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Biggun’

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Biggun’

Postby Roosiebull » 09 30, 2020 •  [Post 1]

I worked every day from mid May until the day before archery elk season... had zero time for any recreation all summer. Most days I get up at 3, on the boat at 4:15am, and home between 7-8pm... every single day... no short days or days off (won’t happen next year)

My vacation started Friday, elk season started the next day. I had not got to chinook fish at all, so I figured Friday morning I would fish a bit, and with a 1 fish limit, I should be able to get home early to get all of my hunting stuff together.

Put my boat in around 4:30 like I normally do, and took my time getting stuff ready for the morning. Tide was on its way out for about an hour first thing. I planned on having my fish killed and back on the trailer before it actually got light out, but it wasn’t in the cards... gray light came and gone, and I was still without a bite.

As the tide dropped, I started marking more fish in the very top of a really deep hole, they were dropping back with the tide. After one pass, I noticed the surface water was still going out, but there was more drag on my gear when going with the current, which means the tide has switched, but was still showing outgoing on the surface

Salt water is heavier, so as the tide starts in, its only coming in on the bottom, but the river is still flowing on top, the fresh water on the surface is on top and still flowing down until it’s over taken by the mass of salt water actually turning the flow around.

That very beginning of the flood is tough to fish, because as you go with the flow on the surface, even at idle, your gear is bucking the incoming water on the bottom... basically it’s hard to troll slow enough.

I turn above the big hole, drop in and know it’s going to be hard to hold bottom, and the fish are schooled up deep (30-40ft) I’m not even able to hold bottom at 20ft coming into the hole.

As it drops off, I decide to dump a bunch of line, timing it so I go through the pod of fish before my gear gets lifted out of the zone, I put the rod back in the holder, and the flasher is pumping hard... about 10ft into that, my rod pins... fish on!

I take it out of gear, get my rod out of the holder, and it’s big heavy head shakes....hmmm. I’m in reverse, the fish gets turned around and is headed up the river.... fast.

I finally get him stopped, he comes up to the surface, and I realize he’s almost 100yds away from me, then he charges me.... I’m reeling forever as fast as I can, I finally catch up to him right at the back of my boat, and he turns, flasher goes flying by, then he tears across the river on another 70-80yd full speed run... damn!

Now there is another boat trolling up, I’m trying to tell them my fish is over there, and they either didn’t care or didn’t understand what I’m telling them, the fish was up by the top, all the way across, and that boat was going to run it over, so I decided he was either coming back my way or breaking off, I didn’t want to let the boat run my line over and cut it.

I started ripping on him, and he came to a stop, then I started moving him back my way as quick as I could, and wasn’t going to let him run again... he tried to turn once more, I buried my thumb on the spool, and he boiled as I got him turned, and he was less than 10ft off the side of the other boat... I was relieved to confirm that.

By this time he is tired, but he is still a big, heavy strong fish, but I was able to get him close and keep him close as he bull dogged around the boat.

Being solo, the net jobs get a little tricky, but after pulling him up a couple times, I finally got my shot and slid the net under him... it wasn’t until now I saw how big he really was, and he almost didn’t fit in the net... whoa..

I pulled him over the side and realized why I had so much trouble with him... he was huge. This is the biggest chinook I have caught in several years... or even seen in person... these used to be not that uncommon, but today it’s a rare fish.[img][img][img][/img][/img][/img]
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Roosiebull
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Re: Biggun’

Postby wawhitey » 09 30, 2020 •  [Post 2]

Get the barbeque goin, im on my way
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Re: Biggun’

Postby 7mmfan » 09 30, 2020 •  [Post 3]

Dandy. I love big kings. Maybe I'll share some of my Sitka stories and pics one of these days.
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Re: Biggun’

Postby Roosiebull » 09 30, 2020 •  [Post 4]

7mmfan wrote:Dandy. I love big kings. Maybe I'll share some of my Sitka stories and pics one of these days.

heck yeah! would love to see and hear them. "BIG" is relative these days isn't it? haha.... i remember when i was younger, there would be some legit 40lb kings around, a good friend of mine got fish over 50lbs back to back years (53# on the siletz, 55# on the ocean coho fishing) that was 03' and 04'... i was working on a charter boat in 04' and we got one that was 47#, i got a 39# on the river... and we caught a few that would have been 40# or a little better on the river, but they were starting to color up a bit so we didn't kill them. last year i caught my first over 30# that i killed in several years, and a couple years before i released an awesome fish that was brand new shiny that was probably closer to 40# than 35#... he was lip hooked and i wanted to watch him swim away, got a quick pic and released him. the big one above was hooked in the tongue, and bleeding so i bonked him... kinda bittersweet killing a fish like that.

a real 30# (on a scale) is a rare, rare fish these days in Oregon.... a true 40# has almost gained unicorn status. i remember 15ish yrs ago, a good half of our coastal springers were legit 20+#, and i got a couple over 30#.... i don't think i have killed a legit 20# springer in 6-7yrs, they are all like 8-16lbs, with an occasional that may be 18ish (those ones that most call 25# :D )

big kings are awesome and impressive, especially the bucks. my buddy runs a boat for waterfall resort in the summers (POW) and he has caught a couple over 50# the past couple years, one being 58#.... i would almost go up there to work for a summer just to see one of those fish!

big summer/fall kings, and big winter steelhead keep fishing interesting..... the rarity makes them special, and it's a good day taking the hook out of one. wish there were a few more 30+# kings around, and 34+" steelhead, but i guess they wouldn't be so cool to catch if there were more that size around.
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Re: Biggun’

Postby 7mmfan » 10 01, 2020 •  [Post 5]

What was the weight on this fish? Im guessing 32#-35#.

This was a year of big fish. Ocean conditions improved over the last couple years enough for fish to start putting some weight on again. My commercial fishing buddies in SE AK said it was the best year for kings they'd seen in over a decade. Lots of dressed kings at the dock weighing mid 20's. A few that he didn't get weighed but measured over 40". 40# ocean kings in SE AK are special animals.
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Re: Biggun’

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 10 02, 2020 •  [Post 6]

Pig! Hell of a king mister.
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Re: Biggun’

Postby Roosiebull » 10 03, 2020 •  [Post 7]

7mmfan wrote:What was the weight on this fish? Im guessing 32#-35#.

This was a year of big fish. Ocean conditions improved over the last couple years enough for fish to start putting some weight on again. My commercial fishing buddies in SE AK said it was the best year for kings they'd seen in over a decade. Lots of dressed kings at the dock weighing mid 20's. A few that he didn't get weighed but measured over 40". 40# ocean kings in SE AK are special animals.

you are spot on, 34#
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Re: Biggun’

Postby Roosiebull » 10 03, 2020 •  [Post 8]

WapitiTalk1 wrote:Pig! Hell of a king mister.

thanks.... i have not been out even close to enough this year.... chaos all summer, so it was a cool first fall trip on archery eve :D
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Re: Biggun’

Postby Lefty » 12 18, 2020 •  [Post 9]

How in the world did I miss this story and pics, Oh wait I was in on a bunch of bulls Sept 30th

Good read
I attended a 10 day Prince of Wales trip in the early 90's with a crew of 70 year old guys. I really need to get my wife on a decent Fishing trip
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