Shelter Cove - OMG!

Man that is a nice Brit king...Nothing better than a fresh salmon from the sea.....



Congratulation

Alex

Yes, I look like a freak in the 3rd pic, but that's how you get when you catch a fish like that!   

Actually it looks like that sucker's giving you a hernia!

Smokin!(literally and figuratively)

Abking what are the reports like up that way? I'm not even sure where that is Seems like the fish are coming through nice and fat

I'm about to put mine in the brine

Blue:  the season above Horse Mtn., which is a few miles north of Shelter Cove, which is at the southern end of the Humboldt Coast, directly west of Garberville/101, was shortened due to the hard-hit Klamath runs.  We had a 6-7 week early season May 15 to 4th of July, then the later season over Labor Day, Sept. 1-6.  The reports from Labor Day weekend for Eureka and out of Humboldt Bay were of lots of big fish, but plenty of people got skunked too.  I went out with my dad on Sat. the 2nd on his new Triumph 195 (nice boat!), and we got a 17 and a 10 - radio fish were big, but, again, plenty of skunks around.  Someone caught a 50#er and a few 40's were caught as well.  Trinidad, which is 20 miles north of Eureka/Humboldt Bay, saw nice fish caught as well with reports of 30#er's in 80' of water - I missed out on that one - kayak launch at Trinidad is very very easy, there are lots of rockfish opportunities, and 80' of water is easily reached.  My dad and I went out again Monday the 4th - we launched late at 8ISH and our buddy, Brother Bill, was just coming in with 4 nice ones, so we thought it would be good.  We got skunked...  Shelter Cove's season is much longer - February through November with few breaks.  It is a very tough place to get a report on - When the bite is hot there it may be gone the next day, and the locals tend to be very tight-lipped...  Also, several weeks ago when I went down to the Cove there were great fish being caught, but it was 5 miles south and I wasn't in to paddling all that way with a 15-20 knot north wind call on the radio.  When I fished this past Monday there were 3 PB's out further than me and I didn't see any nets in the air.  So the reports vary a lot, as do the ocean conditions.  Long story short, your hunting grounds sound comparable to how it's been up here.  If you're ever in to coming up I'd love to show you around - if I could keep up!   

BTW, you were right about the hernia-expression on my face!  It was hard holding that bag of meat by the fingers - I'm only 6', 205#!!  I like how it made me look skinny!   

Nice report and great pics abking! thanks!

Great fish, I was going to give up the salmon hunt but...

Great report & congrats on the nice fish!