Quad took me out in his boat to chase cutts off of SE Mercer Is.. Got started when it was just getting light out. Trolled little mini hoochies behind little flashers on downriggers. After a couple hours my pole comes unclipped then goes still. I am figuring it came off because he had just spee the boat up. Bur Quad states calmly that he thinks it's a fish on. So I pick up the pole, start cranking the reel, feel a little shake, but not much. I am thinking, maybe it's a fish. Then the fish jumps way back behind the boat, I see it is good sized, and in an instant I am scared that I might have just lost the fish on the jump. But I keep reeling and still feel pull, but not a lot. I keep reeling, arm getting tired. Quad is waiting with the net. Then I realize the drag is too light and I am making no progress reeling in. Probably the only thing that kept the fish on was the boat still motoring forward! So I finally tighten the drag, and feel the full effect, feeling real good right away. I get the fish to the boat, Quad deftly nets it, woohoo, my second ever Lake WA cutthroat. Eighteen inches, 2.7 pounds, nice fish. But that was the only strike of the day. Eventually it starts to rain steady, and we get cold-soaked to the bone, and call it a day. Thank you for the adventure and fish, Quad!

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