NCKA @ ARW 090608

Tested out M'ladys bad back at the ARW today. Launched at ~8 into the best conditions I've ever seen. Water was flatter than a lake, clear blue sky.



Bait was popping everywhere. Tho' we didn't need any thanks to Sharky and Fishin-Jay  . There was a n armada of yaks out there today. I'll let the others tell their stories. Fishing was slow on the slack tide. In fact the conditions were so calm that even drifting was hard.  I was starting to get restless when my chovie finally gets a good hit! I felt the headshakes and grabbed the net.



It was a batray.

Around 11 M'lady's back finally gives in and it's time to head for the launch. M'lady starts trolling, she's in pain and wants to get in. I'm right behind......but drifting (the tide has finally turned). Within 10 minutes she is becoming an orange dot on the horizon......... when she radios fish on!. Uhoh. I have the net. And the gaff. I reel in my rig and get going.

The beast tows her around for a while and then just sits on the bottom. Batray for sure. The two of them wait for me to finally arrive, breathless but with net in hand, just in case. Once I'm in position she persuades it off the bottom and it comes up nice and easy...........Bingo! Suddenly her back doesn't hurt so bad.



(Shifty1 took some photos of us with the fish at the launch, but they weren't on the cameras memory card.......?).

Thanks again to Jay and Sharky for the live bait. It was also good to meet so many new (to me) NCKA'ers.

well done on your outing.  Nice

Yeah, M'lady!  WTG!  Great report, Northern Boy.   

Nice catch NB. Nice fish too! 

Yes, it was FAC at the rock wall today, and a great time!

I started the day at the Berkeley bait receiver at about 0530 where there was a line of fishermen and boats waiting to get bait. This put me a bit behind schedule so I didn't make it to the ARW launch until 0615. I met Dave, Sharky, and Jedmo there and we all launched at about 0700.

Like NB's post noted, it was gorgeous. I followed Dave out to the far red channel marker where we drifted for a while with no action. The slack tide was slow with very little action for anyone out there. But, around 1100 the current picked up and then things started to get exciting. I'll let Jed tell his story of the whale that towed him around for a bit.

Action for me started around 1115 when I caught my first shaker. Just a wee little butt around 22", but I didn't feel like keeping such a marginal fish. By 1130 several of us had caught shakers and one keeper had been landed by Jed.

I was thinking of making it a short day and considered paddling in around noon, but there was one other area near the end of the rockwall I wanted to try before going in. I paddled out to the edge of the channel, drop my bait, and within a couple minutes, FISH ON! but, It was another shaker  So I reset my drift, but in a couple minutes, FISH ON! Again, a shaker, and this guy actually jumped out of the water and into my lap as I tried to net him!  I'm thinking that this must be where the fish are, so I reset the drift again, and again after a minute or two FISH ON! This time it was a keeper! Three drifts and I caught three fish and by now Dave paddles over to get in on it. We go into the fourth drift together, and once again I'm FISH ON! Up comes my second keeper 

Dave and I continued this same drift a couple more times, but now the fish were done playing. I finished out my day by 2:00 with a 24" and a 26" 

Good day on the water with some good folks. Thanks to Sharky and Dave for the smelt.  They are what my keepers finally came on!

Pictures are in the camera, which is still in the truck ready for tomorrows trip out to HMB with NB, so I'll post those later.

 :smt006WTG guys and gal.  I'm there tomorrow for shizzle

Hope I see you all out there

InSeine

What a great day!   way to go!
Great pics too!

:smt006WTG guys and gal.  I'm there tomorrow for shizzle

Hope I see you all out there

InSeine

Awesome guys!
we'll be there tomorrow. hopefully the bite will stay on...

Sweet... all the way around fellas..

I think the total for the day was 4 fish for 9 yaks. It was great to watch the teamwork of the deadly duo, Northern Boy & M'lady. they suck to within 15 yards of each other all day except for that once at the end of the day when M' lady had drifted about a quarter mile from NB. That when we heard the call on the VHF come from M'Lady..."Fish on, Can I get some assistance". I have never seen a yak move as fast as NB's . I coulda sworn he was planing the whole quarter mile. You know the rest of the story. Congats to Jed on his first yakbutt.
BTW sturgeon were jumping in the area.

Nice meeting you Northern Boy and congrats to M'Lady for the nice hali.

Jed

For shizzle I wont be there for the next one that's why I'm really jealous of you guys.
Work, Work and no play time with the fish slayers.  Save some for us later please.