What's the longest you've played a salmon?
- Thread starter Rain City
- Start date
Stizzla
Crew Member
Close to 30 minutes for me. It was the only monster I’ve ever fought. It took 7 big runs and almost spooled me on the first. To that point 12lbe was my biggest fish, so I was in shock with this thing ripping line with a cranked down drag. Lost at the boat. Had a gooooood look at it.
Still can’t let it go until I get another.
Still can’t let it go until I get another.
John Ingram
Well-Known Member
Biggest and longest fight for me was a 37#er at Gonzales Point in the mid 80's
Using an old Diawa 9' glass rod a Mitchell 396 reel and 12# charter boat line.
and a 4" pink pearl buzz bomb.
Fight was 30 minutes and another 15 minutes dogging it over the kelp bed
Total time 45 min's
Using an old Diawa 9' glass rod a Mitchell 396 reel and 12# charter boat line.
and a 4" pink pearl buzz bomb.
Fight was 30 minutes and another 15 minutes dogging it over the kelp bed
Total time 45 min's
Sharphooks
Well-Known Member
Not to start a flame-fest here but in my experience, flashers sucks the fight right out of a salmon so I don’t use them. I understand why guides use them because time is money and they can’t have their clients screwing around with a fish and a long fight.
The guys who hook big fish in Rivers get those 30 - 45 minute fights because yes, the fish are on the bigger side, but mainly they get that fight because it’s them, a banana weight, and two hooks. Try just two hooks some time....that’s all I ever use...I’ve gone 30 - 45 minutes on several fish and it’s not because I baby them. It’s the gear I use and the principles of fluid dynamics you’re side-stepping when you hook a fish without a flasher.
This one was 45 minutes. I burned through half a tank of kicker gas chasing it. They take stunning amounts of line when they don’t feel a flasher. When you fish alone, you have to chase or lose your line. The next day I got another slab—-same thing. I was drenched with sweat when I finally got it in the net. Horse them and break them off, or do what you got to do to see what you got, and on the bigger fish, 30 minutes + comes and goes whether you want it to or not.
Some times the bite comes and goes with just that one fish...if things weren’t taking so long maybe you’d get another, but when they’re peeling off line like you just hooked the fender of a Suzuki Katana, sometimes that one fish will make your whole trip
The guys who hook big fish in Rivers get those 30 - 45 minute fights because yes, the fish are on the bigger side, but mainly they get that fight because it’s them, a banana weight, and two hooks. Try just two hooks some time....that’s all I ever use...I’ve gone 30 - 45 minutes on several fish and it’s not because I baby them. It’s the gear I use and the principles of fluid dynamics you’re side-stepping when you hook a fish without a flasher.
This one was 45 minutes. I burned through half a tank of kicker gas chasing it. They take stunning amounts of line when they don’t feel a flasher. When you fish alone, you have to chase or lose your line. The next day I got another slab—-same thing. I was drenched with sweat when I finally got it in the net. Horse them and break them off, or do what you got to do to see what you got, and on the bigger fish, 30 minutes + comes and goes whether you want it to or not.
Some times the bite comes and goes with just that one fish...if things weren’t taking so long maybe you’d get another, but when they’re peeling off line like you just hooked the fender of a Suzuki Katana, sometimes that one fish will make your whole trip
Attachments
Last edited:
Charlie415
Crew Member
Thought it was going on the wall. Back in the day the plan was that anything over 60 was going on the wall! We agreed to keep one fish each and release everything else unless it was over 60. We caught a 44 and a 48 then put the rods away except for 2-8 weight fly rods and islander MR2 reels. Caught a 55+ on the fly rod but it was no 60. We had NO control over those fish. It was a a blast. I will never forget those Rivers Inlet trips. Bucket moments, everyone of them. Me and my dad when my dad was younger than I am now. Now my dad is in a home with dementia, But he still remembers those trips...for now. Life is short, live it to the fullest. No regrets. I'm going back to Hakai next summer, I have 8 more beaches to hike to. Bucket lists are meant to be ticked off before you forget.
Charlie415
Crew Member
2 hooks, 4 oz weight, 9 pulls, one herring and hang on.
spring fever
Well-Known Member
That's why I switched to jigging!!-hook and an 80gm weight plus one tinny=FUN
Sharphooks
Well-Known Member
Not to hi-jack the thread...but....I used to go nuts with jigging back when I fished in smaller boats. 7 hours a day...no problem....until I got bursitis from repetitive motion. That brought jigging to a screeching halt. It looked like someone had sutured a baseball under the skin of my forearm. I used Point Wilson darts which required an aggressive lift, (or so I thought, because that’s what got me bites) then flutter down....and repeat....all day. Wish those Shimano jigs were around back then....
Last edited:
CBsqrd
Well-Known Member
Once I started recording my fishing with a GoPro I realized that we usually way overestimate how long it takes to get the fish in! Most smaller size fish (i.e. less than 20 lbs) are in the boat in well under five minutes, even if they take a good run or two.
Longest I have on video is about 18 minutes for one that taped out at 28.5 lbs caught off the Wall in Rivers. That was caught on herring only, no flasher. That fish took a three or four big runs and spent a lot of time bull-dogging under and around the boat.
On the flip side, we had one that measured out at 30 lbs (both this and the one previous using the /800 formula) last year at Cranstown Point that was in the net in 4 minutes, 15 seconds. We also had another a bit bigger on the Central Coast last year that was in the next in under four and a half minutes. Both those were on an anchovy-flasher combos.
Longest I have on video is about 18 minutes for one that taped out at 28.5 lbs caught off the Wall in Rivers. That was caught on herring only, no flasher. That fish took a three or four big runs and spent a lot of time bull-dogging under and around the boat.
On the flip side, we had one that measured out at 30 lbs (both this and the one previous using the /800 formula) last year at Cranstown Point that was in the net in 4 minutes, 15 seconds. We also had another a bit bigger on the Central Coast last year that was in the next in under four and a half minutes. Both those were on an anchovy-flasher combos.
Set it and forget it? I don't know about that. I loosen it it off a bit and use the palm as a break pad. I think it gives you more control for an active fish at the boat. Ten minutes-15 minutes is my longest.
Aces
Well-Known Member
Totally agree about living to the fullest. You and your Dad were so lucky to share those great adventures together!
My most memorable and longest fight was my best friend ( who is no longer with us) got a 47 lb on one of my 8 wt rods and a 5 inch plug at the Hyson bank. It’s first run took us almost to the knot. After close to an hour it finally gave up.
Caught a 64 lb Chinook when at Peregrine Lodge back in 2004. It took 55 minutes. They said then bigger fish can take a minute/pound.
Rain City
Crew Member
I like that
Mooching live herring with my Dad in the early 70’s outside of Pender Harbour , I remember my Dad being so worn out he gave me the rod , it almost pulled me in ,he quickly grabbed it back , he told me it was 90 min fight , 33lb white , i remember it was almost dark when we got back to the dock
Great photo, I had to zoom it in because it looked like you were wearing a tie.
Aquaholic, "always dressed for success."
Aquaholic
Crew Member
A lady friend said the exact same thing about it looking like I was wearing a tie!
My longest fight was 1 hour 45 minutes.....70+ pounds of ocean fresh rivers inlet muscle. No flasher just 2 hooks. Surprised it took so long, could I have done it faster? Maybe but I sure felt like I was pretty maxed out on 30#, sage 3106 and and islander lx 4.5. Crazy fish insane fight.........had lots of fish that were well over an hour when guiding but I attribute that to guests and shimano mooching reels. Typically islanders put fish down in half the time.
Dave H
Well-Known Member
I started looking at my watch immediately upon hooking up years ago and can offer a 45 minute fight with a big Chinook in the now named Golf Course Run of the Gold about 1970 or so. I couldn't move it with a 10' rod and 17 lb. test line so gave up and wrapped the line around my sleeve and broke it off so the others there could go back fishing. I put as much pressure on that fish as I possibly could and it would move my way a foot or so then angrily shake its head and resume its sulking.
I once brought a Seal to boat-side off Jordan River on a 9' spinning rod and a spinning reel with 12 lb. test line in 18 minutes, timed.
My largest ever Rainbow took 40 minutes to bring to hand but that was from a float-tube on a 5 wt. flyrod with 4.5 lb. test tippet.
It was 31 inches long and a fat maiden chrome female. September of 1993 and a morning and fish I shall never forget.
Take care.
I once brought a Seal to boat-side off Jordan River on a 9' spinning rod and a spinning reel with 12 lb. test line in 18 minutes, timed.
My largest ever Rainbow took 40 minutes to bring to hand but that was from a float-tube on a 5 wt. flyrod with 4.5 lb. test tippet.
It was 31 inches long and a fat maiden chrome female. September of 1993 and a morning and fish I shall never forget.
Take care.
Similar threads
