Did you ever have one of those days when one rod was like bessed and holy?...When no matter what you fished or how identical the riggings were only the one rod got bit, over and over and over again? I had a day like that today...
Nancy and I awoke at 6a in the boat on the north doc at Coon Isle, and were the first out on the water for shad fishing. It didn't take but about 10 mins to have three fish in the box, all on the same rod. I was fishing my steelhead baitcaster for chinook, and alternating the other side with trout poles for shad. On my old cheepy trout pole (purchased at a yard sale on Colorado about ten years ago) I had a gold and chartuse dick nite, and a red and silver on the good pole. Over and over the gold and chartruse nailed fish, but they were't EVEN interested in any other color. I tried silver and red, chartuse and white, pink and white, silver and gold, and after 13 fish for the gold and chartruse and none for any of the other colors, we took a break and ran over to St. Helens to get a couple more. NO gold and chartruse dick nites were to be found at the store. When we returned, I found one identical gold and chartruse in the bottom of my box and of course tied it to the other pole. A few hours later, we were up to 25 fish, still all on the one old trout pole.
By mid afternoon, it was hot and sunny, with no wind and the bite had slowed way down. I was beat and so folded the seats down and took a nap. I was awakened by a violent strike when the pole buckled so hard it hit my anchor light bar. Nancy said I sprang up out of my horizontal position and was reeling before I even was awake. After about 30 secs, this huge shad proved instead to be a fat chinook when it broke water. I then said "Huston, we have a problem!"... this old twig of a trout pole with old style all metal guides and a tiny spincast reel had only (5 year old at least) 8lb mono on it, complete with two spline knots. I needed to loose the anchor and drift back, but there was a tight hog line too close behind us to have a chance in he** of landing the fish with this hardware before reaching them, so we rapidly abandoned that idea.
A long drawn out mexican standoff ensued. For at least a half hour, I stood on the engine cover barefoot and in my shorts with this pewney rod doubled over as Mr Spotty tail went back and forth from side to side behind the boat. I was able to finess the fish to the surface a few times, but no where near netting range...and I pushed this light line to the limit. A while later, a gentleman named Ron (owner of a gorgeous 42 footer named Legal Layover) who had taken the only chinook in this area earlier that day, motored over in a tiny 6ft inflatable with a 4hp merc, and offered me a drift back; The small size and maneuverablilty the inflatable provided was a temting offer; we might even be able to get between the boats and anchor ropes behind us. I thought about it and said "give me five more minutes and I may just take you up on that". So he tied off to my starboard side and waited and watched. By now, every boat and every person on the crowded docks was watching. I hardly noticed, but when I got back to shore, I was told it was like an NFL game on the docks with people cheering and making wagers.
Those five minutes went by at which point I transfered over to the dingy and began the drift back. We chased this fish round and round in circles for a good 30 minutes more. Every time it got close to the side and Ron leaned over, it took one look at him and headed for the bottom. It almost seemed like he'd surface and roll over sideways, just to flip us off with a pectoral fin (neener neener), and then go for a pleasure swim. Several times when it was close and then sounded, and each time virtually all of the rod was pulled under water. We kept shifteing sides, being carful not to capsise the tiny craft (an angry salmon can go from port to starboard real quick when your beam is only four feet). Finally, I did the angler thing with one hand and took the tiller with the other, while Ron knelt ready with the net. First pass he missed, second pass, I knew he was coming up and yelled "GET HIM! GET HIM!!!!"...and he DID!! I screamed 'YEAAAAAHH!!"...and then everyone all around us also started screming...TOO MUCH FUN!! I heard one angler yell "I don't care what that is, you deserve to keep that fish!". As luck would have it, it was a bright egg carrying hen, 18 lbs and adipose free. I dont' think I've ever successfully taken a fish that heavy on anthing close to such light tackle, so I'll be insufferably pleased with myself for at least a week.
Total count for the day: Limaglass bait caster; 0. High quality freshwater spincast rig: 1 shad. Antique piece of junk with old spliced line and broken handle: 34 shad, 1 chinook...too bizarre! If that pole ever breaks, I think I'll bronze it, and from now on, it's Adrianna SVI (standard vessel issue); it will never leave my boat again except for cleaning.
Special thanks go out to Ron and all the spactators who cheered me on. Pics to follow!!
[ 05-28-2002, 04:12 PM: Message edited by: ********* ]
BIG FISH, LITTLE ROD
garyk
Gotta work for a living :depressed: can't retire on the amount of fish I catch :depressed: I won't be able to finalize my weekend plans until friday evening so good luck to everybody that does make it out. I still might make it, just maybe not in the morning. A half day fishing is still better than none.
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