Put up or shut up time

[salmonlips]

I'm asking for a little help from the board. This weekend I have a co-worker from North Carolina and one of his customers coming out. We are working Friday and Monday and fishing inbetween. The problem is, Mr. North Carolina has spent the last five years giving me a ton of good natured grief about salmon fishing, sturgeon fishing and the whole concept that catching one fish or even hooking one fish in a day can be as much fun as catching a "mess" as he likes to call it of something else. He's also made it known that he expects nothing but a boat ride and for me not to feel bad in advance. I'd love nothing better than to get him into a fish or two and see if his story changes. As I see it, our options are Tillamook, jaws and ocean - Bouy 10 to Megler for silvers, Nehalem, jaws to Wheeler or somewhere in the Columbia ie Mouth of the Cowlitz to Bonneville. We have all day both days and the boat and gear are ready to go any direction. Any help would be appreciated

[Flatfish]

Grab your salmon and hog rods.Head to Bonnie.If the kings don't want to play,dunk a couple shad down there.You should be able to hook a couple hogs.If he don't think one fish is better than 10 after an 8 footer,send him home to his bluegills. :tongue:
Mark and the dog.

[Pitch Pocket]

I'd hire a guide to put you and your guest on on a "mess" of fish, and there are a lot of fish out there.

Nothing more stressful than trying to entertain a client/supplier while you are tying hooks and running a boat. He may not appreciate you barking orders and may be critical about your performance.

Let a guide do it and you can sit back and relax, and maybe learn something in the bargain. Plus, you can write it off.

[Jerry Dove]

Hey Lips: Don't be afraid of Tillamook Bay!! Memlouse, pull spinners for big CH or go out by picket fence and throw small spinners at coho.

[salmonlips]

Jerry - Where is Memaloose. I'm driving a 20' Bayliner Trophy and the Ghost Hole is about as far up bay as I've been willing to go. I generally have pretty good luck along the south jetty and the jaws but I've never fished it this early

[Trollin]

Sallmonlips, Memlouse is up were the Wilson and Trask dump into the Bay water is really shallow up there at low tide. Could be a problem for your Trophy I'd stick with the Ghost Hole if I were you.

[Miss B Haven]

Salmonlips - In 1995 I spent my Sabbatical in Tillamook bay in a 24' bayliner Cierra Classic. Almost 3 foot of draft with the outdrive down, over 6,000 lbs of boat. I had a merc 9.9 kicker with an autopilot which really helped me out. Was there for 40 days, fished about 30 days ( a lot by myself) and only got on the ocean 3 days. The bar/ocean was UGLY that year. Sooo.... I explored the bay. I went clear up into the middle bay to the picket fence, across the flats at high tide, around the sandbar above crab harbor into the west channel etc etc. Bumped a lot of sand bars, but I got off every one and didn't spend the tide or the night. Get a good chart, use your head about the tides, follow the "sticks" where the channels have been marked and follow the other boats. Watch the depth finder like a hawk and pick your way around. Oh ya - GO SLOW, use the kicker. Be prepared and alert, it's tricky but you can do it. I won't argue about the upper bay advise from Trollin (have never fished that end), and I wouldn't try to get there from the ghost hole at any rate. But... you can do a lot of exploring and have a good time doing it. I caught most of my fish that year in 3-5 feet of water on the flats (incoming tide) using the big roll trick.
The best part was seeing all the guides faces in their flat sleds, sitting in the rain while I'm enjoying life under the hardtop. Oops - fish on - gotta go