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Told the boyz (my dad and his golf buddy) to meet at the Shilshole ramp at 6:30am. Hoping the launch line would be fizzled as in all previous trips. NOT! Launch line as long as I have ever seen it. Went real quick for it's length. Took 30 minutes for the boat tires to touch salt water.
Parking is ample, so all was good. With on exception that is . My kicker motor got sick on the previous trip. Did not idle so well and broke the pull string during the dissecting process of the sickness. In lou of that, my dad's friend had a kicker and brought that, a tank and hose, with him. first off I could not get the hose he brought to lock on to his tank. Plus the hose was stiff and "OLD". In the process of hooking up the faulty hose connector. I could smell "STALE" gas. Okay, now things are falling apart very rapidly. I take a peek at the trolling motor and it looked rough!
But, there was a glimmer of hope, in that his motor was the same brand as my kicker. Which meant, my tank and hose connectors would attach!. But would it start? Motor starts but is does not want to run without being headily choked. We leave the launch, and this is concerning but there is the main motor if this thing puke's.
Having some previous knowledge of motor mechanics. I make some adjustments to the low speed carb knob, and the motor is running with the choke now all the way in. A slight adjustment to the fast speed and the motor has hope! After 30 minutes of trolling I switch my hose from my tank of fresh to his stale "smelling" gas. The motor continues to run fine for the 4 or 5 hour trip. I very much avoid situations like this, by constantly maintaining my motors!
Oh yea, the fishing. Lines down at 7:20. First hit on Green flasher/ white hoochie rig. 6lb fish landed. Next fish hits green falsher/white hooche. I have my dad shortening his leader in the front of the boat. And suggest he reel this one in, if he would like to guarantee taking home a fish. He establishes that he is in the middle of tying a leader. We look at him, at the bouncing rod, and back to him. Asking "If you land it, you can take the fish home!". He is on it! Another 6lb fish, a carbon copy of the first.
Now things take a very interesting twist. Remember in another (earlier) report. Where I had a rare, very close encounter with a Sailboat. Just after hooking a Coho Salmon double? Well, check this out!
As we are fishing, I was looking into the water on the Port side, and see a white flasher about 1 to 2ft deep, pass us going the opposite direction. Out of shear interest, and entertainment. I instruct my dad, who is running the motor to turn around, I will explain why in a minute!
We re-quire the flasher. Which I know has a fish on it. The fish was tired, and could pull the flasher under a foot or so for a short time. Then the flasher would surface and leave a v-wake. In calm water, this was easy to detect at up to 100ft or more. There were only a occasional passing boat where we were. So no interference occurred or was caused with them during the time pursuit that follows.
As our boat would approach, at about 10 ft away, the White flasher and fish attached, would do a u-turn changing the heading by 90 to 180 degrees. My dad and his friend took turns at the net. They were in the open bow area that is the Wifee's space when she is on board. The flasher entered the hoop of the net 2 times before flipping over the frame and back into the water. After 10 minutes and several failed attempts to get close enough to the flasher or fish to net it. I asked my dad and his friend if they wanted to go back to fishing? They proclaimed that they were enjoying this and that they were "fishing". They had never seen anything like this before. Not in the 150years of combined age between them. That sounds like a looooooooooooong time, doesn't it?
Having several fishing trips under by belt. I was content with the change of pace. We lost the flasher several times, due to direction change and the sounding of the flasher for short distances. I was attempting to hook the leader from the back of the boat, when the net failed at the front. So each pass, we took 2 attempt at it. We had one good chance to net the fish, but the water resistance on the mesh of the net at 3 to 4 mph is too severe scoop any thing from the rear to front.
So, we tried from the front to rear. But I knew the best chance would be to net the flasher, and keep the net in the water. So the water resistance on the flasher would hold it in the net, while the fish and attached leader followed on the outside. Let the net drift back to me in the back. Where I rush forward from manning the kicker motor. To the net, and hand grab the flasher.
After instructing the knew plan to the "kids" in the front of the boat ( 75 + 78 = 150 plus years of age at the bow). They play fully agreed to the "Plan".
5 minutes of fish/flasher direction changes and one failed attempt. Because translation of the "plan" and execution was somehow lost in the elevated, adrenaline rush experienced by one of the elderly kids whom, had the flasher "TRAPPED" inside the net! But lost water resistance when the net was lifted "OUT" of the water! This time the flasher sounded deeper than before, and I felt the fish was unhooked and therefore sunk. With that, I started to deploy my gear while searching the surface for the "tell tale" flasher "V" wake that had become so familiar over the last several minutes.
The elderly "kids" were discussing the apparent eagle eyes on the "young buck" at the rear of the boat. When, "there it is! I proclaim to the net wielding young-ins play fully enjoying the experience. They ask "WHERE!". Eagle eye announces, 100 + ft toward the shipping channel.
Kicker at full tilt (WO throttle), for the umpteenth time. We charge toward the distant "V" wake. One proclaims "I want the flasher!" The other, "I want the fish!". Eagle eye "Do we all understand the importance of the net "NOT" leaving the surface of the water, after the flasher enters it !!!!!!!!!
They say "what"? Just kidding one of them hears just okay, and the other see's just okay. So they make a decent couple.......LOL!
After a few more direction changes and flasher soundings. Our chances seem to improve with each failed attempt. Two boats pass, smiling and rooting us on while watching intently. Surprisingly, we serpentine through a field of floating debris's, but the white flasher picks op none of it.
At full tilt, we approach the flasher, which remains on a straight line heading. Net at the ready, the flasher is captured in the net for the third time, a small amount of net remains in the water. I race to the net and grab the flasher. Then pull on a 4 foot leader until the fish is visible. Hey Harley, net the fish!. Flasher and fish in the boat. The prizes are divvied up.
I personally, have had flasher/fish sightings of this nature on 3 separate occasions. All while Salmon fishing. But successful at capturing two of the three. swimming flashers, with fish attached.
One of the two flashers with fish attached, that we captured. Was one we had lost!
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