Shelter Cove - OMG!

Definitely a fish of a lifetime!! Congrats!!! 

I know you were shaking and yelling! Nothing better, huh?
What your adventure teaches me again is that when you're wondering whether to go out or not... go out! So many times I've made the last minute decision to go out and have been rewarded.
Thanks for sharing your story.

smoking fish man!!!  Those are the types of days you will remember for ever, J

Great fish and story.  I hope that one day the salmon will return to our area so we call all share in the glory.

OMG is right that is a hell of fish.   

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beautiful fish, man . . holy cow. 

 

Wow !

Excellent fish. Way to keep it together!

Scott

Outstanding!  Like was said before, it gives hope for the rest of us!!!  Keep it up!
-Ben

Awesome fish to match an awesome story. Don't worry about the third pic. it is perfectly acceptable with a fish like that.
Bon appetit.
William 102......Aloha

Eric, great job man.  I'm completely jealous.

Dave

Outstanding fish...patience pays off!!!

Thanks, everyone for the good vibes!    

This evening I feel like I just slaughtered a pig or something!     I gilled and gutted last night and put her/him on ice - no sex showing in the gut!  This means this was NEXT year's spawner?  At 38# this year?!  Wow!  Anyway, fileted it out this evening - what a job.  I'll smell like salmon for a few days...  21# of vacuum-packed filets, mostly boneless, and fat-trimmed.  The tail was nearly 12" tip to tiip, the filets were almost 12" tall and 22" long.  My dad told me to cut the cheeks out - I'd only done that or even heard of that for a lingcod.  I did it and the meat is whitish - like a ling!  Haven't tried it yet...  I spent more time working on that carcass than I would for a limit of rockfish!  (haven't ever taken a limit of rockfish!   )

Here are some more pics of the fatty.

Great job, salmon taste better the bigger they get too!

Great story and even better pics. Thanks for sharing.
Makes me even more anxious for the salmon to come into the Sac and American rivers. Can't wait.

Awesome fish; I wish I were there!!