Gator Mania Aboard the USS HogHunter

Kentucky Hog Hunter · 01-18-2004, 05:33 PM

Well,

What a day to be on the Big C & Big Willy...

I said before I went that I would not tag any fish but today I couldn't help myself...after several keepers and the way the fish were looking we decided to say what the heck...so we kept a 45, 47, 48 & a 51 incher... These fish were incredible the way they were pounding down our baits today...I have never experienced biters like this, this time of year...I thought for a time I was estuary fishing...

All in all we landed arouind 30 fish today...threw 3 keeper size fish back and caught several other shakers in the 35 - 40" range...

It was a wonderful day spent with friends & family...My buddy Shawn & his brother Norm from Salem along with my son & myself made for a very memorable day...

I would be remiss if I did not mention the brilliant advice TackleBuster posted on this website yesterday...If you don't listen or pay attention to what this guy is posting then you are only cheating yourself out of a potential good time...His advice concerning checking new places, cold water tactics and leaving the broom handles at home is a recipe for success...

All our fish today were taken in 47 degree water in depths of 45 - 55 feet of water... Only 4 ounces of lead was needed to get the job done and catching these thing on salmon gear is awesome...

TackleBuster (Chris) ...you have corrupted me forever in regards to being a "Light Tackle Assault Specialists"...kudos to you my friend...

Look out next Saturday because "Team Hog Hunter" & "Team Get Bent" will surely be representing...

Limits of quality Keepers

Junior Hog Hunter & proud papa Hog Hunter

Shawn & Brother Norm with the catch of the day...

5-Cents · 01-18-2004, 05:42 PM

Nice Terry

glowball · 01-18-2004, 05:51 PM

Thats awesome!!!

blacktail519 · 01-18-2004, 05:56 PM

Nice, Great job Guys [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

jet · 01-18-2004, 05:57 PM

The Fishery was cold/Rainy/Windy, Columbia temp 36.2 and full of Sea Lions feeding on small Sturgeon. Not many fish, we should have listened to Tacklebuster. I was thinking with the lack of tide the Willie would have been a tough day.

Great looking Diamond Sides

Jet~~~

TheRogue · 01-18-2004, 06:51 PM

Sweet, we'll be out there tomorrow!!

TR

Kentucky Hog Hunter · 01-18-2004, 06:59 PM

Jet...

The conditions in the Willie were awesome today...NO WIND...

Anchoring was sweet and the outgoing produced most of the fish but I will say we caught several late in the day when the tide was incoming so don't dismiss that on days like today...

I am taking many notes as I am keeping a very comprehensive log this year that highlights everything regarding tides, water temp and depth and other specific tidbits concerning my trips...

Good Luck to you & tight lines...

[ 01-18-2004, 07:59 PM: Message edited by: Kentucky Hog Hunter ]

TonTo · 01-18-2004, 07:02 PM

Nice mess of fish n chips ya got there [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]
Put my old leaky tub in the water today for the first time this year,after putting a new set of points in her.Hit the water about noon,willow grove,all I managed to hook was the bottom with the anchor ,had a heck of a time bustin it loose,my 12yr old baby bro managed one shaker,37",but it worked him out pretty good.Got a few more scout trips planned for the next week,I'll keep looking and ya never know ,I might actually find a few.But hey the boat ran great,never did get rained on and made it back right at dark...almost a perfect day.

jr sherwood · 01-18-2004, 07:12 PM

KHH, I'm happy for ya. We put in at Chinook today & had to work hard to just get a shake. The rain was sideways, the wind was cold and the heater in the boat was working, what a GREAT day!!jr

SPAZZ · 01-18-2004, 07:20 PM

NICE FISH GUYS!

jokester · 01-18-2004, 07:24 PM

Nice gators Terry!!

I'm gonna have to get in on some of this action one of these days! Still in search of that first keeper! Let me know when you have an open seat! You da man!!

-jokester

Fast Water · 01-18-2004, 07:32 PM

Way to go guy!

Nice looking Duck as well.

Hanapa'a Time · 01-18-2004, 07:41 PM

KHH,

Nice lookin' sturgies

Might have seen you guys this afternoon. We were closest boat to the railroad bridge on the North side of the river. You guys anchored above us, then moved up above the bridge. Did any of your keepers come from that area??
We stayed in the same spot all day landed 25 shakers and 3 keepers(43,45,48), all on salmon gear :grin:

Thanks again to Tacklebuster for the report and tips, most of our fish took smelt, but herring started the day strong

Kurt

Streetwalker · 01-18-2004, 07:43 PM

Nice hual [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

Boedy · 01-18-2004, 07:56 PM

Nice looking fish KHH sounds like you found a good spot.

h20dog · 01-18-2004, 08:03 PM

Hey Terry, today WAS awesome

Scott and I boated at least 2 dozen fish, released one that was in the 44 inch range but looked kinda sickly and kept one 46 incher that was really fat and sharp. We were in the St. Johns bridge area using smelt and squid. Put the new vhf radio to the test on channel 68 and had the pleasure of talking to 4reel for a bit (thanks for the comeback 4reel) :grin: . But the one thing that really stands out about today is Tacklebuster [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] He is what Ifish is all aboutwe should all thank him for his reports and tips (not to mention that my hands smell like vanilla instead of smelt) :grin:

Kentucky Hog Hunter · 01-18-2004, 08:13 PM

KGS,

Maybe did see us...

We moved around today and got all fish in 3 different spots...2 spots on the west side and 1 below you guys on the east side...By time we got above you it was getting late when we fished just above & below the bridge and caught a couple more that were close but very slow at that point because of the tide I think...

If you would have looked across to the west side before we came up above you, you would have seen a guide over there as well...

I think they had 2 keepers as well...

Hey Roger...Congrats man

...Tell Scott I said hey... And amen to your comments about TackleBuster...

[ 01-18-2004, 09:58 PM: Message edited by: Kentucky Hog Hunter ]

FROGGY · 01-18-2004, 08:20 PM

Thanks for the report, nice fish.
By the way, thanks for all the reports you gave several weeks ago. I read them all but did not reply.

skrimmy · 01-18-2004, 08:23 PM

Nice fish Terry!! (check your email!)

Kruechief · 01-18-2004, 08:35 PM

KHH,

Way to drop the hammer

Krue

Kentucky Hog Hunter · 01-18-2004, 08:43 PM

Hey Krue...

Go out and put the hammer down this week if you go...

Man TB has helped out so many of us on this board...

Just to have my son tell me today that he had an awesome time and tell me to hurry to get the pictures out of the camera to show his mom & sister made me so happy...

You can't put those feeling into words when I saw the excitement when he was boasting about that 51" gator to his mom & sister...man if I don't ever catch another fish, that excitment he displayed will be all I need...

Tacklebuster · 01-18-2004, 11:21 PM

:blush: Glad I could be of service.

I put my vanilla against any other scent on the market any day. Nothing like vanilla and a little anise to get those fish into gear.

Terry,
I thought you would like that spot by the rock cropping. If I had a nickle for every hog I pulled out of that area I could just about pay off my boat. Keep some slots left open on that tag bro, I got some spots in the estuary that will blow your mind

. Which area did you like most today 1,2, or 3? Send me an e-mail for Saturday. We will get both boats anchored in the general area. I got another killer spot just up from number 2 that I think you will like.

Jet,
The Willy is awesome when the tide is coming in. You just have to fish it a little different is all

Kentucky Hog Hunter · 01-19-2004, 06:27 AM

Chris,

Spot 1 was so crowded we didn't fish it till late in the day...

Spot 3 was killer out of the gate...I left you a message on the cell about the time we were all saying how awesome it was to be fishing slow moving water with Salmon Rods...

Spot 2 on the West Side was also a major producer...Don't know if we hit that one on the head like spot 3 but it was indeed killer as well...

There were people on that West Side yesterday banging fish...

I'll 2nd Roger & the Vanilla thing...We mixed it up a bit with the many sturgeon scents (Sturgeon Feast & FrenzY)

Chris...I want to thank you so much...I will call regarding Friday...

[ 01-19-2004, 07:28 AM: Message edited by: Kentucky Hog Hunter ]

greenbuttskunk · 01-19-2004, 06:41 AM

Awesome day on the water. nice looking fish. Now just leave some for me, geeze! :grin:

Kentucky Hog Hunter · 01-19-2004, 03:07 PM

GBS...

I think there were allot of fish taken down there yesterday...It was a fun day on the water as usual and I can't express how much fun this stuff is on light Tackle...

It is killer to see those rods being put to the test...

I have a Kenai King & a Berkley 8.5 2 Piece Heavy & a Keini Killer and all these were put to the test...

What a hoot...

CATCH AND EAT · 01-19-2004, 04:24 PM

Terry good job on those Arkansas steelhead. [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img] :grin: