On then Off Salmon on the Sac, or, I think we're gonna need a bigger net 12/29

Wildernesshunter, Tigerfish, my mother, and I drifted a short section of the Sacramento near Chico this afternoon.  Road 29 to the Ord access.  I am claiming first fish, and second too with a pair of tiny little salmonids.  I think they may be salmon plants, but not sure. I called them steelhead in earlier posts.  I think they are plants as their adipose fin is clipped. 

Next fish on was Wildernesshunter.  It was big.  Big.  Even from about 75 yards away I was able to spot the big silvery bodied flash above the water right next to his kayak.  I think he will post up later or maybe add here.  Then Wilderness hunter hooks up again, lands this one, takes a reported "photo" then releases before anyone else could observe.  So we will have to see what he posts. 

Action in my tandem was picking up again with another hook up of my own.  As I brought it near the surface the color went all bad, kind of an orange-yellow (fish #3 below).  Then moving on down stream to the next hole in about 6.5 feet of water my mom hooks up.  She was trolling the jig as we pedaled down stream.  I thought she was hung up.  She wasn't.  She had out about 25 to 30 feet of line back upstream from the kayak.  A short piece of line, shallow water, and a race horse tied to the end.  There just isn't much you can do in a kayak to help at this moment, from the back of the kayak.  It was her first time ever with the levelwind, jigging stick. and braided line.  She horsed it to the side of the kayak in just a couple of minutes.  It was big.  Big.  BIG.  Of I have never caught a salmon before.  I remember thinking there was no way we were going to get this fish in the kayak.  I DONT HAVE A NET!  I don't think I could have netted it even if I had one.  That fish was fast and did not like being next to the kayak.  With poor excited directions from me, she was unable to back off the drag, I was hoping to play the fish to exhaustion.  I think Tigerfish or Wildernesshunter were on the way.  But my mom and I managed to screw it up and the fish got off.  It was really exciting though.  I think that was my 10th time out and I am certain I a mad as a hatter now, because I am beginning to think I can catch one.  What if you were in a single kayak and hooked one?  We are going to need a bigger net.

Nice story elongatus. I have caught fish I could not have possibly boated on a float tube without a net before. What I did was I beached the float tube and fought it in from the bank. I have never carried a net with me anywhere.   

You'll get one sooner or later! 

I thought the phrase was (We are gonna need a bigger boat )Was a fun day otw again . Zero for me today . Maybe wed ? Kris that third fish is a sucker fish .Anyone else got any idea on the smaller ones ?David

#1 Rainbow
#2 Baby king?
#3 Commen name Squaw fish?

WTG!  I'd say Mom's good luck - you'd better keep bringing her!   

What if you were in a single kayak and hooked one?

Go shopping.  You are due for a BIG net for the big fish you are encountering.  It's not real easy to boat a big king without a big net.  Get the biggest one - you won't be sorry.

 

WTG Chris! Brian called and left a message about the day. Fantastic. I'll bet your Mom was pretty darn excited. Yes a net is what you need. You wont be able to do anything except lose a big salmon without one. I'm sure you know that by now, sorry. I wish I could get up there before its over but work is dear and money dearer.

2 chinook smolts and 1 squawfish 

Sounds like lots of exciting moments OTW!  Time to get a BIG net and going back there to catch "the one that got away"!  Thanks for the report and pictures Chris.

That was a nice salmon photo.  Good job.

Get a big net, there is nothing like landing a 40 plus pound fish by yourself in a kayak.

I love netting fish in a kayak just a few feet away from a $15,000 boat   /

#3 Commen name Squaw fish?

1 squawfish

Guess again  Lips are a dead give away

#3 Commen name Squaw fish?

1 squawfish

Guess again  Lips are a dead give away

Some kind of sucker...

 
Brian

#3 Commen name Squaw fish?

1 squawfish

Guess again  Lips are a dead give away

Some kind of sucker...

Andy1976 and I used to catch huge 8 lb squawfish in the Kern river near Bakersfield while smallmouth fishing.  We would  brag about these awesome fighters to people and they would blow us off because of this same common miss identification.

WOW! you guys have been hunting them hard....nice that your mom gets one and now has a good story to tell(just like this one!)
Thanks for the clicks and from the pattern i'm seeing, YOU'RE NEXT!

......squawfish DO fight good!  Good enough to piss you off when you get them to color! 

Sorry guys this old piece of crap comp. won't let down load pics. I have tried everything. Its 10yrs old and I only paid 300. for it . I had a great day wish I could have been there in time with the net . I really would have loved to have your mom go home with that fish .I guess I'll have to transfer onto a disk at a store to be able to share.