Eel River Action - 11/15 -11/16

Wednesday evening I learned the river had opened to fishing, so I hurried down under Fernbridge after work for some casts as it got dark.  As I was fishing and seeing no sign of fish a guy pulled up on the far bank in a 4 wheel drive and said the fish were stacked up in the hole just above there.  It was too dark to check it out that night.  The next morning I drove to the hole above there and found the riverbar access to be alot better than what I'd imagined.  I have a 4x4, but I don't like taking my chances with getting stuck. It turned out this spot is really easy - right up to the water's edge.  I pulled up yesterday morning around 7:30 and got on the water quick.  5 minutes on the water - with fish jumping everywhere! - and my trusty Walmart spinning outfit breaks down on me!     I banked my yak, jammed home for another rod, and was back on the water in less than 15 minutes.  I got out there with an aluminum boat with 3 guys trolling, and 3 bankers on the far side.  The fish were everywhere.  Wakes, jumpers, splashers, rollers...  The "hole" is really just several acres of flat water that's only 4-8' deeep and mostly 4-5' or less.  I drifted - love the stealth of the yaks! - right into a bunch of fish and had two great strikes, another one on long enough to jump right in front of the yak twice before coming unbuttoned, then a bonafide fish on for what I was thinking was 3 minutes, but could've been 45 seconds!  It went 15-20 pounds and popped off within feet of me - I was about to reach for the camera.  Fishing a lightweight spinning outfit with 10# mono and a Little Cleo in gold.  I had to go to work, and it was a hard decision to leave!  I got back out there by around 3:15 with my 4 year old boy, Collin.  I set him up with the ultra-light and a Cleo.  He did great and was best at flicking his rod tip to get rid of the moss!     He didn't quite get down casting, but he can retrieve, and he got to pull in a little smolt I hooked on a small lure when there was a huge school of them around us.  We had the big guys still jumping all around, but no hookups.  I went back this morning briefly and then this evening.  It was raining tonight and everyone bailed but me.  Once I had the hole to myself I got a strke then a few minutes later a fish on.  This thing went ballistic - jumped 3 times in 2 seconds and was gone.  It was bright, white-bellied, and probably went 6-8 pounds.  Steelie or Coho...  I saw some guys catch a 25 pound rosy looking king on a Cleo pitched from shore as I got there.  I also saw a group of 3 otters cruising through but couldn't get the camera out due to the rain.  Last, I drifted over a carcass in 4-5' of water so I dropped my lure on it and snagged it with my barbless hook.  Brought it up and examined and photoed it.  10# king or so - victim of being played out on hook and line?

The river is apparently open for the weekend - forks down to the mouth (check 442-4502), and there are several holes with dark salmon and a mix of jacks, steelies, half pounders...  milling around.  It's hard to get a bite, but fun when you do.   

That is fishing @ it's Best!!!,

 Got your boy right in view smiling Big ,

 Sounds like some of the best action of the year,

 Is it just getting getting started?

and my trusty Walmart spinning outfit breaks down on me!   

NO WAY!!!!!!!

Great report. You are lucky to live so close to the action.

I am 31 years old and I can remember like it was yesterday fishing with my dad at around your son's age.  His smile says it all.  I don't remember how big my first fish was, but I remember how happy I was fishing with my dad.  Keep taking him fishing, he won't forget it.  Awesome pictures.

Nothing better than watching kids catch fish, especially on that really cool red rod and reel outfit. Funny thing is that before you know it they are outfishing you regularly.

scott

okay. what's a jack? give me the glossary here for all the salmon forms pretty please!

that looks like a trusty black shimano on that huge spinning rod? that thing failed? An AF-400 or something?
I have had one forever, caught a fish in the salt on surfboard with it, still works, sort of,  .

Abking;

Your post makes me want to have sons.  Enough said.

Jim

That is fishing @ it's Best!!!,

 Got your boy right in view smiling Big ,

 Sounds like some of the best action of the year,

 Is it just getting started?

Don - I can't wait for my kids to get big enough to go more often and be able to experience it - I know you have fun with your boys.  The Eel action should be good on and off through the next several weeks/few months higher up river after more rain, but this lower river action (within about 7 miles of the mouth) is mostly an early season opportunity only.  When the river is flowing more the fish don't have much reason to hold down this low.

Nothing better than watching kids catch fish, especially on that really cool red rod and reel outfit. Funny thing is that before you know it they are outfishing you regularly.

scott

I can't wait til my kids outfish me, Scott.  That fancy rod and reel outfit is all Shakespeare and cost $11!

okay. what's a jack? give me the glossary here for all the salmon forms pretty please!
that looks like a trusty black shimano on that huge spinning rod? that thing failed? An AF-400 or something?
I have had one forever, caught a fish in the salt on surfboard with it, still works, sort of,  .

Jack:  juvenile salmon (male) that comes into the river with the adults - might get to spawn, might just be a pain in the ass to the adult males...  I wish it was a Shimano, John!  It was all Shakespeare - rod, reel, and line from Kmart for $30-40.  It was the rod that failed - broke!

Jim:  Procreate, Dude!   

you sure are puttin in the hunt for them....and soon will be rewarded BIG!  your getting them CLOSER AND CLOSER to the yak in each post....what's left but to footwell one!  way to stay on the "attack" AK!
that river looks like a lake!   give your boy a few more trips and HE WILL SOON be WAKING you up to GO FISH!!
...mission complete!

A jack is a male salmon usually a Chinook/king or a coho/silver that return to the river a year early at 2 years of age.  Chinook jacks are usually found up to 3 pounds and silver a little less than that.  They are fully mature as in being able to effectively fertilize a female's eggs, but they are almost never the primary male that fertilizes a female's eggs.  They will usually hang downstream of a redd with a male/female already on it and when those two start spawning the jack sneaks up and releases its milt with the eggs as well (another term is sneaker male) (insert funny joke here).  Jacks resemble mini versions of their kind.  There are also, somewhat rarer, jills or grilse, which are females that return early to spawn at two years of age instead of three.
Why?
If you realize that most kings return at three years of age and almost all coho return at three years of age you can start to see that added genetic diversity being added (by the jack/jill) to that specific year class.  There are almost certainly more reasons or explanations for that evolutionary strategy.

Great info, Joe.