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I got to host CJ and Janice Kogler of the Facebook Group Hard Core Salmon Fishing for a weekend of fishing. This is a report on our Sunday trip.

We met at 7am at the Edmonds sling. Helping out today was my friend Mark Nordahl AKA Gringo Pescador. The breeze was up a bit and HT was at 11:10. I decided to run us down to Area 10 and work West Point to Shileshole to show my guests some new locations. It was a pretty good run, happy with how my boat handled the early morning chop.

We set up two downrigger rods and one Deep Six rod and got to work. The fish finder was showing fish but they weren’t biting for us. Finally at 8:45 Mark got into a nice 7-8 pound coho. With the wind bouncing the boat around it was fun catching, netting, filming, and driving. Good thing we had 4 in the boat! The action continued to be slow all morning as we hooked another but lost it on a bad leader. We saw a few nets flying but it wasn’t red hot. Around 12:15 I turned the boat and headed for the Green Can by Golden Gardens, hoping for some action along the way. What happened next is seared into my memory…

We were trolling due north, with the outgoing tide and wind. Running around 4mph give or take. Downrigger rods at 55 and 65 feet of cable. Flashers and hoochie on one, spoon on the other. Deep 6 in the middle. Behind us we watch as a squall bears down on us. Sailboats all around enjoying the nice 10-15 mph breeze. Then the squall hits and all hell breaks out. Rain starts dumping on us, the wind picks up, and we hit a double! Amazing the timing. We lose one fish but get the other. Quickly we get the rods re-set as we see another boat hook into a fish. Down goes our gear and in a matter of minutes BAMM another double! We battle the wind, rain, and fish and get them both in. 3 of 4 in under 15 minutes, amazing.

While we are in our little fish drama we look over at a 30 foot sailboat that appears to be solo run. The spinnaker has got twisted in the sudden wind and the boat makes several 360 degree spins in the water, each time perilously close to laying on its side, or running into another fishing boat it bears down on. The captain is obviously desperately struggling to keep from going over. On the third spin he manages to get the boat on course and with the wind, giving him the chance to drop his spinnaker. I have never seen a sailboat of this size almost go over. As a former sailer, I know the difference between a keeled over boat and a boat about to blow over. All I can say is we were ready to go into rescue mode…
As fast as the squall hit it left, leaving calming waters and no further bites. We rode the wind all the way back to the oil docks, picking up a 4 pounder to give us 5 fish in the boat. Not red hot for us, but what a great day on the water with friends old and new!

I truly love the month of September…

downriggeral

9/19/2018 10:18:22 PM

Wow Mike great fishin' and boat handling! Ive been in a big squall in a sail boat.....terrifying to say the least. Cudos to the sailor for saving it.

Lincolnlaunch

9/20/2018 8:41:13 AM

Pretty sure we were right behind to you guys. Trying to dodge the out of control sailor and watching you guys hook into doubles was pretty fun to say the least.
We came away with two fish for the day. I think you guys filmed the circus on the last fish.
Cheers!
Lincolnlaunch.

Mike Carey

9/20/2018 5:47:42 PM

yup, we passed it other, didn't you have one on right about then as well? That sailboat was heading right at you a couple of times.

AlumaEdge185

9/20/2018 9:57:51 AM

Mike, great report again and thanks for posting that screen with the settings. much appreciated!

bigoledave

9/20/2018 12:23:31 PM

Great report about fishing....but the sailing part:
Sailboats of that size don't "blow over"....one force..the wind applies the most force when the boat is not heeled. At some angle of
of heel, the wind force is reduced to the same force the weight of the keel applies as an opposing force. So...while it may look dramatic,
a sailboat heeled over 80 degrees in a big wind with a huge sail up is not in danger of capsizing and sinking....one just needs to lessen
the force of the wind so that the keel righting force reduces the heel angle. Now go fish and stop worrying about rescuing us saiboaters!

Mike Carey

9/20/2018 5:46:20 PM

If you had been there watching it you may have a different opinion... There's a difference between a controlled heel and a spinnaker twisted with captain desperately trying to stop the boat from doing out of control 360s.

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