Friday Salmon Moss Landing (Non Yak)

It's been a while since I took a day off from work. Decided on Thursday enough is enough of the BS at work and request a day off for Friday. Got home Thursday and prep the whaler up for a solo trip. Check the weather and the monterey bouy Thursday night and it looks pretty good.  Woke up at 0300 and hooked the boat up and started the long trip. On the way down to Moss Landing, I was thinking about when was the last time I was fishing for salmon. I know we had a season last year but it was a bust and I did not even got out at all.

On the way down, I encountered rain and also hail in the San Jose area. I was thinking that this is a good sign.  Arrived at Moss Landing around 0600 and prep the boat up for launching.  I talked to some old salt down there and they were telling me that the bite is pretty scratchy and it suppose to be nasty out there. Well I told the old salt that I got my rain gear and if it's too nasty for my 17 Whaler, I can always turn around.

Fished with the fleet at Soquel Hole and boated 1 keeper.  I had about 6 hookup but they came unbuttoned. Pretty tough to fight the fish and try to net it at the same time.  Overall, great day to be on the water and definitely some needed and well deserved water therapy. When I got home, wife went straight to the cooler and checked, you should have seen the look on her face. Well the wife and the kids decided that the salmon must go in the smoker.  My mother inlaw came by and make some sinigang soup (Filipino style soup) the bomb. Here are some pictures.

IslandYak

ever notice really big boats have a whaler on deck so when their boat goes down, they still got a chance? 

beautiful fish, and your smoked salmon looks like da bomb

make some sinigang soup (Filipino style soup) the bomb.

mmmmmmh.... fish head soup (minus the fish head for me)!!

Nice job! Great Pics! Can't wait for them to move a little more north.....

WTG brotha.
I'm with ur in-law whenever I catch a salmon: fish soup(sinigang) a good portion of the head and tail, grill the salmon steaks and watch those fish oil ooze out (yummy) and then smoke the rest if there's more left.
Do you like your smoked salmon moist or dry?
Danny

Wow, way to get out there! That smoked salmon looks delicious!

Beautiful salmon!  WTG on your solo mission and success - love the story of the wife going right to the cooler.  They may complain about our obsessions and needs for going, but bringing home some precious meat can certainly make them come around (for a day or two, anyway...)   

Overall, great day to be on the water and definitely some needed and well deserved water therapy.

Like that - gotta get the therapy.   

Beautiful salmon!  WTG on your solo mission and success - love the story of the wife going right to the cooler.  They may complain about our obsessions and needs for going, but bringing home some precious meat can certainly make them come around (for a day or two, anyway...)   

Agree 100% with ya on that lol! I got a pass to go fishing yesterday because my gf demanded that I bring back some fish, but was surprised that I brought that cabezon home

Anyways, awesome job on the solo outing! That ain't easy to do at all, but your effort was well paid off The smoked salmon looks very delicious  And being that my gf's family is filipino, I gotta say that sinigang is yummy. But I also think that adobo is much better

Great Job!  Can't wait for them to come home and then the Golden Gate / Dux area becomes the hot spot.

Luis

Sweet!!

Nice fish! How far offshore is that? Kayak distance?
I'm looking forward to some red meat.

Nicely done!

krill in the belly or ?

I was about 8-9 miles north of the stack and I was fishing in 300' of h20 and 125' OTW.  The fish hit on a pink FBR with chovie trailing a flasher.   When I gutted him, there were chovies and squids inside the belly.  I finally replaced my downrigger using 175 lbs. Spectra 300'.  It's a big difference between Spectra and steel cable.  I was able to get way down with the spectra compared to steel cable.

IslandYak

Congrat on the fine catch.  Thanks for the report and delicious smoke Salmon pictures Fred.