The Bait Shop Guy
07-13-2009, 10:34 AM
I got to tag along with Gary Tackman (Doofighter,) to Cedar River last night for my first salmon trip of the season. We stayed fairly close to shore due to the good westerly wind that was blowing - would have been nasty by the time we would have gone all the way out to Whaleback! We started fishing in 60 to 80 FOW.
First sign of life was a quick "drive-by" on one of the leadcores. Shortly after that, a Carmel Dolphin spoon set down 50 feet on one of the riggers pops, and starts screaming drag. Gary grabbed that one and was started to get a little concerned when he saw how little line was left on the spool! Luckily, the fish just made the one big run, and just dogged it out for the next 15 minutes. When it finally came up behind the boat, we could see that it was a really nice fish. After I netted her and flopped it on the deck is when we started whooping and hollering! Put her on the scale and it weighed 20 pounds 4 ounces! Gary said that was the first "20" in the boat since 2006.
Next fish hit a JJ Mac muffin on a 7 color leadcore, and I grabbed that one. I could tell right away that it wasn't near the caliber of fish as the last one, but I was just happy to be in the salmon game again! After a short, uneventful fight, it came to the net and turned out to be a 25 inch walleye! Any other day, I'd be thrilled to catch a walleye that size, but not so much when you're looking for silver!
Next fish hit a Mt. Dew Spin Doctor with a green fly off a wire dipsey set 100 feet back. No doubt this one was a salmon. That one went 8 or 9 pounds.
Last fish of the evening hit a full core with a small Monkey George spoon. That one was another decent fish in the low teens.
Only talked to a couple other boats at the dock - one had zeroed, the other had two. Also talked to a C.O. who said he saw an 18 pounder and a 21 pounder earlier, but those fish came from near Chamber's Island. A buddy of mine talked to some guys at the fish cleaning station in Escanaba Sunday afternoon that had 5 nice fish in the 12 to 15 pound range. They had been fishing off of Cedar River that morning. Sounded like Flounder Pounder was their hot spoon that trip.
Sounds like the bite has finally turned on. Get out and enjoy it if you can.
First sign of life was a quick "drive-by" on one of the leadcores. Shortly after that, a Carmel Dolphin spoon set down 50 feet on one of the riggers pops, and starts screaming drag. Gary grabbed that one and was started to get a little concerned when he saw how little line was left on the spool! Luckily, the fish just made the one big run, and just dogged it out for the next 15 minutes. When it finally came up behind the boat, we could see that it was a really nice fish. After I netted her and flopped it on the deck is when we started whooping and hollering! Put her on the scale and it weighed 20 pounds 4 ounces! Gary said that was the first "20" in the boat since 2006.
Next fish hit a JJ Mac muffin on a 7 color leadcore, and I grabbed that one. I could tell right away that it wasn't near the caliber of fish as the last one, but I was just happy to be in the salmon game again! After a short, uneventful fight, it came to the net and turned out to be a 25 inch walleye! Any other day, I'd be thrilled to catch a walleye that size, but not so much when you're looking for silver!
Next fish hit a Mt. Dew Spin Doctor with a green fly off a wire dipsey set 100 feet back. No doubt this one was a salmon. That one went 8 or 9 pounds.
Last fish of the evening hit a full core with a small Monkey George spoon. That one was another decent fish in the low teens.
Only talked to a couple other boats at the dock - one had zeroed, the other had two. Also talked to a C.O. who said he saw an 18 pounder and a 21 pounder earlier, but those fish came from near Chamber's Island. A buddy of mine talked to some guys at the fish cleaning station in Escanaba Sunday afternoon that had 5 nice fish in the 12 to 15 pound range. They had been fishing off of Cedar River that morning. Sounded like Flounder Pounder was their hot spoon that trip.
Sounds like the bite has finally turned on. Get out and enjoy it if you can.