A Fish Story

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Carol W
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Location: Ketchikan

A Fish Story

Post by Carol W »

So here is a no shit honest to god fish story.

This morning I woke up looked out the window raining buckets as it can only do in Ketchikan and blowing the rain sideways as is usually the case in a Ketchikan winter. It has been a lean winter I didn't catch my normal allotment of coho and didn't find any Kings in the August opening, then the coop second advance comes and low and behold there is no money there either the bills are stacked up and I have only caught 4 kings since the last day of Jan. I was needless to say in a very foul mood as I watched the rain come down. I have moved around to avariety of spots in the last 7 days and been skunked a few times and never getting more than one fish a day. As I have ran up and down Tongass Narrows I have noticed feed, years ago I used to watch guys fish in the Narrows and was always envious as I was driving an oil truck. In all my winter fishing I have always discounted fishing in the Narrows as I thought it would only produce 1 fish and it would be small so I never fished there. Anyway back to this morning I finally untied the boat and left the dock as I come out of the breakwater it is raining, blowing, basically shitty but the meter lights up with feed so I put my poles down and then I think what the hell I go back to the pit and lower one line no bait just hootchies and a couple spoons, I don't want to lower any more lines as there is a wreck in the middle of the channel and I want to be able to manuver so I stay in the pit in full rain gear troll past the fuel docks and on down past the Coast Guard Base raising and lowering my line as I go over high spots and then as I get down in front of Saxman the line starts jerking and hanging back I look at the meter yeah I am crowding the bottom so I raise the line it is still pulling back and shaking no shit I got a fish it is 16 pounds on one my favorite winter hootchies, well I will be damned so I continue on past the two buoys barely fitting thru the wind is stronger as I get past Pennock. Well I might as well turn around and go back thru so I troll up to the Coast Guard base and turn around the channel is loaded with feed so I troll back towards where I caught. I go past the spot nothing but just as I pass between the buoys the line takes off again this time I know I got one cause it is shaking good and the top leader which was 2 marks down has a 25 pounder I start laughing and forget the wind and rain and all the magic that I experienced as a young boy landing my first fish comes back. Two hours before I was totally bummed and now I have made over $400 and haven't burned hardly any diesel, very cool. And once again it proves my golden rule if you keep dragging sooner or later something good will happen.

Keep your Hand on It
Tom
Abundance
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Re: A Fish Story

Post by Abundance »

I know a guy here in Craig who was skunked for a trip by town here a few winters back. He went out in his skiff just past the breakwater to pull a crab pot, tossed a herring out on a pole for the heck of it, caught a 25 pounder right by the cannery. I know last spring I fished the Herring Cove area for a while (an absolute nightmare that I am never going to repeat), but I found that I could sometimes catch one if I went up toward the Narrows a bit, supposing the tide was right. Am I right that the winter fishery is the only time we are allowed in Tongass Narrows?
Garrett Hagen, F/V Abundance
SilverT
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Re: A Fish Story

Post by SilverT »

A truly encouraging story Tom. I loved the part about all the magic coming back. So true. Thanks for posting.

Lane
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Re: A Fish Story

Post by yak2you2 »

That is a good story, and SilverT has it right, being a kid again is the most important part. I know a guy who got bored half way through a superbowl a few years ago. He literally threw a rod out as he was pulling out of his stall. He caught a fish before he had cleared the end of the boat harbor. Caught 2 more right in front of the harbor. He tried it again the next few days, didn't catch a thing. So, the next year, he goes out on super bowl Sunday, wouldn't you know it catches 2 more, right in front of the boat harbor. I watched the game with him this year, and at half time, I had to ask, " not going to try to keep up the tradition?" Probably rightfully so, he said, " don't want to screw up my record."
Salty
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Re: A Fish Story

Post by Salty »

The harbor and anchorage fishing is reserved for those of us over 60 now.
Salty
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Re: A Fish Story

Post by Salty »

So, a few years ago I am waiting for ice at SSS. There are chums and pinks jumping all over the channel. So I tell the guys to put on a couple of spreads. Sure enough we get a few. I think 2 chums and about 6 pinks while we are waiting for ice. The ice man sees this and gives me a ration about being "hungry Eric".
One of my specialties is fishing the anchorages. Tom, will you clean that line up in Traitors Cove for us? There is troll opportunity being missed in there.
I am trying to remember some of the anchorages I have caught a few without giving up too much.

Tee Harbor
My dad used to catch em rowing in Petersburg Harbor all the time in the early spring.
Trollers Islands,
Explorers Basin
Gedney Harbor
South Arm, Malmsbury
Port Conclusion
Redfish,
Sandy Bay
Necker Bay
Second Narrows
Goddard,
Simons Bay

Wife says time to go.
Carol W
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Location: Ketchikan

Re: A Fish Story

Post by Carol W »

Hey Eric I have 7 years to go however my longevity in the fishery allows me to anchorage drag I beleave. Garret dragging in the narrows is only alllowed in winter and Ketchikan needs to be on your stern.
Salty
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Re: A Fish Story

Post by Salty »

Tom,
You are only 53? You seem much more seasoned than that in your posts.
Due to the inspiration here, the legacy of my mother, and encouragement from Tele's success, I have penned an article for a fishing magazine that the editor seemed enthusiastic about and I might even get paid for. I am thinking that if I got paid at the rate he is offering per word for all the words I have posted here I might be able to afford bait.
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