Took my girlfriend salmon fishing for her first time. She had never caught a fish in her life. We woke up at 4:30 am and got the boat ready and headed down to Shilshole Marina to launch. Since it was opening day, I thought it would be busier than it was at the launch. Headed over to Jeff Head in perfect weather and water conditions. Couldn't have asked for a better day on the water. :) After some brief instruction by me to her as to how the reel worked, I put her line in the water at approximately 6:30 am flat-lined out behind the boat, 70 pulls with 12 oz lead (running green glow e-chip flasher and green glow splatter back crocodile lure). Then I turned my attention to my pole and began rigging it on the downrigger. I put my green glow Kone Zone flasher on and attached a green glow 4 inch squid. I had soaked both lures overnight in Pro Cure's Herring gel. I was letting out my line behind the boat so I could attach it to the downrigger when I looked at her pole and it was dancing!!! I stopped my line, reeled it back in quickly, and told her that she already had a fish on!! She was excited, but didn't know what to do. I took the pole out of the holder and reeled in a very small Coho. It was hooked good!! Had to keep it because it was gonna die anyway. 2 lbs 2 oz. Got settled down and showed her again what to do with the reel.

Put her line back out 70 pulls. Turned to my pole and let it out about 40 yards behind the boat and then attached it to the downrigger and sent it down to 55 feet. We trolled at 1.6 - 1.9 mph. Only made it about 15 minutes and her pole was dancing again!! This time I pulled it out of the holder and got the line tight. Then I handed it off to her to reel it in. She was a pro! Kept the tip up and the line tight the whole time. Reeled in an Juvenile King. Had to release it at the side of the boat. She did not understand that. :( Now since her set up was killing me, I reeled my line in and changed the flasher to an 11 inch green glow e-chip flasher and sent it back out. This time to 60 feet. Not 5 minutes later, wham!! Fish on! I jumped up and grabbed my pole out of the downrigger holder and reeled in another Coho. 2 lbs 10 oz. 2 small Coho in the cooler in one hour of fishing. Now that the sun was up nice and bright, I sent her line out another 9 pulls (79 pulls). I put my line out again and sent it down to 66 feet. At 8 am, my pole released off the downrigger and was dancing!! I glanced at the fish finder and it was solid fish and bait!! I told her not to put the boat in neutral this time, but to keep trolling with her line in and I would fight the fish on the opposite side. This was a better fish!! Took a few runs pulling line off the spool!! I looked at her pole and it was dancing and line was going out!! I told her to put the boat in neutral and grab her pole. It's a Double!! She was super excited!! I brought my fish in and netted it as quick as I could. Another Coho in the boat. She was still fighting her fish like a pro all by herself. I turned to net her fish. Another Coho in the boat and that's the limit!! Mine went 3 lbs 14 ozs and her's went 2 lbs 14 ozs. Not bad for 2 hours of fishing on opening day. It's early, but the fishing couldn't get any better than that. GET OUT THERE!! Tight Lines!!

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