So today will be burned into my memory banks for the rest of my life...good and not so good. This will be a bit of a read but lots went on. Out with a group from Cali for the day at Otter and started the day with an instant miss of a bigger fish...then quiet for a bit except lots of smaller stuff...small springs, coho and pinks. Then mid morning ish we get into a good fish and release it at the side of the boat....it was likely 30 but going with 28 because we don't see them that often anymore and the estimator in me could be a little rusty for the larger ones. Still largest of the year for me. Then a couple of smaller springs 9 and 7 pounds and many smaller fish. I would say sometime around noon as I was just west of 3rd rock going west in 60ft of water..riggers at 40, 35 and 30 ft. The centre rigger at 40 goes off....not just off...ones of those rare ones where it comes off the rigger and the reel is screaming before the rod tells of a fish. I first rushed to get the drag released as it was tight...the less tension also gave me enough reduced pressure to get the rod out of the holder and into the clients hands. Honestly I was thinking a 15-20 pound run of the mill hooked in the dorsal or tail. I cleared the middle rigger and headed for the starboard one set to 35ft. I'm on a slowed down troll heading NW towards the beach, the fish was pulling due east. As I'm raising the starboard rigger and rod I see another line coming at me ahead of the rigger wire and down deep....it quickly passed under us going SW towards Sheringham and now out off my port side. The fish turned and ran right back at us. My client is now stuck on the starboard side with a line going under the boat. I still haven't fully cleared the starboard rigger but I'm now more concerned with the port one which is still down 30ft. I telling the client to ease off on the pressure as I know the mono is rubbing the wire and I don't want the fish to turn back and wrap on the wire. I manage to get the rod popped off and cleared then carefully bring up the wire and get the fish line past both the clip and and canonball.. Now I notice that we have been sucked by current and pushed by wind into shallow water and we are entering the bull kelp beds on the west side of 3rd rock. I know if the fish gets around one of these I'm done. I shove the kicker into reverse to move us back out into deeper water and at the same time try and get the bow to swing and have the wind blow us around so that the fish and client where on the same side again. I'm not sure if I hadn't fully put the starboard line on board or if nthe wind blew it back into the water. The next thing I know there is a bang and I know the prop just grabbed a line and my Trophy 9ft rod and MR2 are gonzo. Now I have a kicker full of line. I managed to get the boat and fish on the same side with the bow now pointed SE...this crazy spring then circled around our stern and by the time I grabbed the rod and put the tip down deep to clear the motors he had circled the bow and was now on the wrong side again heading back towards Sheringham. I managed to get the bow around in the wind again and by now he was pretty much finished with the tricks that got him to his size. Again I'm a bit rusty with the bigger ones and i would like to say 40 but going with 38 just to be safe. Clients got pics from their phone and sent to me but in a format my old PC can't open. Finished the trip with another fish shortly after that would have gone 20. Ended the day with 4 hatchery coho, and 6 pinks. All on Skinny G's. Long story but a good one. BTW I was the only boat there from 11am onward...so you will just have to believe me!!! lol Actually there were shore fishers right there on the beach who got a show and would have heard the f-bombs when the rod went over...lol
