The Oak--9-20-09
I was hoping to get a trip scheduled for Sunday as the forecast was supposed to be terrific but the crew couldn't get it together so Chad Terlitsky and I made the trip anyway. I needed to do some "pre-pulling/winterizing" work on the boat and Chad wanted a king to mount for himself. Chad occassionally mates for me and has fished dozens of tournaments with me but we have never just "gone fishin" with no pressure or outside circumstances.
We started "on the wall" and watched "almost everyone" boat fish around us.
What the heck!! We made several passes with only one bite until the sun came up and we could see the gin clear water. We trolled out to the 50' level and the screen lit up with fish. I switched from the spoons and plugs to spin doctors and flies and the games began.
It was a nice steady pick of mature kings all morning long. Most were in the 20# range but three were solid mid-twenties fish and ALL were very dark and gnarly looking. We finished at 1:30 with 10 matures, most we released for the stream guys to catch, but Chad took these two home for the wall. White on white doctors with Sigg's Green Hypnotist and Sigg's Lime/ice glo flies did all the damage although a white paddle with a Lime ice took three quick ones to finish the day.
The hardest thing to remember when you're fishing for late season staging kings is PATIENCE! For every bite we took we had to endure the sight of at least 60 or 70 fish coming up to swim through the riggers. I shut the radio off so I wouldn't have to listen to the "offshore crowd" pounding the 3 year old kings and steelies.
It was a great day to be on the water and a great way to end a terrific season. The boat comes out of the water this week and then its HUNTING SEASON!
