moss 4/23

Short story is I farmed a nice one, 9:20 a.m., 4 miles on 210 degree heading from the harbour,
190 feet of water, 120 feet of 20lb spectra, 1.5lb ball with double hook FBR herring, 5 foot
yozuri hybrid 25lb leader. ball bearing snap swivel.

came to color twice, two powerful runs after coming to the surface right next to my boat
without much struggle, then I pulled the hook loose when it was deep after the second run.
 

After that, my newbness kicked up with the wind and I tangled some rigs, got blown halfway
back home and pretty much gave up. I did get one mangled bait, no release.
back at the launch @ 1.

longer story is that I met Randy and Pat at the launch and saw Jim and Ed's boats but not them.
I paddled out first, and darned if I never saw anybody again! Bermuda moss.

My fish came when I saw a massive bird tornado, and headed that way along with 2 little power boats,
2 lines of cormarants and one flock of gulls. I got there just as all the birds left and I asked
a power boat guy how deep it was and where I was, so that's the 190 and 4 miles, since I
still don't have GPS or sonar. I commented that it seemed I was in the right place.
The fish hit right as he started to answer, and I was not watching
my rod, so he actually told me I had a fish on.  How embarrassing! He hooked up a minute or two
later mooching, at 65 feet, but I think he lost his too.

The 210 heading is what I ried to paddle coming out of the jaws.

When the fish came to color, I was stunned because it was a nice big fast fish. I know they are big
but I guess I wasn't expecting it.

The 1.5lb ball worked pretty well. I tried a 2lber and it felt like 20lbs. I tried a 1lber and it didn't
really keep the bait down very well.

The wind came up pretty good right as I hooked up, but the time I found a weight and
got it on the release, conditions had worsened.

I don't know if Pat, Randy, Jiim and Ed got out there before the wind kicked up,
hopefullly they found some fish.

and don't worry, when I eventually catch one or two, my reports will be shorter,  .

Best,

J

Congrats John!!!!  You at least saw your fish......I merely fed mine........

We turned tail on the wind apparently a couple of hours before you did.  At least this time it took us in without Herculean paddling.

Glad to read that you made it in okay.  Our only fish was from Phil's.......

good report john, yeah those salmon come unhooked alot [damn barbless hooks].  only thing to do is go hook some more!

Pat, did you guys mark fish on the way out at all? I went by one big group of sitting birds and
circled it a few times for nothing.

I am happy that my efforts seem to be slowly converging. It was so great to have something
pull out drag, but those paddles in, even with the wind, and no fish are painful.  those stacks
get bigger sooooooo slooooowwwwwly, 

I did manage to eat some food and generally at least delay the tortured feeling this time around.
I don't know how the savage and blue stay out there so long.

Any news of Ed and Jim?

chris, thanks, I was not really ready to re-rig, that killed me this time, if I had been on it I would have
dropped another bait pronto, instead it took a good long time and I lost position too. 

Yeah.  Our "plan" was in tatters very quickly because we had bait early, so that we ended up getting pushed north early in our morning.  It took real focus to put ourselves back into good alignment for the drift on the white caps home.  Then it was easy.  A minor bit of misfortune was that we came back through the jaws probably at the major shift in the tide and had a bit more wave action to address than we would have liked.......but we did okay.

Jim and I planned on getting out to about 4 miles, but started following bait balls about 2 miles out.  We did not get any bites and the west wind started blowing at nine so we just held between two and three miles out and drifted over bait on the north side of the canyon.    Based on your description, that sounds like about where tom hooked up the other day.  We should have continued out and mooched out there.  Overall based on radio chatter it seemed like it was a much slower day than Thursday.  I am not quiting, but I am a little more bitter.
Ed

   Last time out, I realized there are flocks of joker sea gulls out there.  They kept leading me left of where I intended to go, and there was never any bait beneath them.  A version of "eat where the truckers stop" myth.
   John, I think you're due to boat one.

You have a point, Blue.  Leave a ferry vessel at Moss and make a day of it.......wow.

90% there John, congratulations.  I'm sure the next thread will be titled "jmairey scores!!!!!"
 

 120 feet of 20lb spectra,

then I pulled the hook loose when it was deep after the second run.
 

Not to turn this into a debate on spectra but this was the first connection I made.  No stretch isn't always your friend, especially when fish are taking multiple hard turns and running.  

Hey John hang in there buddy, many an angler has had there first salmon come unbuttoned, not me of course  Seriously my dad and I farmed 4 the day we limited, it just all worked out so those missed ones are easy to forget. You got something to bite your line man, that is a good sign that you are doing things right. Keep your chin up, that first kayak salmon is gonna taste extra good.

Thanks for the detailed report, you are SO close brother!

John, Your persistence is nearly paid off. Good report and good work!

John,
I knew you'd hook up soon.  Sorry to hear it was soo close.  You'll get em next time.  Till then, it will replay in your head over and over.  That's a sign that you've been bitten.


Stuart

thanks blue and stu, I think that was my 4th trip targetting salmon in my entire life,
so I'm okay with the results so far.  The fish actually was in net reach twice but it
was so hot I didn't even try to net it. But now I'm thinking I will try to net whether
the fish is hot or not. That was probably a tactical error. I might have got that
fish in the net before it figured out it was in trouble.

anyways I could not have gone from being relatively fishing-ignorant to having
a real fish on the line without NCKA and you guys, so thanks!

I feel your pain John - my first few trips for salmon resulted with my line being snapped....I must have lossed 3 - 4 salmon before I finally landed my first one - with the help of the "Savage". I was using 12# line and my rod was rated for heavier line  Newbie mistake 

You'll get yours soon enough