10 pm. I figured you were already on your way to Newport. Oh well, I've had a few of those days myself. Schwabee's actually forgot to tighten my front tire down when they rotated them once. Made for a hairy moment when my wheel went venturing into the forest at 55 mph on my way hunting. [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img] Fortunately, they fixed it without hassle. Glad you got a few.

tc

[AngleThis]

Thanks guy...had I known what to expect I might have taken you up on that. But I got limits all around and better than 100 lbs of new meat so it was worth it, besides, we all have to pay our dues, right?

[Orca]

You're telling me you launched a boat off a trailer sitting on a flatbed tow truck? I don't know a tow truck driver dumb enough to destroy their equipment so freely.

[shakerfish]

Well,Well! :smile: It sounds to me like it was a good thing I put U on my prayer list a few weeks ago! :grin: I know U don't belive in that sorta stuff Angle, But as long as U keep sharing your Crazy Adventures, I'm going to keep praying 4 U! P.S. U can't stop me! :grin: ...shakerfish!....

The offer on the life insurance policy is still there if you want to let me do it. 656 mph! The OSP couldn't catch you if they wanted to. :grin:

This should show you that you can't avoid Murphy's Law all of the time :depressed: . Be careful and good luck. :smile:

[craigc]

That is a heck of a weekend adventure to remember.... with some nice fish to boot... I do hope you tow your trailer at a slower speed next time.... You life is valuable, and so are the innocent drivers and passengers of vehicles driving next too you... it's only fish.... the captain's highest priority is the safety of his vessel and crew, on and off the water...

[AngleThis]

Orca, Yes I am telling you that we launched off the back of a flatbed. I was very specific about "launch being included" before I committed to a $365 tow. The kid operating it didn't have a clue to what salt water does. I told him, and pointed him at the hose next to the ramp. But really, given the extension and tilting capabilty of the bed, very little of the truck got wet....I just made sure the trailer was doubled down strapped before lowering my boat into the water at a 40 degree angle.

Shaker, U keep prayers coming in.... I'm not needing them to stay alive on the ocean so they must be spilling over into meat in the boat... 150lbs worth this weekend.

Keta, Insurance? In Oregon? Although I am not in the industry, I am aware that the insurance industry here is policed by insurance executives on vacation. Insurance does not pay very well in Oregon, hence I refuse to purchase any the law does not require. Those dollars are better spent preventative measures.

Craig, There is no reason my trailer should not operate at 65 MPH. There is virutally no difference in stress on spindle studs at higher speeds if the wheel is properly balanced. My problem was due to flawed labor at Les Schwaab. They cut the threads too wide instead of drilling and tapping wider threads. Unfortunately I am not equipped to do my own work in this area, and redundant systems is not something I can easily add to a trailer.

[ 06-25-2002, 10:08 PM: Message edited by: ********* ]