My friend with the boat (well one of my friends with a boat) calls me Friday and asks "How does Monday on the Sound sound." I eventually let him know that Monday would be fine. He finally caved and got a decent depth finder and Monday is going to be the acid test.

By the time I can go it's almost Eleven. We get to Shilshole Bay close to noon. Pay for the the launch and the darned machine won't print the ticket. We launch the boat and park, hoping that the parking enforcement crew won't enforce anything. We tried to play by the rules and the rules didn't want to play for us.

10 minutes out we are trying to digest the information on the sonar. Charles forgets the startup manual for the new toy. I swear he'd forget his head if it was possible. Water is incredibly smooth for this time of year. Temp is a hair under 50 and the sun is out. We both expected cooler weather but I dressed in layers.

Half hour in and Charles has the first shake and go of the day. Forget his head if he could 1. Layer man 0. He gets a second shaker and now its Ding-o-ling using grandpa's fishing pole 2. All new stuff guy is goosed. I grab the fish bonking mallet and bang it against my tackle box. Fish fish Jeff wants fish. Charles rod shakes rattles and rolls. Dancing King 3, Mallet-intent nothing. I check my gear and yep I still have my Irish Flag and the hook is sharp. I change tactics. Drop to 156 and grab mallet. Fish fish I want fish. My rod reacts and as I get up the line unclips the downrigger. I'm scrambling, at first I don't think the fish is very big, then the giant reacts. Lines starts smoking off the real and Charles says is that a real fish. I reply yes. I can't slow the fish down and I'm starting to wonder if it is a seal or if it is fish. The way the line is moving and the repeated head shakes I know it is a fish. I'm happy but the fight won't last long. Fish tosses the hook but I know I've done something right. I retrieve the downrigger ball and go back to where I was. It happens again and again I lose the fish. I triple check the hook and know its sharp when I pierce my finger. I return to the same 154, grab the mallet, and start the chant. I'm 3 for 4 by this point. Rod reacts but it doesn't pop the clip. With a little help the fight starts and I'm determined to get it in. I do get the fish in and a quick measurement says it is a too close to count 22 and it is hatchery. I'm taking it.

After changing depth Charles catches 2 more, both around 18 inches. Each released and each cussed at. We head toward Carkeek to really test the new sonar/depth finder. I catch a nice size flounder, Charles another eyes bigger than stomach shaker. By this time it is maybe 2:45 almost 3. We have the second gear problem of the day. First one was when Charles primary rod broke, the second was when the lines tangled. I'm now down a lot of line. I decide to try 140 feet after having clip issues. I grab the mallet one more time. Fish fish Jeff wants another legal fish. Seconds become minutes. Minutes become well more minutes and my rod bounces. At first it feels really small and then it takes off. Line is again exiting the reel and I'm thinking I'm not going to make the same mistake twice in one day. I'm still not sure about the size until I see the fish rise to the surface. "Charles it's net time!!!!" Fish is netted shortly after and my fishing day ends. 2 legal blackmouth. 3 for season already. Records for me, and huge change from last two years of no chinook.

A half hour later we head into the marina fully expecting a parking ticket on the car. None. So in my book the day was perfect.

The Quadfather

12/17/2013 7:35:00 AM

FYI... If you notice the signage at the Shilshole launch, the launch does not require payment past what I think is Oct. 31st, but not during the winter season anyway. Also, those electronic machines break all the time. Most launches, including that one have an envelope system where U drop your $ in.

Gonefishing

12/17/2013 8:22:00 AM

We did monkey see, monkey sea doo. Saw 5 trucks/trailers in the lot and they all had the fee tickets displayed. My friend was mad when it didn't print the thing - imagine how much happier he would be if I tell him... dude free parking, could have used that money on um... mega lottery tickets instead!!!!

I know those things break down all the time - and I never carry cash so if it's down and the card reader (assuming it has one) is down --- The envelope drop was lacking one thing too.... envelopes.

So Quadfather thank you for making me an offer I couldn't refuse.....

romanfishing

12/17/2013 10:18:00 AM

What size of spoon worked the best?

Gonefishing

12/17/2013 1:01:00 PM

To be honest Roman I really don't know what size I was using this time. I think it was the 3.5" Kingfisher Irish Flag that I was using this time around about 42" behind a Red Racer flasher. We were running in 250 - 175 ft depths for most of the day and I was running my downrigger between 140 and 156 feet with one trip down to 165 ish.

MotoBoat

12/17/2013 8:33:00 PM

The first "mallet against the tackle box" fish was 22". What about the second keeper?

Gonefishing

12/17/2013 10:33:00 PM

The second was about 26" and fat compared to the skinnier barely 22". I really wish I had at least had a chance with the one that giggled and tossed the hook on me. That fish took maybe half the line before I stupidly started marking the fish on my mental fish card.

I guess I'm not use to catching black mouth or the younger Chinook. Because the meat seems soft compared to Kings caught in July/August. It still was good. As I noted on a prior trip I had a 2 or 3 year drought on keeper kings. Five years when it came to boats. This year has been my best year for hooking up and landing salmon on salt water. Just wish I could do the same on a river. Fish on the river still laugh at me!

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