Haven’t wet a line in a while due to work. Had time off, the weather looked good, and the wife gave the thumbs up so of we were. Didn’t want to subject my family to the predawn nutter butter fishing time, we left late morning rested and with breakfast digesting. Checked the tide for a game plan and it looked like tide was coming in. Started on the East side of possession bar trolling with the current. Great down at noon. Not much on the East side called for a change of plan. We went over the middle of the bar keeping in 100+ ft of water. Still nothing. Was wondering if it was my bait… kind of old leftover herring in the freezer from king season.

Kept things simple today with white ace hi flys. Seemed to work all last season and “it ain’t broke” as the saying goes. Once on the west side it was games on. The first bit of action came on the port side rod. A few quick taps and the clip released. First fish of the day on the line and wondered what it could be? Kings, pink, or silver? Sadly I saw it, it saw me and barfed the hook and rig right in my face. I think it was a silver but couldn’t make out if it was hatched or wild. At least the bait wasn’t the issue. More trolling around and it was a similar show. Get a good takedown, flirt for a while, then get stood up on the dance floor. Did manage to get into a pink one. This time it was my turn to get picky so back in the drink it goes.

Luck finally gets on my side with a piece of good action. Thinking maybe I was going too fast with all the other fish in the sea, I turned the engine down. Going at coho chasing speed to a lazy troll seemed to have done the trick. With my partner coming in with the net, it was a dance party on the floor. Hoping for more action we continued. Wasn’t paying much attention to the other rod and I try to release the clip to check it. It isn’t coming off so I raise the downrigger. At the surface I see the clip and the line appears to be seated in the nicely so I give it a swift tug. Snap, goes the main line along with all my gear to the bottom of the ocean. Now I’m sick. Then a dog fish breaks off the second hook on my other rig. Note I’m sicker. Wanting another fish in the box I pulled out a green squid and a coho killer. Time crunch setting in and not much faith in my gear, prospects seemed bleak. Said to myself we’d give it 5 more minutes. To my surprise, double trouble! Partner got a wild coho which was swiftly released and the other popped off the second hook and got off before I could see what it was. Good way to end the day and have dinner to show for it.

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