It's been a long time since I've smelled this good... Smell-O-Vision on Page 3

I had a job to look at it in Crescent City today, so I asked Domenic to join me and we planned to hit the lower Klamath for a few hours.  We geared up with Kastmasters, Little Cleos, some chovies and ample beer and snacks.  High tide was a little after 4PM and the newspaper said two hours before and an hour after the tide are when to go.  So we got my business done up north, hit up Walmart for some more, cheaper tackle (we'd stopped at Bucksport in Eureka earlier   ), got some beer and got to Requa near the mouth of the Klamath a little later than planned - 2:30 or so.  We paid $5 - it was $10 to launch, so that was cool to get a discount.  We were on the water in no time, anxious to check out this area with our depth finders and see what the scene was all about.  We cruised the slot along the north bank (15-30 FOW) up to around a quarter mile above Requa.  I was marking quite a few fish, but that fishery is alot of waiting before you get lucky and get it right in the face of your target...  We saw several fish roll and jump and some seals were hanging around.  We decided to cruise down to the mouth itself and check it out.  It was shallow - less than 10' - on the way down to the mouth, so I pulled my line and sprinted down there.  I fired up my video and was capturing cool shots of the mouth and surrounding area and boats fishing in there and I saw a capsized boat.  It was a short pram upside down and right near where the breakers of the ocean meet the mouth of the river.  I was basically coasting right up into that vicinity in what was now 24' of water when I realized I had a fish tugging hard on my line.  I picked up my and rod and reached for my camera simultaneously.  Somehow I thought I'd slightly adjusted my camera toward the rod in my hands, but I'd actually turned off the video!  Oh well, I didn't capture any footage of landing my fish, but I'll get over it!    I was actually wanting the entire time to reach up and properly adjust the camera to show my face or the fish next to me, but I was bent on landing this thing, and the entire time I was drifting right into the river mouth!  I finally got the fish in the net after some great runs and I was on the bad side of that capsized boat.  I put the netted king between my legs and was suddenly right next to the upside down pram.  I reached out and tried to lift the edge of it as if to turn it back over upright.  There was no way of course that I could budge it, and it was an ominous feeling to touch it.  I saw that it was held there by an anchor line that stretched upstream.  I then noticed that there was a gas tank, an oar and some other flotsam about.  Who knows when that boat capsized and where the people were...  So I gathered myself up and paddled to safety away from the mouth.  I then realized my camera was having some kind of malfunction and wouldn't turn on - was it the whack it got from the net as I threw the fish between my legs?!  I got next to Domenic and worked on getting my drybag out, wiping my fingers, taking apart my camera battery compartment, wiping the battery and card, and putting it back together so I could start getting footage again!  What a relief!    We got some photos and set out to see if we could hook another one.  It really hit home that there is a huge luck factor in this river salmon fishing.  I'm pleased to be the recipient of that fish-luck today.  

12 pounds 15 ounces, 31 inches.  BBQ tomorrow.  

Nice...its just about time!

Congrat on the nice King Abking!  Or should I say Abking's King  Thanks for the report and pictures.

You guys rock,

hitting it hard on the Klamath and snatching a dandy king right from the jaws. Thanks for the ripping report Eric.

SRJ

you smarmy bastard!

you smarmy bastard!

Oh, yeah, all smarmed out here!   

I'm done with a long hot tub sesh and I STILL reek like salmon filets.  Love it.   

Dat's one dem-fine fishy... Congrats 

DaMMmmmMmmmm SwEeeeeEEeeeTtttTtt 

Nice. What's a  s a l m o n???

oh YUM....i can still barely remember what those taste like

WOW!!!!!

What beautiful fish....

Way to GOOOO!!!!!!

Sincerely,

Jim

Thanks Eric, I can feel the fever starting to rise. That beautiful bright king is enough to make any fisherperson just drop whatever they are doing and haul ass to Requa. Which lure enticed the beauty to strike? Congrats and well done. You are having quite the week there my freind. Craig

The memories...I love hauling a salmon into my lap on the kayak and getting coated in scales and that delicious salmon smell. Nice fish!

Right on Abking!  Beautiful salmon.  That'll get us all fired-up. 

Abking congrats on you Salmon I bet you enjoyed that dinner, keep them coming

Pat R