Ok, we got alot of chores done just before the weekend... its time to fish! A friend from work invited the oldest 2 kids and I to go out on the Ocean for Salmon. I picked up the boy after he got off work, and we picked up the girl on our way out - on the road at 9:30pm to get down to Newport, Oregon!After 3 hours of driving and one pull-over by the sheriff in Corvalis, we made it to the boat launch in a light, drizzling rain. At 1am there was nowhere to sleep, so the boy and I took shelter on picnic tables... still wet but not bad. Besides, we were TIRED! The girl slept in the car where she was warm and happy. These kids are real troopers, and never complained... after all, we were going FISHING! Whatever it takes, right?
We hit the ocean water at 6:15am, and tied on these home-made "hoochie spinners" with barbless hooks. The key is to keep a chunck of herring on the middle hook. Without the meat treat there is no fishy.Action was immediate! We put 3 hatchery fish into the boat in the first 25 minutes on the water. Yeah baby!
Great fish - they averaged about 10 lbs... the biggest ones were about 13lbs each. Can you tell she is a little sea-sick? No way, because a feisty, flashing silver salmon is the best cure out there!In between fish, though, she was feeling a little rough... but always ready to grab a fishing rod!
The action was constant for the most part. We quit at 2:30pm and had a total of 45 fish on the line. Wow! We released 9 wild fish, and kept 9 keepers! Most of the fish popped off the barbless hooks......but I could tell, even in my green state of sea-sickness they ALL had fins and were wild fish, so no loss...
What a great day on the water! Despite the sickness, we all had a blast. Plenty of action, decent water, and lots of fun.And alot of tasty salmon! Most of the boats we saw limited out. Days like this in the Pacific NorthWest keep you coming back out time and again.
