Shelter Cove - 9/16/16

What a day!

330AM - I am awake. I try my best to sleep a bit more before the alarm at 430, but we know how that goes.

430 - I'm assembling gear and readying to hit the road.

5AM - David arrives right on schedule, we load his gear in my truck, and we're on the road by 505.

630 - We drive on to the ramp at Shelter Cove to join Domenic - the only one there.

8AM - We've barely started fishing. David is just getting accustomed to the X-Factor, as I've taken him off of his Hobie for this trip! The breeze and the current are working against us, and I'm thinking it may have been a mistake to make Dave paddle vs pedal, and just as I'm considering all of this, David's like "I think I hit a rock."

So I ask, "How many pulls are you?"

"11" he reports.

"It's 30 feet deep" I respond, "It couldn't have been a rock."

Then it happened. David had a fish on. As he fought it I saw his rod bounce, considered where we were and thought it was likely a lingcod. It wasn't very long at all and he had it up by his yak on the far side from me, and I asked what it was - "it IS a salmon!" he announces, and I'm scanning hard at that point, of course. I see a flash under his bow and think, "smaller fish".

Then Dave, who's obviously got a much better view than me, announces, "it's Huge!!", and that's right as I get another glimpse, and it's true! This fish had come to the surface for him and sat there by his yak, and now it was alive and ready to run. David worked it expertly as it did about 4 soundings - granted it was only about 33 feet of water, but this fish wasn't coming easily.

I got positioned with my net, but the fish was pulling him and his yak away from me. I had a couple stabs at it where it evaded the net and sounded, but soon we got the opportunity we were waiting for - Dave lifted the fish, and I thrust the net to the extent of my reach and got the big king in there! What a rush it was as I pulled it in to my body and enclosed the net in my arms and fingers to guarantee that the catch would not escape.

We celebrated, but I was nervous about losing this fish! I headed back to the ramp with the fish still in the net and in my lap to finish bleeding, gilling and gutting it and get it in the cooler on ice. I weighed it at this point too - I'd estimated it at 24 pounds in my lap, but my guestimation skills aren't that sharp right now! 30 pounds on the nose!!!!

It was also notable that this 30 pound fish had NO sex organs. No sperm sacks, no eggs - nothing! Next year's 50 pounder that had already determined that it wasn't spawning this year... Incredible species.

We went on to spend the rest of the day towing herring and chovies around from the Bell to out front and then back in by the moorings. Caught plenty of lings - kept a few along with a few blacks. Domenic caught and shook two short California halibut, and Dave and I enjoyed getting baits stripped and teased by lings all afternoon.

When you start out the day with a 30 pound salmon on a slow salmon bite you really can't go wrong, but follow it up with an 8+ hour session with lots of bites, nice water and weather...  The Cove treated us very well today.

All PORN from here on out! 

The real deal right here.

What an awesome fish!!!!!

Congrats on the nice King Dave    Thanks for the report from The Cove and fish porns Eric.

Bad to tha bone!!!

Hell Yeah.Beautiful fish.Congrats.

Great fish - WTG guys! 

Nothing but wow...............

Got sum nice shoulders for sure!

Way to go Eric. Life is good at the Cove.

Wow!

I think I hit a rock

How many times has your heart raced, thinking a snag WAS a big one, only to be let down when the truth be known? 

This must'a been a thrill to know it wasn't a snag, but a fish large enough to feel so.

Great Team Work Fellas. Nice Score on a fish that will bring many memories to come.

Beautiful fish, well told story, thanks for sharing!

Dom's net looks like it could fit around his boat.