Nestucca Weekend (with pics!)

crabbait · 10-21-2002, 06:32 PM

Our great weekend on the Nestucca started out with friends Mike and Chuck on Saturday. We managed a fish apiece the largest about 25lbs (my bright hen).

The "reel" fun started on Sunday, my fifty-first birthday, when I got to introduce Kim to the "joys" of bobber fishing! We practiced casting from the dock for an hour the night before the big event and joined a few of our closest fishing partners at Hanneman's hole in the morning.

I gave some casting instruction as only a crabby old geezer can but it was the Calcutta 400 that was teaching the lesson (THUMB!). Notice she is still smiling. :smile:

With the trophy backlash behind us, Kim started to get her bait into the strike zone. About then I looked up and counted one bobber when there should have been two! Mine was the lonely survivor. "REEL!" I calmly shouted not knowing how much slack Kim had on the water when her bobber decided to disappear. She got about three cranks on the reel when everything came tight and the show started. She was nearly jerked off her feet when the rod bent double and line strated to peel off her reel. "He's taking my line, he's taking my line!" she yelled as the rod bucked in her hands and she tried to find a place to put the rod butt. "What should I do?" she asked desperately. "You're doing it!" I said. Just keep a tight line ( as if this monster was going to give her any slack). "Reel when you can" I instructed. She could not get a turn on the reel handle and had not learned to lift up and reel down yet so she resorted to turning the handle like a can opener! Then the fish bolted on another screaming run across the hole. I got a glimpse as he turned to go, bright as a dime and long as my leg! The power of the run jerked Kim off the bow and she landed on a seat, feet flying but rod held high. She struggled to her feet, "HELP"! "You're doing fine!" "I'm exhausted!" "Keep fighting!" She turned the fish, or the fish turned, and came racing for the boat only to turn again as it passed the stern and bolt again for deep water. Just as the drag started to protest again the line went slack and her bobber floated to the surface. I don't know if she was disappointed or relieved. "What happened?" she asked. "He came unbuttoned" I replied, "it happens".

"I was not prepared for that!" she said with a slightly accusing look. "I was just practicing my casting! I never expected that!" Man, that was a big fish and I am sorry that we could not get it in the net. That's fishing and it was not the end of the day. Kim liked this size better. Much easier to control.

All in all, it was a beautiful day on the river and judging from that grin, I think she is hooked! This was taken upstream from Riverview Resort, where we stayed. Notice the fir tree that fell in the water this spring nearly blocking the river.

Hope you had a great weekend, too. Tight lines.

:smile:

[ 10-21-2002, 08:30 PM: Message edited by: crabbait ]

Hogmaster · 10-21-2002, 06:37 PM

Great story, Crabbait. And happy birthday you old fart! :grin:

I suspect Kim just found out "What it is about (bobber) fishing"

Jennie@ifish · 10-21-2002, 06:40 PM

Way to go Kim and Crabbait!
Whooooo hoooooooooooo~!

Dang, that makes me envious!!!

A whole weekend of that stuff!!!
Jen

skrimmy · 10-21-2002, 07:00 PM

Wow, you couldn't have had a better weekend! Nice story Crabbait!

crabbait · 10-21-2002, 07:27 PM

Well, things weren't completely rosy. I did have a "Hogmaster moment" that lasted the whole weekend. Jess and Diane at Riverview let me keep my boat at the lodge during the week so I did not have to pull it back and forth between fishing weekends. Last weekend, after a long day fishing, I parked the boat behind the lodge and, as an afterthought, pulled the keys.

When I picked up the boat this weekend I drove to the launch, started to put the boat in and noticed NO KEYS! Where did I put them???

Ended up turning the boat and the Suburban inside out to no avail so we fished all weekend on the kicker motor. Luckily, we never needed to go anywhere fast because the 115hp on the back was purely decorative!

Jess just called to say he found my keys on the ground where I had parked the boat. D'OH! So much for my security measures.

[ 10-21-2002, 08:28 PM: Message edited by: crabbait ]

Fishplay · 10-21-2002, 08:46 PM

Great Tell Crabait!! Nice pics too! Is the girlfriend still catching salmon in her sleep? Funny how you dream of it for days afterward! I'm still dreaming about those two monster halibut that broke me off this year. Your weekend was better than mine. We got skunked. :blush:

10-21-2002, 09:01 PM

What it is all about Crabbait

k9jeff · 10-22-2002, 03:29 AM

Sounds like you had a ball! :grin:

Born to Fish · 10-22-2002, 03:39 AM

Great story and photos - thanks for sharing what appears to have been a very memorable weekend.

SteelieSteve · 10-22-2002, 05:44 AM

Looks like you had another great weekend(except for the keys).

to you birthday brother.

tag-a-long · 10-22-2002, 05:56 AM

:grin: That is what it is all about. Looks like a really successful weekend. Way to go, and Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

fishbait · 10-22-2002, 06:04 AM

Birthday Bobberfishing........... says it all

CATCH AND EAT · 10-22-2002, 06:47 AM

Crabbait, you'd da man!!!! nice job and thanks for the pictures. I noticed the nice looking young lady is holding the fish and not you. We appreciate that. It would have been just another story if you were holding the fish.

Paddlefish · 10-22-2002, 07:32 AM

Okay, that championship grin with a couple if salmon in hand is a no-brainer.

But that smile with backlash in hand is something special. Better hang onto that fishin' partner, Crabby!!

Interesting new security/key storage system too: simply leave the keys on the ground under wherever you'll need them. The bad guys will never think of looking there.

P.S. Happy birthday!!

[ 10-22-2002, 08:33 AM: Message edited by: Paddlefish ]

kampy · 10-24-2002, 08:16 AM

I just figured out what to get the guy who has everything.
A spare key. :smile:

Happy birthday you ole fart.

And thanks for Monday.
I think I'll start to call it a day of rest.

rmac57 · 10-24-2002, 10:53 AM

What a great story and pic's! Thanks for the post.

I got hooked on bobber fishing last year. Your story makes me itch all over. :grin: :grin: :grin:

onebuck · 10-24-2002, 03:40 PM

great story! Its stories like that that keep me from getting any sort of work done.

fishisabonus · 10-24-2002, 05:54 PM

I love it. The fish came "unbuttoned". I am going to remember that next time that happens to me.

Happy birthday.. looks like a great weekend!

crabbait · 10-24-2002, 06:09 PM

Thanks for all the well wishes ifishers. Ain't she cool? There is nothing as much fun as getting a new fisherperson into some fish.

She is currently out of town but I have a surprise for her when she gets back. Let's just say she won't be putting anymore backlashes in my reel!

I just noticed....this is my 1000th post. How the heck did that happen? I feel like I just got here! :shocked:

[ 10-24-2002, 07:10 PM: Message edited by: crabbait ]