20 Nov. 24- Dec. 8, 2017 VOL. 36 • ISS. 25

here,” I remarked to Gil. I ran half a mile upstream to see if I could get the school to bite, but it was no dice. We moved downstream to try a new area.

We made a pass, and still nothing. I chatted with a guy who said he had heard of only one caught all morning.“ Not again …” I was thinking.

Just after high noon, the air warmed and the sun calmly glared off the water. In the distance, I could faintly make out some guys bleeding a salmon on a stringer. We pulled lines, ran upstream, and headed back through that same area. A few minutes into the troll, Gil thought he had a bite. I looked back, but all I saw was the sinker bouncing along the bottom. A few seconds layer Gil said,“ There he is!” and we were hooked up.

Gil held the rod high and kept steady pressure on the fish. When he got the fish to the boat, I quickly netted it. The salmon was a beautiful 9 pound hen with fresh scales … chrome in the box!

We continued trolling downstream and had barely put the rods in the water when my clicker started buzzing. The fish felt small and came off after about 20 seconds. Fish off!

After bleeding and icing Gil’ s fish, we ran back upstream and trolled down once again. Not ten minutes into the pass, I had another one on. It came in fast, and we got a brief glimpse of the fish before it shook free. Another little one, and another fish off!

Luckily, I didn’ t have much time to sulk over losing back-to-back fish because my reel once again started screaming. I could tell it was a bigger fish, and Gil had time to clear the rods. After a few minutes, I had the fish to the boat and Gil moved in with the net.“ Ok, now” I said as I lifted.

The fish was almost in the net when it reversed course. The sinker tangled in the netting, and I uttered,“ No-no-no!” to signal that the fish was out of the net. The 10 pound test dropper leader to the sinker snapped, as it

Gil smacked this quality 8 pound king while trolling the Delta with Jack Naves this October. Delta trollers have enjoyed some of the best salmon fishing in several years this season.

Photo by JACK NAVES, Fish Sniffer Staff.

is designed to do, and the fish sped away from the net. What happened next only took a split second to transpire.

The salmon swam away from the net, peeled some line, then reversed directions and jumped directly into the net.“ He’ s in there! He’ s in there!” I shouted in excitement. Gil pulled the net to the side of the boat, and we had salmon number two for the day.

We had four bites within a 30 minute window, more bites than in all of my previous salmon trips for the year combined. It only went to prove if salmon are present and they are biting, you had better be ready to fish. Otherwise, you snooze you lose.

My fish turned out to be an 18.5 pound female, which provided not only a great deal of smoked salmon, but also a decent amount of roe to use as sturgeon bait. Just as fast as the bite had turned on, it turned off. We didn’ t see or hear of anything else caught, so we pulled lines and called it a day at 2:30 pm.

Will you experience a morning bite during your next salmon trip? Mid-afternoon? Right at dusk? The only way to find out is to get out there and fish. It’ ll happen.

FRESHWATER REPORTS:

CONTINUED FROM PG 19

SOUTHERN OREGON ROUNDUP cont.

Chinook salmon at the mouth of Daniels Creek, Isthmus Slough, and the Coos Bay City Boardwalk. There are a few wild Coho in the lower to mid-estuary. There is not a wild Coho season inside Coos Bay this year so all wild Coho must be released but anglers may keep an adipose fin-clipped hatchery Coho.

Chinook salmon are being caught throughout the Coquille River. Salmon anglers are having the best luck trolling cut plug herring behind a flasher in the lower river and spinners in the upper river. There is no wild Coho season in the Coquille River this year so all wild Coho must be released but anglers may keep an adipose fin-clipped hatchery Coho.

Water temperatures are dropping so smallmouth bass fishing should become very aggressive feeders before the winter rains flood the rivers. Smallmouth bass fishing has been good throughout the Coquille and South Fork Coquille rivers. Anglers are having success catching smallmouth bass on small spinners, crankbaits, jigs, and worms.

On the Rogue, Chinook are spread throughout the lower river and estuary. A few Chinook are showing off of Indian Creek waiting for fall rains to move up the creek and back to the hatchery. Boat and bank anglers are picking up Chinook side-drifting eggs in some of the deeper runs downstream of Agness.

On the middle Rogue, Chinook angling is now closed from Hog

Creek Boat Ramp to Cole Rivers Hatchery. Chinook fishing downstream of Hog Creek Boat Ramp is still open through the end of the year.

Steelhead fishing should be good with the lower water. In the Grants Pass area, Steelhead anglers should be aware of spawning Chinook and their redds and try avoid these sensitive areas. The best bet for summer steelhead is drift fishing small

The striper bite is still going strong in Delta waters. This beautiful bass was caught during late October trolling trip with Capt. David Hammond.

Photo courtesy of DELTA PRO FISHING, Elk Grove.

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