Shelter Cove - 7/11/18

Frequent Flyer Fishermen Find Fresh Fatties From Floating Funboards!!

David Bradfield is one of my long time repeat clients and a great friend - we met through NCKA!  David and I have done trips to the Klamath, the Eel, the Cape, the Lost Coast, Trinidad, Humboldt Bay and multiple trips to the Cove.  Recently David brought his mom to Nor Cal from her home state of Texas for a visit, and she let him know that she would love to eat some fresh salmon while she's here.  David knows how to catch a salmon (30 pounder with me in 2016), but it's no easy task even for the well-tooled who are in the know about the bite and how to maximize the odds of success.  I was honored to get the call from my friend asking for a trip date, and yesterday was our day.

The bite has been unique lately at my favorite fishing port - the usual swarms of rockfish and lingcod right out front of Point Delgada have been largely absent, and it appears to be because of the big kings prowling the bottom nearshore.  Not having as many fish biting is a great problem to have when it becomes apparent that most of the biters you do encounter are large Chinook!

David and I both started our days before 4AM, and we charged hard all day to score a fish apiece with some missed bites and one hot one lost at the boat early on.  This fishery is so special, and salmon are amazingly powerful and elusive.  The joy of getting an adult chromer in the net is something that's hard to explain to those who've never pursued these fish.  We were very fortunate indeed to have an outstanding angling experience, and the entire session from the drive to sharing breakfast at the ramp to tangling with squirly seas and losing the early hot fish to the pleasure of slicing and dicing our catch over cold brews at the table - all of it was amplified by the camaraderie and enthusiasm of our partnership. 

I guide because I love the sport, the animals, the landscape, the ocean and the challenges, but none of it means anything without the people.  Sharing another epic adventure with David - and also sharing it here with you - is really what it's all about.  Thank you for coming along - I appreciate the support, and I cherish the opportunities to share and celebrate the trips and the relationships too.

Let's Go On Your Adventure!   

Cove. 

Strong results as always 

Thx for sharing..

Dang, impressive catch there.  I am envious.

Awesome, awesome , awesome!