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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