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Conditions today were tough. Steady wind from the South. Heavy chop, with white caps most of the day. Add boat traffic, and swells.....oh my! Thought the wiffee was not going to deal with that "crap"..........LOL!
Launched at 8am. Parking lot's, parking areas close to as packed as Saturday. But no derby today. So did not have to walk as far after parking as today, as compared to yesterday. Lots of boats coming in as we are getting our fishing started. I assume they have limited.
6th trip in as many days. Gear down in 150ft of water by 8:10. Boat rocking. and waves slapping the side, due to the weather. Same gear on both rods as all previous day. Wiffee said sent it to 65ft, and that is what she got. Set the other rod in the clip and sent it down 70ft. Am loading the rod and get hit!. Line pops from the clip, and I get to say "got one". Wiffee say's already! Yep, but just as quickly, as in before I can get my hands on the rod. Fish is gone! But do notice the other rod had a hit too! Other rod dear! Whoosh, in she comes from her established perch at the bow. This fish is in the net. 1 down and 3 to go. Day is starting out good.
Third hit comes on the green flasher/white Hoochie at 8:20. Fish fought halfway to the boat and unbuttoned! Still one in the box.
Fourth hit comes on the green flasher/white Hoochie at 9:00. Fish is fought 2/3 of the way back to the boat and unbuttons!. This is bigger than all previous fish. Takes 3 line peeling runs. Not making much headway, under good pressure, when line slacks and weight of fish is gone. Have to go see that one in the window at the locks I guess. Hmm, look the hooks over. Sharpen the back hook until sticky sharp.
Fifth hit green flasher/white hoochie at 10:00am. This time the hooks stuck, second in the box. Yesterday the wife reeled all fish in. Today, with the wind and constant rocking. She was happy to sharpen her netting skills, and reel in a few.
We trolled North with the wind for some time, then fought the wind, waves and current back to Meadow point. That ate up a couple hours. Headed in the general direction of the ramp. I was done, but wiffee was surprisingly NOT! 12:30 and some sort of Sailboat race is beginning. And there is a hundred sailboats congregated just out at the first big buoy in front of the Shilshole entrance. We fish our way back to that buoy, and in the process are weaving our way through the many boats. Most are courteous as are we. In the wind it is obvious of there intended heading under sail. I see one boat is letting the wind drift them to our port side and are not going to make it. So, I throttle up the kicker, make a minor direction change and all is well.
12:30: Sixth, seventh, and eighth (is a sailboat) hit. Just then. Red flasher/green splatter hoochie get's hammered!. I see it happen and hand off to Wiffee. She is playing it to the net which is in my hands, and notice the green flasher/white hoochie had been hit too. That second line is straight out behind the boat, and on the surface, 100ft back of the boat. Just then, a different Sailboat passed on our Starboard, in a direction from our bow to stern. Must not have seen us. Since Wiffee and I are facing the stern, and have our backs to the oncoming craft. We do not have a clue how close the silent craft is to us. The boat barely misses colliding with ours. I am talking 10ft or closer at high speed. That Sailboat drifted at a arcing angle so close. The dude steering the Sailboat had the fishing line of the other rod at his chest level, and reaches out with his hand, and grabs the line as he drift into it!. With the fish on it!. If he doesn't the gear could foul on the boat railing or on a person. My line is screaming out, not sure why. Combination of the fish running, and the line maybe clamped down in the guys hand or gear now fowled on the boat? We are yelling at the guy, "do you know you have our gear?". As he straightens out and heads straight away, same as the line with fish attached.
This is happening while the Wiffee's fish is spunky. Jumping, staying behind the obstacle presented by the motors. Finally land her fish, and the line has been screaming out on the other rod, the entire time the Wiffee's fish was fought. All of a sudden the line goes slack. I figure the line was finally cut and reel in 200 yards of line!.
What? I see the flasher surfing on the surface a couple hundred feet back of our boat. Flasher, tandem sharp hooks, and hoochie all intact. Fish is gone. Maybe he hand lined the fish into the Sailboat, I do not know. But very strange.
I am so ready to call it a day. Putting the rods away. Guess what? Wiffee wants to stick it out for possibly one more fish! I do not give up easily when it comes to fishing. But this day is borderline too much work. Then throw in the incident with the Sailboat! Babe, are you sure? We are already out here! I am checking over the line for fraying, and hooks for signs of dulling, knots for any sign weakness. And considering if it is worth it.
Sailboats have thinned out to the point of nonexistent. So, okay lets give it until 1:00. Gear down 70 and 80ft. Wiffee instructs the general heading we should be going to reach that extremely busy intersection of double header, netting of fish, and close encounter with a silent running sailboat.
We pass the "intersection with no co-operation from fish. The FF was lit up with fish. Fight the wind South for 10 minutes, then turn back North towards the ramp.
7th hit at 1:00. Comes on the red flasher/green hoochie. About a 18" blackmouth. Safely released.
Back into the on coming Sailboats Everyone is super cordial. Waiving as we pass each other. Nothing even close to what had occurred 10 minutes earlier.
I round the buoy and am definitely done for the day. 2 more minutes and the gear must come up for lack of depth.
1:10 eighth hit comes on the rod involved with the Sailboat. Fish feels strong. Way out behind the boat, on the surface. Wiffee expertly allows me to lead the fish into the net. Back hook is gone, other hook has the fish skin hooked in the mouth. Now we are definitely done. Fourth keeper fish of the day.
Weight of today's four fish. Right at 19lbs. Fillet weight 11lb-10oz.
Wiffee is back to work tomorrow. I can honestly say, she officially burned me out on fishing! Yep, I am smiling big time!!
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